Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has acknowledged that the inflation figures are “concerning” for people across the country.
He says the figure of 10.1% is in the range the government was expecting, adding that the government’s energy price support will have helped to lower inflation overall.
Under the energy price guarantee – made in response to soaring energy prices – a typical annual household bill will be limited to £2,500 until April.
“I think the response to the energy price increases that we brought out in the statement a few weeks ago will have helped to suppress some of that inflation, but of course it is still something which is concerning,” Cleverly tells the BBC.
He adds that global factors – such as the war in Ukraine – have played a part in the rise in inflation.
“We want to make sure that we take action to try and limit the rate of inflation.
“That’s why it’s so very important that we protect people in businesses from those energy price rises, but we also try and address some of the core drivers of inflation, including the war in Ukraine, which has pushed up energy prices, and that’s had a knock-on effect for the prices in so many people’s baskets.”
Source: BBC