Lords question George Osborne on the state of the economy

• Parliament TV: Inquiry into the Economic Impact on UK Energy Policy of Shale Gas and Oil
• Inquiry: The Economic Impact on UK Energy Policy of Shale Gas and Oil
• Select Committee on Economic Affairs

Witness

Tuesday 4th February, Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster

At 3.15pm:

• The Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Questions will be asked on the following themes:

• Whether the recent upturn in the UK economy is sustainable in the medium term
• The drop in productivity in the UK since 2008 and what can be done to reverse this
• Whether he is concerned that UK house price inflation rose at three times the general rate of inflation in 2013
• His views on Business Secretary Vince Cable’s concern that London was a “giant suction machine draining life out of the rest of the country”
• What the government can do to encourage individuals and households to save
• What more can be done to improve the availability of credit to small and medium sized companies
• Whether the City of London’s bonus culture was now under control
• Whether he would support the Scottish government’s aspiration to retain sterling as part of a formal monetary union if Scotland becomes independent
• What might be the impact on the UK economy of a withdrawal from the European Union.

The Committee will also ask Mr Osborne about the prospects for the development of the shale gas and oil industry in the UK and what contribution this can make to the national economy; the subject of the Committee’s present inquiry which was launched last year. It expects to publish its report by April. 

Further information

• Commons Library Standard Note: Shale Gas and Fracking 
• About Parliament: Select Committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch Committees