Contributions
1,831 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCost of Living SupportI hope the House will recognise that I am certainly not playing down the seriousness of the position at the moment. I am very aware, as the House is, of the further interest rate…22 Jun 2023HANSARDCost of Living SupportMy noble friend makes a good point about childcare, and the House will be aware of the announcements that were made recently. We are determined to support as many families as…22 Jun 2023HANSARDCost of Living SupportWe have already taken a number of initiatives, which the right reverend Prelate will be aware of, to look at poverty. As I say, this is a particularly difficult time. Although I…22 Jun 2023HANSARDChild Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) BillMy Lords, before we commence proceedings on the Bill, I am obliged to make a statement on legislative consent in relation to it. The Bill was amended in the other place to make…16 Jun 2023HANSARDChild Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Sherlock, for her support for my noble friend’s Bill. I will most certainly write a letter to her, over and above the letters I have…16 Jun 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesMy Lords, we remain concerned about the impact of current global inflationary pressures on low-income families. This is a government priority and the reason why we have taken…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesThe truth is that many people on low incomes find it easier, and sometimes cheaper, to buy processed food. That is a fact. Having said that, we would encourage people to go to the…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesI take note of my noble friend’s point on the Farm to Fork food summit, which allowed the sector to get together, discuss the future, provide further innovative methods on food…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesI do not have any figures to support an answer to give to the noble Lord, but what I can say—to which I alluded earlier—is that, in terms of supermarkets and profits, looking at…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesOf course, the noble Baroness is right. I said at the beginning that much work is going on with regard to interaction with the supermarkets. A number of supermarkets have some…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesI take note of the point the right reverend Prelate makes about Harlow. We are alert to those who do fall into poverty. What I can tell her is that in 2021-22, there were 1.7…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesThere were a number of questions there from the noble Baroness. We know that it is tough for households and businesses across the UK at the moment and are doing whatever we can to…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesI take issue with the noble Lord, because they are, and I have made that clear with some examples. On his point about free school meals, under this Government eligibility has been…25 May 2023HANSARDFood Price Rises: Impact on Low-Income FamiliesWe remain very aware that food banks are being used to a great extent. As I have done before, I pay tribute to those, including charities, who so ably and selflessly run them.…25 May 2023HANSARDChild Support (Enforcement) BillMy Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Redfern on her excellent introduction to the Bill and for initiating this important debate on Child Maintenance Service processes. As…19 May 2023HANSARDState Pension Underpayment ErrorsThe noble Lord makes a good point about home responsibilities protection, which is one of the issues that we are looking at in a timely fashion. We will be providing estimates and…16 May 2023HANSARDState Pension Underpayment ErrorsOf course they are important. Any underpayment is incredibly important, as I am sure the noble Baroness would agree. The department became aware of issues with state pension…16 May 2023HANSARDState Pension Underpayment ErrorsI note what my noble friend says about the gender disparities, which we are alert to. Indeed, the department has a discretionary scheme which allows special payments to be made to…16 May 2023HANSARDState Pension Underpayment ErrorsNo, I do not have any figures to support the argument that the noble Lord is proffering. What I can say is that we very much take note of wanting to support the most vulnerable.…16 May 2023HANSARDState Pension Underpayment ErrorsIndeed, and it is very important that we engage much more closely with the customer base. Where underpayments are identified, the DWP will contact the individual to inform them of…16 May 2023