Rachel Reeves
MP for Leeds West and Pudsey · Labour · United Kingdom
“I thank my hon. Friend for his question and his work on the Treasury Committee. On pensions reform, through the Mansion House accord and Sterling 20, we have got pension funds to commit to investing more in British businesses, both through British venture schemes and in British infrastructure.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for her question. As Members will know, this Government are working on plans with our NATO allies for a multilateral defence mechanism. We have already signed a treaty agreement with Finland and the Netherlands, and we are working closely with Scandinavian, Baltic and eastern European countries.”
“At a time of great global uncertainty, it is more important than ever that we deepen ties with our closest allies and biggest trading partners, whose values we share, and whose interests are bound to ours.”
“Today the Government have responded to the covid counter-fraud commissioner’s recommendations in a report that I commissioned, which confirms that the Conservative Government left the door open to more than £10 billion of pandemic fraud.”
“As I just said, the DIP will be published before the summit. It will involve more money spent more effectively, and it will meet the scale of the challenges we face. Frankly, I will take no lectures from the Conservatives, who left our armed forces, in the words of their former Defence Secretary, “hollowed out”.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for bringing the story of Darren and Nicole to this House. I hope that they and their children will benefit from the change I made to the two-child limit for universal credit, as well as from the rolling out of free breakfast clubs to all primary schools, and the introduction of free school meals for all children wh…”
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“I thank the Chief Secretary for his statement and for advance notice of it. I welcome today’s signal that the Government are now willing to enter into proper discussions. That is a welcome change from the months of Treasury and Cabinet Office intransigence that came before. Too often in recent months it has appeared that the Government have not understood that strikes are a sign of failure on both sides. Let us be clear: it was this Government’s decision to rip up the framework established by the last Labour Government and to go much further much faster. In particular, it was the Chancellor’s decision to pre-empt Lord Hutton and impose a 3% surcharge for all employees announced in the spending review last year, before negotiations had even begun.”
“I must say that I find the Chief Secretary’s answers incredibly complacent. Given that unemployment is at a 17-year high and long-term youth unemployment has risen by more than 60% since the start of the year, we all know what impact the Chancellor’s policies have had on unemployment. Instead of being complacent, will the Government support calls for them to repeat the bankers’ bonus tax in order to create 100,000 extra youth jobs and to introduce a national insurance holiday for small businesses taking on new workers? That is what Labour has proposed in its five-point plan. We need policies that will get the economy moving again and reduce unemployment, thus reducing the deficit. When will the Government act?”
“But is not the truth that this Chancellor cannot do that? With unemployment at a 17-year high here in Britain, with no growth since last autumn, and with borrowing therefore now set to be £46 billion higher than he planned, he is clinging to an austerity plan that is failing here in Britain. With the UK economy flatlining since this time last year, before the eurozone crisis of recent months, and with only Greece and Portugal growing more slowly than Britain, is it not time that we had a plan for jobs and growth—across Europe, yes, but here in Britain too?”
“How will the Chancellor ensure that Britain’s voice, and our vital national interest, is heard loud and clear in future negotiations? On the forthcoming treaty changes, will the Chancellor admit what the Prime Minister was unable to admit yesterday? Is it now the Government’s policy to seek to repatriate powers as part of those treaty changes? Which ones, and on what timetable? Finally, is not the missing piece in the agreement the lack of any plan for jobs and growth, which were not mentioned at all in the Chancellor’s statement? Is it not the case that without growth we cannot solve the debt crisis, we cannot solve the banking crisis, and we cannot solve the jobs crisis? At this time, Britain should be leading the charge and pushing for a proper plan for jobs and growth across Europe.”
“I heard the Chancellor’s question and answer session with himself on the IMF, but will he clarify what he said on the radio this morning? He said that the IMF was not “going to put additional resources directly into the eurozone, hypothecated for the eurozone.” Does he believe, though, that there will need to be a further increase in UK contributions to the IMF? Whether he succeeds in persuading it to describe that as anything other than a hypothecated fund is irrelevant. On the arrangements for future decision making, the agreement states: “The President of the Euro Summit will keep non euro-area member states closely informed of preparations and outcomes of summits.” “Closely informed”? Has Britain now been reduced to simply receiving a postcard from Brussels?”
