Chris Williamson
Main Page: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)(12 years, 3 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Brandon Lewis
Absolutely. We have established protection for all pensioners’ rights.
Chris Williamson (Derby North) (Lab)
I welcome the Minister to his post. I am sure he is aware that local government leaders say that this policy is inefficient, bureaucratic, unjust and unworkable, and I can confirm that many are referring to it as “Pickles’s poll tax”. The Conservative chairman of the Local Government Association has said that councils
“can either cease helping the working poor, or continue to support them by taking money from other services or putting up council tax.”
What does the Minister think councils should do?
Brandon Lewis
I think it important for councils to realise that they are part of the economy of their area, to do what they can to inspire economic growth in order to get more people into work, and to make decisions for their local communities that are right for those communities.