Put tax to bed

The Scottish affairs select committee at Westminster has published an interim report which has found flaws in the “bedroom tax” legislation and is calling for its abolition.

The tax – which removes housing benefit where a claimant has “unused” rooms – affects some 80,000 Scottish tenants. The committee expressed much concern about its impact. The committee at Westminster currently has 11 members, and it was noted that not all of them attended the House of Commons on the day in November when Labour ­introduced a motion to abolish the tax.

In fact, some 47 Labour MPs, ten from Scottish constituencies, were missing.

The committee is correct to highlight flaws, but perhaps it should call to account those missing MPs before they start accusing the Scottish Government of not doing enough to mitigate the effects of the measure in Scotland, bearing in mind that the Scottish Government has put aside some £40 million in an attempt to assist those most affected.

What is the Labour Party in Scotland doing? Missing its ­opportunity.

Catriona C Clark

Hawthorn Drive

Falkirk