Personal Independence Payment: Assessments - Question

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords am 2:53 pm ar 19 Mehefin 2018.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Baroness Stedman-Scott Baroness Stedman-Scott Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) 2:53, 19 Mehefin 2018

The noble Lord raises very valid points; he is right to raise them. Extending the contracts does not mean accepting past poor performance—in fact, the DWP Select Committee accepted the extensions as the correct thing to do—but there is a need for stability to support continued improvement. Just to disband those contracts would certainly not give us that stability. We have to work with suppliers to ensure that they build on progress during any extension. We are looking at a two-year extension, which, if I have understood it correctly, will give the department time to look at the possibility of an in-house service.