We're closing our live coverage, so let's reflect on all that's happened this morning.

The PM has spoken to BBC Radio 5 Live in a wide-ranging interview - covering everything from his reaction to news of the King's cancer diagnosis, to topics including the cost of living, child vaping, poverty and his £1,000 bet on the Rwanda policy.

Rishi Sunak pointed to how inflation has come down from 11% to 4% since November 2022, saying financial pressures were starting to ease for people in the UK.

But one single mother told the programme many people were still struggling and what was needed was a "dignified amount of money to live on" - Sunak said his government was providing a "range of support".

Ahead of the general election, expected later this year, Sunak promised his econominc plan was "starting to work" and would lead to a brighter future. Sir Keir Starmer told Times Radio there was an ongoing cost of living crisis, and was asked about Labour's position on dentistry and green policies.

Meanwhile, eight million people on means-tested benefits are starting to receive their final cost of living payment to help with high prices and energy bills.

No further payments of this kind are scheduled, and charities along with some MPs are urging the government to consider more support.

For more on the cost of living including tips on saving money, go to our special coverage page here.

Image source, .

The government's cost of living payments were not enough for many people, MPs on the Commons Work and Pensions Committee said in a report published in November, external.

It said payments were especially not enough for those with extra costs associated with their disabilities. Disability charity Scope said some people had not been able to afford to power vital equipment.

And there was particular concern for some larger families.

The report said the payments had had an important impact, but the system was relatively unsophisticated, meaning some of those in need slipped through the net.

It said that in future, the government should consider increasing benefits rather than giving ad-hoc payments.

However, the government said cost of living payments had provided "a significant financial boost to millions of households" - you can read its response to the report here, external.

During his interview, Sunak was asked about reports that parents struggling with the cost of living have been watering down baby formula. The prime minister said he was saddened to hear people were being forced to do this.

According to a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report, external in November, the cost of formula has risen by 25% over the last two years. It also noted that profit margins for manufacturers had remained high.

The NHS says people should not add additional water, external to formula for infants as "too little powder may not give your baby enough nourishment".

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and National Childbirth Trust advice concurs, warning parents that diluting formula risks children not getting the nutrition they need.

Following the recent CMA findings, the chief executive of BPAS called for more to be done to reduce the price of formula in light of the cost of living crisis.

"No woman should be priced out of choosing how to feed her baby," Clare Murphy said.

Image source, Family Handout

As we reported earlier, Rishi Sunak was asked on 5 Live about the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey who has called for better social media safeguarding for children.

Esther Ghey is campaigning to ban children under 16 from accessing social media apps on smartphones and for searches for inappropriate material to be flagged to parents.

Ghey, whose transgender daughter was stabbed to death in February 2023, was praised by Sunak as representing the "best of humanity" for her compassion towards the families of the two teens who killed her. The pair had a fascination with looking at murder online and had planned the crime using a messaging app.

The PM insisted the Online Safety Act meant the regulator Ofcom had the power to raise the protection of children with social media companies.

Ghey has spoken to BBC Breakfast this morning, saying the act is a "step in the right direction" but that it does not go far enough.

She said her daughter had been "completely obsessed" with her phone which caused a "constant battle" between the pair.

Ghey also called for mobile phone firms to "take more responsibility" and called for a change in the law to ensure children could only buy phones designed for them.

Image source, Simon Dawson/10 Downing Street

Following the BBC's interview with Rishi Sunak, 5 Live callers have been ringing in to give their reaction.

Susan in Orpington is not convinced by Sunak’s answer to Rachel Burden on how some parents are having to water down baby food due to cost pressures.

“What I do care about is his dreadful attempt to sound as if he cared in that interview," she says.

“I didn’t think ‘sad’ should have been the comment he made... he should have been downright angry, it was like nothing to him."

Susan says her daughter spends £60 a month on baby food, adding there are “thousands like her, millions who are really, really struggling” in the UK.

But Judy in Bexhill thinks Sunak has "clearly done" his main objective of getting the economy under control by bringing down inflation.

In Judy's view, the PM hasn't given in to pressure to allow “lots of excessive rises in income... because he doesn't want to embed inflation".

PM's tax cut claim is correct but ignores impact of previous measurespublished at 10:19 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February

10:19 GMT 6 February

As we've just been reporting, Rishi Sunak said in his interview: "Someone on an average salary of £35,000 - just in January started to benefit from a tax cut worth £450."

He is talking about the 2p in the pound cut in National Insurance (NI), which came in last month.

The figure of £35,000 is the average salary for a full-time employee and that reduction works out at £449 a year, so the prime minister is right.

But Sunak is ignoring the impact of the government’s previous tax measures - such as freezing the thresholds at which people start paying tax or pay higher rates of tax.

