you have trading party politics, as you have been more reasonable this afternoon than perhaps i was expecting, and very unfairly so. without doing that i would just point out that in terms of the number of houses built for which we have records committee is actually higher than were built under any year of the previous labour government and we need to do even better than that. so that is why we have introduced planning reforms, that is why we have got big plans to develop housing in cambridge... hang on, can ijust finish put up cambridge, london and the tilt of the outcome matters and the tilt of the outcome matters and the outcome is that we have built houses at a greater rate. we are on track to build a million additional houses in this parliament so that is a substantial uplift on what has happened under previous governments but we need to do more. this budget i would have liked to have had some measures that help people get on the

housing ladder but it is difficult to do that unless you are absolutely confident that property prices are back on the up because otherwise you are encouraging people to get onto the housing ladder with the prospect of house prices falling and therefore falling into negative equity so i did notjudge that it was the right time for those kinds of measures but is that something i would like to return to? a future fiscal events? absolutely.- fiscal events? absolutely. thank ou. you fiscal events? absolutely. thank yom you said — fiscal events? absolutely. thank you. you said this _ fiscal events? absolutely. thank you. you said this was _ fiscal events? absolutely. thank you. you said this was a - fiscal events? absolutely. thank i you. you said this was a tax-cutting bud . et you. you said this was a tax-cutting budget and — you. you said this was a tax-cutting budget and it _ you. you said this was a tax-cutting budget and it would _ you. you said this was a tax-cutting budget and it would lead _ you. you said this was a tax-cutting budget and it would lead to - you. you said this was a tax-cutting budget and it would lead to growth. could you just lay out the other measures?— could you just lay out the other measures? . ., ., ., , measures? there are a lot of things which support _ measures? there are a lot of things which support growth _ measures? there are a lot of things which support growth in _ measures? there are a lot of things which support growth in the - measures? there are a lot of things which support growth in the budget| which support growth in the budget so that we try to be succinct. first

of all, there was a very big focus on our fastest growing industries which are the ones that i think provide the biggest opportunity for us as a country going forward, particularly technology linked industries. they had £1 billion of tax relief for film and tv production where we've become the biggest film and tv production centre in europe. for technology start—ups where we have more than anywhere else in europe. we made some very big steps in unlocking pension fund capital which will mean that with more liquidity, they are able to notjust get capital here in the uk but ultimately list in the uk the uk but ultimately list in the uk the moment, many of them are inclined not to. when it comes to life sciences we are able to announce a £650 million investment by astrazeneca any new vaccines manufacturing hub. so there was lots

of focus on the most rapidly growing industries but the other thing that apart from other tax cuts, there are other measures to help companies get the labour they need, in particular, publishing the childcare rates for the next two years to encourage investment by the childcare sector because we are going to need hundred and 70,000 extra childcare places because of the childcare reforms a year ago. because of the childcare reforms a ear auo. ., ., , , because of the childcare reforms a earauo. ., , year ago. one of the measures most siunificant year ago. one of the measures most significant was _ year ago. one of the measures most significant was the _ year ago. one of the measures most significant was the move _ year ago. one of the measures most significant was the move in - year ago. one of the measures most significant was the move in that - significant was the move in that threshold and certainly for a lot of my constituents, can you say what benefit you have calculated that to benefit you have calculated that to be to the overall growth level? i think is going to mean that tens of thousands of companies, small companies, i've taken out of pain that altogether. and other companies

that altogether. and other companies that were hovering just below the £85,000 threshold will feel less constrained to grow higher but, you know, it is a difficult thing moving that threshold because there is going to be a cliff edge whether you put the threshold but where it is possible to do something i think you should. ~ . .,, possible to do something i think you should. ~ . ., .,, possible to do something i think you should. ~ . , ., should. much as there has been a widely quoted _ should. much as there has been a widely quoted statement - should. much as there has been a widely quoted statement which i should. much as there has been a. widely quoted statement which has been quoted at the end of this parliament, the tax burden will be the highest it has been, significantly higher since world war ii. can i ask you questions? firstly, clearly the element of fiscal drag are significant in 2122, there would be 11.3 million tax holders, tax payers, years eight later, 7.3, the ob are forecast holders, tax payers, years eight later, 7.3, the 0b are forecast that a number of the measures that happened in the budget have fallen in a similarvein happened in the budget have fallen in a similar vein in terms of the

