Official Report 190KB pdf
We will now move on to the final agenda item, which is the timetable. We will stick with the timetable as written.
This is nothing to do with that argument. Did the Department of Social Security volunteer to come and give evidence?
Yes, I believe so.
That is important for housing. We should remember that there have been indications off the record that ministers from the DSS are not accountable to this Parliament and will not give evidence here. It is interesting that the DSS are volunteering to give evidence on this issue. That sets a precedent and I am sure that we can demand that it give evidence on housing benefit reform.
The Executive paper recommended a list of organisations that would be suitable.
A precedent has been established—the DSS will come and give evidence.
All the evidence that has been received has been submitted voluntarily in response to an open request for evidence.
If those people come once, they can come again.
We will invite the DSS to give oral evidence. That is subject to confirmation, but we will invite it.
Has it requested to give oral evidence, Martin?
I cannot remember—some organisations said that they wanted to give oral evidence.
How do we select which organisations we write back to and invite to give oral evidence?
When the three conveners met, we looked at the list and decided from whom it was appropriate for our committees to hear. Some organisations said that they wanted to give written evidence and a much smaller list wanted to give oral evidence. The three conveners took the view that there were some organisations, irrespective of which category of evidence they had indicated that they wanted to give, which we wanted to come to our committees. I cannot remember whether the DSS said that it wanted to give oral or written evidence.
Will officials or ministers come?
It will be officials, and their evidence will be about the operations of the department.
Will they be speaking on behalf of their ministers or on their own behalf?
Presumably, they will be talking about their work in relation to this legislation.
They are down, on one of the lists that I have seen, as being opposed to the bill. That is a political decision. If they are giving evidence to oppose the bill, we should talk to ministers because that is a political matter. We cannot have officials from the DSS coming to oppose a bill.
I cannot remember which category they are in, but it is about administration.
They are under the category of being opposed to the bill on one of the lists. We need clarification as to whether they are coming to make a political point about opposition to the bill or to give us evidence on administration.
We will clarify that.
If ministers come, we must ask the secretary of state.
The Executive is giving evidence to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee that will be relevant to this committee as well.
Meeting closed at 11:31.