RYEDALE’S MP has welcomed Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, praised the Chancellor following his announcements on childcare costs, support with energy costs, pubs, and also apprenticeships.

Yesterday’s (March 15) Spring Budget was Mr Hunt’s first budget since becoming Chancellor in October 2022 following the dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng.

The Chancellor said a recession would be avoided and inflation would fall dramatically as the economy was “proving the doubters wrong”.

In an effort to remove barriers to work, he promised up to 30 hours a week of free childcare for eligible households in England with children as young as nine months, instead of three and four-year-olds under the current policy.

The phased policy, which will be fully introduced by September 2025, will be worth up to £6,500 a year for working families.

'great deal to be positive about'

“For people in Thirsk and Malton, there’s a great deal to be positive about,” said Mr Hollinrake.

“Childcare costs are an issue I know many families locally raise as a key concern.”

The Conservative MP went on to praise the Chancellor’s announcement on energy support.

He said that he has received “a large volume of correspondence on support for energy costs with many requests for the support to continue for another set period”.

Given this the MP said he welcomed "the news of the Energy Price Guarantee extension which will reassure those constituents who’ve reached out”.

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The Chancellor confirmed the UK Government’s energy price guarantee, which caps average household bills at £2,500, will be extended at its current level from April to June.

It had been due to rise by £500 to £3,000 next month.

Mr Hollinrake also said he was “delighted” by the Chancellor’s decision to freeze the tax on beer from August 1, as part of a new Brexit pubs guarantee.

While drinkers will see tax on other alcohol soar by 10.1 per cent in August in line with inflation after a freeze during the peak of the cost-of-living crisis, the Chancellor set out a separate rule which will see the duty on draught pints in pubs drop to up to 11p lower than in supermarkets.

Gazette & Herald: Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and MaltonKevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton (Image: Agency)

The MP added that he was “very pleased” to hear the Chancellor highlight the value of apprenticeships.

Mr Hunt announced that a new ‘Returnerships’ apprenticeship targeted at the over 50s will aim to refine existing skills programmes to make them more accessible to older workers.

“As constituents will know, I’m a big supporter of apprenticeships, having arranged Friday’s Thirsk and Malton Engineering Apprenticeships Fair - I hope people of all ages will be able to attend,” he said.

As reported by the Gazette & Herald, Mr Hollinrake is to held his Engineering Apprenticeships Fair on Friday, March 17, from 5pm to 7pm in Malton’s Milton Rooms.