"The Prime Minister and (Hunt) emphasised that the rate of inflation is only predicted to fall because of the tough decisions the Government had taken at the autumn statement to stabilise the economy," Sunak's office said. "(Hunt) said it would be necessary to retain this disciplined approach in order to reduce inflation, because it is the greatest driver of the cost of living."

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Leslie Adler)