“Can the Chancellor explain how the leveraging of the EFSF will work, and when he believes the detail of credit enhancement and special purpose vehicles will be finalised? If the EFSF must also fund bank recapitalisation, will it be sufficient to give the markets confidence, and will there be funds remaining to underpin any sovereign debt crisis and prevent further contagion? Although we have a clear economic interest in the eurozone sorting out its problems, the interests of British taxpayers must be safeguarded. It would have been wrong for Britain to pay twice, both through ongoing temporary EU bail-out funds and through the IMF. If this package is indeed the final and permanent bail-out fund, any British role should be through the IMF alone.”
“Will he confirm that the House of Commons estimates of $3 billion for Greece and $17 billion for Italy reflect the current position for UK banks? Although the agreement states that banks and other creditors are invited to accept a 50% loss on Greek sovereign debt, is the Chancellor confident that the vast majority will agree—and if so, by when? On the expansion of the European financial stability facility, does the Chancellor believe that the €1 trillion package is sufficient? Does it amount to the “big bazooka” that the Prime Minister talked about earlier this month? Alternatively, will we be back here in a few months’ time, which would mean further uncertainty, undermining confidence, undermining investment and undermining growth? That is the last thing that Britain, or Europe, needs.”
“I thank the Chancellor for coming to the House to make that statement. With the shadow Chancellor in New York, I am responding on behalf of the Opposition, and I have a number of detailed questions. It is good that some agreement has been reached, but with so little detail, many unanswered questions remain. I hope that the Chancellor can help the House today, because whatever happens in the eurozone will have huge ramifications for British families and businesses. First, on the recapitalisation of the banks, is the Chancellor confident that the deal announced is sufficient and that UK banks do not need further recapitalisation? Will he keep that under review? What estimates has he made of the exposure of UK banks to Greek, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish sovereign debt?”
“Does the hon. Gentleman accept that before the last general election—between January and May 2010—yields on Government bonds were falling and they have stayed at low rates since the general election? The markets did not know which party would win the election because the campaign was so close. Therefore, the hon. Gentleman cannot argue that those yields were falling in anticipation of an incoming Conservative Government, because nobody knew that.”
“Today the Government have announced the guarantee of a job interview for 50,000 young people, but young people want not just an interview but a guaranteed job or training—a real opportunity, which they had under a Labour Government before the general election and before the future jobs fund was scrapped by this Government. With policies such as these from the Government, no wonder the economic recovery has ground to a halt.”
“The Liberal Democrats were once progressives, but now they just represent failed economics, implementing the reckless policies that they said before the election would not work. There has been much debate this afternoon about the growth strategy that the Government promised, instead of which we have simply had a strategy for failure. They increased VAT, costing families £450 a year, and cancelled the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters so that high-skilled jobs are now going to South Korea rather than south Yorkshire. They scrapped the regional development agencies and replaced them with a regional growth fund that is yet to spend a single penny. The Government have introduced what the Governor of the Bank of England described as the “weakest possible measures” to get banks lending—a ringing endorsement of their Project Merlin.”
“It is not possible to reduce the budget deficit while paying more in benefits and getting less through taxation. Austerity alone will not reduce the budget deficit without a plan for jobs and growth. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West reminded us, 18 months ago unemployment was falling, and as my right hon. Friend the shadow Chancellor noted, John Maynard Keynes once said: “When the facts change, I change my mind.” John Maynard Keynes was a Liberal, and so too was the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. When he was a Liberal he said: “We are in real danger of condemning a generation of young people to a cycle of unemployment and low expectations.” How very prescient—on the day when figures reveal that youth unemployment has gone up to 991,000 under his watch.”
“Of course we all need to be prudent, but the Institute for Public Policy Research has calculated that if everyone were to pay off their credit card debts, consumer spending would be reduced by 6% and GDP would fall by 4%. Growth has flatlined for nine months, starting before the European debt crisis. We have heard the Chancellor’s excuses. First he blamed the snow, then the royal wedding and now Europe. When will the Government stand up and take responsibility for their actions? The managing director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, says growth is necessary for fiscal credibility, and she is right. It is because the economy has ground to a halt and unemployment is at 2.57 million that the Office for Budget Responsibility now forecasts that we will borrow £46 billion more over this Parliament than planned.”
