Local Government Finance (England)

Debate between Hilary Benn and Lilian Greenwood

Wednesday 13th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[Hilary Benn]

My hon. Friend is right. He anticipates what I am about to say, because how can that list be fair?

The Prime Minister says that we are all in this together, though less frequently these days because he gets laughed at when he attempts to do so. However, in this settlement, his local authority, West Oxfordshire, which is one of the least deprived in the country, ranking 316th out of 325 in the indices of multiple deprivation, is getting an increase in spending power of 3.1%, whereas some of the most deprived areas, such as Hastings, which we heard about earlier, and Burnley, which are respectively 19th and 11th out of 325 in the indices of multiple deprivation, are facing the maximum cut in their spending power, on the Government’s own measure, of minus 8.8%. How is that fair?

[Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)]

Does my right hon. Friend think that Government Members are not even interested in protecting the most vulnerable? As the former local government Minister, the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill), who is in his place, put it:

“Those in greatest need ultimately bear the burden of paying off the debt”.—[Official Report, 10 June 2010; Vol. 511, c. 450.]

Is not that exactly what they are about? They are not interested in the people in Nottingham and elsewhere whom we represent.

[Hilary Benn]

My hon. Friend is right. That quote sums up wonderfully the philosophy the Government have brought to the cuts they are making.