Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made in implementing the reforms set out in Fixing the foundations: creating a more prosperous nation, published in July 2015; and whether he plans to continue to monitor the recommendations set out in that document.

The government has made substantial progress in implementing the policies in “Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation.” This includes: publishing a new National Infrastructure Delivery Plan which details £100 billion of planned public investment in infrastructure to 2020-21; finalising funding bands for the apprenticeship levy and setting it at 0.5% of an employer’s pay bill for employers with pay bills over £3 million; legislating for key planning reforms through the Housing and Planning Act such as automatic permission in principle on brownfield sites; signing eight mayoral devolution deals with regions across England including Liverpool, Sheffield and East Anglia; and increasing the Annual Investment Allowance to £200,000, its highest ever permanent level. The government is continuing to monitor the progress being made through mechanisms such as the Single Departmental Plans.