“Youth unemployment, at 991,000, is the highest ever on record and is inching ever closer to 1 million. Unemployment for women has increased by 40,000 since May and is now above 1 million, the highest level since 1988. Last week’s GDP revisions show that GDP estimates for the second quarter had halved to just 0.1%. Households are feeling the biggest squeeze on their income for 35 years, but our out-of-touch Prime Minister lectures hard-pressed families to pay off their credit card bills right now. Tell that to the ordinary families coping with the effects of the Government’s VAT hike. Tell that to the struggling small businesses trying to access credit from the banks. Tell that to the anxious young person who cannot even get a job. It is also crazy economics.”
“Let us celebrate and build upon our successes, rather than talking Britain down. Instead of the mantra of resignation and defeat from Government Members, the shadow Chancellor has set out practical policies for jobs and growth. What a contrast and what a different message on how to support families feeling the impact of rising energy and food prices. What a different message to businesses worried about sales and accessing finance. What a different message to young people looking at the prospect of enormous debts when they leave university, with less and less hope of getting a job. When Labour left office unemployment was falling, but today’s figures show that unemployment, at 2.57 million, is higher now than at any point during the recession, at a level last seen under a Tory Government.”
“Members for Spelthorne (Kwasi Kwarteng), for Rossendale and Darwen (Jake Berry) and for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid), which they use as a smokescreen for their austerity programme. First, UK debt is just over 60% of GDP; in Greece it is over 150%. Secondly, the average maturity of our debt is roughly 13 years, compared with around six years in Greece. Thirdly, bond yields were falling in the UK ahead of the general election, but they were rising in Greece. Fourthly, Greece is part of the eurozone and so, unlike the UK, cannot devalue its currency. This is a story of two very different economies. The Greek defence for austerity simply does not add up. I urge hon. Members to look at the facts. We have great British businesses, great British industries, great universities and people in all our constituencies who want to work hard and get on.”
“Friend the Member for Oldham West and Royton (Mr Meacher) and my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy). From the Government Benches we also heard some constructive speeches, particularly from the hon. Members for Chichester (Mr Tyrie), for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon) and for Aberconwy (Guto Bebb). Some Government Members, however, defended plan A 100% but none of them, remarkably, wanted to talk about unemployment in their constituencies. One hon. Member gave a speech not even knowing that unemployment in his constituency was up 29.2% in a year. If that is not proof that plan A has failed, I do not know what is. Let me rebut some of the Greek myths that we heard from the hon.”
“Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling) reminded us that a year and a half ago, the economy was growing and unemployment was falling. How different from today. My hon. Friend the Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch (Meg Hillier) gave a vivid account of the impact that the Government’s policies are having on constituents in Hackney. We heard about plans for jobs and growth rooted in the constituency experience from my hon. Friends the Members for Leeds East (Mr Mudie) and for Gateshead (Ian Mearns), my right hon. Friend the Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Frank Dobson), my hon. Friends the Members for Middlesbrough (Sir Stuart Bell), for Wolverhampton North East (Emma Reynolds), for Coventry North West (Mr Robinson), for Bassetlaw (John Mann) and for Great Grimsby (Austin Mitchell), my right hon.”
“It is a privilege to wind up this debate as shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. I may be new to the job, but after five hours of debate today I am still no clearer on this Government’s plan for jobs and for growth. Even on the day when unemployment has reached a 17-year high, the Government have no plan for jobs and for growth. Today’s numbers are proof that plan A has failed. While Government Members say that there is no alternative to the policies being pursued by the Government, the Opposition have put forward a five-point plan for jobs and growth which was set out by my right hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Outwood (Ed Balls), the shadow Chancellor, and supported by Opposition Members. My right hon.”
“That is a five-point alternative that offers hope and unlocks opportunity. We can call it what we will—plan A-plus, plan B, or the five-point plan—but this Government must come up with an alternative to help families struggling with rising prices and stagnant wages, to help businesses that cannot get a loan and are scared to take on new workers, to help young people who are facing record youth employment, and to help pensioners facing higher gas and electricity bills this winter. This Government must act for every struggling family, for every struggling business, and for every pensioner. They must act, with Labour’s five-point plan, to unlock the potential of every young person in Britain, to create jobs, and to get our economy growing. Their plan has failed. I urge hon. Members to support this motion.”
