Contributions
803 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWork and PensionsI almost always agree with my hon. Friend, so the answer is yes. He also provides me with an opportunity to clarify a point that has not been covered in the last hour or so: the…02 Jul 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel Payment: Northern IrelandI can reassure the hon. Member that there will be an increase in the Northern Ireland Executive’s funding through the annually managed expenditure forecasting process. This will…01 Jul 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Lady is right to highlight the question of pensioners’ living standards, and we are taking action right the way across the board to deal with that. She will have seen the…01 Jul 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel Payment: Northern IrelandAs so often, my hon. Friend says it all. We have seen record investment in the Scottish Government’s budget, but we do not see waiting lists falling in Scotland, as they are in…01 Jul 2025HANSARDWinter Fuel Payment: Northern IrelandOur priority at the moment is to extend eligibility for the winter fuel payment, as the hon. Member and I have discussed on a number of occasions, but obviously that sits within a…01 Jul 2025HANSARDDraft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities etc.) (Amendment) Order 2025My hon. Friend makes an important point that is generally relevant to financial services regulation: we want the availability of credit for people, but we want it done safely.…25 Jun 2025HANSARDDraft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities etc.) (Amendment) Order 2025I thank Members for their comments. Let me try to do justice to their questions in turn. The core question raised by my hon. Friend the Member for North East Hertfordshire and…25 Jun 2025HANSARDDraft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities etc.) (Amendment) Order 2025I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities etc.) (Amendment) Order 2025. It is a pleasure to serve…25 Jun 2025HANSARDDraft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities etc.) (Amendment) Order 2025Fortunate.25 Jun 2025HANSARDPensions Policy: Climate and Nature TargetsThe short answer to that question is yes. The Department is contributing to two consultations that will shortly be published by the Business and Energy Departments. They will…23 Jun 2025HANSARDUnemployment LevelsThe Secretary of State inherited a labour market that was a mess under the Conservatives, with nearly 1 million young people not in education or training, and 2.8 million too sick…23 Jun 2025HANSARDUnemployment LevelsI do not want to try the patience of the House but, as I have said, employment is up by 500,000 under this Government. [ Interruption. ] Conservative Members do not like to talk…23 Jun 2025HANSARDUnemployment LevelsI thank everyone in Paisley who has been working on those practices—it is exactly the kind of innovation we like to see. Under the Conservatives, only one in six employers said…23 Jun 2025HANSARDUnemployment LevelsThat was a powerful and long question, and I am glad that Conservative Members listened to every word of it, because they left us 1 million young people not in education,…23 Jun 2025HANSARDUnemployment LevelsA firm footing for economic recovery looks like kicking the Conservative party out of office and growing the economy once again, and that is what we see if we look at the data.…23 Jun 2025HANSARDUnemployment LevelsThe hon. Lady asks about what is going on with the economy. What is going on is that we have had four rate cuts over the past year. What is going on is that we have signed three…23 Jun 2025HANSARDUnemployment LevelsWe all know the importance of work, and since the election we have seen employment rise by 500,000, but Britain is a country that has too few young adults in work or education,…23 Jun 2025HANSARDPensions Policy: Climate and Nature TargetsMy hon. Friend has been a powerful campaigner on this issue for some years, and she will know that larger pension schemes are now required to publish annual reports with…23 Jun 2025HANSARDPensions Policy: Climate and Nature TargetsOn the first part of the hon. Member’s question, I do not want to get the balance, because we want to make sure that savers get the absolute best value they can for every buck…23 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentIt is usual for a Minister to thank the Member for their question, but I actually mean it in this case, because the right hon. Lady has completely proved my point that the…09 Jun 2025