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Spending Review 2020 and OBR Forecast

25 November 2020

Lead MP

Rishi Sunak

Debate Type

Ministerial Statement

At a Glance

Rishi Sunak raised concerns about spending review 2020 and obr forecast in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Government Statement

Rishi Sunak

Justice & CourtsNHSEconomyEmploymentClimateBrexitForeign AffairsBusiness & TradeChildren & FamiliesLocal Government

Government Statement

Mr Speaker, today’s spending review delivers on the priorities of the British people. Our immediate priority is to protect people's lives and livelihoods through a £280 billion support package for jobs, businesses, and public services. Next year, we allocate an initial £18 billion for testing, PPE, and vaccines. We provide £55 billion in total funding to tackle coronavirus impacts on public services. The economy is forecast to contract by 11.3% this year but recover with growth rates of 5.5%, 6.6%, 2.3%, 1.7%, and 1.8% over the next five years, though not reaching pre-crisis levels until Q4 2022. The UK is forecast to borrow £394 billion this year, equivalent to 19% of GDP. Public sector debt will reach 97.5% of GDP in 2025-26. We announce a nearly £3 billion restart programme to help over a million long-term unemployed find work by 2024. We provide a pay rise for NHS workers and pause other public sector pay rises next year while ensuring those on lower incomes receive at least a £250 increase. The national living wage increases by 2.2% to £8.91 per hour, benefitting around 2 million people. Departmental spending will grow by £14.8 billion next year, with health, education, social care, criminal justice system and defence all receiving significant funding boosts. We reduce overseas aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income in 2021, but intend to return to the original target when fiscal conditions allow. We invest £100 billion in infrastructure next year, including housing, transport, and climate change initiatives, alongside a new UK infrastructure bank headquartered in the north of England. A £4 billion levelling-up fund is established for local projects.

Stephen Timms Lab

East Ham

Question

The Chancellor mentions a £1 billion social care grant for councils this year. How much will be allocated next year?

Minister reply

Next year, we are providing an additional £300 million of new grant funding on top of the extra £1 billion social care grant provided this year.

Angela Crawley Lab

Lancaster and Fleetwood

Question

The Chancellor says he is not going to fund all council tax precepts, despite saying before that he would. What about those councils that want to raise money for social care?

Minister reply

We have set out the core spending power for local government in 2021-22 at £49.3 billion, which is a real terms increase of 4.5% compared with this year’s settlement.

Nick Thomas-Symonds Lab

Torfaen

Question

Does the Chancellor accept that the UK shared prosperity fund does not have enough money to replace all the funding which has been provided under the European structural funds?

Minister reply

The UK shared prosperity fund will, on average over time, match EU receipts, reaching £1.5 billion a year.

Stephen Timms Lab

East Ham

Question

What is the Chancellor’s justification for cutting overseas aid to 0.5% of national income?

Minister reply

We are spending the equivalent of £10 billion, which is still considerably more than the OECD average and will remain the second highest aid donor in the G7.

Anneliese Dodds Lab Co-op

Oxford East

Question

The Chancellor has failed to provide a comprehensive spending review that protects key workers, supports businesses during the pandemic, and addresses the pressing issues of levelling up. The opposition argues for substantial capital investment to support job creation, an emergency retraining programme, and immediate improvements in universal credit.

Minister reply

Responding comprehensively, Rishi Sunak highlighted several measures including pay increases for NHS workers below median salary, increased funding for apprenticeships, extensions of business tax allowances, welfare enhancements such as extended universal credit uplifts and council tax relief, and significant infrastructure investments. He also defended the government's green initiatives, emphasising their ambitious nature compared to other nations.

Mel Stride Con

Central Devon

Question

The MP welcomed positive measures from the Chancellor but expressed concerns over reductions in overseas development aid and public sector pay freezes. He asked about the role of private businesses and entrepreneurs in driving economic growth post-crisis.

Minister reply

The Minister agreed that private business dynamism is key to recovery, focusing on easing hiring processes for growing firms. Additional funding was announced for start-up loans up to £50,000 to support new enterprises.

Alison Thewliss

Question

The MP criticised the spending review's failure to address unemployment, support self-employed individuals, and offer fair wages. She also questioned the Chancellor’s stance on public sector pay freezes and pension RPI changes.

Minister reply

The Minister clarified that many not majority self-employed do benefit from employment schemes and can rely on universal credit for additional support. He noted that Scotland has powers over tax and welfare, challenging the SNP to use these effectively.

Peter Bottomley Con

Wantage

Question

Enquires about the inclusion of local government employees in the £250 minimum increase for the lowest-paid public sector workers, expresses concern over potential pay increases for Members of Parliament while others do not receive such benefits, and calls for maintaining the 0.7% overseas aid commitment.

Minister reply

Responds that local government employees are typically independent in making their own decisions on pay levels, mentions the £345 uplift in the national living wage for social care workers, and confirms that IPSA has been informed of the Government’s public sector pay policy.

Christine Jardine Lib Dem

Edinburgh West

Question

Asks why the Chancellor did not provide enough support to protect jobs by extending furlough, for public sector workers facing a pay freeze, and those excluded from benefits. Requests that he understand the financial hardships of these individuals.

Minister reply

States that £2.4 billion in additional funding has been provided to the Scottish Government to use as they see fit; mentions comprehensive support given to self-employed people.

Gareth Johnson Con

Dartford

Question

Welcomes recognition of debt repayment and questions whether targeting £250 increase for the lowest-paid public sector workers shows prioritisation over a blanket pay freeze.

Minister reply

Confirms that those earning less than £24,000 in the public sector will receive an increase of £250 or more.

Jeffrey M. Donaldson Con

Lagan Valley

Question

Welcomes additional funding for Northern Ireland and asks if armed forces and police officers should also benefit from a pay rise.

Minister reply

Acknowledges productive conversations on fixing technical baseline issues, confirms that those earning less than £24,000 will receive the £250 increase.

David Davis Con

Goole and Pocklington

Question

Supports the Chancellor’s strategy of spending everything necessary to stop economic collapse, maximising growth and recovery next spring, and returning to conventional economics later. Asks if such enormous deficit needs long-term financing.

