UK Parliament / Open data

Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill

Jonathan Portes is not right. I do not think that anything he has ever written—I read his blog—makes any sense whatsoever, and I am happy for Hansard to record that. On the point about the automatic stabilisers, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) gave him. The automatic stabilisers are working; in cash terms, a lot of our spending in these elements is higher than it was. That is a clear sign that the automatic stabilisers are working.

8 pm

We have to consider the sort of society and country we want to live in. Having a society in which benefits are increasing faster than very low incomes is not a sustainable position. It kills incentives.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
557 c102 
Session
2012-13
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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