Charter for Budget Responsibility

Chris Bryant Excerpts

Wednesday 26th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

It is absolutely fair. That is what the cap is about—building a welfare system that is fair to those who need it and fair to those who pay for it.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

rose—

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

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Osborne]

I will take an intervention from the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant).

[Chris Bryant]

Will the Chancellor confirm that, since his initial spending review, he has had to spend £13 billion more on welfare than he predicted? He has had to put it up by £1 billion this year and another £1 billion next year, so if the cap he envisages had been in place during this Parliament, he would have had to come to the House and apologise on four occasions?

[Mr Osborne]

For a start, welfare spending is £3.7 billion lower than I set out in my first Budget. It is also £10 billion less than the Labour party proposed. Labour Members cannot have it both ways. They keep claiming that we are cutting the welfare system and then complain that the cost is too high. That is one thing that we will explore in the debate—what exactly is the Labour policy.