Welfare Reform and Work Bill

Debate between Jo Churchill and Natascha Engel

Tuesday 27th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Natascha Engel)]

I am afraid that I did not catch the intervention by the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds (Jo Churchill), but I am sure that she was not trying to mislead the House.

[Jo Churchill]

Indeed I was not, and I apologise if I did. I was merely trying to make the point that the current minimum wage is £6.70 and not £6.50 as was stated earlier. We are moving towards a higher-wage economy. [Interruption.]

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

Order. The hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Helen Whately) is in the middle of her speech, and this is a debating point rather than a point of order, so can we please continue?

--- Later in debate ---

[Jo Churchill]

I was fortunate enough to sit on the Public Bill Committee, and I also sit on the Women and Equalities Committee. That has shown me two things. I recently spoke to women in Oldham running a voluntary group, and the leader said to me she did not feel what we were doing was wrong, because she felt these measures helped marginalised minority women break out of the cycle of being kept in their homes, improved their English and helped them understand how their families interact with the wider world, asking women to find work and not rely on—

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Natascha Engel)]

Order. The hon. Lady is making a speech, not an intervention, so I ask her to resume her seat.