EVESHAM’S and Pershore’s MPs have welcomed the Chancellor’s budget and hailed the measures contained within it as ‘an ambitious plan for growth’.
Nigel Huddleston and Harriett Baldwin spoke after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out his spending plans last Wednesday (March 15).
Among the measures introduced were an extension of free childcare to 30 hours-a-week for one and two-year-olds, increasing the annual pension allowance to £60,000 and extending the £2,500 energy price guarantee for three months.
The rising cost of childcare has been considered to be a deterrent for some parents to go back to work or work full-time.
Yet, there are questions over whether the policy will actually mean parents doing more hours, and whether there are the nursery places available for their children
The duty on alcohol will rise at the start of August, when a new system for calculating taxes on alcohol is introduced. But there will be a better deal for draught beer in pubs. Tobacco duty will increase.
The cost of an average pack of 20 cigarettes increases to £14.39.
Fuel duty is a tax motorists pay when buying fuels such as petrol and diesel.
A scheduled rise would have led to a 12p per litre increase across petrol and diesel prices, but it has been frozen again.
In fact a 5p cut will continue for another year. All of this is likely to cost the Treasury about £6billion.
Mr Huddleston, who serves as a trade minister in the Government, said: “I was pleased to be in the Chamber for the Chancellor’s budget speech. It was a jam-packed speech, lasting over an hour and full of creative measures to tackle the cost of living, strengthen the workforce and incentivise business investment.
“I know my constituents will be particularly pleased with the promises on childcare provision, energy prices and the continuation of the cut in fuel duty.”
Meanwhile Mrs Baldwin, chair of the influential Treasury Select Committee, said the budget was a ‘clear plan’ to help the economy grow this year.
“I’ve been particularly encouraged to see the measures to help people back into the workplace including the extension of free childcare for working parents and the ending of pension caps,” she said. “Locally I welcome the extra financial help for swimming pools, pubs and drivers.
“It is great to hear the Chancellor is able to report that the economy will be avoiding recession this year and inflation is back on the way down. Inflation hits the lowest paid the most and lower inflation will help to reduce the number of unsustainable wage demands causing strikes this year.
“I look forward to seeing the Chancellor coming before the committee to scrutinise his plans in more detail in the coming weeks.”
