The requirement for motorists to carry out roadworthiness tests each year could be removed as part of plans to alleviate the cost of living crisis, after Boris Johnson instructed ministers to propose policies that would not cost the Treasury.
The prime minister used Tuesday’s cabinet meeting to discuss ideas with his ministers, creating a number of proposals for a blue sky, which will now be considered by the cost-of-living committee he will chair.
Grant Shaps, the Minister of Transport, proposed increasing the duration of MOT certificates, which are currently valid for 12 months.
If the policy becomes law, it could save motorists £ 54.85 a year, which is the legal maximum price for a test, although test centers are free to set their own prices. Technical inspections are required annually for most cars that are more than three years old.
A source who attended the cabinet meeting told The Telegraph: “If we switch from an annual check to a check every two years, this halves the cost of renewing the MOT. This is a bread and butter policy that shows that the Conservatives are on your side.
Changes to reduce the cost of raising children are being discussed
Other proposed ideas include increasing the number of children that each babysitter can look after at a time, which ministers say will reduce the cost of childcare.
The cost of childcare in the UK has risen sharply in the last decade, with the cost of childcare under two rising by a third to £ 137.69, according to the Family and Childcare Trust.
The policy was previously proposed by the Ministry of Education and its advocates point out that the ratio of child care in the United Kingdom is one of the highest in the world, while British child care is among the most expensive in the OECD.
Babysitters in the UK can only care for six children under the age of eight at a time, while early childhood providers can care for three children under the age of two or up to 13 over the age of three.
Ministers are also considering easing tariffs on imported food that cannot be produced in Britain, such as rice, although the policy could be blocked by the Treasury because it will reduce customs revenues.
The Cabinet Commission to study the options
The policies will now be examined by the Cabinet Committee on the Cost of Living, chaired by Mr Johnson, which will examine their feasibility and whether they could be implemented at no cost to taxpayers.
Additional measures that will affect the budgets of the departments are expected later this year, but will probably be announced by Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, in his autumn budget.
Sources from the Ministry of Finance have already indicated that more support for living costs will be announced to coincide with the expected increase in Ofgem’s energy price cap, which is being revised later this year.
The changes could worsen the cost to drivers
AA on Tuesday criticized the proposal that MOTs could be required only for a year, as they could lead to higher repair bills for motorists who do not detect problems with their vehicles early enough.
A spokesman for the group said: “Although well thought out, moving the annual £ 55 maintenance fee every two years could worsen the cost of drivers with higher repair bills, make our roads more dangerous and create jobs. in the garage industry at risk.
“Only recently has the government withdrawn from passing the MOT every two years for road safety reasons, while AA surveys show strong support from drivers who like the safety provided by the annual health check.
“Maintenance already highlights major and dangerous defects, showing how important it is to keep cars safe.”
Mr Johnson told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that there was “more to be done, including in areas such as childcare, to further ease the pressure on those most in need and to hire even more people”. in highly qualified and highly paid jobs’.
Mr Johnson will not be drawn to whether the government will change the rules for raising children, but said schools should benefit from an existing education scheme.
“It’s a fantastic thing,” he said. “We have provided millions and millions of training opportunities that we want to provide over the next few years. But at the moment, only 60 percent of schools have actually taken advantage of the lesson offer. ”
Mr Sunak is said to have warned against higher government spending, stressing “the importance of not fueling further rising inflation”.
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