i said, this candle has announced plans to get more people back to work on that and also will continue those consultations to make sure that we get the policy right because i am a firm believer that whilst the government can't legislate, it's going to be up to business to make this investment to help grow the economy and we have to work in partnership. there is no policy that i do not think cannot be improved upon through direct contact with business in all of this areas and on the pensions reform, with what is not for pleasure legislation in the spring of next year and we want to work with business to make sure that we get to this policy is right. i think i have a once very closely with a large number of you in almost five months that i been trust of the exchequer. i have had the opportunity for three years that i will sell work with many of you before that but we want to give that carpet —— partnership and engagement and governments to make sure that we get we get extra work for

our economy so that it will work for your businesses and we can achieve what i think is now a national mission shared between all of us in this room to grow our economy and realise our potential as a country. so the our potential as a country. sr the messages get involved? indeed. 50 the messages get involved? indeed. ., the messages get involved? indeed, ., ., the messages get involved? indeed. ., ., ., indeed. so go to the for question- _ as you have alluded to, many businesses are disappointed with— businesses are disappointed with your decisions. many here are feeling milked. haven't you betrayed — are feeling milked. haven't you betrayed them with your tax rates? — betrayed them with your tax rates? you said you want to draw — rates? you said you want to draw a _ rates? you said you want to draw a line under everything. does — draw a line under everything. does that_ draw a line under everything. does that mean there will be no more _ does that mean there will be no more big — does that mean there will be no more big tax rises? we

does that mean there will be no more big tax rises?— does that mean there will be no more big tax rises? we saw when a government _ more big tax rises? we saw when a government lost _ more big tax rises? we saw when a government lost control - more big tax rises? we saw when a government lost control of - a government lost control of the public finances and it was ordinary businesses and families with higher borrowing costs and with that premium for instability who paid the price. i won't be that sort of chancellor. ifaced a problem and ifaced into it. we have now drawn a line under the fiction peddled by the previous government, we have put our public finances on a firm footing and we have now set the budgets for public services for the duration of this parliament. public services now need to live within their means, because i'm clear i'm not coming back with more borrowing or more taxes. that is why at this budget we did wipe the slate clean to put public services on a firm footing at we won't have to do a budget like this ever again, and indeed, unlike the last government, i will only do one budget a year so that this government can focus on what our number one priority is, and

thatis our number one priority is, and that is growing the economy. i will take a question from ashley from the sun. thank you. followin: ashley from the sun. thank you. following on _ ashley from the sun. thank you. following on from _ ashley from the sun. thank you. following on from that _ ashley from the sun. thank you. | following on from that comment, one of— following on from that comment, one of the — following on from that comment, one of the things i've been hearing _ one of the things i've been hearing is that you are comfortable in the city, you have — comfortable in the city, you have had _ comfortable in the city, you have had a great reception. in terms — have had a great reception. in terms of— have had a great reception. in terms of ordinary british businesses that have the touch point _ businesses that have the touch point with british customers on a daily— point with british customers on a daily basis, they are the ones _ a daily basis, they are the ones who notice when the price of milk— ones who notice when the price of milk and bread goes up. they are the — of milk and bread goes up. they are the ones who are being told that the — are the ones who are being told that the cost of hiring will be so much _ that the cost of hiring will be so much more expensive. you are looking _ so much more expensive. you are looking to — so much more expensive. you are looking to them for growth. i guess— looking to them for growth. i guess when you were going for growth, — guess when you were going for growth, why are you targeting these — growth, why are you targeting these traditional businesses, which — these traditional businesses, which are the big employers, and the — which are the big employers, and the ones that brits use on and the ones that brits use on a daily— and the ones that brits use on a daily basis.— a daily basis. thank you for that question. _ a daily basis. thank you for that question. i'm - a daily basis. thank you for that question. i'm not - a daily basis. thank you for. that question. i'm not immune to the challenges that business faces. including the challenges

from higher taxes. faces. including the challenges from highertaxes. but faces. including the challenges from higher taxes. but the alternative was stability or instability hanging over us for another year, with people asking, how are you going to make your sums add up? they do now add up after a number of years when frankly they didn't. we have brought out into the light everything that was being covered up by the previous government so that businesses can be confident we now have ourson can be confident we now have our son is adding up. i will also see this. on national insurance contributions, the increase in the employment allowance from £5,000 to £10,500 means thati million small businesses, half of all businesses, are paying either less national insurance or the same national insurance before they were —— than they were before the budget. those small businesses have a chance to

grow and take on more workers and, from april, you will be able to employ the equivalent of four people full—time before you have to pay any national insurance whatsoever. so this budget did look at how we could support smaller businesses. i do recognise the challenges that businesses will face, but we had to make sure that the sums added up, otherwise we would be in a situation where the cost of borrowing would continue at elevated levels, rather than the falls in interest rates we saw the week after the budget, and where businesses would continue to put back investment, not knowing what government's plans were. everyone can now be certain we have done what it takes to put our finances and services on a firm footing. last question from joel from itv. ., ., last question from joel from

