Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Marie Rimmer Excerpts
Tuesday 29th October 2024

(2 days, 14 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Joe Morris Portrait Joe Morris (Hexham) (Lab)
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1. What steps she plans to take to help improve living standards.

Marie Rimmer Portrait Ms Marie Rimmer (St Helens South and Whiston) (Lab)
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5. What steps she plans to take to help improve living standards.

Kirsteen Sullivan Portrait Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)
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13. What steps she plans to take to help improve living standards.

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Rachel Reeves Portrait Rachel Reeves
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My hon. Friend is right: the previous Parliament was the worst ever recorded for living standards. Tomorrow’s Budget is an opportunity to fix that and turn the page so that we can start delivering for families in Hexham and all around the country.

Marie Rimmer Portrait Ms Rimmer
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The bottom 50% of the population owned less than 5% of wealth in 2021, while the top 10% stacked up 57% of it—up from 52.5% in 1995. In our communities, the less well-off are struggling with energy prices and other costs. What will the Government do to ensure that the gap closes?

Rachel Reeves Portrait Rachel Reeves
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We have already announced the child poverty taskforce, which is working to publish a comprehensive strategy to tackle child poverty. We will publish that strategy in spring next year. We have also provided £500 million, including the Barnett impact, to extend the household support fund in England until the end of March next year, which will help the most vulnerable households to cover the costs of essentials such as food, energy and water.