Oral Answers to Questions

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2015 Commons Chamber

The Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked—

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

1. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposed changes to tax credits on child poverty.

[Kirsten Oswald (East Renfrewshire) (SNP)]

2. What estimate he has made of the administrative cost of proposed reforms to tax credits announced in the summer Budget 2015.

--- Later in debate ---

[The First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne)]

Last night, unelected Labour and Liberal peers voted down the financial measure on tax credits approved by this elected House of Commons. That raises clear constitutional issues that we will deal with. We will continue to reform tax credits and save the money needed so that Britain lives within its means, while at the same time lessening the impact on families during the transition. I will set out these plans in the autumn statement. We remain as determined as ever to build the low tax, low welfare, high wage economy that Britain needs and the British people want to see.

[Mrs Lewell-Buck]

Six thousand, eight hundred children in South Shields are growing up in families who rely on tax credits. One of my constituents told me, “Tax credits at the moment only just make it possible for families to feed and clothe their children as it is. If this Government keep making cuts on those of us who are lowest paid we may just give up hope.” The public, the experts, some of the Chancellor’s own MPs and the other place all agree that his plans will victimise working parents and their children, so will he please give my constituents some hope and shelve these ridiculous tax credit cuts?