Minister reply

Finances borrowing through gilt markets with an average maturity of 14-15 years; differentiates between this and ongoing structural deficits.

Ben Lake PC

Ceredigion Preseli

Question

Inquires about Wales receiving not a penny less from the UK shared prosperity fund, matching total UK funding, and whether it represents additional investment.

Minister reply

Confirms replacement of EU funding up to £1.5 billion for the UK, with more than £200 million already allocated for pilot projects.

Derek Thomas Con

St Ives

Question

Requests reassurance that shared prosperity funds will address low wages in Cornwall, provide good jobs and improve skills.

Minister reply

Emphasises targeting resources at places where they can make the most difference; looks forward to hearing proposals from constituencies.

Caroline Lucas Green

Brighton Pavilion

Question

The Chancellor speaks of a fiscal emergency, but did not address the climate and nature emergencies. There is a risk that green steps will be undermined by environmentally destructive spending such as road-building programmes worth £27 billion. The hon. Member urges the adoption of a net zero test to assess all spending against the UK’s climate and nature goals.

Minister reply

The Government firmly believe in making sure that the recovery is green. I urge the hon. Lady to have a look at the national infrastructure strategy, entitled “Fairer, faster, greener”, which outlines funding for green measures contained in the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan.

Andrew Mitchell Con

Sutton Coldfield

Question

The proposed breaking of the 0.7% promise and further reduction in cash will cause 100,000 preventable deaths mainly among children. The right hon. Member is not prepared to make this choice.

Minister reply

The Government believe they can still make a difference with their measures while supporting developing countries’ access to vaccines through the COVAX advance market commitment.

Stephen Farry

Question

The excluded are a genuine problem, and public spending should be based on transformation around social justice, inclusion, reskilling, and investment in a green new deal.

Minister reply

Skills are at the heart of the Government’s beliefs, with £375 million funded today to deliver commitments on the Prime Minister’s lifetime skills guarantee.

Luke Evans Con

Hinckley and Bosworth

Question

Is the Chancellor aware of Hinckley bridge on the A5 which is a prime example of pinch points that strangle productivity?

Minister reply

The hon. Friend articulates an example of local pinch points being a blight on communities, and the new levelling-up fund would be interested in such projects.

Jeremy Corbyn Ind

Islington North

Question

Will the Chancellor recognise the importance of civil servants' work and participation by giving an increase of 10% to make up ground lost over the past decade?

Minister reply

The right hon. Gentleman is thanked for his team's hard work, but numbers are slightly different: a 7% pay premium between public and private sectors existed in 2019.

Tobias Ellwood

Question

Downgrading soft power programmes will leave vacuums that further poverty and instability; China and Russia may take our place. The right hon. Friend suggests updating rules governing overseas aid.

Minister reply

The defence budget has increased, and spending on peacekeeping operations in countries such as Libya is not currently counted as overseas development aid.

Catherine West Lab

Hornsey and Friern Barnet

Question

Will the Chancellor outline how he will manage to ring-fence money for mental health within the health spend?

Minister reply

The hon. Lady is pleased that of £3 billion extra NHS money, half a billion pounds is earmarked to address waiting times in mental health services.

Pauline Latham

Question

Will not support the new tiering system due to its illogicality which will force hospitality businesses to fold. Will also not support the reduction in aid budget, resulting in a decimation of education and vaccination efforts.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is thanked for her passionate case; we are the largest donor to Gavi globally, providing immunisation against infectious diseases for 75 million children.

Angela Eagle Lab

Wallasey

Question

In this covid crisis, the Government have presided over an horrific double whammy of one of the largest per capita death rates in the world and the deepest recession in the G7, and that is before the Brexit disruption due at the end of the year. Is the Chancellor really proud of his record?

Minister reply

My priority throughout this crisis has been protecting jobs. I am pleased to see that that is something the OBR, the Bank of England and the IMF all acknowledge has happened as a result of our interventions. We currently have an unemployment rate that is lower than Italy, France, Spain, Canada and the United States.

Huw Merriman

Question

Can I commend all the work that the Chancellor has done this year? Many constituents I speak to credit him personally with keeping them in a job. I am also pleased to see that, despite the financial pressures, the Chancellor is investing in transport. We see multi-year settlements for road, rail and active travel, and changes to the way infrastructure projects are appraised to increase the number of transport projects in deprived parts of the country, as well as a green book, a national infrastructure strategy, a red book and a £4 billion levelling up fund—and I am pleased to see that the Department for Transport is a sponsor. Can I ask him to keep a watchful eye on how all that is spent? Will he continue to place transport investment at the heart of our recovery and his long-term vision for this country?

Minister reply

I am very grateful for my hon. Friend’s intervention. He is absolutely right, and he has championed tirelessly for his constituents and the country the importance of transport in our levelling-up agenda and in helping to drive growth and spread opportunity.

Stewart McDonald

Question

Could I raise with the Chancellor the issue of statutory sick pay? Even before the crisis hit earlier this year, statutory sick pay in the United Kingdom was not comparable with that in similar advanced economies. Sitting at only £95, we know that it is not enough for those who need it for self-isolation, and that it is estimated to make up only about a fifth of workers’ wages. Will the Chancellor look at building up the statutory sick pay mechanisms in this country, so that they are fit not just for the present times, but for the hard times people are going to face in future, and give workers the proper financial security they deserve and are lacking right now?

Minister reply

At the beginning of this crisis, we made changes to the way that statutory sick pay operates, ensuring that it was payable from day one rather than day four, and for those who are self-employed, and we made changes to the way that universal credit, employment and support allowance and the minimum income floor work—all to enable some of the things that the hon. Gentleman mentioned.

Jeremy Hunt Con

Godalming and Ash

Question

I recognise that the Chancellor will have made the decision on 0.7% with an extremely heavy heart, but does he recognise that the respect felt for this country around the world is because we have championed causes throughout our history that matter to people everywhere, such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law? One of those causes is tackling extreme poverty. To cut our aid budget by a third in a year when millions more will fall into extreme poverty will make not just them poorer but us poorer in the eyes of the world, because people will worry that we are abandoning a noble ideal that we in this country have done more to champion than anyone else.

Minister reply

I am enormously grateful to my right hon. Friend for the approach that he has taken and I appreciate our conversations on this topic.

