"Can I just say to the Minister who led for the Government that his statements were very thin? They lacked any sense of compassion. He wanted to debate numbers and affordability, but that showed that he does not really care about the impact on the people affected. I think that …..." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"I have experience in my constituency, as I am sure my right hon. Friend does in his, of people winning an appeal after a considerable amount of time. The person will receive their PIP allowance some six months after, but their housing benefit is not backdated to the point at …..." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"The Minister must accept that if housing benefit is not backdated, people can be left with a substantial debt, even if they get PIP on appeal...." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"I will do what the Minister suggests. After the debate, I will be meeting the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), about that very point...." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"I hope to be able to raise this matter again if I am called to speak. Why did the Treasury have to borrow £13.5 billion extra above its target? The reason given was the fall in income tax receipts. People are now living on poverty wages—they are being forced into …..." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"The fact that we know about the work capability assessment is that 700,000 people are still waiting to be assessed.
We have heard a lot of talk about DLA. Disability benefits, including DLA, were basically Margaret Thatcher’s Government’s dumping ground for people she did not want to put on the …..." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"Talking about hire and fire cultures, does the Secretary of State recall saying that there should be no discrimination or victimisation of trade unionists following the dispute at Ineos in my constituency? Is he therefore as shocked as I am to hear that the convenor of shop stewards has today …..." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"We are paying the penalty for all the interventions from people who did not put their names down to speak, Mr Speaker.
I want to focus on one part of the motion—the part that states that the Government’s watering down of rights, including protections against unfair dismissal, might be affecting …..." Michael Connarty - View Speech
"Many Members here who do not represent Scottish constituencies will not realise that the rate capping process carried out by the Scottish National party in government has left local government strapped, with 85% of the cuts last year being to local government budgets, so there will be less money available …..." Michael Connarty - View Speech