:00:00. > :00:07.Murray on winning the ATP World Tour finals last night in London and
:00:08. > :00:12.finishing the year as the world's men's singles No 1. Mr Henry Smith.
:00:13. > :00:35.The Secretary of State. The microphone's off! I think it the
:00:36. > :00:42.microphone is defective! But the honourable gentleman has never been
:00:43. > :00:51.knowingly unheard! Nor should he be. With permission! The other thing is
:00:52. > :00:55.shouting into a microphone. I will answer question one and 7 together.
:00:56. > :01:01.There are more older people in employment than ever, but we know
:01:02. > :01:05.there is more to do. We appointed Andy Briggs as business champion for
:01:06. > :01:12.older workers to promote the benefits they bring to employers.
:01:13. > :01:18.Thank you Mr Speaker, I'm grateful to my honourable friend for that
:01:19. > :01:24.answer. What mortis Government doing to build on the fuller work life
:01:25. > :01:31.strategy? He is right to point out the importance of fuller working
:01:32. > :01:35.lives strategy and indeed we will be publishing a new strategy in the new
:01:36. > :01:40.year to build on the success of the fuller working lives strategy, which
:01:41. > :01:44.will set out its future direction. I'm particularly keen that it should
:01:45. > :01:50.be led by employers, because I think employers are the best people to
:01:51. > :01:55.persuade other employers of the benefits of employing older workers
:01:56. > :02:03.and both for Thame ployers and individuals and also in particular
:02:04. > :02:05.for the public sector. Many older workers have caring
:02:06. > :02:11.responsibilities, which can make it hard for them to remain in work or
:02:12. > :02:15.to return to work. What is he doing to encourage ployers to work with --
:02:16. > :02:22.employers to work with these employees. I agree that these
:02:23. > :02:25.employees are often particularly responsible and have particularly
:02:26. > :02:30.needs if they have caring responsibilities so, that is why the
:02:31. > :02:35.Government reck Northern Isleses the -- recognises the benefits of
:02:36. > :02:41.flexible working and extended the right to request flexible working.
:02:42. > :02:46.We have also introduced older claimant champions in job centres to
:02:47. > :02:51.help highlight the benefits of employing older workers and indeed I
:02:52. > :02:56.have mentioned avia already in the context of Andy Briggs, they're
:02:57. > :03:09.launching a scheme to support carers this Friday and I hope other
:03:10. > :03:17.companies will follow their example. Minister committed to an annual
:03:18. > :03:22.report. When will the first annual report be published? Yes, it does.
:03:23. > :03:26.We will be publishing one next year and I'm happy to report in the
:03:27. > :03:33.interim to the honourable gentleman that there are more older people in
:03:34. > :03:37.employment than ever. There are 9.8 million workers aged 50 plus in the
:03:38. > :03:43.UK. That is an increase of 1.5 million. That is one of the
:03:44. > :03:47.strengths of our labour market. Isn't it true there has been a
:03:48. > :03:51.relative te Clyne in the proportion of -- decline in the proportion of
:03:52. > :03:55.older women in employment. Is that just the increase in the pension
:03:56. > :03:59.age, or because the government isn't providing the support for carers and
:04:00. > :04:05.other things which enable older women to work? No, I'm afraid I
:04:06. > :04:15.can't agree with the honourable lady, currently there are just over
:04:16. > :04:19.4.05 million women aged 50 to 64 in employment, compared to three and
:04:20. > :04:26.half million five years ago and it has gone from below 60% to more Nan
:04:27. > :04:31.65%. So the benefits of work for older people are being applied to
:04:32. > :04:36.women as well and that of course gives them much more control over
:04:37. > :04:40.their lives. In relation to the question about carers it is seven
:04:41. > :04:45.months since the minimum wage was increased, but the income threshold
:04:46. > :04:50.for carers allowance has not risen. Will the Secretary of State act to
:04:51. > :04:55.rise it by ?5 a week to ensure carers are not forced to cut their
:04:56. > :05:04.hours, because they're caught up in their loophole? In relation to older
:05:05. > :05:09.workers. Carers allowance applies to more than older workers. But the
:05:10. > :05:16.honourable lady will be aware Nat carers allowance was increased
:05:17. > :05:22.significantly in recent times. And obviously we keep all benefits under
:05:23. > :05:28.review. Older employees bring many benefits to employer, including
:05:29. > :05:33.turning up on time and taking pride in their appearance and passing on
