Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Monday 27 January 2020 · 11 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 11 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Laura Farris asked about the department's role in supporting the economy and labour market post-Brexit, receiving a response highlighting record employment figures.
  • Laura Farris inquired about steps to improve the take-up of shared parental leave to alleviate pressure on new mothers.
  • Jack Dromey questioned the Government's pension policy, prompting a response urging the FCA to address rogue financial advisers and ensure quality advice for retirees.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Laura Farris QT1
Economy Employment Brexit
Context

The question is about the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions' departmental responsibilities.

Question

If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities. In the context of leaving the European Union, Laura Farris asks if Therese Coffey will make a statement regarding her department's role in supporting the economy and labour market post-Brexit.

Answer from Therese Coffey

In the week that we leave the European Union, I am pleased to say that our labour market continues to thrive. Employment has reached a new record high of 76.3% matched by a record number of people in work, pulling Britain forward into the new decade. That includes 15.5 million women—more than ever before—and 1.3 million disabled people have joined the labour market since 2013. This shows a bright outlook for our buoyant economy as we continue to grow and enhance the labour market in this new era for our country.

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Q2 Laura Farris QT1
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The question is about discrimination against women during their pregnancy and periods of maternity leave, a problematic form of workplace discrimination.

Question

Discrimination against women during pregnancy or periods of maternity leave remains a particularly problematic form of workplace discrimination. Laura Farris asks what steps are being taken to improve the take-up of shared parental leave to remove the onus from new mothers at this vulnerable period in their working lives.

Answer from Therese Coffey

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy leads on this issue. I assure my hon. Friend that we encourage people to take up the options and we support their efforts. We will continue to do more with our work coaches on helping people to get the most out of working.

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Q3 Jack Dromey Lab
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Pension Schemes Bill aims to support pension saving while protecting people's pensions, but there are concerns about the exploitation of pension freedoms by scammers who put individuals' savings at risk.

Question

Jack Dromey asks how the Government can claim a joined-up pension policy when pension freedoms can be exploited by rogue financial advisers, putting retirees' savings at risk and potentially impoverishing them for years to come.

Answer from Guy Opperman

The hon. Gentleman will realise that FCA rules already require an individual to seek independent advice when making a DB transfer, but I urge the FCA both to crack down on transfer scammers and to ensure that the quality of advice is fit for purpose. I welcome the FCA's action at this stage.

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Q4 Rob Roberts QT7
Benefits & Welfare
Context

There is a low take-up rate for certain benefits such as pension credit and attendance allowance, sitting at about 60% nationally.

Question

Rob Roberts asks what material the Minister has to increase awareness of benefits locally in order to boost claimants' numbers.

Answer from Guy Opperman

My hon. Friend is right to raise that important point. We already publicise pension credit as much as we can, but we are working hard to get material into jobcentres and local authority premises to ensure that take-up is as high as possible.

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Q5 Stephen Timms Lab
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Benefit claimants on universal credit are two and a half times more likely to need food banks compared to those on previous benefits due to the five-week delay in receiving payments.

Question

Stephen Timms asks why the Minister is not looking at significantly shortening the delay of five weeks for the first payment of universal credit, which is causing significant harm.

Answer from Will Quince

As I said earlier, no one has to wait five weeks for their first payment. People are able to get their initial payment on day one, repayable over 12 months—16 months as of next year. We have the two-week roll-on of housing benefit and a further two-week roll-on of additional benefits starting next year. I am considering other measures we might take, all of which will require Treasury approval, but I am happy to meet the right hon. Gentleman to discuss any ideas he has.

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Q6 Stephen Crabb Con
Economy Wales
Context

The EU structural funds have been extensively used to support training programs in constituencies like west Wales, but the UK is moving towards a new system with the shared prosperity fund.

Question

Stephen Crabb asks what progress has been made in discussions about using the shared prosperity fund to continue supporting high-quality training and skills programmes in places such as west Wales.

Answer from Therese Coffey

My right hon. Friend is right to point to the creation of the shared prosperity fund. Discussion is ongoing within the Government. I know that the Wales Office is already engaged in conversation; we will engage in due course, once we have got through the initial design internally.

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Q7 Daniel Zeichner Lab
Benefits & Welfare
Context

There are delays in personal independence payment (PIP) home assessments, which have been cancelled twice for one constituent due to lack of available appointments.

Question

Daniel Zeichner asks why the Government think it is acceptable to treat disabled people so poorly by not providing timely PIP home assessments when other services would not tolerate such practices.

Answer from Justin Tomlinson

The hon. Gentleman flagged up that issue with me earlier. We are investigating urgently, because that should not be the case.

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Q8 Anne McLaughlin SNP Glasgow North East
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent of Anne McLaughlin's waited five months for a universal credit decision and started receiving payments but there was no mention of backdated payments or decision.

Question

Will the Secretary of State urgently look at that case? If she lets me know the next time she sends one of her Ministers to my area, I will take him along with me and he can explain to my constituent why she nearly went bankrupt.

Answer from The Secretary of State Therese Coffey

I suggest that the hon. Lady lets the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Justin Tomlinson), know directly about her constituent's particular circumstances so that he can follow up on that individually. I know that he believed that he had let hon. Members know about this matter. We take the issue seriously, and we will check after Question Time what happened regarding the communication.

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Q9 Alison Thewliss SNP Glasgow Cheetham
Benefits & Welfare Standards & Ethics
Context

The Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Will Quince, visited several constituencies without informing the local MPs.

Question

Alison Thewliss criticises the Minister's visit to her constituency last week where he did not inform her or show respect. She suggests that instead of patronising them, he should meet with the Glasgow Disability Alliance who are furious at Tory incompetence on benefits.

Answer from Lindsay Hoyle (Mr Speaker)

The protocol is that all Members—whether they are Ministers, shadow Ministers or Back Benchers—who are carrying out political business in those constituencies should inform the MP that they are going there. I think it is wrong to break that protocol. I do frown upon it. It is not good practice, and it is a practice that I do not want to see happening again.

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Q10 Chris Stephens SNP Glasgow Caledonian North
Parliamentary Procedure Standards & Ethics
Context

The Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Will Quince, visited Ibrox stadium in Chris Stephens' constituency without informing him.

Question

Chris Stephens asks if the Speaker can inform the House about the protocol for Government Ministers visiting constituencies they are not home Members to. He mentions that the Minister met the Rangers Charity Foundation during his visit.

Answer from Lindsay Hoyle (Mr Speaker)

The protocol is that all Members—whether they are Ministers, shadow Ministers or Back Benchers—who are carrying out political business in those constituencies should inform the MP that they are going there. I think it is wrong to break that protocol. I do frown upon it. It is not good practice, and it is a practice that I do not want to see happening again.

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Q11 Chris Stephens SNP Glasgow Caledonian North
Standards & Ethics

Question

Will Quince apologises for not notifying the MPs of his visit and suggests that they would have been welcome to join him on these informative visits.

Answer from Will Quince (Colchester) (Con)

I have now checked with departmental officials and I apologise unreservedly that such notification was not given. I think that the hon. Members know me well enough to know that such notification would have been given. In fact, they would have been very welcome to join me on those visits, which were very interesting and very informative. When I return, I will certainly be giving notification and inviting them along.

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