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While the government and its backbenchers were squabbling over whether to screw the poor and by how much, James Purnell, the Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions, made a written statement to Parliament.

In it, Purnell says that the publication of the Households Below Average Income 1994-95—2006-07 Series which was due to be published on May 2 will now delayed until… well, he doesn’t say. The ‘Take up of Income Related Benefits publication may also be delayed’.

Previous reports can be found here. They are descibed as presenting ‘information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 200x/0x, changes in income patterns over time and income mobility.’

Purnell puts the reason for the delay down to ‘a small but important inaccuracy in the 2006-07 data’ which might be the case. However, the timing looks suspicious. Could there be bad news in this report? You know, the kind that needs soil throwing over it?

The announcement was made at the so-called climax of the 10p tax rate bunfight when attentions were elsewhere. It also concerns the publication of just how poor the poor are in Britain and the uptake of benefits. You don’t have to be as cynical as I am to wonder if you can smell something funny.

(Political geeks wanting to dig up their own buried treasure could do worse than put The Government Says on their RSS readers.)