Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Economic Effect

Wednesday 25 November 2020 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister stated that the Government have done their utmost to protect lives and livelihoods during the pandemic, providing targeted economic support worth over 200 billion.
  • The Minister referred to the Chancellor's upcoming spending review, suggesting it would address many of the questions raised regarding financial support for vulnerable groups and affected sectors.
  • The Minister mentioned working with equalities Ministers across various Departments to ensure interventions do not disadvantage women, disabled people, and BAME communities as the country emerges from the pandemic.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Zarah Sultana Your Party Coventry South
Economy Women & Equalities
Context

Discussions with the Chancellor regarding the impact of the pandemic on women, disabled people, and BAME communities.

Question

What discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) women, (b) disabled people and (c) Black, Asian and minority ethnic people. The pandemic has affected all communities in our country. This Government have done their utmost to protect lives and livelihoods.

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The pandemic has affected all communities in our country. This Government have done their utmost to protect lives and livelihoods. We have targeted economic support at those who need it most. For example, rolling out unprecedented levels of economic support worth over £200 billion has provided a much needed lifeline for those working in shut-down sectors such as retail and hospitality, the workforces in which are disproportionately young, female and from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background.

Answered
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Q2 Rebecca Long-Bailey Lab Salford
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that shut-down sectors are worst affected and have higher proportions of workers who are women, disabled or BAME.

Question

Will the Minister commit to demanding stronger support from the Chancellor such as protecting the £20 universal credit uplift and extending it to people on legacy benefits? Will she also request bespoke financial support for the hardest-hit sectors?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The hon. Lady will be aware that the Chancellor will be announcing his spending review this afternoon, and I think she will find that many of the questions she is asking will be answered at that point. With respect to the sectors that have been shut down, as I said in my first answer, we recognise that those people who are on low incomes have been disproportionately affected, and those groups are the ones who have most benefited from the interventions that the Treasury has put in place.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to specific actions or demands for strengthening support measures was not made.

How: Will Be Answered Later

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Q3 Zarah Sultana Your Party Coventry South
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Nearly one in seven people in Coventry are now on universal credit with a 97% increase since March. Low earnings, higher rates of poverty and greater need mean that these groups rely more on UC.

Question

What has the Minister done to push for measures such as scrapping the two-child limit, benefit cap and an uplift in payments during today's spending review?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

I am afraid that, as I said in my earlier answer, questions about the spending review need to be asked during the spending review, which will take place later this afternoon.

How: Questions Should Be Asked During The Spending Review

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Q4 Caroline Nokes Con Romsey and Southampton North
Benefits & Welfare Women & Equalities
Context

Discussion on the work being done with DWP to protect these groups from becoming disadvantaged.

Question

Will my hon. Friend update the House on the work that she is undertaking with the Department for Work and Pensions to make sure that women, disabled people and BAME people are not disadvantaged when we come out of the pandemic?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

As we discussed at the Women and Equalities Committee a few weeks ago, this is something that the Government Equalities Office is very much alive to. I am working with equalities Ministers across various Departments to see how the interventions that we are making are not going to impact on those groups who are most vulnerable, and I will continue to update her on that work.

Partly answered

How: Will Continue To Update

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Q5 Charlotte Nichols Lab Warrington North
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

Over 600,000 people in work who are clinically extremely vulnerable have been affected by current shielding guidance.

Question

Does the Minister think it is fair that many disabled people have had to choose between their lives and livelihoods when employers refuse to put them on furlough?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

As the hon. Lady will know, the pandemic has affected many different groups in very bad ways, and we have done everything we can to support them. Specifically on disabled people, we have done quite a lot in looking at the benefits that they have and providing support in many other ways, including employment support. These are the ways that we are protecting those people who are being disproportionately impacted.

Partly answered

How: Everything Done To Support Them

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