---

Lone Parent Employment

: I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman that the number of people at the lower end of the scale is continuing to increase. In our attack on poverty, whether child poverty, pensioner poverty or family poverty, we have managed through our tax and benefit systems, our active employment policies and all that we have done in the way of investment and reform of public services, to draw people out of poverty. The hon. Gentleman is drawing attention to the fact that the rich are getting much richer, and the total spectrum may therefore alter—but the number being drawn out of absolute and relative poverty is improving, so I do not entirely accept what he said.