Contributions
635 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPension Age: Women Born in the 1950sI thank the hon. Lady for raising that issue. It has been well debated, and additional transitional arrangements have been introduced. One development that we should all welcome…14 Mar 2019HANSARDPension Age: Women Born in the 1950sThe state pension age reform is focused on maintaining the right balance between sustainability of the state pension and fairness between generations in the face of demographic…14 Mar 2019HANSARDPension Age: Women Born in the 1950sThat is exactly why we have continued to deliver the triple lock. We recently announced a £3 billion uprating, and 80% of women reaching state pension age before 2030 will be…14 Mar 2019HANSARDApplication of the Family TestThe hon. Lady was not willing to take interventions from colleagues who actually stuck to the principles of the debate, so I will not. Under the last Labour Government, welfare…13 Mar 2019HANSARDApplication of the Family TestIt is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir David, in this very calm and sensible week for Parliament. I am sure all eyes will be focused on this very important…13 Mar 2019HANSARDApplication of the Family TestWe are digesting all the successful bids for the various strands of that programme, and I am sure that many organisations will have a proven track record in that area. I am happy…13 Mar 2019HANSARDApplication of the Family TestThere we are—it is on the record, and those Departments will no doubt be held to account. The Attorney General’s response is probably the shortest that I have heard from any…13 Mar 2019HANSARDApplication of the Family TestI will respond to the thrust of the debate. We want the family test to be broad and flexible, reflecting the nature of 21st-century families. The test already encourages policy…13 Mar 2019HANSARDApplication of the Family TestMy hon. Friend is spot on. It was clear from my colleagues’ speeches that they have a constructive, proactive and real focus on the absolute principles of the family test, and I…13 Mar 2019HANSARDApplication of the Family TestI will shortly. The Opposition voted against income tax threshold changes that have given families an additional £1,200 a year. Our spending on childcare will have risen from £4…13 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityI will make some more progress. These increases will cover disability living allowance, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, incapacity benefit and personal independence…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityThat is why we are delivering record employment and increasing support for those who most need it, and why we are today announcing the latest sharing of growth with those who most…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityThe stats are very clear: there are now 300,000 fewer children in absolute poverty. Where we are in agreement in this debate is that all speakers rightly welcomed the additional…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityI will just make some progress. Many speakers talked about poverty. Income inequality has fallen—it increased under the previous Labour Government. Rates of low income and…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityWhat we know is that every region of the UK is seeing more people working. Youth unemployment increased by 45% under the last Labour Government, but it has almost halved under…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityI thank all those from across the House who have taken the time to speak in this debate. As in last week’s estimates day debate, there was a lot of passion about very important…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityIt is delivering record employment in every single region. Increased corporation tax receipts are the folly of the hard-left failed economic policies that deliver higher…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityI am going to make some progress. In addition, the carer and disability premiums paid with pension credit and working-age benefits, the employment and support allowance support…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityBut we know from announcements in the last two Budgets that spending on working-age benefits will be £2 billion higher than it would have been under the legacy benefits. That is…04 Mar 2019HANSARD Social SecurityAs I have set out before, as the economy has continued to grow, we have been able to share the proceeds of growth to support some of the most vulnerable in society. That has seen…04 Mar 2019