Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Harriett Baldwin Excerpts
Tuesday 6th March 2012

(12 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Chloe Smith Portrait Miss Smith
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I do agree with my hon. Friend. As I have said already, it is a question of fairness. This measure asks a couple to do what a lone parent has always had to do, and I think that is fair.

Harriett Baldwin Portrait Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)
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Can the Minister confirm that, under the current system, a single parent who is offered more than 16 hours’ work a week by his or her employer would face a marginal withdrawal rate of up to 97%, and that such anomalies will disappear with the change to the universal credit?

Chloe Smith Portrait Miss Smith
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My hon. Friend makes a very fine point, and she is absolutely right that the reform paves the way for the universal credit, through which this Government are proud to be tackling the incentives that make work pay.