UK announces food tariff cuts and mileage rate changes

The UK government has announced tariff removals on more than 100 products and changes to work mileage rates ahead of Wednesday’s Budget, saying the measures are intended to ease household costs. The announcements were made on Tuesday by Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey, but the reports do not establish that the measures have taken effect. The Treasury estimates that removing tariffs on the products will save households about £21 a year on food shopping. Items named include baked beans, garlic, gherkins, jams and marmalades, chocolate and sweets. The tariff list also covers plant-based beverages, chocolate-coated waffles or wafers, throat pastilles and cough drops, according to one account. The government also plans to make a 55p-per-mile rate for work-related driving permanent for the first 10,000 miles. For mileage above that threshold, the rate is set to rise from 25p to 35p. The changes are expected to benefit about three million employees and self-employed workers, according to the government. The reports do not provide an effective date for the mileage changes. Other announced measures include extending parental pay to more than 150,000 additional...