Oral Answers to Questions

Hugh Gaffney Excerpts

Wednesday 17th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mel Stride]

As I have outlined, we support the access to banking standard, but post offices have also received considerable support from this Government and are able to provide a lot of the financial services that individuals and businesses require. In rural areas, for example, 99% of residents are within three miles of the nearest post office.

[Hugh Gaffney (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill) (Lab)]

4. If he will meet the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to discuss the potential cost to the public purse of the Government’s reassessment of people who may be eligible for personal independence payments in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)]

Yes.

[Hugh Gaffney]

The Labour party and the people of Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, and of Scotland, all want PIP reassessments to be scrapped immediately. They are cruel, callous and entirely inhumane. Will the Secretary of State therefore agree that they should be scrapped?

[David Mundell]

I can advise the hon. Gentleman that the Scottish Government have had legislative competence over PIP since May 2017, as part of this Government’s continued commitment to implement the Smith commission in full. At the Scottish Government’s request, the UK Government will continue to be responsible for PIP until the Scottish Government are ready.