Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Ruane Excerpts

Wednesday 9th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

3. What assessment he has made of wage levels in Wales since 2010.

[Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab)]

11. What steps the Government are taking to tackle low pay in Wales.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb)]

Since this Government took office, wages and salaries growth have revived, and nominal growth in 2012 of 2.8% was the strongest since 2007.

[Stephen Crabb]

What I support is creating the right conditions for the private sector to create new jobs in Wales. In the right hon. Gentleman’s area in north Wales we anticipate that 40,000 new jobs will be created in the next five years. He should get out and back the support for balanced recovery that will bring benefits to his constituency and across north Wales.

[Chris Ruane]

Real wages have gone down in 38 of the 39 months since this Government came to power. Zero-hours contracts, payday loans and flouting of minimum wage law, on top of rising energy, food, and transport bills, have left my constituents feeling vulnerable. Has the Minister any plans to deal with falling living standards?

[Stephen Crabb]

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman is another Labour Member who does not welcome the fact that unemployment has fallen in his constituency since the general election. We recognise that wage levels are not where we want them to be, but most of the deterioration in wage levels happened in the last three years of the previous Labour Government. We are helping people in Wales on low incomes by taking 130,000 people out of income tax altogether, and by freezing fuel duty. Because we have taken the responsible decision to cut the deficit, we are able to keep interest rates low, which means that low earners in his constituency, and mine, can hang on to their homes.