:05:34. > :05:38.experience. While we have national recognition schemes for inno vagus
:05:39. > :05:42.and export -- innovation and exports has he thought of a scheme for
:05:43. > :05:48.employers who employ a large number of older work sners My honourable
:05:49. > :05:54.friend makes an innovative and good point. We do work with employers to
:05:55. > :05:59.see what is the best form of recognition of employers who are
:06:00. > :06:03.particularly good with older workers and ensuring they can carry on in
:06:04. > :06:12.the workforce. But I will certainly consider his suggestion. No 2. Many
:06:13. > :06:18.people aspire to be their own boss and while most of the growth in
:06:19. > :06:21.employment has been in employment, there are 4.7 million self-employed
:06:22. > :06:28.people accounting for approximately 15% of everyone in work. I'm
:06:29. > :06:36.grateful to the minister, but not wist standing what me said, there is
:06:37. > :06:40.an issue of self-employment. Trading have been at the forefront of
:06:41. > :06:46.exposing such practices. Will he work with trade unions as part of
:06:47. > :06:53.Taylor review? Of course, the majority of people in several
:06:54. > :06:56.employment that does not apply. But the growth of atypical employment is
:06:57. > :07:05.behind the Prime Minister saying there will be a review to look at a
:07:06. > :07:10.range of things. It will look at rights, responsibility, training and
:07:11. > :07:15.so on. I'm glad we are doing so much to help the self-employed get into
:07:16. > :07:19.business. But so many of them are on the legacy system, in terms of
:07:20. > :07:26.support rather than universal credit. What are we doing for them?
:07:27. > :07:33.He makes a good point and we are launching a test of face to face on
:07:34. > :07:44.voluntary basis for several employed people in -- self-employed people in
:07:45. > :07:49.receipt of tax credits. Ordering presents online is a normal part of
:07:50. > :07:54.Christmas, but there has been reports of delivery drivers classed
:07:55. > :07:59.as self-employed working dangerously long hours. They make a vital
:08:00. > :08:04.contribution, will he commit to making Labour's five tests for
:08:05. > :08:09.social security for self-employed? Mr Speaker, I join with her in
:08:10. > :08:14.recognising it is necessary to look at these issues, of course national
:08:15. > :08:19.living wage enforcement is important and that is why we have raised the
:08:20. > :08:24.budget and the maximum penalty. On the dech in additions of --
:08:25. > :08:29.definitions of self-employment, there are variation of definition,
:08:30. > :08:33.but the review is looking at some of those issues to make sure the
:08:34. > :08:37.appropriate protections are in place and enable more people to avail
:08:38. > :08:42.themselves of opportunities in the new economy. What is he doing to
:08:43. > :08:49.help disabled people into self-employment? He makes a very
:08:50. > :08:59.good point. There are more disabled people who want to get into work.
:09:00. > :09:05.I'm pleased to say that on the NEA, the enterprise allowance scheme, a
:09:06. > :09:13.fifth of people are people with a disability. No 3. I would answer
:09:14. > :09:17.questions three, 15 and 18 together. We already support employers through
:09:18. > :09:24.a disability confidence scheme, access to work after the fit for
:09:25. > :09:31.work service. The green paper consultation will provide further
:09:32. > :09:36.insight into how we help employers. What advice can my honourable friend
:09:37. > :09:41.offer to people like my constituent who is deaf, so struggles to speak
:09:42. > :09:45.on the telephone and worked to obtain a degree, yet he is
:09:46. > :09:47.struggling to find employment in the financial sector. I thank the
:09:48. > :09:54.honourable gentleman for his question. A lot of our bespoke
:09:55. > :10:07.expertise lies in partner organisations. If he would contact
:10:08. > :10:12.the work coach at the north Hampton job centre she can arrange a meeting
:10:13. > :10:16.with somebody to get placements in the financial services sector,
:10:17. > :10:22.particular with Nationwide who are based in that area. Following
:10:23. > :10:27.successful disability confident events we launched the small
:10:28. > :10:34.employer offer to signpost new employers to take advantage of the
:10:35. > :10:39.talent overlooked. Will the minister update the House on the progress of
:10:40. > :10:45.this pilot? As part of the small employer offer we are going to
:10:46. > :10:49.introduce over a hundred employment advisors to small employers and the
:10:50. > :10:53.feedback we have had is that it is very welcome in particular for
:10:54. > :11:00.organisations which do not have their own HR departments.
