The Secretary of State’s Handling of Universal Credit

Debate between Catherine West and Margaret Greenwood

Wednesday 11th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[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.

[Catherine West (Hornsey and Wood Green) (Lab)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that the evidence on the use of food banks needs to be urgently looked at before the roll-out can continue?

[Margaret Greenwood]

My hon. Friend makes an absolutely pertinent remark. The prevalence of food banks in our society is a source of shame on this Government.