Oral Answers to Questions

Jeff Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 17th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Helen Whately]

I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the upgrade to that road. As I have said, we know that infrastructure is really important in supporting economic growth and levelling up all around the UK.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

10. What recent steps he has taken to help reduce economic inequality.

[Gill Furniss (Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough) (Lab)]

16. What fiscal steps he is taking to reduce poverty in the most deprived areas.

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rishi Sunak)]

I am very proud of the record of this Government and previous Conservative-led Governments over the past decade of significantly reducing the number of people living in poverty and reducing income inequality. In February we published the levelling up White Paper, which seeks to address the very striking regional disparities our country.

[Jeff Smith]

The New Economics Foundation says that recent measures such as the fuel duty cut and the national insurance threshold increase will benefit the richest 5% of families twice as much as the poorest half of households. At the same time, does the Chancellor not accept that his decision to raise taxes on working people while shielding those with incomes from other sources such as a large portfolio of properties is only going to increase income inequality further?