Rachael Maskell Lab Co-op

York Central

Question

Charities up and down the land will wonder why the Chancellor has abandoned them today. Charities have already accumulated £10 billion-worth of debt, and 20% of them could fold, despite the extraordinary work they have done for our nation during the pandemic. His statement says that there will be further rationing in the Office for Civil Society. Will he reflect on that and come back to the Dispatch Box with real money to support our valuable charities?

Minister reply

Almost uniquely among other countries during this crisis, we have provided enormous financial support to our charity sector. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has distributed £750 million to small and large charities up and down the country.

Gerald Jones Lab

Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare

Question

On 26 February, I asked the Prime Minister to offer additional support to Wales over and above the devolved settlement in the face of unprecedented flooding caused by Storm Dennis. The Prime Minister gave an assurance that funding would be “passported” to Wales. Nine months later, with winter approaching, that funding still has not been delivered. What discussions has the Chancellor had about that, and when does he think the Government will be able to deliver on the Prime Minister’s promises to Welsh communities?

Minister reply

I believe we have, with £1.3 billion of extra funding next year for the Welsh Government to spend as they see fit on their devolved competencies, of which flooding is one.

Robert Syms

Question

I thank the Chancellor for his statement. Over the last 10 years, we have spent over £100 billion on overseas aid, with a lot of it borrowed. Most of my constituents will understand the difficult decision that the Government have had to make. At 0.5%, our aid spending will be higher than that of most of our neighbours, and probably higher than the Major Government and many other Governments in the past. He has set out the recovery in GDP and growth over the next three or four years, and no doubt the budget will go up again.

Minister reply

I thank my hon. Friend for his comment. He is right—I think the average aid spending of the last Labour Government was 0.36%, so it will be sufficiently ahead of that.

Clive Betts Lab

Sheffield South East

Question

May I declare an interest in this question, as I suffer from myeloma, a form of blood cancer? We all recognise and applaud the incredible work that the NHS and its staff have done for us all in the past few months. In terms of the future, does the Chancellor recognise, however, that much research for cancer is funded by charitable donations, which have fallen significantly during recent months for reasons that everyone can understand? To ensure that treatments continue to improve in the future, will he agree to fully fund cancer research to make up the difference in charitable donations, at least for the next few years?

Minister reply

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question.

John Penrose

Question

I welcome the Chancellor’s continuing commitment to sound money. It is particularly easy to forget, in a year when we have just seen an 11.3% cut in the size of the economy, that ultimately, all the money that we are borrowing must eventually be paid back by us as taxpayers. So I urge him not to lose that focus, and as soon as possible to get back to a sustainable basis. As part of that, could he say more about the Restart programme, which he mentioned earlier—a crucial thing to get members of the long-term unemployed back into work? How many people does he expect that to help, and what benefit does he expect that to have for our long-term, sustainable economy?

Minister reply

As ever, my right hon. Friend speaks fantastically good sense.

Sammy Wilson DUP

East Antrim

Question

Welcomed the £900 million for Northern Ireland and asked about details of access to levelling up fund, infrastructure bank and shared prosperity fund.

Minister reply

Assured that UK-wide programmes will be equally available; more details on the infrastructure bank in spring.

Mark Pawsey

Question

Welcomed announcements on infrastructure, apprenticeships, R&D but asked about future fiscal responsibility post-crisis.

Minister reply

Emphasised focus on supporting businesses and jobs during crisis; once recovery is secure, will turn to balancing the books.

John Cryer

Question

Asked for assessment of economic impact of public sector pay freeze.

Minister reply

Clarified that not a blanket freeze; majority of public sector workers earn less than median salary and see increase next year.

Laura Farris

Question

Welcomed financial commitment to mental health services but asked for continued focus on mental health spending.

Minister reply

Noted £500 million specifically targeted at mental health, part of £3 billion increase in NHS funding.

Darren Jones Lab

Bristol North West

Question

Asked why Chancellor did not commit to eradicating child poverty.

Minister reply

Noted 100,000 fewer children in absolute poverty than in 2010; above-inflation increase for nursery providers.

Richard Burgon Lab

Leeds East

Question

Critiques cuts to public sector pay and lack of support for low-income workers.

Minister reply

Accepted recommendations from Low Pay Commission for national living wage increase; £250 uplift for those earning up to average UK salary.

John Baron

Question

Encouraged not to stifle enterprise through tax increases and asked about further support for social care workers.

Minister reply

Social care workers will benefit from national living wage increase; already made start in raising NI threshold.

Martyn Day

Question

Challenged Chancellor on unemployment figures and lack of support for 3 million without furlough or self-employed help scheme.

Minister reply

Cited OBR stating economic interventions have helped keep down unemployment; lower rate than Italy, France, Spain, Canada, US.

Philip Davies

Question

Supported decision to cut overseas aid budget and asked if funds can be spent on local infrastructure.

Minister reply

Acknowledged tough choices made for constituents' priorities; committed to talking about bypass and flood defences.

Steve Double

Question

Thanked Chancellor for airport support and raised challenges facing hospitality sector with restrictions.

Minister reply

Acknowledged impact of crisis on hospitality; provided details of various grants, VAT cuts, furlough support.

Lilian Greenwood Lab

Nottingham South

Question

The midlands engine has identified priorities for investment as transport, digital connectivity and energy. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the east midlands has suffered the lowest level of transport spending per person since 2014-15. If the Chancellor is serious about levelling up, can he guarantee that the east midlands will receive the highest allocation of any region when he hands out his new levelling-up fund?

Minister reply

The hon. Lady talked about a few different things, transport and digital connectivity being among the most important to her region. This spending review delivers on both those priorities, with record amounts of spending on road, rail, intra-city transportation, buses and cycling, and, on digital connectivity, with our plans to bring 85% of the country to gigabit-capable broadband by 2025.

David Morris

Question

I welcome the levelling-up fund. From the outset I have been championing the Eden Project North in Morecambe, which is coming shortly, so will the Chancellor meet me to discuss it, as it is exactly the kind of shovel-ready project that would level up not just Morecambe, but the whole of our region?

Minister reply

Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker, I think it was something about the Eden Project. I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss his ambitions for his area and this project.

