Benefits: EU Nationals

Lord McKenzie of Luton Excerpts

Monday 7th November 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, we are going to take a pretty robust line on this matter. We have an opt-out from the Lisbon treaty which we have been using for African nationals where there are third-country agreements, in particular Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Again, currently we have legal differences with the Commission on this matter, which is looking for ways to get around our opt-out, but we are determined that we will retain it.

[Lord McKenzie of Luton]

My Lords, can the Minister tell us what the uprating arrangements are for benefits that are exported? We are aware that by generally switching uprating to CPI, the Government are seeking to reduce the income mostly of poor people by some £10 billion a year in 2015-16. Will the Minister take this opportunity to denounce any suggestion that benefit uprating in the UK for upcoming years will not at least keep pace with CPI?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, we have had this discussion during the Committee stage of the Welfare Reform Bill and I have made it absolutely clear that I am not going to comment on that particular question in any way.