Topical Questions 2025-02-03
2025-02-03
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is one of 15 WorkWell pilot regions, a core element of the government’s 'back to work' plans.
I invite the Secretary of State to visit Cornwall to see how WorkWell is already making a tangible difference in helping those with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work, and to confirm that the spending review will provide the multi-year funding necessary to sustain and expand that vital service.
I would love to visit. That is an important programme focused on keeping people in work and getting those who have recently left back into work as soon as possible. In my hon. Friend’s area, WorkWell provides advice on workplace adjustments, access to physiotherapy, and employment advice and counselling, and is working closely with the voluntary sector and employers, backed by £2 million-worth of funding.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not confirm multi-year funding but acknowledged WorkWell's importance and current backing by £2 million-worth of funding.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The addition of 47,000 people to the unemployment figures in December.
Can Liz from HR tell me which of her colleagues should be fired for the addition of 47,000 people to the unemployment figures in December?
I am proud to say that I want to get Britain working again after we inherited a situation in which a record 2.8 million people were out of work due to health problems, because the Conservatives pushed the NHS to its knees and failed to have a proper plan to get people back into work.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not identify colleagues responsible but blamed previous government for inherited unemployment situation.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
Local leaders from charities and other organisations discussed how to tackle child poverty in Bracknell Forest.
Does the Minister agree that community leaders are best placed to shape the support needed to tackle child poverty locally?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question, and I am so pleased to hear about that work in Bracknell Forest. That is why the fourth part of our child poverty strategy is about local support. I look forward to working with my hon. Friend and his constituents to ensure that strategy is a success.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not explicitly agree but acknowledged the importance of local support in tackling child poverty.
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
Labour councillors on Hull city council voted to condemn the government’s decision not to compensate WASPI women.
Has that given the Minister pause for thought?
I recognise the strength of feeling on this issue right across the House. We carefully considered the ombudsman’s report, but as the hon. Member knows, we do not think it is fair to provide compensation costing up to £10 billion when 90% of affected pensioners knew that the state pension age was rising, and the evidence shows that letters being sent earlier would have made little difference.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not explicitly reflect on councillors' stance but provided reasoning against compensation.
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
This week marks Time to Talk Day, a campaign by Mind to destigmatize talking about mental health.
Will the Secretary of State join me in calling for employers up and down the country to take part in Time to Talk Day and outline what more could be done to end mental health stigma in the workplace?
I absolutely will. As my hon. Friend knows, the Government have launched the “Keep Britain Working” review led by Charlie Mayfield, the former chair of John Lewis Partnership. He is doing precisely that—looking at how we can better support employers to help keep people in work and get them back to work. Mental health is a real concern for me, with so many young people not in education, employment or training, primarily driven by mental health problems.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not explicitly outline additional steps but acknowledged the importance of addressing mental health issues in the workplace.
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
Stephanie from Burgess Hill, a full-time carer for her 89-year-old mum, states that carers’ allowance does not cover true costs of care.
What assessment has been made of the adequacy of carer’s allowance in meeting the true costs of care?
The hon. Member will know that we introduced the biggest ever increase in the earnings threshold for carer’s allowance for those who are able to combine some work with caring. We are determined that carers should get the support they need—there is a premium in universal credit as well, for example—but of course, we will keep all these matters under review.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific assessment but acknowledged ongoing efforts to improve support for carers.
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
Developments in treatment allow many people with incurable cancers to live reasonably well for years.
How do the Government plan to engage with people with incurable cancers as part of that review, to ensure we are enabled to continue to thrive in our careers and our workplaces?
I commend the resilience of my hon. Friend. Before Christmas, I spoke at a report launch with the charity Working with Cancer, which focuses on exactly the issue she has raised. She is right: employers have a key role in supporting people with cancer to continue to thrive in work, and the “Keep Britain Working” review will engage with people with lived experience as well as employers.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not outline specific plans but referenced engagement through 'Keep Britain Working' review.
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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Context
There have been rumours about the Government potentially scrapping Personal Independence Payments, which many individuals with mental health issues rely on to continue working and stay active in their communities.
