Kit Malthouse – 2022 Comments on the Cost of Living

The comments made by Kit Malthouse, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 10 August 2022.

The winter is always a challenge, but a particular difficulty this year is the number of problems coming together at the same time.

People are already feeling the squeeze of rising energy and fuel costs, and we are continuing to work on boosting our energy security to mitigate these. We also have the wider global inflation problem, which is further adding to the cost of living pressures. Our NHS is also still recovering from Covid-19 but is going into a winter where there may again be a rise of cases but also the usual seasonal flu.

My job is to test, challenge, and coordinate work across government, working with ministers and officials, as well as our partners and industry, to make sure we have a real grip of the issues and that they’re all addressed at the same time, making sure we protect people as much as possible from the challenges this winter will bring.