“Government Members should be desperate today, because unemployment is at a 17-year high, because borrowing in August reached a record high, because growth has stalled, and because plan A has failed. Today, as we see the unemployment numbers, it would be nice to have a Government who reacted and said they have got it wrong. Instead, it takes Labour to come to the Chamber with a five-point plan: a £2 billion tax on bank bonuses and a guarantee of a job for young people; bringing forward long-term investment projects to get people back to work; cutting VAT temporarily to give immediate help to our high streets and to struggling families and pensioners; cutting VAT to 5% on home improvement repairs; and a one-year national insurance tax break for every small firm taking on extra workers.”
“I could not agree more with my hon. Friend, with 1,000 jobs going at Bombardier and Government policies putting people out of work and businesses out of business. While the Government offer no relief, at least the Bank of England is offering some leadership, with an extra £75 billion through quantitative easing, which the Chancellor described just two years ago as “the last resort of desperate governments when all…other policies have failed”. Let me be frank. The last Labour Government were desperate to avoid a global recession becoming a global depression; desperate to ensure that unemployment did not hit the 3 million mark, as it did in the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s; and desperate to avoid the business failures and home repossessions that scarred our country in Tory recessions.”
“Before the general election, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills said: “Cuts without economic growth will not deal with the deficit.” Does the Chief Secretary agree?”
“With savage cuts to West Yorkshire police, including 750 fewer police officers and up to 1,500 fewer support staff, how does the Home Secretary think that tackling burglary in Leeds will be improved over the next few years?”
“At what point will the hon. Lady move on to the substance of the amendment, rather than issues such as Israel and how Unison funds political campaigning?”
“If the Office for Budget Responsibility downgrades its forecast for growth for the fourth time when it reports later in the autumn, and revises up its forecast for Government borrowing, would the Chancellor regard that as a success or failure of this Government’s economic policy?”
“Kirkstall Forge in Leeds West is a brownfield site that has planning permission for 1,000 new homes. However, if they are going to get built, the Department for Transport needs to invest in a new railway station, which, as things currently stand, is on hold. Is there any joined-up thinking in this Government to ensure that such developments get the go-ahead and deliver much needed new homes?”
“With the recess starting this week, what hope can the Minister give to those 500,000 women that the Government will put in place some transitional arrangements for a fairer timetable that gives people the chance to prepare, and gives them some certainty as they look forward—they hope—to their retirement?”
“May I take this chance to wish the Pensions Minister a happy birthday? The House knows that changes to the state pension age mean that 500,000 women in their mid-50s will have their pension delayed by more than a year, and 33,000 will have to wait an extra two years. We all welcomed what the Secretary of State and the Minister said about transition on 20 June, yet in Committee the Government tabled no amendments to their legislation, and we have heard not a word from the Minister or the Secretary of State on what those transition arrangements will look like.”
“The Southern Cross crisis is causing extreme anxiety to the people who live in the homes, including the one at Hopton Mews in Armley, in my constituency. How will the Government ensure that local authorities and the Care Quality Commission have the necessary resources to oversee the transfer of homes to their new operators?”
“Having met families and patients who use the children’s heart unit in Leeds, I know the value of that service. Does the Secretary of State agree that asking families to travel across the country, which is the stark reality they face if the unit is closed down, puts at risk the family support that is so important to children during these difficult times, and will he pledge to do all he can to keep the heart unit open?”
“I would appreciate it if the Minister would today confirm the timetable for making those decisions, so that we can have some clarity about the process, and tell us the number of schemes in the development pool at the moment, their combined value and the money that is likely to be available for them. People in Leeds West want to know what is happening to the forge site, and developers, councillors and local transport officials need to start putting plans in place.”
“Kirkstall Forge fell into that uncertain hinterland, where 22 schemes must find extra money if they are to be successful. Those schemes have sat in limbo since then. The Secretary of State for Transport told the House that schemes in the development pool would be “challenged…to consider the scope of the scheme, its cost, lower-cost alternatives and their ability to contribute more locally.” —[ Official Report , 26 October 2010; Vol. 517, c. 179.] The Secretary of State also referred to a further 34 schemes that would be considered as candidates for the development pool, but which had not quite made it that far. The Government have invited improved funding offers, and indicated that final decisions about support for schemes would be made by the end of 2011.”