Many people with mental health conditions rely heavily on personal independence payments so that they can continue in work and remain active in their communities. Can the Minister provide advice to the many constituents of mine who have contacted me terrified by the rumours that the Government are about to scrap this vital support for those who already have mental health issues?
My hon. Friend is right that there has been a particularly big increase in mental health problems among young people. Given what the last Government did, I can well understand people being worried. We will continue to support people with mental health problems in the health and disability benefits system. The proposals for reform we will bring forward in the spring will make sure the system is fit for purpose and fair to the taxpayer, and they will deliver the support in work that people such as my hon. Friend’s constituents need.
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Assessment & feedback
The government did not provide specific advice or assurances about scrapping Personal Independence Payments, instead referring to upcoming reforms in spring.
Under Review
Response accuracy
Q9
Partial Answer
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Context
There is a youth unemployment problem in Peterborough with nearly 1,000 young people unemployed. The area is part of one of the Department's youth guarantee trailblazers.
On Friday last week, we held our first NEETs—those not in education, employment or training—and youth opportunities summit in Peterborough, bringing together Peterborough college, Anglia Ruskin University Peterborough and employers to see how we can tackle our youth unemployment problem. Will the Secretary of State commit to working further with places such as Peterborough to ensure we can deliver decent apprenticeships and more opportunities for young people who need them?
Yes, I do commit to that, and I thank my hon. Friend for his tireless campaigning on the issue. With almost 1,000 young people unemployed in his constituency, or almost one in 10, I know what an important issue it is. His area is part of one of our youth guarantee trailblazers, meaning that every young person is earning or learning. I commit that the whole Government will continue to work with him and partners in his constituency to make sure that no young person is left behind.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q10
Partial Answer
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Context
A constituent named Darren, an unpaid carer, was wrongly refused a refund for prescription charges when moving from income support to universal credit.
My constituent Darren, an unpaid carer, was wrongly refused a refund for prescription charges when moving from income support to universal credit. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that there should be no gap in support in such circumstances?
Yes, I do agree with my hon. Friend, and I am grateful to him for highlighting that case. We have asked the Department for Health and Social Care to review its decision in that case—I hope with a positive outcome.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q11
Direct Answer
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Context
During the covid pandemic, assessments for personal independence payments were largely moved to online or over-the-phone formats. Currently, less than 5% of these assessments have returned to face-to-face interactions.
Today, less than 5% of Personal Independence Payments assessments are conducted face-to-face despite the move during the pandemic to online and telephone methods. What assessment has been made regarding this change? Are there any links between this shift and an increase in fraud?
Since telephone and video assessments have been introduced, there is no evidence to suggest that these delivery channels are less effective than face-to-face assessments in detecting fraudulent claims. In 2023-24, PIP overpayments accounted for just 0.4% of the DWP’s overall spend on PIP.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q12
Partial Answer
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Context
Marie Curie research indicates that 15% of end-of-life carers are living below the poverty line, rising to 22% a year after bereavement.
Given the statistics from Marie Curie indicating that 15% of three-quarters of a million end-of-life carers live below the poverty line and this rises to 22% a year after bereavement, will the Minister consider extending the time that carers can claim Carer’s Allowance from two months to six months after bereavement?
We keep these matters under review. I have not looked at that particular proposal before, but if the hon. Gentleman would like to drop me a line I will certainly give it a careful look.
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Assessment & feedback
Will Focus On
Under Review
Response accuracy
Q13
Partial Answer
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Context
The Front-Bench team is actively working on driving forward a child poverty taskforce, but all decisions come with costs and consequences.
I applaud the Front Bench team's efforts in driving the child poverty taskforce. However, every decision has consequences and associated costs. Will the Minister outline the costs of some of the processes being considered for change, particularly the cost of lifting the two-child cap? If she does not have this figure to hand, will she write to me?
I thank my hon. Friend, the Chair of the Treasury Committee, for all her work on this issue. I will happily engage with her through correspondence on the matter.
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Assessment & feedback
Will Focus On
Through Correspondence
Response accuracy