Chancellor sets out three point plan for coronavirus
Rishi Sunak says that first up, the NHS will get “whatever extra resources” it needs to deal with COVID-19.
Secondly, the chancellor tells MPs that statutory sick pay will be available for everyone who is told to self-isolate, even if they don’t have symptoms.
For those self-employed or in the gig economy, Mr Sunak says it will be “quicker and easier” for them to access benefits.
“Those on Contributory Employment and Support Allowance will be able to claim from day 1 instead of day 8; To make sure that time spent off work due to sickness is reflected in your benefits, I’m also temporarily removing the minimum income floor in Universal Credit.”
“And I’m relaxing the requirement for anyone to physically attend a job-centre; everything can be done by phone or online.”
“Taken together, these measures on ESA and Universal Credit, provide a boost of almost £0.5bn to our welfare system.”
For businesses, the government will meet the costs of sick pay for workers up to 14 days for businesses with fewer than 250 employees.
Chancellor reveals national insurance change and scrappage of ‘tampon tax’
“As people earn more – we’ll also cut taxes on their wages. I am increasing, in just four weeks’ time, the National Insurance threshold from £8,632 to £9,500. That’s a tax cut for 31 million people, saving a typical employee £104.
“Taken together, our changes to the National Living Wage, income tax, and now National Insurance… …mean that someone working full time on the minimum wage will be more than £5,200 better off than in 2010. The Conservatives – the real workers party.
“I can also confirm, now we’ve left the EU, that I will abolish the tampon tax. From January next year, there will be no VAT whatsoever on women’s sanitary products.
“And I congratulate all the Members and RH Members who campaigned for this, including the former Member for Dewsbury, who led the charge.”
Chancellor announces new floods funding after ‘devastating’ impact
“I can announce today that I’m making £120m available immediately to repair defences damaged in the winter floods,” Rishi Sunak says.
“To support those areas that have been repeatedly flooded, I’m providing £200m of funding directly to local communities to build flood resilience.
“And to protect people and over 300,000 properties, I’m doubling our investment in flood defences over the next six years to £5.2bn.”
Chancellor sets out ‘major steps’ on infrastructure’
“First, we’re going to change the whole mindset of Government,” Rishi Sunak says.
“To make sure economic decision-making reflects the economic geography of the country…we’re reviewing the Treasury’s Green Book…we’ll have Treasury offices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland…and I can announce today that we’re also opening a new economic campus in the North…with over 750 staff from the Treasury, and the departments for business, local government and trade.
“And we won’t stop there – our ultimate ambition is to move 22,000 civil servants outside central London.
“Second, because of this changed mindset, we’ll invest more in our nations, cities and towns.
“Today’s budget provides an extra £640m for the Scottish Government, £360m for the Welsh Government, and £210m for the Northern Ireland Executive.
“I’m announcing £242m of funding for new City and Growth Deals, taking our investment in these deals to more than £2.7bn.
“We’ve agreed today a new devolution deal in West Yorkshire, with a directly-elected Mayor for the region.
“And to make sure that it isn’t just Londoners who benefit from the kind of long-term transport deal that helped TfL… …I’m announcing today that the new West Yorkshire Mayor will, along with seven other Metro Mayors… …get new, London-style funding settlements, worth £4.2bn.
“These settlements are in addition to the Transforming Cities Fund, which will invest [£1.2bn] in local transport in 12 further cities, including Stoke, Preston, Derby and Nottingham, and Southampton.
“Third, we’re going to build broadband, railway, roads – if the country needs it, we will build it.”
Chancellor promises ‘better railways’ and action on potholes
Rishi Sunak says: “We’re also going to build better railways: With spades going in the ground on HS2… …our commitment to fund the Manchester-Leeds leg of the Northern Powerhouse Rail…funding today for a new station at Cambridge South and the Midlands Rail Hub…Darlington station moving to the next stage of development and approval…and funding to make a dozen train stations more accessible.
“And there’s more money for our roads too.
“Today, I’m announcing the biggest ever investment in strategic roads and motorway – over £27bn of tarmac. That will pay for work on over 20 connections to ports and airports, over 100 junctions, 4,000 miles of road.
“I’m announcing new investment in local roads, alongside a new £2.5bn pothole fund – that’s £500m every single year; enough to fill, by the end of the Parliament, 50 million potholes.”
Chancellor reveals new funding for homelessness
Rishi Sunak promises £650m of money to help rough sleepers into accommodation.
He says: “That will buy up to 6,000 new places for people to live… …enable a step change in support services… …and help us meet our promise to end rough sleeping in this Parliament.”
Chancellor announces new fund to remove unsafe cladding from buildings following the Grenfell tragedy
Rishi Sunak says Britain is “still grappling” with the “tragic legacy” of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.
“Last year, we allocated £600m to remove unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (or ACM) from high rise residential buildings.,” he notes.
“Today I go further. Expert advice is clear that new public funding must concentrate on removing unsafe materials from high rise residential buildings.
“So, today, I am creating a new Building Safety Fund worth £1 billion.”
Chancellor: NHS will get an extra £6bn in this parliament
“We’ve already provided the NHS with a record funding increase,” Rishi Sunak tells the Commons.
“£34bn over five years – the biggest cash increase in public services since the Second World War.
“Today I can go further. I can announce over £6bn of new funding in this Parliament to support the NHS.
“That new money will deliver: 50,000 more nurses. 50 million more GP surgery appointments. And work starting on 40 new hospitals. And you heard that right, 40 new hospitals.
“We promised to back our NHS – this budget gets it done.”
