appointments per mm appointments per week. the covid inui _ appointments per week. the covid inquiry hears i week. the covid inquiry hears from physiotherapists and experts today with a focus on the impact of long covid, this is the scene live in central london.

the health secretary has been explaining how he is planning to do it. ~ ., ., ., , ., to do it. we have got teams of to do it. we have got teams of top clinicians _ to do it. we have got teams of top clinicians going _ to do it. we have got teams of top clinicians going into - top clinicians going into hospitals this week in areas with both high levels of waiting, but also high numbers of people who are off work, because by doing that, we can get people back to health and back to work. that is obviously good for them and for the economy. and on scanners, with the chancellor will set out in the chancellor will set out in the budget tomorrow are some of the budget tomorrow are some of the funding that will be necessary to double the number of diagnostic scanners over the course of this parliament, which means we will be able to deliver an extra 1.25 million scans. these aren'tjust more scanners, by the way, these are ai enabled scans.— ai enabled scans. wes streeting. _ ai enabled scans. wes streeting. watching i

ai enabled scans. wes l streeting. watching with ai enabled scans. wes - streeting. watching with us will be our political correspondence, hello to you both. tom, we have had the audit detail rumoured about what is coming up in the budget, are we going to learn more about it from these treasury questions? 1 more about it from these treasury questions? i suspect the government _ treasury questions? i suspect the government has - treasury questions? i suspect the government has been - the government has been carefully planning this period of rolling out all the bits of detail we have heard over the last two weeks. not a small amount of pre—budget briefing, this year. i think a lot more than we normally see, and the speaker of the house, through lindsay hoyle had a lot to say about that. he said that it was about that. he said that it was a supreme discourtesy to the house when the chancellor, in the states, said that she would be changing the way in which she decides what she can borrow, the rules under which she decides what she can borrow. he said that he was very disappointed with rachel reeves. the speaker of the houseis reeves. the speaker of the house is not happy that all this briefing is going on. i suspect that today's questions we probably won't hear any big

prebudget announcements because, i think the government will want to get a much bigger audience for that sort of information that they probably would not get for this very procedural bit of the house of commons business for today, albeit that we are showing you that section of the business of the house of commons in this news channel broadcast. i think, probably, plenty has been said and the aim has been to ensure that this lends well for the government, that people and the financial markets are not too spooked by one of the things we have learned that may be coming up injust over 20 hours is an increase in national insurance contributions for employers. what effect is that having already won particularly is what small businesses are feeling about the economy. it is what small businesses are feeling about the economy.— about the economy. it is making small businesses _ about the economy. it is making small businesses nervous. - about the economy. it is making -

small businesses nervous. chancellor rachel reeves has ruled out increases in taxes on what the government calls working people saying they will not face an increase in the rate of income tax or national insurance of vat. rachel reeves is on — or national insurance of vat. rachel reeves is on her _ or national insurance of vat. rachel reeves is on her feet. _ or national insurance of vat. rachel reeves is on her feet. i _ or national insurance of vat. rachel reeves is on her feet. i have - or national insurance of vat. rachel reeves is on her feet. i have a - or national insurance of vat. rachel reeves is on her feet. i have a huge| reeves is on her feet. i have a huge amount of— reeves is on her feet. i have a huge amount of effect _ reeves is on her feet. i have a huge amount of effect for _ reeves is on her feet. i have a huge amount of effect for the _ reeves is on her feet. i have a huge amount of effect for the right - amount of effect for the right honourable gentleman, steered our country through a very difficult time after the mini budget. 4000 higher in 2023. we are committed to boosting economic growth to turn around this. whilst welcome from millions of families, there are still more to do. earlier this month we delivered our first international investment summit.

the conservatives oversaw a living standard _ the conservatives oversaw a living standard disaster. in places like hexham — standard disaster. in places like hexham. there is the chancellor agreed _ hexham. there is the chancellor agreed that the budget tomorrow, we need to— agreed that the budget tomorrow, we need to reset the foundations of our economy _ need to reset the foundations of our economy. the last parliament was the worst _ economy. the last parliament was the worst ever _ economy. the last parliament was the worst ever recorded. the budget is our promise — worst ever recorded. the budget is our promise to fix this so we can deliver— our promise to fix this so we can deliver for— our promise to fix this so we can deliver for families in hexham and around _ deliver for families in hexham and around the — deliver for families in hexham and around the country. the top 10%

earned _ around the country. the top 10% earned a — around the country. the top 10% earned a staggering 57% of wealth up from 225— earned a staggering 57% of wealth up from 22.51995. in our communities, energy— from 22.51995. in our communities, energy prices — from 22.51995. in our communities, energy prices that what will the government do to make sure the gap doses? _ the gap closes? i thank my - honourable friend for that question. we have already announced the child poverty task force that is working to publish a comprehensive strategy to publish a comprehensive strategy to tackle child poverty and we will publish that in spring next year. wheels also provided £500 million including the balmy impact to extend the household support fund in england until march year, which will help the most deprived families with things like water and electricity. under the last conservative government the need for food banks for levels even higher than the pandemic. recent research shows that in my constituency of bathgate, the

