Business of the House

Jonathan Ashworth Excerpts

Thursday 28th May 2015 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I absolutely echo and endorse my hon. Friend’s comments about the situation in the middle east. These matters will of course be debated on Monday, but we will undoubtedly return to them in this House in the near future. I note my hon. Friend’s comments about Tony Blair. I think we should put on record our thanks to Tony Blair for the work he has done. I saw an interesting statistic the other day. The Labour party has had eight leaders in the past 40 years. Only one of them has won a general election, and he is the only one they never talk about.

[Jonathan Ashworth (Leicester South) (Lab)]

Has the Leader of the House had time yet to study yesterday’s figures from the Office for National Statistics, which show that the city with the lowest disposable income per person is now Leicester? He may also be aware that over the last four years child poverty increased in Leicester. Will he therefore ensure that when the Chancellor comes to the House and outlines his £12 billion of social security cuts, he will also lay before the House estimates for what impact the cuts will have on child poverty over the next four years?

[Chris Grayling]

Where the hon. Gentleman and I disagree is that I do not think the solution to Leicester’s problems is providing Leicester with more welfare. I think the solution to Leicester’s problems is creating jobs, supporting business, encouraging the development of new skills and creating a better environment for young people in Leicester to grow up in. That is what this Government will seek to achieve.