:11:01. > :11:04.Recalling those happy days when my honourable friend was training for
:11:05. > :11:09.her diving competition in the Southend, will she join me in
:11:10. > :11:12.congratulating Southend adult community college and Poundland for
:11:13. > :11:17.leading the way in employing disabled people in Southend? I am
:11:18. > :11:22.familiar not only with the diving boards at Southend but also with
:11:23. > :11:27.this excellent college. I think they have done many things well,
:11:28. > :11:33.including understanding that the built environment has a huge impact,
:11:34. > :11:36.positive impact to play in ensuring that people with profound and
:11:37. > :11:43.multiple physical and learning disabilities can achieve their full
:11:44. > :11:49.potential. Thank you Mr Speaker. Very many individuals who previously
:11:50. > :11:52.received Disability Living Allowance are now receiving personal
:11:53. > :11:55.independence payments are being prevented from travelling to work
:11:56. > :11:59.because mobility vehicles are being taken away because they don't
:12:00. > :12:03.qualify for higher rate mobility. This is a serious issue for people
:12:04. > :12:06.who are working, want to work and for whom the Government are making
:12:07. > :12:11.things more difficult. What's she going to do about it? I thank the
:12:12. > :12:15.honourable gentleman for his question. Would point out that more
:12:16. > :12:18.people have access to mobility than br. I do understand the problems
:12:19. > :12:26.that the honourable gentleman raises and we are looking at this in the
:12:27. > :12:31.department. Can I also put on record congratulations to Andy Murray on
:12:32. > :12:34.his magnificent achievement. Also congratulate his brother Jamie
:12:35. > :12:39.Murray who will end the year as doubles world number one. What
:12:40. > :12:44.Scotland lacks for football prowess we more than make up for in tennis.
:12:45. > :12:49.Mr Speaker, last week members on all sides of this House made it clear to
:12:50. > :12:53.ministers that cutting ESA in the world related activity group by
:12:54. > :12:57.nearly ?30 a week with corresponding cuts to universal credit is not
:12:58. > :13:01.acceptable, yet the Government is still consulting on the green paper
:13:02. > :13:04.and doesn't have adequate support in place. Has the minister discussed
:13:05. > :13:08.the outcome of the debate with the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn
:13:09. > :13:14.Statement and impressed on him the need to postpone these punitive
:13:15. > :13:17.cuts? I would point out to the honourable lady the support that
:13:18. > :13:21.needs to be in place for those members of the rag group will be in
:13:22. > :13:26.place. I gave that in detail when that would be in place before those
:13:27. > :13:31.new claims come online. I must stress that as well as enabling
:13:32. > :13:34.people to endure and cope with a particular situation and the costs
:13:35. > :13:38.of living associated with it, we also have an obligation to help them
:13:39. > :13:42.get out this afternoon situation. I have given assurances to this House
:13:43. > :13:47.that we will do both. Mr Speaker, the loss of the limited capability
:13:48. > :13:52.for work element of universal credit will mean that thousands of working
:13:53. > :13:55.disabled people will be around ?1500 a year worse off. Does the minister
:13:56. > :13:58.think that slashing the incomes of working disabled people sends the
:13:59. > :14:04.right message about the Government's commitment to those who are just
:14:05. > :14:09.about managing? We are spending more money on disability benefits and we
:14:10. > :14:14.are doing more in terms of support. So I don't recognise the position
:14:15. > :14:19.that the honourable lady outlines. The evidence is clear that work can
:14:20. > :14:23.be good for your health, and particularly your mental health.
