John Glen: So, you disagree with the principle.
John Glen: Does anyone on the panel believe that a benefits cap in principle is right? Nobody. Thank you.
John Glen: On that last point, what about the counter-balancing effect of local democratic capability? It might not be universally the same, but it delivers the principle that elected people are accountable for the allocation of those funds. If they see circumstances in which the fund is not being allocated properly, surely there is local democratic accountability to suit local needs.
John Glen: The point is that it is a risk; it is not an inevitable consequence.
John Glen: The benefit cap is probably one of the most reported aspects of the proposed legislation. The Bill introduces an overall benefit cap for single claimants and couples. Could I ask for your comments on the principle of introducing such a cap? If you have any concerns, could you explain what they are?
John Glen: Consistent with the existing capital criteria and rules for means-tested benefits, the universal credit will not be payable to those with savings of £16,000. Will you comment on what impact you think there will be on incentives for saving for families and generally?
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to enable consumers to make informed choices about energy use.
John Glen: Back to what Mr Elphicke said, given that it is a framework and that the detail and regulations are not there yet, that is an assumption. Surely it is scaremongering to suggest that the poorest will be worst impacted. There is so much supposition behind what you say. We have seen from the evidence in the previous session the impact that has on the most vulnerable people in our society. Surely...
John Glen: I am a bit confused, because I was under the impression that local authorities and residential care providers provided an element of mobility, and that the issue was the wide gap between some and others. I am surprised that you seem to be contradicting that. The issue that has been presented to me as a constituency MP is that the mobility component provided an added extra, but there was a...
John Glen: That flatly contradicts what I have heard from constituents, who have said that they have that provision but it is nice to have the additional on top.
John Glen: Looking at the universal credit, as an initial question I would be very interested to hear your assessment of the impact that it will have on in-work and out-of-work poverty. When giving us your observations, perhaps you could explain the basis for them—what data you are using and the reasoning behind it—so that we have a basis for further questions. Perhaps Paul can answer first.
John Glen: Can you say more about that sort of work—that qualitative research, the number of people, and so on—so that we can get a picture of how valid that assertion is?
John Glen: It would help if you explained how representative it is and where it comes from, because it is a bold statement to make.
John Glen: I would like to come back to Professor Sainsbury, following on from Stephen Timms’s question about the issues around complexity. You seem to be making some assertions about the benefits that might not accrue from this, but is this not really just a matter—
John Glen: In terms of the complexity of the evaluation process—meaning it might not make it massively better than what we have at the moment—is that not just a general comment about all change? Obviously if you are going to change a benefit system there will be some transitional tensions, but there are no specific reasons why this would be worse than any other set of changes when you are trying to...
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what timetable he has set for decisions on measures to achieve non-frontline savings identified in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps the Government plans to take to consider the needs of people with autism when designing the assessment procedure for the proposed personal independence payment; (2) if he will ensure that all personal independence payment assessors have the requisite multi-disciplinary knowledge to assess the needs of people with autism.
John Glen: May we have a statement from the Minister with responsibility for public health, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), on the future of the Health Protection Agency at Porton Down in my constituency? When the Minister visited Porton Down on 12 October, she indicated that a decision would be made by the end of last year. I am concerned about when the decision will be made,...
John Glen: What steps he is taking to make Government procurement simpler for small and medium-sized enterprises.
John Glen: I thank my right hon. Friend for his reply. A business in my constituency offers a proven low-cost solution to helping individuals back to work, but it is finding it impossible to get access to Government. Can my right hon. Friend advise Gary Roberts of Cavendish Films how he can open a dialogue and ensure that these potential huge savings are given a fair hearing?