Member

Urgency is also the answer to the question raised by the SLSC and a number of noble Lords about the timing of laying the regulations and the role of the Social Security Advisory Committee. Let me set this down for the record, as the SLSC has taken the time to make these comments for the benefit of the House. Because the savings needed to be made in the current financial year, the regulations had to be laid quickly enough to observe the 21-day rule but still come into force by the qualifying week, beginning 16 September. That meant there was no time to consult SSAC in the usual way, so the Secretary of State invoked the established urgency procedure. As a result, the committee formally considered the regulations this morning when it met, and Ministers will consider any recommendations it has made.