Contributions
592 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillI assure the right hon. Member on his point with regard to the Scottish Government. However, I will resist new clause 13 because the publication of the DWP’s annual accounts will…29 Apr 2025HANSARD Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillI absolutely agree. Liz Sayce is doing excellent work, and I look forward to seeing the conclusions of her review in due course. Turning to new clause 1, as I have said, the…29 Apr 2025HANSARD Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillInformation of that nature was published prior to Second Reading and is available to Members. I turn to the amendments and new clauses that attracted the most attention in today’s…29 Apr 2025HANSARD Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillI am happy to provide that assurance; the hon. Member has stolen my next line. I can say categorically that this is a data push only. No decisions will be taken as a direct…29 Apr 2025HANSARD Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillIf the hon. Gentleman does not mind, I will not, as I am short of time. New clause 1 would prevent recovery of carer’s allowance overpayments via the new recovery powers in this…29 Apr 2025HANSARD Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillI will not. I took an intervention from the hon. Gentleman on this subject earlier, but I am short of time. [ Interruption. ] Had he stayed for the whole debate, I might have been…29 Apr 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel PaymentI dispute the right hon. Lady’s statistics. She is right to highlight that there has been an increase in hospital admissions among over-65s, but that is entirely in line with the…19 Mar 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel PaymentI am pleased to respond to this important debate. This topic affects millions of pensioners up and down our country. It is one we have debated many times in recent months, and it…19 Mar 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel PaymentWhat I would say to the hon. Lady is that I would never want to see those numbers increase, but that number is significantly better than the 300,000 pensioners who went into…19 Mar 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel PaymentWe have never suggested that they would, and the Minister for Pensions addressed that in his opening statement. The savings put forward do take account of that. I have to say…19 Mar 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel PaymentI thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. I am sure she is capable of contacting my hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield herself, but I recall that he did mention that he was…19 Mar 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel PaymentI will make some progress first. There will always be those who, for whatever reason, have been unable to make sufficient provision for their retirement. The benefit system…19 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)It is important that I begin by paying tribute to the millions of unpaid carers across this country. The Government recognise and value the vital contribution made by carers every…18 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship once again, Mr Western. Before I come to my general comments on the new clause from the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion, I will…18 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I would like to understand how the Opposition Front-Bench team consider new clause 15 to make any provision that is not already in the Fraud Act 2006 or the Serious Crime Act…18 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)In my view, the new clause is simply not needed. As the hon. Lady said, to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of the eligibility verification measure, the DWP conducted two…18 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I share and appreciate the hon. Member’s concern and interest in delivering the proposed benefits of the Bill, including the effective recovery of debt. The Bill delivers on our…18 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for tabling the new clause. The Government recognise the opportunities that AI and machine learning can provide, while also understanding the need to…18 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)That is a reasonable question, and clearly the AI framework is not specific to vulnerable groups in the way that the hon. Lady sets out. Decisions regarding benefit entitlement or…18 Mar 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (Twelfth sitting)I begin with new clause 9, tabled by the hon. Member for South West Devon. I share her view that where the powers in the Bill are exercised, there should be a consideration of the…18 Mar 2025