Housing Benefit

Gavin Williamson Excerpts

Tuesday 9th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[James Wharton]

As ever, my hon. Friend makes an excellent point. The point has been raised a few times already—that the tone of this debate in public and in the media has not necessarily been as it should. When we are talking about people’s homes, people’s allowances and changes that will affect people’s lives, it is incumbent on all of us to ensure that we do so in a careful, measured and sensible way.

[Gavin Williamson (South Staffordshire) (Con)]

I am not sure whether my hon. Friend’s experience has been the same as mine, but many people I talk to in my constituency think that the proposals being put forward are sensible, logical and should have been made an awful long time ago.

[James Wharton]

I thank my hon. Friend for another excellent intervention. He is, of course, right about how right-thinking people look at some of these measures—I single out the cap of £20,000 on the maximum amount of housing benefit that can be claimed. As I said at the beginning of my speech, this is equivalent to earning more than £26,000 a year. These are reasonable steps taken to deal with a very real problem. If Opposition Members wish to continue to oppose what the Government are doing, I urge them to come up with proposals and solutions of their own, so that we can have a properly informed debate—rather than mudslinging, calling names and worrying all the people who rely on Members from all parties to represent them and do the right thing.