result of higher tax returns. how can you comment on how much of the ambition of the government to look at those measures which are not policy changes which are affecting the taxpayer and in terms of that statement is also not true that the percentage tax burden actually only started to rise significantly from 2020 and, if you look at the ten years that, as a percentage of tax take, the tax burden was actually pretty flat? i think that is right and that is because we had the cost of the pandemic and the energy shock and the high inflation so let's just talk about fiscal drag for a minute. it is true that is one of the principal ways that tax has gone up to pay down that covid debt. of course, the reason why it has

increased the tax take is because of inflation, which pushes up salaries, pushes up prices and then brings more people into higher tax bands, but since the autumn statement, the inflation projections have actually come down and that means that the take, the tax take was about £12 billion less than predicted at the autumn statement so that goes both ways but i think for someone in the average salary, about £35,000, if you just say what will happen next year, the freezing of the thresholds means that they will pay just over £230 more than they would have if we had upgraded the threshold with inflation. the national insurance cuts, we will pay £900 less. so it is a significant cut in the tax burden and overall if you take the four fiscal events i have burden and overall if you take the fourfiscal events i have been responsible for, to budgets and two autumn statements, including the tax

rises that i announce to my first autumn measures reduce the tax burden by .6% of gdp. 0ne autumn measures reduce the tax burden by .6% of gdp. one of the other statement she made quite often, during a speech last week and subsequently, is that you want to see a simplification of the tax system. on balance, do think this budget are simplified or made the tax system more complex? i budget are simplified or made the tax system more complex? i think it has made it — tax system more complex? i think it has made it simpler. _ tax system more complex? i think it has made it simpler. it _ tax system more complex? i think it has made it simpler. it has - tax system more complex? i think it has made it simpler. it has a - has made it simpler. it has a particular passion of the chair to simplify... it is a passion i share. and i have made a commitment to this committee that i would always make sure there was one tax simplification measure. the biggest one, probably, is what i was discussing which is the change on non—dom is which is an incredibly outdated, complex system. they're getting rid of their concept of domicile in the tax system and

moving to residence —based system, which is much simpler and much fairer. i which is much simpler and much fairer. ., , which is much simpler and much fairer. ., which is much simpler and much fairer. . , ., ., which is much simpler and much fairer. ., ., ., fairer. i was about to ask you where ou are in fairer. i was about to ask you where you are in that _ fairer. i was about to ask you where you are in that consultation - fairer. i was about to ask you where you are in that consultation you've i you are in that consultation you've answered that. and where do you think these measures will be enacted on non—dom is? think these measures will be enacted on non-dom is?— think these measures will be enacted | on non-dom is?_ and on non-dom is? from april2025. and civen the, on non-dom is? from april2025. and given the. and — on non-dom is? from april2025. and given the. and i— on non-dom is? from april2025. and given the, and i suspect _ on non-dom is? from april2025. and given the, and i suspect given - on non-dom is? from april2025. and given the, and i suspect given a - given the, and i suspect given a liking for tax implication should we not have an office for tax simplification?— not have an office for tax simplification? not have an office for tax simlification? ~ ., ., ~' simplification? well... look, i think, you _ simplification? well... look, i think, you know, _ simplification? well... look, i think, you know, that - simplification? well... look, i think, you know, that proof i simplification? well... look, i think, you know, that proof of simplification? well... look, i- think, you know, that proof of the pudding is in the eating and i think i have simplified taxes in every fiscal event that i've done and... you might not be there forever, chanceiion _ you might not be there forever, chancellor. so we would like a permanence of the vocation of the tax code — permanence of the vocation of the tax code. i�*m permanence of the vocation of the tax code. �* ., , ., tax code. i'm here for very long time indeed. _ tax code. i'm here for very long time indeed. we _ tax code. i'm here for very long time indeed. we hope - tax code. i'm here for very long time indeed. we hope so - tax code. i'm here for very long time indeed. we hope so as - tax code. i'm here for very long l time indeed. we hope so as well. evenif time indeed. we hope so as well. even if the office for tax simplification were... in the end of

