This week, new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered the first Budget of this new parliament and I support a fuel duty freeze along with increased funds to fill highway potholes.

An NHS cash boost of £33.9 billion by 2024 is already being enshrined into law. The Budget goes further by investing £5.4 billon in this parliament to support the recruitment, retraining and retaining of 50,000 more nurses, including a new nursing maintenance grant for all nursing students.

Funding will also be increased for counter-terrorism and intelligence measures, including £83 million for specialist policing and £31 million for our UK intelligence community. An additional £67 million will be provided so British intelligence agencies can build on their world-leading technological capabilities and protect the country’s security.

A £10 million commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust will support veterans with mental health needs.

Now we have left the European Union, this country can reduce the cost of essential sanitary products for women across Britain, abolishing the tampon tax.

Reassessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be reduced to avoid unnecessary anxiety. PIP claimants whose conditions are unlikely to change will have an award period of at least 18 months, reducing assessments for over 100,000 people with disabilities per year.

These are just a few of the actions being taken to support people in Crawley and across the nation. There is more to do – this is the case I will continue to put to ministers.

Henry Smith MP
Crawley Constituency

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
01293 934554/020 7219 7043
henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk
www.henrysmith.info