Taking those into account means that worker won’t be £450 better off this year overall.

Speaking to the BBC earlier, Sunak highlighted a recent a cut in the National Insurance rate as one of the ways the government has been helping struggling households.

"So someone on an average salary of £35,000 - just in January started to benefit from a tax cut worth £450." he said.

Esther, 35, from North London, was listening to the interview on 5Live and called in to comment on the PM’s comments.

“I consider myself to be educated and work a good job… I’m not earning £35,000, I’m earning £24,000," she said.

Esther is pregnant and says her maternity leave package is basic pay, which doesn’t cover her rent.

Responding to Sunak’s comments on salaries, she said: “He sounds confident in what he’s saying, but when he talks about salaries he’s so out of touch.”

Is cost of living support enough?published at 10:06 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February

10:06 GMT 6 February

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

There’s plenty of debate over the merits of cost-of-living payments as a policy.

Hundreds of pounds paid directly into bank accounts are always welcomed, but are a blunt instrument and may only provide short-term relief.

Some charities and an influential committee of MPs have said raising benefits in the long-term may have been a better option.

The prime minister has pointed to a range of support. Whether that is enough is a matter that will be discussed aplenty before the election.

It's been a busy few hours so here's a quick roundup of what we've heard:

• Speaking to the BBC, the PM says cost of living pressures are starting to ease, with inflation coming down and a "range of support" still available
• The final cost of living payment of £299 is being paid to eight million people on low incomes and means-tested benefits - between 6 and 22 February
• One single working mother told 5 Live people needed a "dignified amount of money to live on" and one-off cost of living payments weren't solving the problem of poverty
• In his interview, Sunak started by wishing the King well following his cancer diagnosis, saying it was "caught early"
• Sunak said the government was making progress on cancer waiting times, with the roll out of 100 diagnostic centres, and survival rates for some cancers improving
• He reiterated his committment to the Rwanda policy - saying a £1,000 bet made with broadcaster Piers Morgan on whether it would work had taken him by surprise

• He said the number of children living in poverty was down since 2010
• Sunak also said he was tackling an "alarming" rise in children vaping, as well as trying to create a "smoke free generation"

• Elsewhere, Labour's Sir Keir Starmer, speaking to Times Radio, was angered by the state of NHS dentistry and insisted a preventitive model of healthcare was key to reforming the NHS
• Starmer also denied scaling back green policies - but did not say whether he'd stick to Labour's £28bn green investment pledge

Starmer has been asked on Times Radio whether he will stick to Labour's £28bn green investment pledge, amid speculation he plans to ditch it.

He denies Labour is "scaling back" policy pledges and says he set out "very big projects for the country" in his five pledges for an "incoming Labour government".

He does not say whether he will stick to the exact £28bn figure, if the party wins the next election.

But the Labour leader does tell Times Radio that net zero greenhouse gas emissions will be "difficult to achieve" and that "we need to borrow to invest to do that".

Starmer adds that is vital for governments to invest in better green technology to battle climate change, saying he has been "been unwavering in relation to the mission - clean power by 2030".

Sunak's claim on poverty falling is correct - according to one measurepublished at 09:08 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February

09:08 GMT 6 February

As we've just reported, Rishi Sunak told 5 Live that the number of people living in poverty has fallen since 2010.

This is correct, according to one measure of poverty.

There are two main measurements used by the government: absolute poverty and relative poverty.

Sunak is talking about absolute poverty, which measures how many people have less than 60% of 2011's average level of income, after taking account of housing costs and adjusting for rising prices.

And, yes, this fell from 13.1 million people in 2010 to 11.4 million people in 2022.

But you can also look at relative poverty, which is the number of people who have less than 60% of the average income in the current year.

On that measure, poverty has gone up from 13.5 million in 2010 to 14.4 million in 2022.

That is a rise of almost one million, although it has gone up less quickly than the population.

We've got another part of Sunak's earlier interview for you now, this time about the health of children living in poverty.

Presenter Rachel Burden outlined a general picture of "declining health among children in this country" - with the number of children living in extreme poverty going up, a fifth of children overweight or obese by the age of five and one in four affected by tooth decay.

Sunak replied: "Since 2010, the number of children living in poverty is down, the number of people living in poverty is down, inequality is lower."

He adds the number of children growing up in a house where nobody works is down by hundreds of thousands, which he says is "a good thing" as the best way to ensure children don't grow up in poverty is to help their parents to be in work.

We'll be looking at those claims on poverty in more detail in this page shortly. In the meantime, you can read about a report into the worsening health of under fives in the UK here.

Wide range of questions shows task ahead in election yearpublished at 08:32 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February

08:32 GMT 6 February

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Inevitably, Rishi Sunak’s interview this morning began with his response to the King’s announcement - and it was notable that he went further than Buckingham Palace by saying that the cancer was caught early.

