Welfare

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Excerpts

Monday 21st March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Crabb]

I think I fully addressed the right hon. Lady’s question in my statement.

[Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough) (Con)]

I welcome my right hon. Friend to his new position. He is a good man, and I think he will do a great job. He will of course know that the Conservative party has a proud heritage of welfare reform in areas such as public health and social housing. If he is to have a debate, it must surely be about intergenerational fairness and ring-fencing. Those of my constituents who see welfare reductions cannot understand why, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, we intend to spend another £900 million on Scotland and are ring-fencing the Department for International Development budget. We need to refocus our priorities on the most needy across our country.