Contributions
1,278 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEmployment for Disabled PeopleThere are a range of initiatives for supporting disabled people to start, stay in and succeed in work. This includes disability employment advisers, the Work and Health programme,…13 Nov 2023HANSARDEmployment for Disabled PeopleI am always happy to meet colleagues to discuss such issues. It is fair to say that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has put a real emphasis on this policy area in his previous…13 Nov 2023HANSARDEmployment for Disabled PeopleI think I will pass up on the invitation at the end of the hon. Lady’s question. The fact is that this Government are concentrating on working hard to support more disabled people…13 Nov 2023HANSARDWork Capability Assessments: People with Parkinson’s DiseaseThe Department has developed estimates of the number of claimants impacted by options considered in the work capability assessment consultation. Estimates are not based on…13 Nov 2023HANSARDWork Capability Assessments: People with Parkinson’s DiseaseWhat I can say to the hon. Gentleman is that no decisions have been made. It is right and proper that the consultation responses are properly considered in the normal way. I would…13 Nov 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsNo final decisions have been made. We have had the consultation and we will respond appropriately in the normal way.13 Nov 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI hear the point that the hon. Lady has raised. We have, of course, had the consultation, and many views were expressed. We will now consider those views very carefully, and come…13 Nov 2023HANSARDPersonal Independence PaymentI would like to update the House on the Department’s progress in making backdated payments to personal independence payment claimants who are benefiting from the Supreme Court’s…26 Oct 2023HANSARD British Sign LanguageIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey. I start by thanking my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North (Chloe Smith) for securing this debate; for her…17 Oct 2023HANSARD British Sign LanguageI am very willing to obtain an update for the hon. Gentleman on the work that we are doing to try to drive forward the uptake, availability and usage of BSL in our schools. I…17 Oct 2023HANSARD British Sign LanguageI am of course very happy to consider suggestions as to how we can try to provide greater transparency around this performance and better itemise the output that Departments are…17 Oct 2023HANSARD British Sign LanguageMy right hon. Friend the former Minister is trying to draw me out early on this point—I will get there imminently. More needs to be done to enforce the obligations outlined in the…17 Oct 2023HANSARD British Sign LanguageOn the first part of the hon. Lady’s intervention, I am delighted to work with her to try to take that forward. At the start of my remarks, I said consistently that I recognise…17 Oct 2023HANSARD British Sign LanguageMy hon. Friend raises a point that all of us will want to give due care, attention and thought to. We all want to ensure that the very best support is available for victims of…17 Oct 2023HANSARDWork and PensionsI of course recognise that food prices are a challenge not just here in the UK, but abroad, too. For example, I am aware that food inflation here is 19%, but within the EU it is…16 Oct 2023HANSARDHealth and Disability Benefits: Functional Assessment Service ContractsI would like to update the House on the outcome of the procurement of new health and disability benefit assessment contracts—the functional assessment service contracts—for the…16 Oct 2023HANSARDWork and PensionsI of course recognise that food prices are a challenge not just here in the UK, but abroad, too. For example, I am aware that food inflation in March this year was 19% here, but…16 Oct 2023HANSARDNational Disability StrategyIn my written statement of 12 July, I informed the House of the judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal on 11 July 2023 regarding the national disability strategy judicial…18 Sept 2023HANSARDAccess to WorkI am sure the hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that, last week, 88% of claims were paid within 10 days and that we are taking steps to drive further improvement. The online…04 Sept 2023HANSARDAccess to WorkAccess to Work has received a significant increase in applications over the past year and has recruited new staff to meet the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make…04 Sept 2023