Richard Fuller Con

North Bedfordshire

Question

In his statement, my right hon. Friend said: “The spending announced today is secondary to the courage, wisdom, kindness and creativity it unleashes. These are the incalculable but essential parts of our future, and they cannot be mandated or distributed by Government.” He is right on that, and the private sector and businesses will respond to what he has announced today. When it comes to the consideration of taxes, will he look to protect the incentives for those who invest and grow such businesses?

Minister reply

I thank my hon. Friend for his comment, as he is absolutely right, and from his own business experience he knows this well.

Navendu Mishra Lab

Stockport

Question

The taxpayer support for British businesses and jobs during this pandemic has been a lifeline for many, but today we hear that Rolls-Royce, which has benefited handsomely from the public purse while moving highly skilled jobs abroad, intends to shut down its historic Barnoldswick site until after Christmas and offshore the work to Japan, Singapore and Spain. Does the Chancellor agree that these kinds of bully-boy, strike-busting tactics are utterly unacceptable and that all the financial support must be immediately withdrawn until Rolls-Royce comes to its senses?

Minister reply

I know that the aerospace industry has been suffering a particularly difficult time over the past few months, and that has impacted businesses such as Rolls-Royce and others up and down the supply chain. We have put some measures in place to help airports and get people flying again.

Steve Brine

Question

The £325 million for the NHS to invest in the new diagnostic kit is really welcome, as will be the £1 billion to begin tackling the elective backlog caused by covid. May I ask the Chancellor to stick with that? What freedoms will my local NHS trusts have to spend that money?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend of course knows about this particularly well from his own experience, and he is right. One of the implications of the lockdown and what we have done in the past is that we have this backlog now.

Kirsten Oswald

Question

More than 1 million 1950s-born WASPI—Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign—women remain in the workforce, including in front-facing roles. Many had planned to retire but cannot do so because the Chancellor’s Government hit them with a lengthy delay in accessing their pensions. WASPI women have asked me why the Chancellor cannot sort out their pensions, allowing them to retire and freeing up their jobs for others. That would be a win-win for the Chancellor and WASPI women, so will he look to do it?

Minister reply

The case has been settled in the courts and there is not much further I can add, but today we have announced an uplift of 2.5% for 12 million pensioners on the state pension.

Ben Everitt

Question

I am sure the Chancellor shares my vision that Milton Keynes and the wider Thames valley can be the silicon valley of Europe. We know that 88% of UK companies are currently experiencing a lack of digital skills, and that this is costing our economy £63 billion a year. May I therefore ask whether the proposal for a brand new STEM-focused science and digital technology university in Milton Keynes would be eligible to apply for funding from the new £4 billion pot for levelling up?

Minister reply

We will publish further details on how the levelling-up fund will work in due course. It is for those smaller, deliverable, everyday infrastructure projects that I have talked about.

Yvette Cooper Lab

Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley

Question

We know that families are really struggling right now. The Bank of England has said that the inflation forecast next year is 2%. Can the Chancellor guarantee that the 2.1 million public sector workers he referred to will not face a real-terms pay cut next year? Will he also explain why on earth he is still going ahead with the appalling £1,000 cut in universal credit, which will hit millions of families across the country at this incredibly difficult time?

Minister reply

Those in the public sector who earn less than £24,000, which is the UK national median wage, will receive a fixed increase of at least £250. That is 2.1 million people—38% of the workforce.

Nigel Mills

Question

I welcome much of the Chancellor’s statement, and look forward to sending him the bid for the Ripley-Codnor bypass. Is he able to offer any encouragement to the supply chain of the hospitality industry? He is supporting the restaurants and pubs that are closed, but not the important businesses that supply them and also cannot trade because they have no customers to sell to.

Minister reply

Obviously those businesses will be able to use the generous terms of the furlough scheme for their staff through the winter period. The more than £1 billion of funding that we made available to local authorities before the start of the latest national restrictions was also to support businesses and local economies in the way that authorities saw fit throughout the winter period.

Mick Whitley

Question

The Chancellor has promised the British people a green jobs revolution, but the UK is fast falling behind countries like France and Germany. We need investment in the jobs of the future now. What immediate steps will the Chancellor be taking to support green infrastructure projects such as offshore wind and the Mersey tidal projects, and green jobs on Merseyside?

Minister reply

I do not believe that we are behind France and Germany. We are phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles 10 years before France, and we are phasing out coal 13 years before Germany.

Anthony Browne

Question

My constituency is home to the global headquarters of AstraZeneca, the private sector company that has committed to producing, on a not-for-profit basis, the so-called Oxford vaccine—not just for the British population, but for developing countries around the world. It is doing that through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, of which the UK, as the Chancellor said earlier, is the biggest financial supporter. The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest crisis facing the world, and the UK is in a leading position in tackling it. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that, as a result of the spending review, the UK will continue to be able to play that leading role against the pandemic?

Minister reply

I can give my hon. Friend that assurance.

Rebecca Long-Bailey Lab

Salford

Question

It was frankly opprobrious that there was nothing today to help the 3 million people excluded from Government support schemes. They are desperate, they are struggling, and some have even taken their own lives. Will the Chancellor tell me whether we are to assume that, after eight months without any change in policy, he deems it politically expedient to exclude these people, because they just do not matter?

Minister reply

I am sure the hon. Lady heard the answer to the previous question on this issue. She keeps mentioning this 3 million figure without giving an explanation of whether she agrees that 1.5 million of those people should be included, given that they make the majority of their earnings from employment and are eligible to be furloughed. Indeed, that approach was supported by all trade organisations at the time when the scheme was launched.

Gary Sambrook

Question

Fifteen years after the MG Rover collapse, there is still 150 acres of unused land in Longbridge that could be used to provide much-needed jobs locally. Will the Chancellor support my campaign, along with Mayor Andy Street, to make sure that Longbridge is at the top of the list when it comes to levelling-up and that we have those jobs right across Northfield?

Minister reply

That sounds like an excellent idea. I hope that the £400 million brownfield fund, which is part of our housing fund, could be of help. I know that Mayor Andy Street has spoken to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government about how best he can access the brownfield fund, and this sounds like exactly the kind of project that it is designed to help.

