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Economic infrastructure (transport, energy, flood defences, water, waste, and digital communications) is crucial for the economy and for people’s daily lives. The government has put infrastructure at the heart of its economic strategy and has set up the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) to provide expert advice on the country’s strategic infrastructure needs and independent recommendations on how to meet them. At Spending Review 2015, the government announced it would increase transport spending by 50% to invest £61 billion in this Parliament. Including the additional investment provided by the NPIF, annual central government investment in economic infrastructure will increase by almost 60% from £14 billion in 2016-17 to £22 billion in 2020-21.13

Today’s Autumn Statement will build an economy that works for everyone in Scotland and the rest of the UK. The rise in the National Living Wage means a well deserved pay rise for thousands of Scots, and the freeze in fuel duty will make it about £10 cheaper for drivers every time they fill up their car.

But the Prime Minister and I remain firmly committed to seeing the public finances return to balance as soon as practicable.

…including £20 million to support the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall in Nottinghamshire – and £3 million from the Tampon Tax Fund for Comic Relief to distribute to a range of women’s charities.

Which means in the real world, it takes a German worker 4 days to produce what we make in 5; which means, in turn, that too many British workers work longer hours for lower pay than their counterparts.