NHS and the Budget

Thank you for contacting me about tax rises to fund the NHS.

Our NHS is a vital public service, providing healthcare to those who need it, free at the point of use, regardless of background or income. It is clear that more funding is needed to keep pace with growing pressures on the NHS, which is why I welcome that NHS funding will grow on average by 3.4 per cent in real terms through to 2023/24. This will provide NHS England with over £20 billion more, in real terms, for its annual budget.

The Chancellor was clear in the recent Autumn Budget that his idea of ending austerity does not involve increasing people’s tax bills. With the Office for Budget Responsibility significantly revising up growth figures and expected tax receipts over the coming years, the Chancellor was able to confirm the single largest cash commitment to our public services ever made by a peacetime Government, while also delivering a tax cut for 32 million people. Indeed, the Chancellor has confirmed that far from increasing income tax, the Personal Allowance will be raised to £12,500 and the Higher Rate Threshold to £50,000.