Emma Lewell-Buck Lab

South Shields

Question

The Chancellor has repeatedly said that he does not recognise them, but today 3 million taxpayers—including many of my constituents—who have been excluded from any support at all will have been in anguish waiting for his statement. Far from protecting lives and livelihoods, he has let them down yet again. Their income is down to zero, they are losing their homes and unable to feed their families and—again—some have even taken their own lives. Is it that the Chancellor does not understand the heartache and hopelessness of poverty? Or is it simply that he just does not care?

Minister reply

Anyone in the circumstances described by the hon. Lady would surely be eligible for support through universal credit, which can provide, depending on the circumstances, somewhere between £1,500 and £1,800 per family per month to help to support them if that is what they need. She talks about the self-employed as if perhaps they are not also people who benefit from better hospitals, better schools, better local infrastructure and safer streets. That is what this spending review delivers, and it will benefit everybody in the United Kingdom in that way.

Marco Longhi

Question

I very much welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement and strongly applaud the Government’s commitment to fund the NHS with investment not only in hospitals, such as the £3 million for the A&E at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, but in diagnostic equipment, as well as for more nurses and GP appointments. Will he outline how these commitments help the Conservative party to meet its manifesto commitment to deliver stronger public services, such as through 50,000 more nurses?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: not only are we maintaining our commitment to the NHS’s five-year long-term settlement, but we are providing additional funds, with £3 billion for covid recovery this year, and also providing fully the extra funding required to deliver on the commitments to 50,000 more nurses, 50 million more GP appointments and, indeed, 40 new hospitals.

Rushanara Ali Lab

Bethnal Green and Stepney

Question

The British people have faced an incredibly difficult year, with covid and the resulting economic crisis. We then have the looming prospect of either a no-deal Brexit or a minimalist one that will be very disruptive for businesses. The OBR has forecast a 5.2% loss of potential GDP over the next 15 years, while the Governor of the Bank of England has said that with a no-deal Brexit we could see a situation that is two to three times as bad. How much more economic carnage and unemployment should the British people expect, with these two scenarios on top of coronavirus and its impacts?

Minister reply

All I would say is that our teams are hard at work, and I am very hopeful that we can reach a constructive agreement with our European friends and partners. Our wishes in this negotiation have always been consistent and transparent and are based entirely on the precedent of what other countries have achieved with the EU, so I am very much hopeful that, with good work and a constructive attitude, we can get there.

David Amess

Question

In what must be the most challenging circumstances ever to deliver a spending review, I welcome the Restart scheme to help the unemployed. Last year, £500 million was announced to help youth services, and Southend YMCA greatly benefited from that. Will the Chancellor recommit to that £500 million, and will he set out a timeframe in which that can be delivered over the next five years?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of youth services. I am not entirely sure exactly which bit he refers to, but I am happy to talk to him further about it. He will see in today’s spending review that the National Citizen Service is still there and we have provided more funding for capital projects for youth organisations, but I will happily pick up the specific case he mentioned separately.

Kevin Hollinrake Con

Thirsk and Malton

Question

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, particularly the levelling-up fund. May I make an immediate representation for dualling of the A64 in my constituency? I also welcome the changes to the Green Book. Will he take a similar look at the housing infrastructure fund, which also has a built-in bias towards spending in London and the south-east?

Minister reply

I know that this is an area that my hon. Friend knows particularly well, so I am very happy to take him up on that suggestion and discuss his concerns with the Housing Secretary. I thank him for bringing it to my attention.

Tim Farron Lib Dem

Westmorland and Lonsdale

Question

There are some positives for the NHS in the Chancellor’s statement, but it does feel like there is a blind spot: in the detailed documents, as far as I can tell, there is only one reference to cancer. Bear in mind that clinicians estimate that we will unnecessarily lose 60,000 years to cancer deaths during this time, and that it may take five years for the NHS to catch up with the colossal cancer backlog. There is no reference in the Chancellor’s statement to the urgent investment in radiotherapy or other treatment mechanisms that is necessary to catch up with cancer. Will he think again? Will he meet me and a cross-party group of MPs, clinicians and patients living with cancer, so that he can think again, act now and save lives?

Minister reply

Of course, it will be for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to do the detailed allocation of this budget, but I would point to the £3 billion for covid recovery, £1 billion of which is to help tackle the backlog of elective surgery and of screening and diagnostics, which I think will help. We have also provided £325 million to invest in new diagnostic machines, replacing about two thirds of ageing machines, which presumably helps with referrals and identification of cancer, but of course the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will be the best person to discuss the exact allocation of the increased NHS budget.

Andy Carter

Question

I praise the measured and sensible way that the Chancellor has approached this spending review, and I welcome in particular the infrastructure fund. With levelling up in the north of England a real priority, I look forward to discussing more projects for Warrington South with him. I am particularly pleased to see that those working in the lowest-paid public sector jobs will get a pay increase, but can he confirm that the extra police officers promised for Cheshire will be delivered so that we can tackle antisocial behaviour and protect our communities from the dreadful impact of county lines drug gangs?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of safer streets. I am pleased to tell him that this spending review makes available £400 million more for the Home Office and local policing to make sure that we can recruit an additional 6,000 police officers next year, on top of the 6,000 this year, in order to make great progress on our way to 20,000 by 2023.

Matt Vickers Con

Stockton West

Question

My right hon. Friend has had to make some tough decisions on issues such as foreign aid, but can he assure me that by doing that, he will be able to focus on domestic priorities and a levelling-up agenda that can do so much for so many in Teesside?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This spending review is about focusing on the priorities of our constituents. I am sure that he and his constituents will be pleased to know that we have made £3 million available today for the Tees Valley hydrogen transport hub. Teesside is at the heart of our hydrogen revolution, bringing new jobs, attracting investment and driving growth in his local area. That is an example of the kind of local priority that we can now fund, having made these tough decisions.

Hilary Benn Lab

Leeds South

Question

The Chancellor said that he wants to invest in the places that we call home, but the homes of thousands of leaseholders are currently worthless fire risks because of the cladding scandal that they did not cause. He will be well aware that the £1.6 billion that he has already allocated is nowhere near enough to make all those homes safe again. The leaseholders do not have the money and, as far as I can tell from the Blue Book, not a single additional penny has been allocated. How much longer will my constituents have to wait before they can once again call the place in which they live a home?