:14:24. > :14:26.Does she agree that the Government should work with GPs and mental
:14:27. > :14:30.health professionals to help people to get back into work as son as
:14:31. > :14:32.possible after leaving employment? Yes, I do agree with what the
:14:33. > :14:37.honourable gentleman says, which is why we have brought forward a green
:14:38. > :14:42.paper. We will be consulting on that until February. Meantime, where we
:14:43. > :14:46.can make progress and also foster those local connections and
:14:47. > :14:50.relationships between employment support, between health care
:14:51. > :14:53.professionals and other that's these individuals will need support from,
:14:54. > :14:59.we should do that and the flexible support fund which goes live in
:15:00. > :15:03.December, we'll do that. I would also like to offer my
:15:04. > :15:08.congratulations on behalf of Labour to Andy Murray. Mr Speaker, the
:15:09. > :15:13.prospect of a further ?1500 a year cut in support to sick and disabled
:15:14. > :15:18.people found not fit for work on top of the previous ?28 billion of cuts
:15:19. > :15:22.fills many with dread. Why is the Secretary of State touting the
:15:23. > :15:26.propaganda that this cut will incentivise disabled people to find
:15:27. > :15:32.work, when his own department's research says the opposite. And will
:15:33. > :15:35.he listen to MPs on all sides of the House unanimously rejected his
:15:36. > :15:43.policy last Thursday and stop the cut in the Autumn Statement? Well,
:15:44. > :15:48.as I pointed out at length, we will mitigate the financial cut to the
:15:49. > :15:52.group through a number of measures, the flexible support fund, helping
:15:53. > :15:57.with costs directly related to work. But also through other measures with
:15:58. > :16:02.costs that are not directly related to getting into work. But I stated
:16:03. > :16:05.that the, to the honourable lady on several occasions in the last week
:16:06. > :16:10.that we have to do both these things. We need to ensure someone's
:16:11. > :16:14.liquidity and their financial resilience, but we must also ensure
:16:15. > :16:17.that they have the support that we will need so we are not going to
:16:18. > :16:21.pause that support when it comes in in April.
:16:22. > :16:31.Number four Mr Speaker. With your permission I will answer
:16:32. > :16:37.questions four five and 11 together. The Government will not be
:16:38. > :16:41.introducing further transitional protection beyond the 1. 1 billion
:16:42. > :16:45.already in place. Going further could not be justified given the
:16:46. > :16:49.underlying imperative must be to focus public resources on those most
:16:50. > :16:56.in need. That's a very disappointing response from the minister. There's
:16:57. > :17:01.10,000 waspy women in hull, with 4,100 names Hull had the largest
:17:02. > :17:07.petition presented to this House last month. Labour has suggested
:17:08. > :17:15.changes to pension credit which would be financed by clawing
:17:16. > :17:17.backhandouts. Isn't it time the Government realised that these
:17:18. > :17:23.Willoughby not go away until they get a fair deal. As the honourable
:17:24. > :17:25.lady's mentioned, Labour proposed use the pension credit as a
:17:26. > :17:37.transition mechanism for helping these women. This wa discussed
:17:38. > :17:42.extensively. It was decided that 1. ?1.1 billion alternatively would be
:17:43. > :17:46.used as transition relief. From the minister's response, it's quite
:17:47. > :17:51.obvious he's going to be fed up of this question. As long as I have got
:17:52. > :17:55.women like my constituent who comes to me and say at 60, I've worked all
:17:56. > :18:00.my life, but my body's telling me I can't do it any more. Without a
:18:01. > :18:08.pension, when will this Government do the honourable thing and start
:18:09. > :18:12.looking after the waspy women? The cost of reversing the changes varies
:18:13. > :18:17.depending on who one asks, Mr Speaker. The different political
:18:18. > :18:21.routes have come up with different amounts, which actually vary between
:18:22. > :18:25.7 billion and ?30 billion. Quite apart from the substantial practical
:18:26. > :18:28.problem such as risk of legal challenge, deliverability and all
:18:29. > :18:35.the problems associated with such options. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I
:18:36. > :18:40.recently spoke to a constituent who was working in a care home, who's
:18:41. > :18:45.incredibly distressed at the thought of having to work another seven
:18:46. > :18:49.years in what is an increasingly physically demanding job. Especially
:18:50. > :18:53.after having made her retirement plans to look after her daughter's