“Crucially, however, they also offer improved sustainable transport into Leeds city centre in the east and Bradford to the west, because a new station is integral to the plans. That is why this debate falls within the remit of the Department for Transport. High-speed rail and the southern entrance to Leeds city station are welcome developments in transport infrastructure in our city. I know that they will bring Leeds significant benefits. However, the project I am outlining, incorporating improvements to stations and the development of two stations—at Kirkstall Forge and at Apperley Bridge—is part of the Leeds rail growth package. When decisions were made about investment in major transport projects in October, there were three categories: supported projects, unsupported projects and a rather more ambiguous development pool in the middle.”
“The forge employed an army of workers, who were housed in Hawksworth wood, just up the hill from the site. Its economic success depended on a stop on a railway line at the forge site. Now that has all gone. The high wall that once hid a hive of activity is now a barrier between the community and derelict space. Since the forge closed it has been purchased by a developer, laying the groundwork for a major project that could mean the forge being brought back into the heart of the Kirkstall community. The plans for Kirskstall Forge are exciting. They offer the prospect of more than 2,000 jobs and more than 1,000 new homes—regeneration for an area much in need of investment.”
“Members may have seen the production “Frankenstein’s Wedding” that took place there, on the BBC recently. It is one of the best preserved abbeys in the country, and as well as playing host to fictional weddings it is the home of an annual festival, which will take place next week, live concerts, plays and, recently, a farmers market. The monks of the abbey commenced work on the site of the forge more than 800 years ago, and until its closure at the turn of the century it could lay claim to being the longest operating forge in the country. The monks powered their forge through a mill race diverted from the river, which remains today. More recently the forge was turned to heavy industrial use, seizing the opportunities of first rail and then road transport to manufacture axles for trains and motor vehicles.”
“I am pleased to have secured this debate, which means an awful lot to my constituency. The prospects for Kirkstall Forge are hugely important to local residents, who have been waiting a long time for them to advance. My predecessor worked hard on the issue, and I too have devoted a lot of time to it as the Member of Parliament for Leeds West. It would be reassuring to hear some answers about the future of Kirkstall Forge today. If you will indulge me slightly, Mr Howarth, I want to explain some of the history of the site, which gives an important context to the issues I want to raise. The site lies between the A65 and the river Aire, one of the major routes in and out of Leeds. The A65 runs along the valley floor, past the remains of the Cistercian abbey. Hon.”
“The original Kirkstall forge powered jobs and growth in Leeds and Leeds West, and the new development could play a huge role in the economic future of the area, encouraging more sustainable transport, as well as sustainable housing and sustainable jobs. It has major financial backing, it has widespread local support and it fits the Government’s criteria for rail development. Will the Minister clarify the future of Kirkstall Forge railway station, and its place in the Leeds rail growth package?”
“Kirkstall Forge can again play an active part in the life of the local community, as it has done in the past. The Minister’s Department holds the key to unlocking that potential, and the railway station is integral to the development. Without the station, the economic benefits of new business space and housing will be much less clear, as the site will be poorly connected to the urban hubs of Leeds and Bradford. Moreover, the impact of the development on the local community will be significantly enhanced if local people can benefit from improved transport links, and if roads are not congested because of the new homes—and new commuters.”
“The funding requested from the Department for Transport will have fallen by more than 30% since the development pool was initiated, and the station will now cost the Department between £12.3 million and £12.9 million. The local contribution will be over £5.5 million, or more than 25% of the total cost of the project, reflecting an additional £2.6 million investment, subject to agreement. Will the Minister outline the extent of private contributions to other schemes in the development pool, in comparison with contributions from the private sector and locally for the Leeds rail growth package and the Kirkstall Forge development? Does he believe that this extensive contribution reflects the developer’s commitment to the scheme, as well as the commitment of Leeds city council and the passenger transport executive?”
“I know that many residents will be watching proceedings today or following them later in Hansard to see where we stand. Will the Minister recognise those factors in the decision-making process? I accept that developments need to be affordable; and cost savings have been made to the scheme. Metro has found approximately 20% in savings through changes to the scheme, and it has also been in discussion with the developers to increase their contribution to the station. At programme entry, the developer had pledged £4 million towards the overall £23 million cost of the Leeds rail growth package. That in itself is a considerable investment on top of the wider investment in the Kirkstall Forge site.”