Minister reply

We have made available £1.6 billion, which means that, at this moment, 80% of high-rise buildings with aluminium composite material cladding have work under way or complete. That number is likely to rise to 100% by the end of the year. With regard to people who are unable to move, I think the right hon. Gentleman is referring to the issue with the EWS1 certificates. The Minister for Housing, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth (Christopher Pincher), made a statement on that recently, but the right hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that £700,000 was made available to help more assessors to qualify to undertake those assessments. I know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is in conversations with UK Finance and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to ensure that the use or demand of those certificates is appropriate and proportionate to the needs of the situation.

Julian Sturdy Con

York Outer

Question

I understand that my right hon. Friend has had to make some difficult decisions as we seek to rebuild our economy in the months ahead. I am delighted to hear his commitment to investment in infrastructure, but can he set out what that means for the north, in particular York and north Yorkshire? What benefits will it bring to my constituents?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is right that it is about making difficult decisions so that we can prioritise the things that our constituents want us to. In his area, he will be pleased that there has been a success in accessing the new stations fund for Haxby station. That is an example of the Government delivering on our promises and trying to find ways to improve local transport infrastructure in his local area to drive growth and opportunity.

Barry Sheerman Lab

Huddersfield

Question

I ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether we can have the new infrastructure bank in Yorkshire, in particular in Huddersfield. Is he sure that he has paid enough attention to the tremendous challenge of young people’s unemployment and young people who want to get into a job and be trained? Is the programme that he announced today sufficient to train a whole new generation of young people as green apprentices?

Minister reply

I would, of course, be sympathetic to the idea of putting the bank in Yorkshire, but he was slightly beaten to the punch over the weekend by my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Philip Davies), who made a pitch for Bradford. In any case, I will happily hear his thoughts. The hon. Gentleman is right about the focus on young people. The new Restart programme will be able to help a million people who have been unemployed for over a year.

Jane Stevenson Con

Wolverhampton North-East

Question

I thank the Chancellor for the range of measures to support those on low incomes and to protect the most vulnerable, whether that is through an uplift to cash for local authorities to identify and support vulnerable families, or through the holiday activities and food programme and an uplift to the Healthy Start programme. Levelling up is crucial to a seat such as Wolverhampton North-East. Can he reassure my constituents that the Government will continue to prioritise job creation, investment and other opportunities for them?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Government are committed to spreading opportunity across the country, especially in places where people feel they have not had the same fair crack of the whip. Our levelling up fund is designed to correct that. Today, her local area will be benefiting from discounted funding from the Public Works Loan Board to help with local infrastructure projects.

Bill Esterson Lab

Sefton Central

Question

The Chancellor said that my hon. Friends were wrong about the number of working people excluded from financial support. It is the freelancers and the self-employed who have not had any support who think that he is wrong. In the Liverpool city region, the Mayor, Steve Rotheram, has found a package to support some of the people who have been excluded. When will the Chancellor step up, support Steve Rotheram, Andy Burnham and the other Labour leaders in local government, and put a support package together? He has to admit that these people have not qualified for furlough, self-employed support or business grants, and most of them are not eligible for universal credit. When is he going to end this burning injustice?

Minister reply

Some £1 billion has been provided to local authorities across the country to support their businesses and local economies as they see fit. That funding has, of course, been made available to the hon. Gentleman’s local authority.

Robert Largan Con

Ruislip-Northwood

Question

I wholeheartedly welcome the announcement that doctors, nurses and NHS workers will be getting a pay increase. This crisis has shown that we desperately need to invest in our urgent care capacity. That is why I have been campaigning for new urgent care centres for both Tameside Hospital and Stepping Hill Hospital. Will the Chancellor confirm that the Government remain 100% committed to the NHS hospital upgrade programme?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. On top of the existing in-year funding we have provided to deal with winter pressures for A&E, the spending review confirms £3.7 billion of funding over the next few years to deliver both the 40 new hospitals we have talked about and 70 hospital upgrades.

Carla Lockhart DUP

Upper Bann

Question

I thank the Chancellor for his statement and welcome the additional financial support for the Northern Ireland Executive. I also look forward to the detail of the pay rise for nurses, doctors and healthcare workers, and how Northern Ireland healthcare professionals can benefit. In my constituency of Upper Bann, the private sector has been absolutely devastated by covid-19. Had it not been for the support provided by him, many businesses would be closed. What will the Chancellor do to ensure that the private sector recovery is supported across the United Kingdom, and will he undertake to show his clear commitment to a UK-wide recovery by visiting my constituency, when restrictions permit, to meet businesses who want to thank him and be part of our national economic recovery?

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Lady for her kind comments. She is right about the importance of our businesses, especially our small and medium-sized businesses, in helping to drive our recovery. We have provided cash grant support to those most impacted by the restrictions.

Angela Richardson Con

Reading West

Question

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement this afternoon. He will know that affordable housing is needed in my constituency, but that development is constrained by green belt, which we are rightly enhancing and protecting as a manifesto commitment. Therefore, will he outline what fiscal steps he is taking to support councils like mine to regenerate brownfield sites?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of going to brownfield first. Today’s spending review makes available an additional £100 million for non-mayoral combined authorities to access remediation funding.

Drew Hendry SNP

Inverness N & Strathspey

Question

By introducing the emergency measure to increase universal credit by £20 per week, the Chancellor was acknowledging what many people have known for years: universal credit is simply not enough to live on. If that was the case during the pandemic, why will he not commit to retaining this uplift permanently?

Minister reply

We put in place a range of temporary measures because we were dealing with an unprecedented crisis. We are now working our way through that crisis, and the future looks considerably brighter than it did in March.

Martin Vickers Con

Brigg and Immingham

Question

While I share some of the concerns expressed by colleagues about the aid budget, I think that if we are to continue asking our constituents to make sacrifices, this temporary move is the right one. Can the Chancellor give an assurance that the Greater Grimsby town deal, which is of great benefit to my constituency, will continue to be funded? He is aware from a note I gave him last week that modest support for LNER would restore our direct rail service to London, and I hope he can provide that.