itv. hello. i wonder about an -- an unintended _ itv. hello. i wonder about an i -- an unintended consequences. —— an unintended consequences. it —— an unintended consequences. it is _ —— an unintended consequences. it is clear— —— an unintended consequences. it is clear that some firms in some — it is clear that some firms in some sectors do feel they are exposed, _ some sectors do feel they are exposed, perhaps in a way you didh't— exposed, perhaps in a way you didn't intend. the cbi says it has — didn't intend. the cbi says it has survey businesses, and half of them — has survey businesses, and half of them plan to let workers go as a _ of them plan to let workers go as a result _ of them plan to let workers go as a result of the budget. will you rethink any of the measures that you — you rethink any of the measures that you have announced? it�*s that you have announced? it's reall that you have announced? it�*s really important that the sums add up. i'm determined to be the chancellor that puts our public finances on a firm footing after all the instability we have faced for these last few years. we have made our decisions, i've had lots of feedback, but what i haven't heard is any credible alternatives to what i did to put our public finances on the firm footing. if you take the measures in the budget in the round, the office for budget responsibility say that unemployment falls, employment levels rise, wages rise, real

household disposable incomes increase over the course of this parliament. if you take the measures in the round, it is good forjobs and it is good for growth. is good for “obs and it is good for growth.— for growth. good, perfect. thank you- _ for growth. good, perfect. thank you. if— for growth. good, perfect. thank you. if you - for growth. good, perfect. thank you. if you think - for growth. good, perfect. | thank you. if you think that for growth. good, perfect. - thank you. if you think that we have missed the key issues altogether, please, this is your opportunity now. we will have a question here. fine your opportunity now. we will have a question here. one more from the media, _ have a question here. one more from the media, sorry, - have a question here. one more from the media, sorry, sky - from the media, sorry, sky news _ from the media, sorry, sky news. chancellor, you say you won't — news. chancellor, you say you won't be — news. chancellor, you say you won't be coming back for more, that the — won't be coming back for more, that the spending envelope has been _ that the spending envelope has been set, but under your current— been set, but under your current plans, some departments after— current plans, some departments after this— current plans, some departments after this year will experience real terms cuts to their budget. are you fighting for that? — budget. are you fighting for that? ., �* budget. are you fighting for that? ., , ., that? you can't be in a position _ that? you can't be in a position to _ that? you can't be in a position to say - that? you can't be in a position to say that. that? you can't be in a - position to say that because we haven't set departmental budgets for beyond 25—26, as you know. we will be doing that in the second phase of the spending review, and work will

get going soon on that. we will be doing that in spring next year. what i'm clear about, and i said already a couple of times, is that public services now need to live within the envelope we have set. we won't be coming back to top up those budgets. we have set the envelope for public spending and it is through reform and economic growth that we need to be able to properly fund our public services and to improve living standards for new families.— living standards for new families. ,., ., .., ., families. good coming all the media will— families. good coming all the media will behave _ families. good coming all the | media will behave themselves and not stick their hands up. fine, a questionjust here. thank you. joe from the health foundation. we are concerned with— foundation. we are concerned with the — foundation. we are concerned with the impact of poor working a-e with the impact of poor working age health on productivity and growth — age health on productivity and growth. there is 2.8 million people _ growth. there is 2.8 million people out of work, on health grounds, _ people out of work, on health grounds, there is 3.8 million people — grounds, there is 3.8 million people in— grounds, there is 3.8 million people in work with poor health _ people in work with poor health. you have talked about

wanting — health. you have talked about wanting to boost growth, but without — wanting to boost growth, but without addressing this health challenge, it will be a struggle. we see time and again how the — struggle. we see time and again how the investment we need in prevention gets squeezed by the acute _ prevention gets squeezed by the acute spending demand. so i'm interested, do you think this is a — interested, do you think this is a time _ interested, do you think this is a time to start looking at different— is a time to start looking at different rules for prevention spending, as you do for capital, _ spending, as you do for capital, and what incentives can you _ capital, and what incentives can you give employers to put worker— can you give employers to put worker health at the top of their— worker health at the top of their agenda?— worker health at the top of their agenda? thank you for that question. _ their agenda? thank you for that question. i— their agenda? thank you for that question. i hope - their agenda? thank you for that question. i hope you i their agenda? thank you for| that question. i hope you can see from the work doing across government and the department of health and social care, work and, and also in education, that we are a government that is trying to be joined that we are a government that is trying to bejoined up and tackle some of these deep—rooted challenges that we face. included in the budget was £22.6 billion for health spending, including money to get those waiting lists down. there are many people of all

ages who are on health waiting lists and as a result are not available for work. we need to get those people off waiting lists and back into work, as well as tackling the big challenge we face in mental health, which is keeping many people out of h