The Secretary of State’s Handling of Universal Credit

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Margaret Greenwood

Wednesday 11th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Margaret Greenwood]

I will come on to that point in my remarks.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

The report, rather perversely in my view, complains that the roll-out has been too slow. Is it unreasonable for us to assume that it would like us to hurry up?

[Margaret Greenwood]

The right hon. Gentleman should go back and re-read the report.

On 4 July, the Secretary of State finally admitted that she had “inadvertently” misled Parliament in claiming that the roll-out should be speeded up. This matters not just because she admitted that she had misled Parliament, but, as I will explain later, because the Government have sharply accelerated the roll-out of universal credit since May and because, from next year it, they will start a managed migration of 3.9 million people on legacy benefits across to universal credit.