Pensions and Benefits Uprating

Steve McCabe Excerpts

Thursday 4th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

My hon. Friend is highly expert in these matters, and he will know that the Hammersmith jobcentre has become something of a tourist attraction in demonstrating the excellence of universal credit. What is so exciting is that in previous years we would talk about something hypothetical, whereas now we are talking about something real that thousands of people are already receiving. We are rolling it out more extensively as the months and years go by. It is a very profound change in our welfare state—one that we can all be proud of.

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Gentleman did not appear to be in the Chamber at the start of the statement. Was he present then?

[Steve McCabe]

I think I was 25 seconds late, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

If the hon. Gentleman was not in the Chamber at the start of the statement, it is not seemly for him to seek to participate. I would not want him to behave in an unseemly manner—wittingly or unwittingly. I am in a sense saving the hon. Gentleman from himself in saying that he should not participate on this occasion. We will store him up and look forward to his words of wisdom subsequently.