The Chancellor delivered his Autumn Budget Statement for the remainder of the financial year.
It was focussed on people in their 20s, 30s and early 40s who are perceived as not necessarily enjoying the kind of start their parents had, particularly in home ownership. I was happy to hear not only that the Government intends to build 300,000 new homes through a £44billion investment in the housing sector, but that the dreaded stamp duty is to be abolished for first-time buyers of homes below £300,000. There must always be a delicate balance between addressing our housing shortage and preserving our natural green spaces, so I was glad to hear the Chancellor commit to utilising brownfield land for developments. Developers must use the land they have got permission for and not game the market by land banking.
In addition to supporting young people get onto the property ladder, the Chancellor also introduced £30million and £34million for digital and construction courses respectively, with over £290million being committed towards math and computer science education. This will be vital for preparing young people for the 21st Century jobs market and ensure that Britain remains an innovative, cutting—edge economy. Having hosted the Wiltshire Engineering Festival last month alongside the MP for Chippenham, Michelle Donelan, I have seen first-hand the determination of Wiltshire pupils and the interest that manufacturing holds among the up and coming generation.
In other news, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has been busy with our enquiry into the Irish land border, having visited Switzerland, a non-EU country, last month to investigate its border with the European Union. It is pivotal for the peoples and businesses of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the peace security of us all, to get the border issue resolved as a matter of priority and I hope that the committee’s final report will provide some insight for negotiators on both sides of the talks.