Minister reply

I thank my hon. Friend for his support. He is right about my need to make difficult decisions and tough choices so that we can prioritise the things that he talked about.

Rachel Hopkins Lab

Luton South

Question

It is irresponsible to pit public sector and private sector workers against one another in the race to the bottom on wages, especially when key workers across both sectors kept us going through the pandemic. Notwithstanding the small amount given to low-paid workers, who frankly deserve better, this pay freeze for civil servants will also freeze any meaningful action on tackling the gender pay gap in the civil service, which is 12%. Will the Chancellor outline what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office about eradicating the gender pay gap in Departments?

Minister reply

For the record, no one is trying to pit anyone against anyone else. This is simply about doing what is fair for the country.

Mike Wood Con

Kingswinford and South Staffordshire

Question

We all want to see people’s wages go up again after the pandemic, and my right hon. Friend’s statement provides a strong foundation for securing that. At a time when many workers in the private sector face cuts or job losses, I can understand why it is necessary to pause public sector pay rises, other than those for frontline NHS workers and those earning less than the national average. Will he join me in urging the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to ensure that that freeze also extends to the salaries of Members of Parliament?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point, and the way he framed it was spot on. He will be reassured to know that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has written to IPSA on behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister and I to express our views on the situation, to inform it about the pay policy that we have put in place in the public sector and to urge it to take account of that when it sets pay policy. Of course, it is an independent body, but I hope very much that it will look at what we are doing.

Vicky Foxcroft Lab

Lewisham North

Question

The Youth Violence Commission report, published earlier this year, highlighted the importance of high-quality youth services provision, yet in a recent written response to the report, the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Member for Louth and Horncastle (Victoria Atkins), made no mention of the youth investment fund, and neither did the Chancellor today. Indeed, when the hon. Member for Southend West (Sir David Amess) asked about it, the Chancellor did not seem to know what he was on about. Does this mean that the promised and already delayed £500 million has been shelved?

Minister reply

No, it has not been shelved, and I can he tell the hon. Lady that there is extra funding in this spending review for youth services. There is an amount of money for extra capital projects for youth clubs and, of course, funding for the National Citizen Service. More generally, the Government will review their approach to all youth services later this spring, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will set out the details in due course.

Andrew Jones

Question

I welcome the focus on infrastructure in the statement. As my right hon. Friend knows, I chair the all-party parliamentary group on infrastructure, and I can tell him that the industry has been looking for the certainty that he is providing today. Does he agree that that certainty will allow the industry to plan better and, through that, to deliver better value and develop skills programmes, including apprenticeship programmes?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is because of that multi-year certainty, particularly on the capital side, that we can deliver projects more efficiently, faster and at lower cost. That certainty also helps the supply chain to take on new apprentices—helped, indeed, by our apprenticeship bonus as well. He is absolutely right to say that we must train the next generation and create jobs as we deliver this infrastructure, and that is exactly what we are doing.

Toby Perkins Lab

Chesterfield

Question

Britain’s publicans and the wider hospitality trade are facing a catastrophic Christmas. The Government’s mishandling of coronavirus, the lack of evidence behind their policies, particularly on pubs, and the lack of a financial package to support pubs after the second lockdown will mean that many of them never open their doors again. Rather than getting to his feet and congratulating them on what they did in the first lockdown, will the Chancellor actually give Britain’s publicans some kind of sense that a package is coming that might see them through the winter?

Minister reply

The reason I talk about the things that we have done is that they last all the way through the winter to next spring, whether it is the VAT cut or the business rates holiday. I have consistently come to this Dispatch Box to support the hospitality industry. Many times I have been accused of doing the wrong thing by Opposition Members, but the local restrictions grants that we put in place will last through the winter, which means that if a pub is closed, it will receive up to £3,000 per month. Of course, they can furlough their staff as well, and those pubs operating in tier 2 areas under restrictions will still get a grant worth 70% of that value. Of course we are trying to do what we can to support the hospitality sector. I have done that since the beginning of this crisis, and I will keep doing so.

Nickie Aiken

Question

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his statement today and on his stamina, as mine will be the 80th question he has answered so far this afternoon. Rough sleeping and tackling the causes of rough sleeping are subjects close to my heart. Sadly, in my constituency, we see more rough sleepers than in any other constituency in the United Kingdom. Will my right hon. Friend give me an assurance that today’s statement will provide financial support so that we can focus on the Government’s priority to end rough sleeping by 2024?

Minister reply

I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. I think £254 million has been made available to local authorities to help them to end rough sleeping. That is a 60% increase in cash terms on the money available this year. She is absolutely right to say that this is something we must end, and I know that the funding will make an enormous difference in her constituency. I know this is an issue that she cares passionately about.

Alan Brown

Question

Braehead Foods is a large employer in my constituency that supplies top-quality produce all over the United Kingdom. Furlough has been welcome for the company, but it needs additional support to cover fixed overheads while borrowing is maxed out and orders are almost non-existent. Will the Chancellor please reconsider past requests from myself and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors to provide a grant or rates relief system that can be replicated in Scotland for UK food wholesalers such as Braehead that are above the £51,000 business rates threshold, so that they can stay afloat and play their part in the post-covid economic recovery?

Minister reply

Business rates are, of course, a devolved competency, and I am sure the hon. Gentleman can talk to the Scottish Government about their plans. They will receive £2.4 billion of Barnett consequentials as a result of what we are doing this year, and they could choose to use some of that funding to provide support in the way that he asks.

Bim Afolami

Question

Earlier this week, I spoke to many people and companies— training providers and others—in my constituency about apprenticeships, and how we need to improve the system and make it more flexible. Will the Chancellor set out in further detail what the measures in this spending review will do to help businesses, training providers and young people get the apprenticeships they deserve?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend knows this well, from his own business experience, and he is absolutely right. What businesses have been asking for is more flexibility on how levy funds are used. I am pleased that we can deliver that today. It means businesses can transfer their unspent levy funds down the supply chain easily, in bulk, to small and medium-sized companies. We are going to create a matching service for that to happen, and we are also going to allow employers, in certain industries at first, to front-load some of their training funding, which is what they also wanted. Those obviously will be funded by the Government—all those changes that happen as a result of our getting less in the levy funding—but we think they are the right thing to do. They will support business and support apprenticeships, and he is right to raise it.