:18:54. > :18:57.children so that her daughter could go back to work. What assessment has
:18:58. > :19:05.his department made of the implications not only for the women
:19:06. > :19:09.affected but for their families too? Well, as the honourable lady has
:19:10. > :19:15.implied, the department has considered this long and hard. The
:19:16. > :19:20.current average age of exit from the Labour Party for women is 63. 1,
:19:21. > :19:27.well above the previous's women SPA of 60. I just wanted to make it
:19:28. > :19:33.clear, it's not just on that side of the House that there are concerns
:19:34. > :19:38.about this. Of course, we don't know what the Autumn Statement will say
:19:39. > :19:41.tomorrow. But I do think we ought to at least keep options open to look
:19:42. > :19:46.at this, because it's not very satisfactory the current state of
:19:47. > :19:52.affairs. As my honourable friend knows,
:19:53. > :19:55.public finance is very complicated. I know he intends to wait until
:19:56. > :19:58.Wednesday to hear what the Chancellor has to say. I can tell
:19:59. > :20:04.him that this has been looked at long and hard. Transitional
:20:05. > :20:10.arrangements of 1. ?1.1 billion have been put in place and the state
:20:11. > :20:13.pension age was discussed and enacted in 1995 to change. There's
:20:14. > :20:19.been further acts of Parliament and all this has been extensively
:20:20. > :20:23.discussed. I understand that reverting to the 1995 state pension
:20:24. > :20:27.time table would cost something in the region of ?39 billion. Does the
:20:28. > :20:31.minister agree with me, it's easy to criticise the Government over this
:20:32. > :20:36.policy, but more difficult to explain where the money would come
:20:37. > :20:41.from for policy change? I think my honourable friend for that question,
:20:42. > :20:45.I totally agree with him. Mr Speaker, does my honourable friend
:20:46. > :20:49.agree with me that the difficulty with the labour proposal on pension
:20:50. > :20:53.credit is that that is actually not what is sought by the WASPI
:20:54. > :20:57.campaign. What is sought by them goes back to the 1995 act would
:20:58. > :21:01.almost certainly be illegal under the rules of fair progress for both
:21:02. > :21:06.sexes on pensions and would cost an absolute fortune. I thank my
:21:07. > :21:11.honourable friend for that question. I totally agree with him. Someone of
:21:12. > :21:16.the honourable gentleman on the other side was shouting "Tell that
:21:17. > :21:19.to the destitute". We have a very good benefits system in this
:21:20. > :21:25.country. Those destitute I'm sure are very familiar with that. The
:21:26. > :21:29.minister's made it clear that the Government won't act to further help
:21:30. > :21:33.those affected by the ill-managed change to people's pension age. Can
:21:34. > :21:37.he tell us if he or the Secretary of State have had any discussions with
:21:38. > :21:43.the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Statement about potential additional
:21:44. > :21:47.help for those most affected? I can, as the honourable gentleman knows, I
:21:48. > :21:50.can do no better than repeat that the transitional arrangements have
:21:51. > :21:54.taken place. The Government policy is very clear. I would not like him
:21:55. > :22:00.to think or believe there's going to be any change in this. Clearly there
:22:01. > :22:03.haven't been discussions with the Chancellor ahead of it. The
:22:04. > :22:08.Westminster debate on the issue heard that many people have been
:22:09. > :22:14.left destitute, are left in poverty who care for elderly benefits, who
:22:15. > :22:18.may be unwell enough not enough to qualify for help. The Government has
:22:19. > :22:20.rejected Labour's first step proposal for the extension of
:22:21. > :22:24.pension credit to both women and men, who have been denied their
:22:25. > :22:29.state pension for years to come. Can I ask the minister to think again,
:22:30. > :22:33.assuming his hands are tied by the Chancellor and by the Prime
:22:34. > :22:38.Minister, will he set up a dedicated pro-active help line for those
:22:39. > :22:44.affected, so they can access the Social Security benefits he says are
:22:45. > :22:46.sufficient to meet their needs? As the honourable gentleman's aware,
:22:47. > :22:51.there's a very good benefits system in this country and people are well
:22:52. > :22:55.aware in every area how to achieve that. There are Jobcentre Pluses,
:22:56. > :23:02.there's lots of help in every local area. If honourable members or right
:23:03. > :23:05.honourable members wish to write to me about individual constituents, as
