House of Commons — sitting of 23 June 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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House of Commons

23 June 2026

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Contents updated on 23 Jun 2026

Treasury questions probe the Government’s fiscal stance, including household support, tax design, regional growth and sectoral competitiveness, testing the coherence of its wider economic and industrial policy.

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Treasury Questions — tax, growth and support

34:31

Treasury Questions and economic policy priorities

34:31

Treasury Questions — households, tax, defence and labour market

34:31

Chancellor — Household budgets and regional wellbeing

34:31

Opening of Treasury Questions — Household budgets

34:31

Q3 — Falkirk cost of living and energy prices

38:42

Q6 — Green Book wellbeing guidance and regional investment

45:57

Tax policy — Loan charge, VAT and business rates

37:13

Q2 — Andrew Rosindell: Loan charge settlement

37:13

Q4 — Northern Ireland hospitality VAT competitiveness

40:33

Q5 — Business rates reform and online giants

41:59

Defence funding timetable and NATO mechanisms

47:43

Q7 — Chancellor: Defence Investment Plan timetable

47:43

Q7 — NATO multilateral defence financing mechanisms

50:28

Youth employment, graduate outcomes and growth capital

53:27

Q8 — Youth unemployment and graduate outcomes

53:27

Q9 — Venture Capital Trust relief and growth funding

55:46

Infrastructure, industrial policy and cost‑of‑living measures

58:21

Transport connectivity, devolution and regional growth

58:21

Q10 — Treasury support for cross-border transport connectivity

58:21

Q11 — North of England transport devolution and Northern Powerhouse Rail

01:00:45

Industrial policy, energy costs and UK–EU reset

01:02:37

Q12 — Industrial energy costs, EV targets and steel tariffs

01:02:37

Q13 — Chancellor: Resetting UK–EU economic relations

01:06:31

Cost of living support, welfare adequacy and regional infrastructure

01:10:05

Q15 — Wythenshawe cost of living and Universal Credit adequacy

01:10:05

Q16 — Heathrow expansion and regional economic impact

01:11:49

Treasury oral questions — fiscal strategy and sector support

01:13:23

Treasury questions — growth record, pensions and taxing wealth

01:13:23

Q17 — Economic performance, pensions reform and taxing wealth

01:13:23

Shadow critique vs Chancellor’s fiscal and growth record

01:16:44

Topical Treasury Q1 — Chancellor’s record and borrowing

01:18:12

Topical Treasury questions — sectoral support, Brexit impacts, VAT and COVID fraud

01:22:58

Sectoral support, Brexit impact and CBAM refined products

01:22:58

Health VAT anomaly and hospitality VAT relief for children

01:26:17

Brexit instability, insourcing, VAT pilots and COVID fraud enforcement

01:29:05

Opposition Day defence debate — threats, funding and veterans

01:33:05

Opposition Day defence debate — core party positions

01:33:05

Opening of Opposition Day defence debate

01:33:05

Opening of Opposition Day defence debate and ministerial accountability

01:33:05

Opposition Day debate opens and point of order on Defence UQ

01:33:05

Resignations, missing Defence Investment Plan and cuts warning

01:37:52

Government vs Opposition — Defence Investment Plan and record

01:41:00

Opposition: welfare cuts to fund Defence Investment Plan

01:41:00

NATO comparisons and welfare versus defence funding

01:41:00

Conservative welfare reform record and funding switch to defence

01:43:40

Cross‑party offer to cut welfare and publish Defence Investment Plan

01:46:09

Opposition: Defence Investment Plan delay and future warfare

01:48:50

Opposition: drones procurement record, forces housing and welfare-for-defence offer

