Oral Answers to Questions

James Sunderland Excerpts

Wednesday 24th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

In fact, the plan is working because poverty is falling in our country. There are 1.7 million fewer people in poverty than in 2010, including hundreds of thousands of children. Of course there is more to do—there is always more to do—to make sure children do not grow up in poverty, but that absolutely would not be helped by Labour’s £28 billion tax grab on their parents, which would take money out of their family’s bank account.

[James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)]

Q13. Bracknell Forest is a place of aspiration, opportunity and enterprise. Business occupancy rates and employment figures are, thankfully, high. Footfall at the Lexicon shopping centre is up and wages are up, but the cost of living continues to bite across the UK. What more can be done to put more money in people’s pockets?

[The Prime Minister]

It is great to see, thanks to my hon. Friend, that Bracknell Forest is thriving, with people in work up and footfall in the town centre up and, as he knows, almost 100% of his schools are now good or outstanding. But he is right that we must do more to relieve the burden on working people, which is why we cut taxes for tens of millions of people in work earlier this year, worth £450 on average. We have to stick to the plan for lower taxes, a strong economy and a brighter future for the people of Bracknell Forest, and absolutely not risk going back to square one with the Labour party.