Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Glindon Excerpts
Tuesday 27th October 2015

(9 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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My hon. Friend makes a powerful point: we have created a welfare system that subsidises low pay, and surely it is better to increase that pay. That is why we are introducing the national living wage and I know that will help many of the people my hon. Friend represents in Plymouth.

Mary Glindon Portrait Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)
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T10. Under the devolution deal, the Chancellor has committed £30 million a year to create a new investment fund for the north-east. Will this be wholly new money or will existing grants be cut? Where is the guarantee that he will not be robbing Peter to pay Paul?

George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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It is additional new money and it is a long-term commitment to the north-east of England. Of course, we could not have reached this agreement without the support of the local Labour council leaders who have come together through the combined authority to strike what I think is an historic deal. There has been lots of conversation over many years about devolving power to the north-east; now we are going to have the elected mayor with powers that are currently exercised in London being exercised in the north-east. That is proper devolution.