:23:06. > :23:14.they do, I'm happy to refer them to the places in their area. Number
:23:15. > :23:18.eight Mr Speaker. With permission Mr Speaker, I'll answer questions 8, 12
:23:19. > :23:21.and 16 together. I'm happy to confirm I work closely with my right
:23:22. > :23:25.honourable friend the Chancellor and the honourable gentleman will not be
:23:26. > :23:28.surprised to know I will not be pre-empting what he will be saying
:23:29. > :23:37.in his statement to the House on Wednesday. That's a shame, Mr
:23:38. > :23:43.Speaker. The foundation has suggested that the best way to help
:23:44. > :23:48.the just managing households would be to scrap universal credit. Does
:23:49. > :23:54.the Secretary of State agrow that on Wednesday, this Government need to
:23:55. > :23:57.move beyond the sound bites and reverse these cuts before working
:23:58. > :24:03.families pay the price? I don't agree with the honourable gentleman
:24:04. > :24:06.about that, because he will be aware of the tremendous successes we've
:24:07. > :24:10.achieved in getting people into work. We have employment at historic
:24:11. > :24:17.high rates and also, very specifically that because of the
:24:18. > :24:21.introduction of the living wage, the latest ONS data show that the group
:24:22. > :24:26.whose pay is going up the most by over 6% last year are the lowest
:24:27. > :24:32.paid workers. I think that's the system working exactly as it should
:24:33. > :24:35.do. The Institute of Fiscal Studies has
:24:36. > :24:41.shown with the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote, prices are
:24:42. > :24:46.being pushed up about 2. 6%. This means that we could have a rise in
:24:47. > :24:49.inflation that would coincide with this Government's benefit freeze,
:24:50. > :24:53.adding more pressure to low income families. Does the minister not
:24:54. > :24:56.agree with me that in view of this situation we should actually get rid
:24:57. > :25:03.of the benefit freeze in the Autumn Statement? Well, I'm sure we're
:25:04. > :25:08.going to get a list of bids from those benches. As I say, it is not
:25:09. > :25:11.for me to pre-empt my right honourable friend the Chancellor's
:25:12. > :25:17.Autumn Statement. I would repeat to the honourable lady what I've just
:25:18. > :25:20.said to her honourable friend, that the purpose of the various benefit
:25:21. > :25:24.changes and indeed the whole benefits system is to enable people
:25:25. > :25:28.to get into work, so that they cannot only earn more money but
:25:29. > :25:32.actually take better control over their own lives. In that, the system
:25:33. > :25:38.is working historically well. We've got more people in work, more women
:25:39. > :25:39.in work, fewer children growing up in workless households than ever
:25:40. > :25:53.before. That is a huge achievement. Despite anurns there is would be no
:25:54. > :25:58.-- assurance there would be no more austerity cuts, from April any
:25:59. > :26:06.family with a third child will not benefit from child tax credit. Does
:26:07. > :26:10.the minister agree that to protect just managing families, this would
:26:11. > :26:17.be abandoned. No, I can repeat what the Chancellor was saying over the
:26:18. > :26:22.weekend, that this House has voted previously for certain benefit cuts,
:26:23. > :26:28.but we are not looking for any new benefit cuts in this Parliament. But
:26:29. > :26:34.Parliament has decided on the various measures, including the one
:26:35. > :26:40.he has just spoken about and we will be carrying those through. Many of
:26:41. > :26:45.those family who struggle to get by don't receive any welfare payments
:26:46. > :26:51.at all and so we shouldn't fall into the trap as seeing this as justified
:26:52. > :26:58.by the benefit system. But does he agree there is a case for sitting
:26:59. > :27:04.down with the Chancellor to what we can to to help families who struggle
:27:05. > :27:08.to get by? I agree with my honourable friend that he, he is
:27:09. > :27:12.right when he says that this is not purely about the payment of
:27:13. > :27:17.benefits. It is about having a system that enables people and
:27:18. > :27:23.supports people to get into work or back into work and to make progress
:27:24. > :27:28.in work when they're in work. And that is is the thrust for example of
:27:29. > :27:34.the work and health green paper which is designed for that
:27:35. > :27:39.particular group, those who have a disability or a long-term health
:27:40. > :27:44.problem, who have found it difficult find work. To find ways of helping
:27:45. > :27:52.they can so they can enjoy the wider success of the modern labour market.