“In a letter to me, the Minister of State said: “We are happy to support the re-opening of new railway stations where the relevant Passenger Transport Executive believes that this is the best way to meet local transport needs and where the scheme demonstrates value for money and is affordable.” I can confirm, as I have done in the past, the support of Metro, the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive. Leeds city council, local councillors and MPs of all parties across Leeds support the plans, as do the chamber of commerce and local businesses. Crucially, the Minister also knows that the development has strong support in the local community: I have received a significant number of letters and e-mails in support of the project, including from residents’ associations and community groups.”
“It would make use of brownfield land that is currently lying empty to develop houses that would not impinge on Leeds’s green belt, or demand that residents use cars to get to or from work. From my constituency surgeries I know about the huge demand in that part of Leeds for social housing, but also for housing to buy and rent in the private sector. The pressure on developments just a couple of miles away from my constituency in the green belt is also well known to the hon. Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew) and other MPs in the area. When I have raised the issue in the past, I have been told that local support is important.”
“Average earnings in my constituency are £18,000—two thirds of the national average—and unemployment stands substantially above the national average. The Hawksworth Wood estate, initially built to house workers on the forge site, now has no major local employer, and residents look to the city centre for work, when it exists. The take-up of free school meals at the local primary school runs at 60% —among the highest in the country. Does the Minister recognise that the scheme could bring multi-million pound investment to an area much in need of regeneration, and will he take that into account when considering the funding allocation for the scheme? Housing is also a big issue. The proposed development includes living space for 2,600 people.”
“The new station would be linked to both Kirkstall and Bramley, and would encourage more sustainable transport for both those communities. Does the Minister agree that we should be encouraging a shift away from cars, particularly in busy urban areas where traffic jams are a common problem, with big environmental, business and economic costs? As well as offering sustainable, efficient transport, the Kirkstall Forge development promises major opportunities for Kirkstall. It would lever in £350 million of investment in the area, and support 2,400 jobs, in construction and then on site permanently in offices, shops and leisure venues. That is hugely important to an area that has for a long time missed out.”
“The hon. Gentleman is correct. He has been a big supporter of the development, and I appreciate that. The benefits of the Kirkstall Forge site, including the jobs and housing that it will bring, will have an effect across Leeds but also, I believe, as far away as Bradford. First and foremost among the scheme’s benefits are its transport benefits. The forge site used to depend on a rail halt to distribute axles around the country. Now, the development that is planned depends on a rapid link into Leeds city centre, and to Bradford. The construction of a station at that point would offer journeys of five minutes into Leeds city centre, a vast improvement on the prospects when travelling by bus or car on the busy A65, which can take as long as 30 minutes, as I know well.”
“I welcome the answers the Minister has given. To return to the wider economic benefits of the development, a point that I tried to get across was about deprivation in that part of Leeds West, particularly on the Hawksworth Wood estate—I mentioned the proportion of free school meals—and in Bramley, which has one of the highest proportions of young people not in education, employment or training. As well as the aggregate externalities and economic benefits that would come from the development, will the Department look at the importance of economic regeneration and how the returns in areas such as Kirkstall or Bramley might benefit some of the most deprived communities when compared with developments in areas where there are already good jobs and low levels of unemployment?”
“I have some more questions before the Minister concludes. What is the total pot of money available for the 45 schemes that remain in the development pool? I recognise that due to savings and increased private sector contributions costs may have fallen since the projects went into the development pool, but how much were they worth then? What is the difference between the amount of money in the pool and how much the schemes were bidding for? Does he have that information?”
“The coalition agreement states that the parties agree to “hold a review to set the date at which the state pension age starts to rise to 66, although it will not be sooner than 2016 for men and 2020 for women.'” The Secretary of State’s provisions clearly breach the coalition agreement, so what has changed?”
“Is the Secretary of State honestly saying that the policy has been changed because of legal advice? If that is the case, will he publish that legal advice today before the winding-up speeches and before we vote? Will he also confirm that this is a breach of the coalition agreement?”