Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Living Standards

Tuesday 29 October 2024 · 9 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 8 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Polly Billington raised concerns about improving living standards in East Thanet due to decreased household disposable income.
  • Joe Morris questioned the Government's plans to address economic foundations in Hexham, seeking improvements for families' incomes.
  • Marie Rimmer inquired about steps to reduce wealth inequality in St Helens South and Whiston, citing the impact of high energy costs on vulnerable households.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Polly Billington Lab East Thanet
Economy
Context

The question follows a discussion on UK living standards. The MP notes the significant impact of low living standards in her constituency.

Question

I am concerned about improving living standards in East Thanet, particularly given that if real household disposable income had grown as it did between 1997 and 2010, it would have been over £4,000 higher in 2023. What steps does she plan to take to help improve living standards?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

We are committed to boosting economic growth to turn around the situation where real household disposable income is over £4,000 lower than it would have been. We delivered our first international investment summit announcing over £60 billion of investment and unlocking nearly 38,000 jobs in the UK.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures to boost household disposable income were not detailed

How: We Are Committed

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Q2 Joe Morris Lab Hexham
Economy
Context

The MP raises concerns about the living standard decline under the previous government in his constituency.

Question

In Hexham, Prudhoe and Throckley, people saw hardly any improvements to their incomes for over 14 years. Surely tomorrow's Budget must reset economic foundations. What steps will the Government take?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

Tomorrow's Budget is an opportunity to fix the worst-ever recorded living standards and start delivering for families in Hexham and all around the country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures were not detailed, only a commitment

How: We Are Committed

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Q3 Marie Rimmer Lab St Helens South and Whiston
Economy Children & Families
Context

The MP highlights the growing wealth gap in her constituency, where the bottom 50% own less than 5%, while the top 10% hold 57%. Many struggle with energy prices.

Question

In St Helens South and Whiston, the bottom 50% of the population owns less than 5% of wealth. With many struggling with costs like energy prices, what steps are being taken to ensure a closing of this gap?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

We have announced the child poverty taskforce working on a comprehensive strategy to tackle child poverty, published in spring next year. We extended the household support fund with £500 million until March 2024 to help vulnerable households.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions to reduce wealth gap were not detailed

How: We Have Announced

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Q4 Kirsteen Sullivan Labour (Co-op) Bathgate and Linlithgow
Employment Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The MP points to the rising food bank usage in her constituency, up by 77% over five years. The number of children living in poverty is also on the rise.

Question

In Bathgate and Linlithgow, the number of food parcels distributed has risen by 77% since the last Conservative government. What steps are being taken to reduce the need for food banks in light of child poverty?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

We made a manifesto commitment to update the remit of the Low Pay Commission so that it takes into account the cost of living when making recommendations about the minimum wage.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures to reduce food bank usage were not detailed

How: We Made A Commitment

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Q5 Polly Billington Lab East Thanet
Employment
Context

The MP highlights the economic challenges of coastal areas, where low pay is prevalent.

Question

Coastal communities such as East Thanet struggle with a low-pay, low-skill economy. Does she acknowledge the importance of the minimum wage in tackling this issue?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

We will ensure that the Low Pay Commission takes into account the cost of living, and we will close the gap between the youth rate of minimum wage and the overall rate.

Answered
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Q6 Harriett Baldwin Con West Worcestershire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP raises concerns about the impact of cutting winter fuel allowances for pensioners on their living standards.

Question

A 90-year-old pensioner in West Worcestershire with a £13,500 income is struggling this winter due to the loss of the winter fuel allowance. Will she increase the threshold?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

We inherited a £22 billion black hole in public finances, necessitating difficult decisions; however, we protected the winter fuel payment for vulnerable pensioners on pension credit and boosted uptake of pension credit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific action to increase threshold was not mentioned

How: We Inherited A Black Hole

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Q7 Jessica Brown-Fuller Lib Dem Chichester
Economy Taxation Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP inquires about the possibility of using tax revenue to reinstate winter fuel allowances for pensioners until a better system is implemented.

Question

£1.5 billion was received from Octopus Energy as windfall tax. Would she consider using this money to reinstate the winter fuel allowance for one year?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

£1.5 billion was already budgeted; we have a £22 billion black hole necessitating tough choices, but we protected winter fuel payments for vulnerable pensioners on pension credit and increased uptake of pension credit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific use of windfall tax not detailed

How: We Inherited A Black Hole

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Q8 Graham Stuart Con Beverley and Holderness
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP brings attention to the severe consequences of winter fuel allowance cuts on pensioners in his constituency.

Question

Residents gathered recently to discuss the devastating effects of reduced winter fuel payments. Tomorrow, will she do the right thing?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

We inherited a £22 billion black hole in public finances necessitating tough decisions; however, we protected winter fuel payments for vulnerable pensioners on pension credit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions to address concerns not detailed

How: We Inherited A Black Hole

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Q9 Paul Holmes Con Hamble Valley
Economy Energy
Context

The MP highlighted the failure to deliver a promised £300 cut in energy bills, the scrapping of winter fuel payments for pensioners, and the lifting of the bus price cap for working people. These actions have raised concerns about improving living standards under the current government.

Question

With the promised £300 cut in energy bills not materialising, the winter fuel payment scrapped for pensioners, and now the bus cap lifted for working people—whatever definition of that term the Chancellor is using today—can she honestly say that living standards will improve for everybody under this Government?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

On the bus price cap specifically, the hon. Member will know that the previous Government put no money in to extend that cap. We have put money in to ensure that the bus price cap remains at an affordable level for people, unlike the previous Government, who just had short-term gimmicks.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question about living standards improvements and energy bills was not directly addressed; focus on the bus price cap instead.

How: Changing Subject To Bus Price Cap

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