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Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

I invite the hon. Gentleman to look at the details of the package and see, in particular, how helpful it is to improving incentives to work, and providing extra support for families with children and pensioners. I notice that the hon. Gentleman has not wanted to support the public spending totals that we published in our Budget Red Book. In 2010, public spending will rise by an additional £29 billion to £674 billion, as we continue to invest in the future. Do the Tories support that figure, given that they have to meet the third fiscal rule, and pay for corporation tax cuts, stamp duty cuts and a married couple’s allowance? If they cannot make a commitment to meet our spending totals, and they have not done so in this debate, we will draw the conclusion that the country will draw—that in every constituency there will be cuts in schools and hospitals. We will have increased education spending by £14 billion by 2010. We have cut pupil-teacher ratios, we have spent more than 20 per cent. extra per pupil and we have cut the basic rate of tax to 20p. We have delivered stability, affordable tax cuts and increases in spending. This Budget secures those achievements and I commend it to the House. Question put and agreed to. Resolved,