need a political decision by chancellor to accept those decisions and ultimately, you know, if we abolished the double tax on work, which is what the conservative party wants to do over time, it won't happen in one parliament but it is a long—term ambition to do that, if we do it will be the biggest tax simplification in our lifetimes. you obviously had _ simplification in our lifetimes. ym. obviously had stated in the budget last week your ambition to remove the double taxation on work, as a simplification. do you regard that as a long—term policy commitment, ambition or a policy commitment? the next parliament. the ambition or a policy commitment? the next parliament.— next parliament. the former. and some of the _ next parliament. the former. and some of the discussion _ next parliament. the former. and some of the discussion about - next parliament. the former. and some of the discussion about the | next parliament. the former. and i some of the discussion about the 46 billion becomes somewhat irrelevant because the number may change and make you said earlier, it would not affect either the funding of state pension, the welfare state or the

national health service. collect. and, in fact most very explicit when i announced that long—term ambition that it would not be funded by cuts to public services or by borrowing. but it will be a long—term just as our long—term commitment to increase the personal tax threshold first announced in 2010 when it was about six and a half thousand pounds to 12 and have thousand pounds. we've been bringing you coverage of the treasury select committee as it hears evidence on the spring budget. you've been listening to chance that jeremy hunt being questioned on spring budget which, remember, is going to be the last one before the general election which is likely to be held later this year. he answered questions relating to the cut in national insurance, the increase to the salary threshold for claiming child benefit, iwant the salary threshold for claiming child benefit, i want bring up our live page before we leave you. as

the pm condemned remarks by major tory donor about the mp diane abbott. the chancellor was asked about this by dame angela eagle, labour's dame angela eagle. please do check our website for more coverage foot at the chancellor comments were despicable and should not have been made. hello. thanks forjoining me. it's a bit of a mixed bag out there. 0n the one hand, it's going to be relatively mild over the next two or three days. but on top of that, we've also got a lot of cloud and some really quite heavy rain today, especially across parts of wales and also the north of england. snowdonia could see as much as 100 millimeters of rain over the next couple of days. so really wet there. let's have a look at the forecast, then, as we go through the course

of the afternoon. that narrow but very heavy band of rain from northern wales affecting parts of the pennines as well. to the south of the weather front, it's really mild, temperatures around 15 degrees in some spots. to the north of the weather front, it's a little less mild, around 12 degrees in the lowlands of scotland. and very windy here in the north west of scotland through this afternoon and into this evening, gusts of wind, 60, maybe even 70 miles an hour in some exposed coasts. but back to that rain. here's a weather front. actually, it tends to move northwards, this next weather front, through thursday morning. so the heavy rain will transfer into northern ireland and also southern parts of scotland. and also, to the west, we'll have showers spreading in, being carried by this mild south—westerly wind. and you really will notice the mild weather tomorrow. in fact, in some spots, particularly across the east midlands into east anglia, lincolnshire, mid—teens — 16, maybe even 17 celsius in one or two areas. and the forecast for tomorrow evening shows the wettest of our weather across scotland. really quite heavy, persistent rain. rest of the country, it'll be a mixture of clear spells and occasional showers. now, this is friday's weather map. the isobars are pointing

from the north to the south, so we're on the other side of an area of low pressure, so our winds will be coming in from the north. so i think friday is going to feel a little colder, particularly in the north. it's a colder direction. so temperatures here i think around single figures for edinburgh, for newcastle, but in the south still relatively mild, around 11 to 1a degrees celsius, and a mixture of sunny spells and showers. friday night into saturday is going to bring a touch of frost, and then the outlook really does show that mixed bag of weather continuing but staying relatively mild in the south. bye— bye. friday night into saturday is going to bring a touch of frost, and then the outlook really does show that mixed bag of weather continuing but staying relatively mild in the south. bye— bye.

live from london. this is bbc news. five people killed in an explosion

at a un warehouse in rafah. we will talk live to someone who has been at the nearby hospital. i am anna foster, live from bethlehem. tensions remain high here in the occupied west bank and in eastjerusalem, where israeli security forces reportedly killed five palestinians — including a thirteen—year—old boy. rishi sunak under pressure to return a £10 million donation to the conservative party made by a businessman now accused of racism. lithuania blames russia for attacking a close aide of the late opposition figure alexei navalny. is the clock ticking for tiktok in the us, the house faces a vote to split from its chinese owner or face a ban. welcome to verified live.