Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

David Crausby Excerpts
Tuesday 1st November 2011

(12 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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What the Greek Prime Minister has apparently offered the Greek people is a referendum on difficult decisions required to get the budget deficit down. That is what he is talking about. We talked about these things in advance of a general election. Two parties here talked about those difficult decisions. We got elected, we are in government and we are now doing it, and we are recovering from the deep mess that the Labour party left us in.

David Crausby Portrait Mr David Crausby (Bolton North East) (Lab)
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T2. Will the Chancellor intervene to prevent directors’ pay from increasing by another 49% this year? Or if he is not willing to intervene, will he at least explain to those suffering cuts in pay and the loss of their jobs, just how we are all in this together?

George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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I have made it very clear, and the Prime Minister has made it very clear, that at all levels of society people have to be mindful of the current economic situation, and that includes highly paid directors and people working for the financial services. Bonuses are significantly lower than they were under the Government whom the hon. Gentleman supported, and we are also introducing measures to encourage transparency in pay, and to give shareholders greater control over executive pay as well.