Oral QuestionMinistry of Defence

“What recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of armed forces personnel.”

Tabled: 28 January 2020Answered: 3 February 2020

Asked by

Jessica Morden

Labour — Newport East

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Defence

Answer from Hansard

The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

The Government remain dedicated to raising living standards for people in Falkirk and across the UK by driving economic growth and bearing down on inflation, which I know continues to squeeze household budgets. Measures announced in my Budget last year are already taking effect: raising the national living wage and the national minimum wage; maintaining the triple lock on pensions; and extending free school meals to more families. Our great British summer savings package builds on that, reducing VAT on a whole range of summer attractions, including, I believe, Airthrill in my hon. Friend’s constituency.