01:54:13

Defence Minister — legacy of Conservative cuts and Labour’s early record

01:56:52

Defence Minister: service experience and impact of Conservative cuts

01:56:52

Minister: assigning responsibility to Conservatives and coalition partners

02:00:18

Defence Minister: rebuttal on DIP, spending and readiness

02:03:31

Liberal Democrats — alternative defence amendment and Troubles legacy

02:11:56

Liberal Democrats’ defence amendment and threat assessment

02:11:56

Lib Dems’ amendment: critique of Conservative motion and defence bonds

02:11:56

Lib Dems: threat landscape and Defence Investment Plan priorities

02:17:06

Legacy in Northern Ireland, ECHR safeguards and defence investment commitments

02:21:04

NI Troubles legacy, ECHR protections and veterans’ safeguards

02:21:04

Call to publish DIP, defence bonds and 3% GDP by 2030

02:25:59

Russian threat, public consent and personnel security

02:31:05

Russian threat, public consent and rearmament

02:31:05

Public understanding of Russian threat and defence burden

02:31:05

Backbencher: Russia conflict framing and public understanding

02:31:05

Backbencher: linking defence threats to everyday economic security

02:34:34

Post‑Cold War defence risk and procurement reform

02:41:53

Lincoln Jopp: High North lessons and post‑Cold War risk taking

02:41:53

UK rearmament gap and procurement reform agenda

02:46:52

Drone obsolescence, SMEs and procurement model

02:51:18

Personnel security, morale and Northern Ireland legacy

02:55:33

Threat communication, transparency and security of personnel

02:55:33

Public threat communication, MoD secrecy and oversight

02:55:33

Moral component, NI Troubles Bill and veterans’ prosecutions

02:55:33

Welfare cuts versus defence spending and food insecurity

02:57:53

Forces morale, veterans and Northern Ireland legacy

03:02:29

Iain Duncan Smith: cross‑party defence failures and forces morale

03:02:29

Iain Duncan Smith: Northern Ireland legacy and veterans’ protection

03:05:45

Strategic threat environment and defence posture

03:11:43

Strategic threat context and defence funding choices

03:11:43

Strategic threat, past warnings and UK defence spending

03:11:43

Iain Duncan Smith: 1930s parallels and call for 3–5% defence spending

03:11:43

Andrew Lewin: Armed Forces Week and PM’s defence record

03:19:11

2014 Crimea to 2022 invasion — critique of Conservative defence spending

03:21:14

Brexit economic cost and fiscal space for defence

03:23:41

Manifesto choices: NI cut versus defence and UK support to Ukraine

03:26:21

Labour Government’s defence investments, drones and spending level

03:27:45

Defence Investment Plan funding and NATO context

03:30:07

Opposition backbencher: welfare cuts to fund rearmament

03:30:07

Luke Akehurst: publish Defence Investment Plan before NATO Ankara

03:34:18

Defence funding sources — welfare and capital budgets

03:37:52

Russia threat, deterrence ladder and 3% defence target

03:41:25

UK defence readiness, budget and deterrence

03:46:46

Readiness, future warfare and force morale

03:46:46

Backbencher: escalating global conflict and readiness

03:46:46

Emerging warfare, spiritual morale and NI Legacy Act

03:52:51

Defence budget, capability gaps and deterrence

03:57:11

Obese-Jecty: Defence Investment Plan, nuclear share and air power gaps

03:57:11

Backbencher: armoured capability gaps and welfare-for-defence funding

04:05:42

Sir Julian Lewis: deterrence, US guarantee and 4–5% GDP history

04:11:45

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill — legacy prosecutions and veterans

04:18:54

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill — veterans’ protections and trust

04:18:54

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill and veterans’ protections

