Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Rachel Reeves Excerpts
Tuesday 18th July 2017

(6 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Philip Hammond
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I agree with my hon. Friend. The UK will have increased the tax-free personal allowance by over 90% compared with 2010, completing a decade of sustained tax cuts for working people. Over 31 million taxpayers will pay less tax in 2017-18, including 3 million taxpayers in the north-west. Since 2010, more than 4 million taxpayers have been taken out of income tax altogether.

Rachel Reeves Portrait Rachel Reeves (Leeds West) (Lab)
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Personal contract purchase plans for financing cars have gone up by 394% in the past five years, and the Governor of the Bank of England has said that we are failing to learn the lessons of the past when it comes to easy credit. What action is the Chancellor taking to ensure that lending is affordable and does not pose a risk to the wider economy?

Steve Barclay Portrait The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Stephen Barclay)
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May I first congratulate the hon. Lady on her appointment as Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee? As she will be aware from her Bank of England days, this is a matter for the Financial Policy Committee. Indeed, the FPC noted in its recent report that consumer credit is growing at a lower rate than it was under the previous Labour Government, but loss rates on lending remain low, as they are at present.