Oral QuestionDepartment for Work and Pensions

“What recent assessment she has made of the effect of the uplift to the standard allowance of universal credit on supporting people into work.”

Tabled: 7 September 2021Answered: 13 September 2021

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Answer from Hansard

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)

On behalf of His Majesty’s Government, I congratulate the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) on reaching his 70th birthday—I think you said 70th, Mr Speaker, but I am sure you meant 60th. In response to my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset (Lloyd Hatton), we promised in opposition to transform the NHS into a neighbourhood health service, and we have hit the ground running. As a first step, we have announced the biggest boost to GP funding in years—an extra £889 million—which will recruit 1,000 more GPs. We are delivering 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments, and we have given adult and children’s hospices a once-in-a-generation £100 million funding boost. At the same time, we are delivering our plan for change and have cut waiting lists for five months in a row. Change has begun, but the best is still to come.