Thanks to Plaid for bringing today's debate. As Siân Gwenllian stated in her opening remarks, Plaid did bring a debate on this subject six weeks ago and I gave UKIP's position at that time. Our stance hasn't really changed since then so I will be fairly brief, particularly bearing in mind that this is only a half-hour debate.

We in UKIP share the concerns of other parties here over universal credit. As a party, we haven't supported a lot of the Conservatives' welfare reforms. We were against the bedroom tax, for instance. So, in these particular matters, we definitely aren't to the right of the Conservatives, as many people like to characterise us; we are actually closer to the left-of-centre parties. Strange but true.

We share concerns over the length of time—[Interruption.]—yes, I'm sure they're delighted—the length of time taken to make the payments, the fact that joint payments can leave people destitute, and the fact that the direct payment of universal credit to tenants rather than landlords will undoubtedly increase rent arrears. We are also worried over the fairly random application of sanctions that will likely occur, and by the fact that sanctions could be taken against people who are already in work and who may already have two or even three jobs. This kind of thing renders the whole scheme of universal credit rather an abject nonsense, whatever good intentions may have initially lain behind it. 

I don't normally spend much time in here knocking the Conservatives, because there's enough of that going on from the Labour and Plaid Cymru benches, so it does get a bit repetitive. I don't want to fall out with the Conservative Members here, who are perfectly amenable people—[Interruption.]—no, I'm not going anywhere; thanks for the suggestion—and, of course, they also now number some of our old friends, like Mark Reckless, although currently absent. [Interruption.] He's not there.