Debates between Elizabeth Truss and Kate Green during the 2017-2019 Parliament

Tue 24th Jul 2018

Public Sector Pay

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Kate Green
Tuesday 24th July 2018

(5 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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My hon. Friend is right. I am delighted to hear the news about the police force in Essex. Those police officers will receive a 2% rise and, in addition, they will get increments as they move up the pay scale, so many will see a rise in excess of that.

Kate Green Portrait Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)
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Cuts to school budgets have meant that some schools have had to make cuts to payments for support staff such as lunchtime assistants, for example, including by removing their holiday pay. How will today’s announcement benefit those lowest paid workers who have already suffered?

Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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Last year we announced that we were putting £1.3 billion more into schools’ budgets to help them to cope with the issues they were facing. That represents a real-terms increase from 2015. Today we have announced an additional £500 million to support these pay rises for teachers. I say to the hon. Lady: let us look at the school results, such as the fact that our nine-year-olds are now among the best in Europe at reading. It is because of this Government’s reforms that we are seeing better results.