number of food parcels has risen by 77% over the past five years. and in 2022, 2023, 27% of children were living in poverty after housing costs. can the minister advise the house what steps the government is taking to reduce the need for food banks, specifically in relation to child poverty. i banks, specifically in relation to child poverty-— banks, specifically in relation to child ove . . ~ , ., ., child poverty. i thank my honourable friend for that _ child poverty. i thank my honourable friend for that question _ child poverty. i thank my honourable friend for that question and - child poverty. i thank my honourable friend for that question and also - friend for that question and also congratulate her on the great work that she has done with the co—op is the justice policy. that she has done with the co—op is thejustice policy. as my honourable friend knows, we are right behind her in the commitment to raise living standards across the country. that is why we made a manifesto commitment to update the remit of the low pay commission, so that for the low pay commission, so that for the first time ever they will take into account the cost of living when making recommendations about the minimum wage. figs making recommendations about the minimum wage-— making recommendations about the minimum wave. a , ., ., minimum wage. as my right honourable friend will be — minimum wage. as my right honourable friend will be aware, _ minimum wage. as my right honourable friend will be aware, coastal— friend will be aware, coastal communities are like mine struggle with a low—paid, low skill economy. will she acknowledge the importance of the minimum wage in tackling this

problem and supporting our communities and local economies? mr; communities and local economies? my honourable friend is absolutely right and that is why we are going to make sure that the low pay commission takes into account the cost of living. as well as closing the gap between the youth rate of the gap between the youth rate of the minimum wage and the overall rate, so that all adults can be paid a fair wage for the work that they do. . ~' , ., ~ a fair wage for the work that they do. ., ,, ~ do. thank you, mr speaker. the livin: do. thank you, mr speaker. the living standards _ do. thank you, mr speaker. the living standards of _ do. thank you, mr speaker. the living standards of a _ do. thank you, mr speaker. the | living standards of a 90-year-old living standards of a 90—year—old pensioner on a £13,500 income are falling sharply this winter as a result of her decision to take away the winter fuel allowance. tomorrow she has the chance to increase that threshold, will she take it? the honourable _ threshold, will she take it? the honourable lady will know that because of our commitment to the triple lock, the basic state pension and the new state pension will continue to rise. in fact, this winter the new state pension is worth £900 more than it was a year

ago. and the new state pension is likely to rise by a further £450 next april. indeed, during the course of this parliament, because of the triple lock, the new state pension is likely to be worth £1700 more, much more than the value of the winter fuel payment. l’m more, much more than the value of the winter fuel payment.— the winter fuel payment. i'm sure that the treasury _ the winter fuel payment. i'm sure that the treasury were _ the winter fuel payment. i'm sure that the treasury were pleased - the winter fuel payment. i'm sure that the treasury were pleased to | that the treasury were pleased to receive 1.5 billion in a windfall tax from octopus energy. would the chancellor consider using this money to reinstate the winter fuel allowance for one year until the treasury have the opportunity to find a better system of means testing, so that my vulnerable residents and pensioners in chichester aren't falling off a cliff edge this winter. l chichester aren't falling off a cliff edge this winter.- cliff edge this winter. i can understand _ cliff edge this winter. i can understand the _ cliff edge this winter. i can understand the concern . cliff edge this winter. i can understand the concern of| cliff edge this winter. i can i understand the concern of the honourable member but of course that £1.5 billion was already baked into the forecast, that is not new money to spend on initiatives. as the honourable lady will know we inherited a £22 billion black hole inherited a £22 billion black hole in the public finances and we will set out the detail of that in the

budget tomorrow. but because of that we have had to make very difficult choices but even in those difficult circumstances we have protected winter fuel payment for the most vulnerable pensioners, who are on pension credit, as well as boosting uptake of the pension credit so that those who get the support they are entitled to actually do.— entitled to actually do. residents of jose - h entitled to actually do. residents of joseph rowntree's _ entitled to actually do. residents of joseph rowntree's saint - entitled to actually do. residents| of joseph rowntree's saint helens ofjoseph rowntree's saint helens court all gathered recently to tell me about the devastating impact the cut in the winter fuel payment will have on their living standards. people with and see, saturday last, gathered to demonstrate against. tomorrow, the chancellor can do the right thing. will she? and tomorrow, the chancellor can do the right thing. will she?— right thing. will she? and i'm sure that the honourable _ right thing. will she? and i'm sure that the honourable gentleman - right thing. will she? and i'm sure | that the honourable gentleman told him about the £22 billion gap that his government left in the public finances that has required the difficult decisions that this government has had to make to clean up government has had to make to clean up the mess left by the party opposite. up the mess left by the party o- osite. ~ up the mess left by the party opposite-—

up the mess left by the party o- osite. ~ , ., , [1111 . opposite. with the promised £300 cut in ener: opposite. with the promised £300 cut in energy bills — opposite. with the promised £300 cut in energy bills not _ opposite. with the promised £300 cut in energy bills not materialising - in energy bills not materialising and the winter fuel payment scrap for pensioners and now the bus cap lifted for working people. using whatever definition she is using a butter today, country whatever definition she is using a butter today, c