Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase take-home pay for low-paid workers.

The government is committed to making work pay and keeping more money in people’s pockets.

On 1 April we saw another above inflation increase to our National Living Wage, meaning a full-time worker on the National Living Wage will be earning £690 more over the coming year. And the personal allowance has increased to £12,500, meaning a typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £130 less tax than in 2018-19 and £1,205 less tax than in 2010-11.

Economic growth is key to growing wages. That’s why we’re investing record amounts in infrastructure, supporting businesses to grow and keeping taxes low. Wages are growing strongly, at 3.2% in the latest data and have outstripped inflation for 12 consecutive months.

The government has an aspiration to end low pay and will set a new remit for the Low Pay Commission, for the years beyond 2020, later this year.