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Order, order.

Hello there, I'm Alicia McCarthy,

and this is today in Parliament from BBC Radio 4 for Monday the 9th of March,

where the Chancellor warns the crisis in the Middle East is likely to impact prices in the UK.

As the situation continues to unfold, my priorities will continue to be helping families with

the cost of living and protecting the public finances.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives condemn the government for having no Royal Navy warships in the region.

They've chosen to spend billions more on benefits rather than strengthening

our defence in a dangerous world. Also on the programme, criticism of the plans to give asylum

seeker families up to £40,000 to leave the country. Why, when our NHS and schools are

crying out for funding, is he spending money, taxpayers' money, scapegoating migrants instead?

But first, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned

that the conflict in Iran is likely to push up inflation.

The cost of oil has surged due to the effective closure

of the Straits of Hormuz, a key shipping route.

That in turn has led to fears that energy bills,

petrol prices and inflation will all rise. Making a statement to MPs, Rachel Reeves said

she understood that families and businesses were anxious. The economic impact of the situation

in the Middle East will depend, of course, on its severity and its duration.

The movements that we have already seen are likely to put upward pressure on inflation in the coming months.

The Chancellor told MPs that earlier she'd met other finance ministers from the G7,

...