Finance (No. 3) Bill Debate

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Department: HM Treasury
Vicky Ford Portrait Vicky Ford
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Absolutely. That is exactly the point, because we know that the best way to address poverty is to make sure that more people can earn their way out of poverty. That does not work for everyone, but for those who can do so, this makes a significant difference, and that is exactly why poverty is now at record lows.

Bob Stewart Portrait Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)
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According to Department for Work and Pensions figures, there are 1 million fewer people in absolute poverty since 2010, with 300,000 fewer children in the same situation.

Vicky Ford Portrait Vicky Ford
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Absolutely. That is exactly the point: absolute poverty is now at record lows. That also has an impact on children—my hon. Friend made that point— because the number of children living in workless homes has fallen to the lowest level since records started.