Budget Changes Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Budget Changes

Stephen Timms Excerpts
Monday 21st March 2016

(8 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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My hon. Friend puts it very well. This is a Government, and this is a Chancellor of the Exchequer, who have turned round the economy. We are in a position to be growing strongly compared with our international competitors, and we are bringing the public finances under control, having inherited the mess that would did in 2010.

Stephen Timms Portrait Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab)
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The Chancellor made no effort to justify the cut in disability benefits in the Budget statement, beyond saying that it would save a lot of money. Yesterday, we heard from the former DWP Secretary that the Chancellor’s view is that people claiming disability benefits will never vote Conservative so there is no reason for restraint in cutting their benefits. Will the Financial Secretary respond to that allegation?

David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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That was not even the allegation. The reality is that, if we look at spending on disability living allowance and personal independence payments, it has gone up since 2010 by £3 billion—that is not a Government who are cutting at the expense of disabled people.