Contributions
1,146 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDDisability Action PlanIf the hon. Lady send me the details, I would be happy to have a look at the specific issue and that particular group. In this disability action plan, the Government truly believe…05 Feb 2024HANSARDCarer’s AllowanceI thank the hon. Gentleman for his point, which I appreciate as I have been in that situation of caring for two people. The primary purpose of the carer’s allowance is to provide…05 Feb 2024HANSARDPIP Mandatory Reconsideration DecisionsWe have reduced clearance times from the peak of 79 days in 2021 to 36 days in October 2023 by improving processes and increasing decision-making capacity. We will continue to…05 Feb 2024HANSARDBenefit Claims Process: Cancer PatientsUnderstandably, such a health diagnosis can be a shock for individuals, their families and, indeed, their finances—and I am conscious of saying this just after World Cancer Day.…05 Feb 2024HANSARDPIP Mandatory Reconsideration DecisionsI thank the hon. Lady for making the important point about the numbers. I agree that behind each of those is somebody we should be concerned about, and I am absolutely looking at…05 Feb 2024HANSARDCarer’s AllowanceThis is a particular area of interest for me as a former carer and as part of a caring family. It is important that we get the right balance. The flat weekly rate for the carer’s…05 Feb 2024HANSARDDiffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme Levy 2023-24The Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (Levy) Regulations 2014 require active employers’ liability insurers to pay an annual levy, based on their relative market share, for the…31 Jan 2024HANSARDMusculoskeletal Conditions and EmploymentIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Caroline, and I thank the hon. Member for Wirral West (Margaret Greenwood) for introducing today’s debate in a constructive,…10 Jan 2024HANSARDMusculoskeletal Conditions and EmploymentI thank the hon. Lady for that ask. This is still being worked out. I am conscious that one of my predecessors in DWP warned about having “more pilots than easyJet” and about…10 Jan 2024HANSARDMusculoskeletal Conditions and EmploymentI thank the hon. Lady for reiterating that point for her constituents. These hubs in the community will deliver both that physical activity and those interventions. I understand…10 Jan 2024HANSARDMusculoskeletal Conditions and EmploymentI thank the hon. Lady for that point. In fact, in preparing for this debate and seeking to understand the issue further, this was something that we discussed and I was interested…10 Jan 2024HANSARDWork and PensionsI thank my hon. Friend for making that point. As someone who was self-employed for not far off 15 years, I understand where he is coming from. Our work coaches at Jobcentre Plus…19 Dec 2023HANSARDWork and PensionsI thank my hon. Friend for making that point. As someone who was self-employed for not far off 15 years, I understand where he is coming from. Our work coaches at Jobcentre Plus…19 Dec 2023HANSARDUNICEF Report on Child PovertyThe Government are determined to ensure that all children, wherever they come from, have the best start in life. We are committed to supporting families and helping them into…18 Dec 2023HANSARDChild PovertyThe hon. Lady will have heard about our work on the LHA. I am extremely proud of the difference that it will make to families in her constituency and mine. With almost 1 million…18 Dec 2023HANSARDAccess to WorkAccess to Work remains in high demand. We are increasing the number of staff processing Access to Work claims, and prioritising renewal applications for those with a job start…18 Dec 2023HANSARDAccess to WorkI thank the hon. Member for his point. I, too, pressed the previous Minister on this matter, and I shall be pressing myself going forward. In fact, we met and fed in work…18 Dec 2023HANSARDAccess to WorkI thank the hon. Lady for her welcome to this post, and I hope that I have already spelled out my commitment to delivering in this brief. I think that prioritising the process of…18 Dec 2023HANSARDAccess to WorkI thank my right hon. Friend, and I hope I am the Minister for getting things done in this brief, as I have been in all my other briefs in my almost five years at the DWP. I will…18 Dec 2023HANSARDAccess to WorkI thank the hon. Lady for lobbying for my elevation and rank in this House. I am delighted to respond by making it clear to the lobby and to those we are talking about and looking…18 Dec 2023