Age-Related Payments Regulations 2005

I thank noble Lords for what I detected in their speeches, notes of constructive welcome at least for the payments to older people. First, I shall deal with the question raised by most noble Lords on the Merits Committee. Noble Lords will know that I take this very seriously. If I may modestly say so, the Merits Committee has made at least a modest contribution to improving the quality of the explanatory memorandum, which has also been introduced for negative SIs. I certainly take the point that the whole purpose is to make it clear, both to Members of the House and to outsiders, exactly the purpose of statutory instruments. I very much take to heart the comments made by noble Lords on this matter, and, of course, we shall ensure that the department learns a lesson from that and that in future the explanatory memorandums are as clear as they possibly can be. The noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, welcomed the contribution of payments. I thought he made a rather unworthy remark about general elections, to which I am sure he would not want me to respond. On the general point that he makes about local government finance, and on the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott, as Members will know, we have the Lyons review which will look carefully at some of the points that both noble Lords have raised. Therefore, I do not believe that I am in a position to comment further on those points, save to say that as someone who, like the noble Lord, started life in local government a long time ago now, I find that in local government finance, while it is easy to come up with radical suggestions, there are often great difficulties with whatever proposal is made. I do not believe that there is a simple answer to some of the points raised about the overall issue of local government financing. On the other debate, which I suppose is about targeted payments, as opposed to universal benefits, that too is a matter which has been well aired in the House over many years. I believe that there are considerable benefits in some targeted payments. Those particular payments have been widely welcomed and I commend them to the Grand Committee—if that is how we should describe it, as the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, suggests. On Question, Motion agreed to.