04:18:54

Katie Lam: NI Troubles Bill and veterans’ prosecutions

04:18:54

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill and veterans’ trust

04:55:52

Shadow Minister: Northern Ireland Troubles Bill and veterans’ trust

04:55:52

Defence policy criticism and government response

04:25:26

Backbench and Opposition critique of defence plan

04:25:26

Backbench concerns on Defence Investment Plan and resilience

04:25:26

Opposition backbencher: PM’s indecision and Defence Investment Plan

04:25:26

Opposition backbencher: UK resilience and lessons from Finland

04:32:40

Bracknell MP: DIP delays, industry impact and NHS war readiness

04:36:31

Conservative backbencher: 3% GDP defence and welfare cuts

04:40:18

Opposition closing — defence funding, capabilities and veterans

04:44:19

Shadow Minister: tribute, Ukraine and capability questions

04:44:19

Opposition backbencher: Defence Investment Plan delay and NATO standing

04:50:32

Opposition backbencher: Northern Ireland Troubles Bill and veterans’ protection

04:55:52

Opposition Defence Motion — Minister’s plan and votes

05:00:12

Defence Minister Pollard: investment plan and force support

05:00:12

Defence Minister Luke Pollard: DIP timetable, spending and readiness

05:00:12

Minister Pollard: forces housing, pay and capabilities

05:06:30

Defence Opposition motion — closure and divisions

05:12:21

Closure motion and vote on original Opposition motion

05:12:21

Division results on defence motion and amended wording

05:26:12

Government statement and Commons debate on Pathways puberty‑blocker trial

05:38:02

Government stance and Opposition challenge on Pathways trial

05:38:02

Opposition motion and government defence of Pathways trial

05:38:02

Johnson: ethical objections to Pathways puberty‑blocker trial

05:38:02

Opposition Day motion on puberty blockers — scope and Pathways trial

05:38:02

Johnson: puberty blockers’ risks, ethics and evidence gaps

05:41:07

Johnson: Tavistock data, age limits, consent and trial design

05:48:06

Health Secretary — Cass Review and Pathways trial safeguards

05:56:27

Health Secretary: duty of care and Cass Review findings

05:56:27

Data linkage alternative, Scottish patients and trial rationale

06:00:47

Trial design, placebo issue and strict eligibility criteria

06:03:44

Health Secretary: consent, eligibility and trial safeguards

06:08:08

Health Secretary: evidence need, harm concerns and opposition to motion

06:11:29

Pathways trial — opening arguments for and against

06:14:42

Support for expert-led Pathways trial and safer access

06:14:42

Lib Dem spokesperson Alison Bennett: expert-led trials and service access

06:14:42

Women and Equalities Chair Sarah Owen: trans voices, parents’ role and trial rationale

06:19:13

Interventions to Owen — trial, choice and evidence

06:25:47

Owen: blockers, unregulated access and duty of care

06:30:45

Pathways trial challenged — child welfare and LGB concerns

06:32:28

Rebecca Paul: opposing trial and questioning clinical consensus

06:32:28

Paul: homophobia concerns and detransition example

06:38:42

Government backbencher: defending Pathways trial and Cass

06:40:41

Cross‑party coalition against trial — age limits and Tavistock concerns

06:44:17

Puberty blockers trial — Evidence, ethics and Commons decision

06:48:52

Clinical evidence and ethical basis of Pathways trial

06:48:52

Pathways trial — harm of inaction, evidence base and consent

06:48:52

Government backbencher: harm of inaction and Cass recommendation

06:48:52

International evidence question and response on Finnish studies

06:52:08

Opposing Pathways trial — child capacity and data linkage

06:55:42

Support for Pathways trial and safeguarding rationale

07:02:03

Government backbencher: risk of inaction and case for Pathways

07:02:03

Lib Dem Christine Jardine — support for Pathways trial and trans youth

07:06:41

Olivia Blake — research ethics, stigma and access to care

07:11:13

Puberty blockers trial — Backbench challenge and final decision

07:16:16

Backbench opposition — age, consent and Tavistock lessons

07:16:16

Carla Lockhart — DUP opposition, age concerns and Tavistock lessons

07:16:16

Joe Robertson — consent, legal analogy and ethics of involving children

07:21:16

Angus MacDonald — public opinion, scientific caution and moral duty

07:26:21

Sir John Hayes — Cass findings, Tavistock cohort and alternative evidence

07:29:28

Puberty blockers trial — Opposition case, Minister’s response and vote

07:37:25

Shadow spokesperson — ethical threshold, Cass Review and consent for 11–12‑year‑olds

07:37:25

Shadow spokesperson: caution-first case to pause Pathways trial

07:41:58

Care Minister Kinnock: defending Cass-led puberty blockers trial

07:47:58

Division on Opposition motion on puberty blockers

07:59:24

Forest City new town proposal — MP challenge and Minister reply

08:13:13

Forest City proposal — MP challenge and Minister reply

08:13:13

Forest City proposal and Government response

08:13:13

MP Carter: Forest City proposal and feasibility critique

08:13:13

Adjournment opened — outline of Forest City proposal

08:13:13

Infrastructure, water and fiscal feasibility critique

08:16:20

Planning precedents, expert warnings and regional housing needs

08:21:02

Local blight, developers’ conduct and alternative growth strategy

08:24:33

Government position and ministerial response on Forest City

08:28:47

Political concerns and pointed questions to Ministers

08:28:47

Minister Pennycook: planning system constraints and non-committal response

08:31:17

House of Commons

23 June 2026

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 Actual start 11:00 House of Commons

34:31 - 34:35

Speaker 1

Order, order. We start with questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. John McNally.

34:35 - 34:38

John McNally

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question number one.

34:38 - 34:39

Chancellor of the Exchequer.

34:39 - 35:12

Lab Member of Parliament | Leeds West and Pudsey

Member of Parliament | Leeds West and Pudsey

Rachel Reeves

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With permission, I would like to answer this question with question 14. The government recognizes that energy costs, inflation, and global pressures continue to squeeze household budgets. That's why we've taken careful, targeted action through the Great British Summer Savings package, which launches on Thursday, cutting VAT on summer activities, so adventure parks, soft play centers, cinemas, and theaters will be cheaper, as well as the work that we're doing to maintain the triple lock and to lift children out of poverty.

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