Socio-economic Equality Duty Debate

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Department: Home Office

Socio-economic Equality Duty

Kate Green Excerpts
Thursday 18th November 2010

(14 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness Featherstone Portrait Lynne Featherstone
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I appreciate my hon. Friend’s direct approach. I probably would not put it in quite such pejorative terms. If the Government are interested in delivering fairness and equality, that has to be done through measures that actually deliver them, rather than just talking about them.

Kate Green Portrait Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)
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Perhaps I can help the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone). In the poorest wards in my constituency, my local authority—Tory-controlled Trafford—has repeatedly under-invested in public services, from addressing health inequalities to sweeping snow from the streets. In the absence of the socio-economic duty, how can my poor constituents be sure that they will not continue to lose out?

Baroness Featherstone Portrait Lynne Featherstone
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All councils up and down the country that are worth their salt will already be considering the socio-economic duty in terms of all the money they spend. That is the point. [Interruption.] I am sorry, but Opposition Members can jump up and down as much as they like—a duty to consider is not action at all.