Oral Answers to Questions

Gloria De Piero Excerpts

Tuesday 13th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

I can assure my hon. Friend of that, and that newspapers—there was a very interesting one this morning—will not have VAT imposed on them either.

[Gloria De Piero (Ashfield) (Lab)]

Mums in my constituency who work part time in the public sector and earn, say, £11,000 or £12,000 a year are telling me that their pay is to be frozen, so far from low-paid workers being protected, as was promised, it seems they are going to be hit the hardest, because that pay freeze is pro rata. Can the Chief Secretary confirm that and tell me how many low-paid part-time public servants will be affected?

[Danny Alexander]

We have announced a pay policy that involves a pay freeze for people earning above £21,000 a year. People earning below £21,000 a year will have a pay rise of at least £250.