Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chloe Smith and Russell Brown

Tuesday 26th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab)]

12. What assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's fiscal policies on the level of child poverty.

[The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Miss Chloe Smith)]

The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission is being set up and will provide an assessment of child poverty using a wide range of measures, including income.

[Mr Brown]

Before the 2010 election, the Prime Minister said:

“Poverty is relative—and those who pretend otherwise are wrong.”

Why are the Government now planning to abolish that measure of child poverty?

[Miss Smith]

The Government have confirmed their commitment to child poverty targets and we are going further by consulting on better measures of child poverty in the autumn. We seek a range of views on that.

Regional Pay

Debate between Chloe Smith and Russell Brown

Wednesday 20th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Miss Smith]

I agree with what my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office said earlier, which was that this Government and the Conservative party fully support the national minimum wage.

[Mr Russell Brown]

rose—

[Miss Smith]

Does the hon. Gentleman still think that we are all in dreamland when we seek to support the private sector?

[Mr Brown]

I have no doubts in my mind that some are. The hon. Lady says that the Conservative party supports the national minimum wage, but will she guarantee that it will not be frozen for years to come?

[Miss Smith]

If I tried to answer that question, I suspect that I would soon end up outside the scope of the debate. It is particularly important to note that we need to consider the evidence, which the Chancellor has asked for by asking the pay review bodies to consider the question. That evidence would come into the answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question.