Backbench Business — Atos Work Capability Assessments

Part of Business of the House – in the House of Commons at 12:28 pm on 17 January 2013.

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Photo of Robert Halfon Robert Halfon Conservative, Harlow 12:28, 17 January 2013

I want to carry on for a moment.

The Labour Government were right to introduce the work capability assessment in the last 18 months before the 2010 election. Mrs McGuire, the shadow Minister for disabled people, was also right at the Labour conference to defend the idea of testing in the personal independence payment, when she said:

“The principle of an arm’s-length assessment is not wrong.”

Whatever party politics might be involved, there is consensus on the principles and on what our aims should be, and that is welcome.