Food Banks (Wales) Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Food Banks (Wales)

Ian C. Lucas Excerpts
Tuesday 12th February 2013

(11 years, 9 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Kevin Brennan Portrait Kevin Brennan
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The hon. Gentleman will be aware of the powerful world economic forces that have been at work in the past 20 years. It has almost been like King Canute all over again, trying to hold back the forces of international capitalism over the past 20 years and trying to keep income inequality down. The previous Labour Government did possibly more than any other Labour Government in attempting to alleviate that. For example, they introduced the national minimum wage, which made a massive contribution to trying to alleviate the impact of income inequality, which, in a globalised capitalist system, is difficult to resist.

Ian C. Lucas Portrait Ian Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)
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Last year, in Wrexham, the first food bank was set up since I first came to Parliament in 2001. This April, the richest people in Britain will get a tax cut because of this coalition Government’s policies. That is the type of ethical approach taken by this Government.

Kevin Brennan Portrait Kevin Brennan
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Indeed. I am sure that other hon. Members will want to point out that, while this crisis is going on, the Government saw it as their priority to lower the income tax of the richest.