Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Scotland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Mike Freer Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd February 2012

(12 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mark Menzies Portrait Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)
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5. What meetings Ministers in his Department have had with Ministers in the Department for Works and Pensions to discuss the effect on Scotland of the proposed benefits cap.

Mike Freer Portrait Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) (Con)
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12. What meetings Ministers in his Department have had with Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions to discuss the effect on Scotland of the proposed benefits cap.

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David Mundell Portrait David Mundell
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What is clear is that the Scottish National party is making a proposition for independence without explaining to people how benefits at current levels would be paid in future, or where the money would come from.

Mike Freer Portrait Mike Freer
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With the average income in Scotland being £419 a week, does the Minister not agree that a benefit cap of £500 a week is a reasonable and sensible level?

David Mundell Portrait David Mundell
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I do agree that that is a reasonable and fair measure, and constituents in constituencies such as mine cannot understand how the Labour party and the nationalists can promote the idea that the benefit cap should be higher than £35,000.