Oral Answers to Questions

David Hanson Excerpts

Tuesday 11th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield) (Lab)]

4. What recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Government’s fiscal policies on the level of child poverty.

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

13. What recent 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 (Sajid Javid)]

The Government have protected vulnerable groups as far as possible while undertaking the urgent task of tackling the record fiscal deficit that we inherited. Work remains the best and most immediate way out of poverty, and we have continued to prioritise work incentives through welfare reform and increasing the personal allowance.

[Sajid Javid]

I know that the hon. Lady cares deeply about the issue and she has done a lot of good work with vulnerable families in the past. She will be concerned, as I am, that under the last term of the previous Government child poverty, as defined by the Department for Work and Pensions, increased by 200,000 to 3.9 million. This Government believe that there should be a relentless focus on the causes of poverty, such as worklessness, so I hope that she will join me in welcoming the fact that the number of people employed today in Britain is at a record high.

[Mr Hanson]

He cannot get away with that, Mr Speaker; it is complete nonsense. Will he confirm—yes or no—that people on the minimum wage will be worse off at the end of this Parliament because of the tax and benefit changes than they would have been from the tax savings my hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Yvonne Fovargue)mentioned a moment ago? Cuts on child benefit and on working families tax credit will make people poorer: will he confirm that?

[Sajid Javid]

I am not going to take any lectures on child poverty from the right hon. Gentleman—[Interruption.]