Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Timpson and Steve Webb

Monday 24th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Edward Timpson (Crewe and Nantwich) (Con)]

Under new housing benefit rules, foster carers who claim housing benefit will be penalised for having bedrooms occupied by foster children because they will be deemed as “under-occupied”. At a time when we need more foster carers, not fewer, what are the Government doing to address that anomaly?

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Steve Webb)]

My hon. Friend has a good deal of personal knowledge of this issue. I refer him to the comments made by Lord Freud when it was raised during consideration of the Welfare Reform Bill in the Lords. He observed that this is a serious issue and that he is keen to ensure that we respond appropriately to that important point.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Timpson and Steve Webb

Monday 14th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

The hon. Gentleman is quite right to point out that when public finances are tight, all sectors of society risk having services threatened in the way that he describes. One of the incoming Government’s concerns was the huge hole in the public finances, which a Labour Government would also have had to fill. It would be interesting to know which cuts he thinks should be made, because there has been a silence from the Labour party on that very subject.

[Mr Edward Timpson (Crewe and Nantwich) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.