Debates between Debbie Abrahams and Dominic Raab during the 2010-2015 Parliament

Wed 4th Feb 2015

UK Poverty

Debate between Debbie Abrahams and Dominic Raab
Wednesday 4th February 2015

(9 years, 11 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Dominic Raab Portrait Mr Raab
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If someone is earning between £10,000 and £15,000 under this Government, they are paying 54% less tax than they were under the last Government. If someone is a millionaire—we get lots of jibes on the Government side of the House about that—they are paying 14% more. When do we ever hear that referred to?

A lot of people have talked about poverty. If we look at the inequality Gini coefficient, we see that on elderly poverty, fuel poverty, the number of people not in education, employment or training, and child poverty—on every single statistical benchmark—the level of poverty or inequality is lower now than what the last Government left behind. Where is a little bit of honesty about that?

When it comes to affordable homes, the average annual rate of the creation of affordable homes is 50% higher under this Government than the last Government. The hon. Lady might have mentioned that in her speech. What about inflation, which eats away at incomes?

Debbie Abrahams Portrait Debbie Abrahams
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Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Dominic Raab Portrait Mr Raab
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I will not, because I have very limited time before we come to the wind-ups, and we have heard a huge amount from the Opposition side. It is important to hear the counter-arguments to puncture some of the myths that the Labour party is putting around—[Interruption.]