But otherwise the interview ranged widely. There was a clear effort to mop up any political damage from the prime minister’s apparent acceptance of a £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan over his Rwanda plan.

Labour had spied political opportunity in drawing attention to the size of the wager.

Sunak stressed twice that he had been caught by surprise and that it was just about his commitment to the policy anyway.

On the Brianna Ghey case, the prime minister praised Esther Ghey as representing the “best of humanity” and was clearly moved by her interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

But he also played down expectations about the campaign to ban social media for under-16s, talking up instead the new online safety law.

There was also discussion of NHS waiting lists, children’s mental health and much else besides.

Lots of issues for the prime minister to be across - but that is what is expected of political leaders in an election year.

Image source, PA Media

On Times Radio, Labour leader Keir Starmer is first asked about the state of the NHS, and what Labour would do to fix it.

He goes on to focus on the state of dentistry, saying he was angered to learn at a recent hospital visit that the most common reason for children to be admitted was to have their teeth extracted.

Times Radio's political editor Kate McCann pushes him on whether he would introduce a sugar tax, and Starmer replies by saying advertising regulation is the way forward.

Starmer had previously ruled out imposing a levy while the cost-of-living crisis is ongoing, but had kept the idea open if financial hardship for millions of people improves.

He also suggests children should be shown how to clean their teeth, as part of pre-school breakfast clubs.

Starmer says a preventative model of healthcare is key to reforming the NHS.

Burden asks about the upcoming general election, amid news Sunak has been telling his MPs to take inspiration from the England cricket team after they snatched victory in the first test against India.

He says elections are "ultimately a choice" and the last few years have been difficult for the country - with Covid, the war in Ukraine and rising energy bills.

"But I really believe at the start of this year we are pointing in the right direction. And the plan we've put in place is starting to work. You can see that, I think, most obviously with the economy - inflation coming down, taxes now being cut.

"And my straightforward message to the country would be look, if we stick with the plan we'll be able to deliver a brighter future."

Sunak says he believes "the future will be better" with the Conservatives, adding he cannot see what Labour would do differently.

Stay with us to hear what Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has to say on Times Radio, coming up next.

As a reminder, most politics watchers believe the next general election will be held this year.

Under the current rules, it must be held before 28 January next year - but many anticipate Rishi Sunak to call it earlier.

He has recently indicated it would be "in the second half of this year", although the exact date is very much still to be determined.

Read more here.

Image source, EPA

The discussion on 5 Live a little earlier turned to children's mental health. Sunak was asked about comments from the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, who says no one under 16 should have access to social media.

After sending his thoughts to Brianna's family, the PM praises her mother's "empathy and compassion" and says it speaks to the "best of humanity".

On his own daughters, Sunak says he trusts them. Asked if they have time limits for social media, he says his family "do all sorts of things".

The PM says he was pleased to pass the Online Safety Bill, which he says means the independent regulator Ofcom has the powers to talk to social media companies to ensure children aren't exposed to harmful content online.

Sunak says firms who fail to do so can be hit with big fines and penalties by media watchdog .

Asked why the bill took five years to become law and when these fines will become reality, Sunak says Ofcom is an independent regulator which now has the powers and guidance it needs.

Sunak says "these aren't easy things to resolve" and the UK is one of the first countries in the world to enact these kinds of rules.

Labour Leader Keir Starmer is about to give an interview as well on Times Radio, so we'll let you know what he has to say here.

Sunak's interview with BBC Radio 5 Live has now finished but we are continuing to bring you his most important comments.

For instance, he says the rise in children vaping as "alarming", especially given the long term health implications are unknown.

Asked why it's taken so long for something to be done, Rishi Sunak says he wasn't in government last summer when the issue first emerged in the news.

He highlights measures to tackle marketing and flavours of vapes, as well as additional fines for shops selling them to children.

Sunak adds that he has announced significant reforms on smoking. The plan seeks to raise the legal age of smoking every year by a year so that eventually no-one can buy tobacco.

He says this will "help raise a smoke free generation".

Sunak goes on to talk about the increase in the state pension and extra winter fuel payments, as well as additional support for people receiving disability benefits. So let's have a look at what those payments are:

Households that receive the winter fuel payment, external - which is paid to nearly all homes with at least one person of pension age - received an extra payment of between £150 and £300 during the winter.

Lower-income pensioners who claim pension credit get the money in addition to the support provided for those on benefits.

A £150 payment was also made to up to six million people receiving disability benefits, between 20 June and 4 July.

All cost of living payments go straight into recipients' bank accounts. People are warned to be aware that scammers sometimes try to trick people into handing over personal information.