Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the February 2020 report entitled Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of public spending reductions on regional (a) poverty and (b) inequality.

Since 2010, income inequality has fallen and there are 400,000 fewer people in absolute low income. HM Treasury’s distributional analysis shows the cumulative effect on household incomes of policies on welfare, tax, and public service spending measures. The latest analysis, published alongside Budget 2018, shows government policy continues to be highly redistributive. It shows that in 2019/20, the lowest income households will receive over £4 in public spending for every £1 they pay in tax on average.

This Government is committed to unleashing Britain's potential by investing in public services and infrastructure, spreading opportunity and prosperity across every region and nation. This is why we have invested in a £3.6 billion Towns Fund, opened up a consultation on Freeports, and confirmed that we will proceed with HS2.

Further details, including updated distributional analysis, will be included in the Budget this week.