Oral Answers to Questions

Alexander Stafford Excerpts

Tuesday 9th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) (Con)]

7. What steps he is taking to support financially people on lower incomes.

[David Simmonds (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) (Con)]

15. What steps he is taking to support financially people on lower incomes.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen)]

The Government are taking action to protect struggling families by providing support, worth £3,300 per household on average over this year and last, to help with higher bills. That includes targeted support for the most vulnerable in our society through additional cost of living payments and the uprating of benefits by 10.1% this year. The Government have also increased the national living wage by 9.7%, representing an increase of more than £1,600 in the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the national living wage.

[Alexander Stafford]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the best support in the cost of living crisis, beyond the £94 billion that the Government have already spent, is the cutting of inflation to ease pressures—especially on food, fuel and energy—for families in Rother Valley and up and down the country?

[John Glen]

I absolutely agree. The Government are doing three things to reduce inflation: we are remaining steadfast in supporting the independent Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England as it continues to take action to return inflation to target; we are making responsible decisions on tax and spending, so that we are not adding fuel to the fire; and we are tackling high energy prices by holding down energy bills for households and businesses, alongside investing in long-term energy security.