Oral Answers to Questions

John Robertson Excerpts

Wednesday 15th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking to address the rising cost of living in Northern Ireland.

[John Robertson (Glasgow North West) (Lab)]

4. What steps she is taking to address the rising cost of living in Northern Ireland.

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mrs Theresa Villiers)]

The actions the Government are taking to help with the cost of living include freezing fuel duty, cutting income tax bills, delivering the biggest ever single cash increase in the state pension and helping to keep interest rates low by dealing with the deficit.

[Mrs Villiers]

As I have said, the Government take this issue very seriously. That is why fuel duty today is 20 pence per litre lower than it would have been if we had stuck with the previous Government’s plans; that is why we have cut income tax for about 618,000 people in Northern Ireland and taken 75,000 out of income tax altogether; and that is why people on the minimum wage will see their income tax bills halved by April.

[John Robertson]

I wonder whether the Secretary of State can tell us what her assessment is of the Advice NI social policy report, which confirms that over 11 food banks have opened in Northern Ireland since 2012. Is she happy with that? If not, what does she plan to do about it?

[Mrs Villiers]

Of course it is a matter of regret that anyone feels the need to go to a food bank, but the Government are doing everything they can to support people on low incomes with the cost of living. I hope the Opposition will welcome the fact that inflation fell to 2% yesterday. We will continue to give people support, in particular with our triple lock on pensions that delivered the biggest ever single cash increase in the state pension, and we will continue to deal with the deficit. The real threat to the cost of living would be a Labour Government, who would put up taxes and see interest rates increased.