New Clause 9 — Regulations about powers to require information, offences and penalties

Part of Local Government Finance Bill – in the House of Commons at 6:45 pm on 21 May 2012.

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Photo of Helen Jones Helen Jones Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government) 6:45, 21 May 2012

My hon. Friend is correct and I will come on to some examples of what he says in a moment.

I received a parliamentary answer from the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, Steve Webb, which said that in 2010-11, the last year for which we have the figures, 743,660 non-passported council tax benefit recipients were in work. There were 2,860 such people in Stockport, which is the area that the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Andrew Stunell represents. That is more than 743,000 people who the Minister for Housing and Local Government does not think exist. They do not go to Tory fundraisers, I suppose, or attend the black and white ball. All the time, his implication has been that council tax benefit goes only to those not in work. The further implication, of course, is that they are deliberately not in work, which is what underlies most of what he says. Coming from a Government who preside over unemployment of 2.6 million, that is breathtaking arrogance.