James Wild Con

North West Norfolk

Question

The focus on the NHS and infrastructure is welcome. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn is on the frontline of dealing with covid, and it is 40 years old but was built to last only 30 years. Will my right hon. Friend look seriously at the compelling case for QEH to be one of the eight additional hospitals to be built on top of the 40 announced today?

Minister reply

I look forward to hearing from my hon. Friend about the plans and the ambitions he has for his local hospital. The Secretary of State for Health will also be interested. My hon. Friend will know how committed we all are to improving our hospitals and having new ones across the UK. There is funding for that today, but I am happy to discuss it further.

Beth Winter

Question

In Wales, aerospace generates £1.47 billion in GVA for the Welsh economy. Since the pandemic, GE Aviation, which employs 200 of my constituents, has suffered 600 job losses, with future job losses likely. The sector faces a very uncertain future, which will have a devastating impact on our communities. These highly skilled workers have transferable skills. With the Chancellor’s stated interest in funding the development of green initiatives, will he consider a sector-specific package to support such a development for my constituents?

Minister reply

I know from my conversations with the industry that one of the things it was very keen to see was an extension of our job support and furlough schemes, which is something we have been able to provide, and I know that will make a difference in preserving those valuable skill matches the hon. Member talked about. She will also know that there is an existing research and development park that the Department for Business runs, where it works with the aerospace industry to provide access. Some of the new R&D we have put aside for our net zero transition will also help because it is designed for reducing emissions and finding new ways in the transportation sector.

William Wragg

Question

As somebody who campaigns to protect green-belt land, I welcome my right hon. Friend’s additional investment in prioritising brownfield developments. His changes to the Green Book will also benefit the north-west in relation to infrastructure investment. Will he say more about what he can do to incentivise business growth in the north of England, which will bring jobs and, importantly, tax revenue to fund many of the spending commitments he has announced today?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Although not part of the spending review, just very recently announced is the extension to the annual investment allowance, which was due to expire at the end of this year. This allows small and medium-sized companies to write off, in full, investments of up to £1 million, so that is a tax break that we are extending into next year. I know that it will be warmly welcomed by businesses in his constituency, and it will allow them to invest in their growth in a tax-advantaged way.

Peter Kyle Lab

Hove and Portslade

Question

Brighton and Hove has double the national average number of people renting their homes, yet rental costs are comparable to central London. Many residents struggle financially due to high rents and employment income not covering expenses. The Chancellor is asked what assistance can be provided to ensure these individuals remain in their homes during the crisis.

Minister reply

The local housing allowance uplift for next year will maintain a £1 billion fund, benefiting about 1 million households at approximately £600 each. Additionally, the £12 billion affordable homes programme aims to build 180,000 affordable homes over several years.

Harriett Baldwin Con

West Worcestershire

Question

The Chancellor acknowledges the impact of the pandemic on national finances and expresses regret about breaking a manifesto pledge regarding aid to the world's poorest nations.

Minister reply

This is done with a heavy heart but it allows progress on other priorities. The 0.7% commitment will be reinstated when fiscal circumstances allow.

Margaret Ferrier

Question

Public sector pay, relative to private sector, has decreased significantly over the years and with a public sector pay cap now in place, other workers feel this is unappreciative of their efforts during the pandemic.

Minister reply

Despite the disparity, there remains a 7% pay premium for public sector wages. A targeted approach was taken to prioritise pay rises for lower-income earners and NHS staff.

Tom Hunt

Question

Welcomes £4 billion levelling-up fund but seeks assurance that special educational needs provision will be included in the extra investment for schools.

Minister reply

£300 million is allocated for new school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities, which is about four times more than was provided a year ago.

Meg Hillier Lab Co-op

Hackney South and Shoreditch

Question

Concerns that the static local government settlement will disadvantage councils with low council tax bases despite an increase in core spending power.

Minister reply

Core spending power is going up by 4.5%, a high level compared to previous years, and there's an additional £300 million of grant on top for equalisation purposes.

Thomas Tugendhat Con

Tonbridge

Question

Acknowledges the Chancellor’s efforts but questions the reduction in aid spending towards defence and whether this is appropriate given the current pandemic situation. Also asks about the legality of reducing ODA to 0.7% under the International Development Act 2015.

Minister reply

The Chancellor acknowledges the need for a holistic approach, the importance of security provided through defence budgets, and intentions to look at bringing forward appropriate legislation as needed.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Con

North Cotswolds

Question

Welcomes the Chancellor's statement and particularly mentions infrastructure spending such as levelling-up funds, feasibility studies for railways, funding for roads like A417, and improving gigabit broadband. Asks if hard-hit economies will benefit from this infrastructure funding.

Minister reply

The Government aims to ensure that these investments bring tangible benefits to all constituents, whether in rural areas or towns across the country.

Shadow Comment

Anneliese Dodds

Shadow Comment

During this crisis, key workers have taken responsibility but are now facing a pay freeze under this Government’s spending review. This hurts consumer confidence and the economy. The Government has wasted public finances on industrial scale during the pandemic, losing £130 million to unsafe testing kits and £12 billion due to poor policy decisions like blocking circuit breakers. Claims about levelling up do not match evidence: hospitals unbuilt, starter homes not built despite spending almost £200 million, Northern Powerhouse Rail still unapproved six years after announcement. The Government needs to deliver on their promises instead of just making photo calls. Labour called for £30 billion in capital spending focused on green initiatives and retraining workers but the Chancellor’s plan is less ambitious. Restart funding announced today must be available soon and involve local actors who know their communities best. We need an emergency programme to support people back into work, yet kick-start has been slow to start. To rebuild business, we called for a national investment bank and more support for businesses affected by leaving the transition period without a trade deal. The Chancellor must boost his new UK infrastructure bank's firepower and deliver on net zero goals. He needs to listen to businesses about supporting them during tough restrictions and provide extra support through the additional restrictions support grant. We have seen record unemployment levels, rising child poverty, and increasing social care crisis under this Government’s leadership over the past decade. Local authorities have lost 240,000 jobs due to cuts over the past ten years.

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