Ms Sturgeon said: Iain Duncan Smith said at the Tory conference this week that roll-out of Universal Credit - including in Scotland - is to be accelerated. It is hard to see how this is in any way consistent with a good faith approach to the process of agreeing more powers for the Scottish Parliament. There is a widespread consensus that the Westminster parties proposals on the devolution of welfare powers are far too timid and that the Scottish Parliament needs substantial control of the welfare system to help people into work and tackle the growing scandal of poverty in Scotland. Ms Sturgeon said it was hard to see how even the limited welfare proposal of the main Westminster parties - to devolve control of housing benefit - could be delivered if the UK government pressed ahead with Universal Credit. She added: Universal Credit effectively abolishes housing benefit. It is not clear to me how we can have a meaningful discussion about devolving a welfare policy that is already in the process of being abolished. I have therefore written to the prime minister today asking that the roll-out of Universal Credit - which in any event is already significantly delayed and discredited - is halted in Scotland. It is essential that the Westminster parties respect the process of agreeing more powers in actions as well as words. Downing Street confirmed it had received Ms Sturgeons letter, but a UK government spokesman said it did not want to pre-empt the work of Lord Smiths commission. The spokesman said government business would continue as planned until the commission had reported.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:58:35 +0000
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