Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Hepburn Excerpts
Tuesday 11th March 2014

(10 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Stephen Hepburn Portrait Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow) (Lab)
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8. What steps he has taken to reduce the cost of living for people on low incomes.

Sajid Javid Portrait The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Sajid Javid)
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The Government are protecting the incomes of low-income households by freezing fuel duty and council tax and taking 2.7 million people out of tax by freezing the personal allowance. The best way to raise living standards is to stick to the Government’s long-term economic plan, which delivers for all. Britain is back on the path of prosperity: the economy is growing, the deficit is falling and jobs are being created.

Stephen Hepburn Portrait Mr Hepburn
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Now that’s nonsense. How on earth can this Government—the lot of them—justify this, let alone lie straight in bed at night, when they have given the top 1% richest people in this country a £100,000 pay rise and at the same time they are impoverishing the real workers of the country—the postmen, the nurses, the teachers—by making them up to £2,000 a year worse off?

Sajid Javid Portrait Sajid Javid
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The hon. Gentleman should put an end to the petty party politics and focus on the facts. He talks about the richest 1%, but the richest 1% are paying almost 30% of total income tax, which is the highest share ever. The richest 5% are paying almost 50% of total income tax. The only way this country will recover from Labour’s great recession is if we stick to our long-term economic plan, which is delivering for all.