Lamont’s lament

The MP for Berwickshire Roxburgh & Selkirk secured a debate in Westminster Hall (9 April) regarding the “Devolution of Welfare” to the Scottish Parliament.

This was a first, not a first for a debate on Devolved Welfare, but a first for John Lamont MP speaking on welfare. This was a rather heated debate on a very serious issue affecting millions in Scotland. But perhaps it is worth bearing in mind that only 14 per cent of welfare spend in Scotland is being devolved.

Conservative speaker after speaker made no mention of those dependant on those devolved benefits or those suffering the consequences of the roll-out of Universal Credits and, finally, the increased use of food-banks; their only aim in this debate was to score political points over the Scottish Government’s delay in introducing the devolved welfare powers.

No Conservative MP mentioned the £37 billion cuts in welfare since 2010 – £3.7bn in Scotland – or the current benefit freeze.

Mr Lamont’s attempt to discredit the Scottish Government’s mitigating measurers to Westminster’s welfare cuts made no mention of the introduction of the Scottish Welfare Fund, a fund which has been accessed by over 300,000 households in need of crisis loans, or the Scottish Government’s increase in Carer’s Allowance (a devolved benefit), putting them on the same level as Jobseeker’s Allowance.

This debate must be viewed for what it truly was, an attempt to score political points with absolutely no concern for those dependant on welfare.

CATRIONA C CLARK

Hawthorn Drive Banknock, Falkirk