Questions remain over a visit to Wrexham by the Minister in charge of the Department for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith.
Mr Duncan Smith made a surprise visit to Wrexham’s Benefits centre last month and spoke to staff. It is understood a similar visit took place in Flintshire the same day.
Wrexham MP Ian Lucas, who received official notification of the visit just four hours before it took place, has since been trying to find out why a senior Government minister was in Wrexham.
He raised the issue with Mr Duncan Smith during a Parliamentary debate, without receiving a satisfactory reply, and then put down a Parliamentary written question to the DWP. The answer to that reply – by Minister of State for employment Esther Mcvey – confirms that Mr Duncan Smith had been in the area on Ministerial business.
She states: “When the Secretary of State is visiting a region, if his diary allows, he also likes to visit local DWP staff.”
Mr Lucas has said the answer leaves further questions about the visit and he will continue to pursue it once Parliament returns next month.
He said: “There has been chaos at the DWP – for instance, I have seen figures showing hundreds of people, including more than 300 children, have had to use foodbanks here in Wrexham due to benefit changes or delays.
“We now know that the most senior politician in the Department for Work and Pensions visited Wrexham and spoke to staff here. His department have confirmed he was visiting the region as Secretary of State.
“Yet they seem remarkably reluctant to say why, and that, in itself, seems odd. I will keep on pushing to find out why a Government Minister made a secret visit to Wrexham.”
