Budget Changes Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Budget Changes

Mary Creagh Excerpts
Monday 21st March 2016

(8 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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The Government’s record is that, again and again, we have taken steps to improve the life chances of the British people. It also helps, in the long term, the life chances of the British people to have public finances under control. Only a Conservative Government will deliver that.

Mary Creagh Portrait Mary Creagh (Wakefield) (Lab)
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Does the Minister agree with the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith) that the cuts to personal independence payments for disabled people were

“not defensible in the way they were placed within a Budget that benefits higher earning taxpayers”?

David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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Let us be clear about this Government’s record, and let us put this in the context of what the Government have done. As a consequence of the policy changes that we have pursued, it will now be the case that the highest-earning 20% will pay more than half of all taxes. That would not have happened had we stuck with the policies we inherited.