Ben Howlett, Bath’s MP, has welcomed the Chancellor’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement, delivering on the Conservative promise that they would put their security first by protecting both economic and national security.
The public spending plans set out in the Spending Review means Britain will reach a surplus of £10.1 billion in 2019/20 – that’s higher than was forecast at the Budget and means Britain will be out of the red and into the black.
After listening to the Chancellor’s speech in the House of Commons chamber Ben commented how pleased he was that there will be no cuts to the police budget with real terms protection for police funding.
Ben commented: “The police play a vital part in keeping our country safe and at times when the threat to our safety is higher than ever, I am glad their budgets are protected so we can maintain a police presence on our streets.”
“I am pleased that the Chancellor recognised that more needs to be done so that mental health is not neglected. He committed £600 million additional funding for mental health, which means that by 2020 significantly more people will have access to talking therapies, perinatal mental health services, and crisis care.
“This is a fantastic step, however I will continue to lobby the Department for Health to ensure attention is given to improve the services provided to Bath.
“The Government has furthered their commitment to regenerating the housing sector by announcing a doubling of the housing budget to over £2 billion a year, making it the biggest house building programme by any government since the 1970s.
“I really hope this goes some way to give even more Bath residents the chance to own their own home at sites like Mulberry Park and Bath Riverside.
“I have always been an advocate for fairer school funding and am delighted that the schools budget has been protected in real terms.
“The Government are also maintaining funding for free infant school meals, protecting rates for the pupil premium, and increasing the cash in the dedicated schools grant.
“I am pleased to hear that a number of initiatives announced today will benefit Bath and the South West. The Chancellor is extending our current Enterprise Zone, which means more investment into the city and ultimately more jobs created.
“The treasury have also confirmed they will be looking into a new tax relief for museums and galleries. I will be lobbying over the next few months to ensure the Government develops a plan for the implementation of this policy.”
