Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Jonathan Evans Excerpts
Wednesday 16th January 2013

(11 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Jones Portrait Mr Jones
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Certainly not. In fact, people who are in work are considerably better off. The average earner on the minimum wage who works full time will by next April be paying half as much in tax as he did at the beginning of this Parliament, in the wake of the right hon. Gentleman’s Government. If he is not willing to tackle the appalling legacy of the welfare shambles that he left, we will be prepared to do so.

Jonathan Evans Portrait Jonathan Evans (Cardiff North) (Con)
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Does my right hon. Friend share my amazement at the complaint we have just heard from a senior member of the last Government, a Government who twice froze personal allowances and doubled tax for low earners, from 10p to 20p as a starting rate? Is not the reality that the massive £3,000 hike in the personal allowance—which Labour does not like to hear about—is helping low-paid people in Wales and the whole of—

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. The hon. Gentleman is an experienced Member, but unfortunately his question was too long and substantially irrelevant. The Minister will focus on the responsibilities of the current Administration, briefly.