Universal Credit

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton Excerpts

Wednesday 10th December 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

G4S has no role in the run-out of universal credit.

[Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton (Lab)]

My Lords, the Minister was given a very gentle question from his noble friend. Will he tell the House how much taxpayers’ money in this country is being paid to people to subsidise employers who do not pay a living wage, particularly those employers who fail to pay taxes properly here? I appreciate that this is a wide question. I would like a detailed written answer about how much each one of us is subsidising people who are tax shy.

[Lord Freud]

I will give an oral answer, not a written one. The whole system was invented by the previous Government under tax credits where £170 billion was spent.