Income Inequality

Debate between Baroness Hollis of Heigham and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Wednesday 31st January 2018 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

My Lords, we are advertising for replacements for the Social Mobility Commission, but I come back to what I said earlier: wages for the lowest-paid have risen by 7% in real terms since 2015. That is the way to deal with poverty and, indeed, with social mobility.

[Baroness Hollis of Heigham (Lab)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that we, along with Lithuania, are the most unequal country in Europe? Is he also aware that, as a result, only Serbia, Romania and Hungary have a higher proportion of children in raw poverty than this country? Both of these are driven by the Government’s reluctance to tackle inequality.

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

No, that is not the case. I am afraid I must argue with the figures the noble Baroness has presented to the House. This country is the fifth-worst.