Contributions
385 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDJobcentres: Staffing LevelsMy Lords, that sounds a very optimistic viewpoint from the Minister. However, the reports are that staff stress levels are at historic heights, and many are leaving for better pay…23 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, I support this amendment because any exercise of physical powers must surely rest with the police. Are we going to train a new breed of DWP officers who have to be tough…21 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, the amendments, as has been clearly stated by the noble Baroness, Lady Finn, and the noble Lord, Lord Vaux, concern ministerial and parliamentary oversight—it is the…21 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, throughout the passage of the Bill, we on these Benches have repeatedly raised concerns about the punitive measures applied to carers who receive carer’s allowance and…21 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, I take this opportunity to refer to the title of this Bill, which is not just “Fraud” but “Fraud, Error and Recovery”. What we are really dealing with is unintentional…21 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Deben, very much for that. The point I would like to make is that there are people who will perpetuate fraud but, if you try to close up…21 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, I thank the Minister for all that she has said. We are looking to have a departmental meeting to deal with the problems out of the public eye. I take some issue with…21 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill21 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, on these Benches, we welcome the agreement reached with the devolved Administrations—may this be a lesson to people around the world on how to deal with them, at least…21 Oct 2025HANSARDYouth UnemploymentMy Lords, I am disappointed to hear the Minister, in discussing youth unemployment, mention universal credit and other such things. I ask the Minister to consider whether—as I…16 Oct 2025HANSARDMiddle EastMy Lords, I declare my interest as president of the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel and make a plea for the people of Gaza. We have talked about all the things that can happen…16 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, our principle generally is that the lowest level of government should make those decisions. To put it up to central government would be overloading central government.…15 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, we are in a world of information-sharing and information-gathering, and this is where that starts and stops. Amendment 3 would ensure that “information notices issued to…15 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, clearly, it would be best if something such as who these investigators are was in the Bill so that we have more detail. What we are being offered by these amendments is…15 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, there are five of these amendments. Amendment 16 “would ensure that the outcome of consultations required by section 38(6) is laid before Parliament prior to the…15 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) BillMy Lords, I found it difficult to believe that this was being required of us today. Amendment 21 requires each public authority’s reported fraud rates annually, employing a…15 Oct 2025HANSARDJobs MarketMy Lords, the UK is experiencing a decline in payrolled employees and a significant drop in graduate job opportunities, with listings for entry-level graduate jobs at the lowest…13 Oct 2025HANSARDIsrael: Royal College of Defence StudiesMy Lords, would the Minister say whether there is any benefit from IDF member soldiers attending the college? Will they not gain more of a feeling of what we in the UK think from…17 Sept 2025HANSARDYouth UnemploymentMy Lords—11 Sept 2025HANSARDYouth UnemploymentMy Lords, building on an earlier question and the Minister’s reply, she will be aware that, as well as young people claiming unemployment benefits, large numbers of them are not…11 Sept 2025