Regional Pay

Debate between Rachel Reeves and Phil Wilson

Wednesday 20th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

Perhaps those 10,500 public sector workers can give their verdict at the ballot box. Yes, we do need a private sector recovery, but we will not achieve that by cutting the pay of the people who deliver our public services.

[Phil Wilson (Sedgefield) (Lab)]

Can we put to bed the idea that public sector jobs crowd out private sector jobs? Between 2003 and 2008 the number of public sector jobs increased by 4.1% and the number of private sector jobs went up by 9.2%. That belies the case that the Government always make that public sector jobs crowd out private sector jobs.

[Rachel Reeves]

My hon. Friend makes a very important point.