Press briefing: morning 7 November 2013
The Prime Minister’s Spokesperson (PMS) answered questions on Universal Credit, the PM's meeting with the Tamil community and green policy.
Universal Credit
Asked about the roll out of the Universal Credit scheme, the PMS said that everybody had responsibility for the programme’s successful implementation, from the Prime Minister (PM) downwards.
Universal Credit was a very important part of welfare reform and it was right to have proceeded in the way the government had. The pilots had been deliberately designed to enable the government to learn lessons and make changes for the national roll out. It had been right to bring in expertise such as Howard Shiplee’s to lead the project and the Department for Work and Pensions was working towards the original target of a 2017 national roll out.
Tamil meeting
Asked about the PM’s meeting with representatives of the Tamil community in Britain, the PMS said the PM believed turning away from problems in Sri Lanka was not the way to make progress on the issue. Attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting would shine a light on the issues currently faced.
Green policy
Asked to respond to accusations that the PM had abandoned his green policies, the PMS said the government had established the world’s first Green Investment Bank, had agreed a deal for the first new nuclear power station in a generation and gave support to businesses working in the green sector. The PM believed his government had made huge steps forward in environmental policy.