Oral Answers to Questions

Alison Thewliss Excerpts

Tuesday 1st October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We must speed up.

[Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central) (SNP)]

4. What recent assessment he has made of the effect of his fiscal policies on living standards.

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sajid Javid)]

The recent spending round has delivered the fastest real growth in day-to-day spending in 15 years, targeting additional money on the people’s priorities of healthcare, education and tackling crime. We will publish alongside the next Budget an analysis of how these spending changes are distributed.

[Alison Thewliss]

We on the SNP Benches welcome the Chancellor’s announcement on his pretendy living wage, because we have been calling for it for four years, but his promises still fall 5p short of the London living wage today, never mind in 2024. A 16-year-old today would have to wait five years to be entitled to it. Will he end the state-sanctioned age discrimination of his pretendy living wage, so that all people, regardless of age, can receive a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work?

[Sajid Javid]

I welcome the hon. Lady’s support. It was this Government who introduced a national living wage in 2016. It was this Government who increased the rate, as recently as April this year. The announcement that we have made, which I will have more to say about later, will help to end—actually will end—low pay for good in our great country.