Debates between Anneliese Dodds and Luke Graham during the 2017-2019 Parliament

Finance (No. 3) Bill

Debate between Anneliese Dodds and Luke Graham
Anneliese Dodds Portrait Anneliese Dodds
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No, it does not. Absolute poverty measures whether people can afford the bare necessities of life. To be able to participate in society—in their communities—they cannot fall so massively behind the median income. We are talking about families whose children cannot go to birthday parties for their friends because they cannot afford a card and a present. For me, that is a failure of our society, and it is to do with relative poverty, not absolute poverty. Over 4 million children in this country are classified as living in relative poverty, and that number is rising, not diminishing.

Office for Budget Responsibility

Debate between Anneliese Dodds and Luke Graham
Tuesday 24th July 2018

(6 years, 4 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Anneliese Dodds Portrait Anneliese Dodds
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In the context of the OBR, the problem is that we have just heard from some Members that the OBR’s remit should be extended to cover party political manifestos, and we have the Government making a huge spending commitment during its period in office, and yet no details have been provided for how the spending will arise. Many public servants are reading the tea leaves, not least those in the police, and assuming that the spending will come from cuts elsewhere. They are probably not wrong to do so.

Some Members referred to the discussion of Labour’s spending plans at the general election. It was possible to have that discussion because Labour had set out its spending plans in our grey book. I can see the hon. Member for North East Derbyshire smiling. He will smile even more when I provide him with some summer reading: Labour’s grey book, “Funding Britain’s Future”. It is very simple to read. I am sure other Members who are former accountants will find its layout very simple because it sets out on one side where more revenue will be derived and on the other side where expenditure will go. It is enormously simple to understand.

Luke Graham Portrait Luke Graham
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Will the hon. Lady give way?

Anneliese Dodds Portrait Anneliese Dodds
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I would be very happy to do so.

Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)

Debate between Anneliese Dodds and Luke Graham
Tuesday 6th March 2018

(6 years, 8 months ago)

Public Bill Committees
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Luke Graham Portrait Luke Graham
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Opposition Members have spoken about power grabs, and hon. Members who are not Scottish have raised issues relating to devolved Administrations, but we need to be really clear that this is a reserved area, that there is ongoing dialogue and that Scotland has a voice here in Scottish MPs. That is why we are part of Westminster, which is our Parliament as much as Holyrood is. We need to make it very clear that we are having a discussion, but these powers are reserved.

Anneliese Dodds Portrait Anneliese Dodds
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Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Luke Graham Portrait Luke Graham
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I will not. These powers are reserved. This is not a power grab; it is a reserved matter. Devolution does not mean “separate”. We are in conversations, and Scotland has a strong voice here in its Members of Parliament.