Clause 2 - Statutory paternity pay
Employment Bill
10:45 am
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
I shall in a moment.
We could have a lengthy debate about in-work benefits, but I am sure that you would not encourage us to do so, Mr. Benton. That fascinating subject needs to be looked at again, because we are in danger, if we are not careful, of creating a society in which low wages and in-work benefits are considered the norm. That would be completely the wrong way to go. We should encourage a society in which the economic dynamics are such that people in work do not routinely need benefits to enable them to have a decent standard of living. The Government seem to be heading in the direction of accepting that people in work and pensioners will routinely need support from the benefits system.