Earlier this week I was very happy to contribute to the debate in support of the Queen's Speech.
There is much to welcome in Her Majesty's Speech. The Schools Bill will raise standards and help every child to fulfil their potential. The Energy Security Bill will build on our world-leading position in offshore wind, support new nuclear, and help us reduce our dependence on imported energy. The Brexit Freedoms Bill will make it easier to amend and repeal outdated EU laws. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill will give communities new powers to drive local growth and regeneration. This will build on the success we have already had in Newcastle-under-Lyme from the Future High Streets Fund and the Town Deal, with more than £50 million of investment brought into our Borough by a very well-run Borough Council.
On the cost of living, we are right to target growth and investment in the long term: more skills, more productivity, and better paid jobs. And in the short term, this Government are delivering a £22 billion package of support alongside the biggest net cut to personal taxes in over a quarter of a century, with the threshold for National Insurance increasing to £12,570, meaning all earnings up to this point will be completely tax-free.
We are also doubling our Household Support Fund to £1 billion and launching a £9.1 billion package to help families with their energy bills – backed up by new laws to encourage investment and grow our economy. I am also very glad that the Chancellor of the Exchequer listened to me and Robert Halfon MP on fuel duty. That 5p cut has been very welcome in a constituency such as Newcastle-under-Lyme, where so many are reliant on cars.
In the short term, and particularly if the oil price stays high, I know the Chancellor will do more. I believe further relief via council tax would be an effective way of reaching those most in need of assistance, as well as contributing to our overall levelling-up agenda. Council tax bands are based on valuations from 1990, but property price rises in the south have been much higher, so people in places like Newcastle are now paying more as a percentage of house value. I am continuing to press the case for a fundamental reform of council tax to address this, together with like-minded colleagues.