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Alasdair McDonnell Excerpts
Wednesday 30th November 2011

(12 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Owen Paterson Portrait Mr Paterson
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My hon. Friend is right. There was a survey which showed a 41.5% difference between a public sector wage and a private sector wage. It shows the task we have in helping to revive the private sector and making it an attractive place for bright, enterprising young people in Northern Ireland to go into. That is very much what we would like to do.

Alasdair McDonnell Portrait Dr Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast South) (SDLP)
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Does the Secretary of State accept that the proposed changes to public sector pension contributions will have an even more severe impact in Northern Ireland because of the shape and balance of our economy?