Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help support people on lower incomes in High Peak constituency.

The government is focused on improving living standards across the country, which is why economic growth remains a top priority. If Real Household Disposable Income per capita had grown at the same rate between 2010 and 2023 as it did from 1997 to 2010, it would be over £4,000 higher today.

We are committed to ensuring economic stability, by keeping inflation and energy bills as low as possible. To do this, we need to fix the foundations and rebuild Britain, so we can make every part of our country better off. That is why we will soon outline plans to improve energy efficiency across the UK’s housing stock, helping to reduce energy consumption, emissions, and household bills. Further details will be outlined in the upcoming Spending Review.

A new Ministerial Taskforce has been established to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce child poverty. We have updated the remit of the Low Pay Commission to take to account of the cost of living when making recommendations on the National Living Wage.

We will collaborate with Claire Ward, the East Midlands Mayor, and the Combined County Authority, to develop an ambitious, long-term Local Growth Plan for the area, including High Peak and Derbyshire. This plan will address local strengths and barriers to growth in the East Midlands, aiming to drive economic growth, narrow inequalities, and support delivery of the national industrial strategy.