Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Neil Gray Excerpts
Tuesday 29th January 2019

(5 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride
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We are truly the party for working people, as my hon. Friend states, unlike the Labour party. We are the party that raised the personal allowance to £12,500 one year ahead of our manifesto commitment to do so, taking well over 4 million of the lowest paid out of tax altogether. We are also the party of the national living wage, which will go up by 4.9% this April and be of great benefit to the very lowest paid in our country.

Neil Gray Portrait Neil Gray (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
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We knew that shifting the BBC licence fee concession to the BBC has always been folly, but we now know from the BBC’s consultation that the £745 million cost is likely to mean either a reduction in output, pensioners losing the concession, or both. Will the UK Government finally reverse this ridiculous decision and bring the concession back to the Government?

Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Philip Hammond
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A consultation is under way that I believe ends on 13 February. Once it is complete, the Government will consider it.