:27:53. > :27:57.Since 2000 v 2010, unployment in my area is down by over half. We have
:27:58. > :28:02.seen falls in youth unemployment and we have record private investments
:28:03. > :28:05.that will bring new jobs. So as well as making sure the support is in
:28:06. > :28:10.place, will he call on the Chancellor for more of the same when
:28:11. > :28:17.it comes to job opportunities? I will. I agree, and I'm delighted to
:28:18. > :28:23.hear my honourable friend's constituency is showing so fully in
:28:24. > :28:27.the benefits of the more flexible and dynamic labour market we have
:28:28. > :28:32.created over the past few years. I'm sure he has found, as people all
:28:33. > :28:36.over the country have, for many people, work is the best route out
:28:37. > :28:44.of poverty and they are benefitting from what has been done and I assure
:28:45. > :28:47.him we will continue to do that. The resolution foundation has estimated
:28:48. > :28:54.that a single parent with one child under the age of four working
:28:55. > :28:59.full-time on the minimum wage will be up to ?3,6 hundred worse off a
:29:00. > :29:05.year by 20/20 does the Secretary of State think these change rss fair or
:29:06. > :29:09.will he be urging the Chancellor to reverse the cuts in the autumn
:29:10. > :29:15.statement? I do think changes are fair. And I think a lot of problem
:29:16. > :29:21.with the various pieces of analysis that have been produced by a number
:29:22. > :29:26.of think-tanks are they don't assess the effects of actually getting more
:29:27. > :29:32.people into work. And that all, or as I have made clear, progressing in
:29:33. > :29:35.work when they're in work. That, both of those acts help people with
:29:36. > :29:40.their family incomes and that I think is the way to give people more
:29:41. > :29:49.long-term security and ensure they don't just get out of poverty, they
:29:50. > :29:52.stay out of poverty as well. The Government's flagship universal
:29:53. > :29:56.credit programme has been in trouble, undermining the principle
:29:57. > :30:01.of always making work pay more than social security. Two and half
:30:02. > :30:07.million people in low paid will be on average over ?2,000 a year worse
:30:08. > :30:12.off as a result of the government's cuts, how can the Secretary of State
:30:13. > :30:17.justify Miz mantra that -- his mantra that work is done the route
:30:18. > :30:27.out of poverty when there are 7 million families in above. The why
:30:28. > :30:36.won't he honour his pledge to make work pay and reverse the cuts.
:30:37. > :30:41.Universal credit does make work pay, we remember the cliff edges people
:30:42. > :30:45.had, where they went over 16 hours a work they had to decide whether they
:30:46. > :30:52.would better off in work or on benefits. That is a terrible choice
:30:53. > :30:59.to put before someone. And the whoil point of universal credit is that
:31:00. > :31:04.work always pay and people know if they go into work they will always
:31:05. > :31:10.get a benefit. I think if the the honourable lady doesn't accept that,
:31:11. > :31:13.then I'm afraid she and I just fundamentally disagree about the
:31:14. > :31:16.fact that work is the best route out of poverty and she appears to be
:31:17. > :31:32.denying that fact. No 9. Last week we announced the
:31:33. > :31:39.remaineders der of universal credit. It is now being delivered in every
:31:40. > :31:46.job centre and local authority with over 400,000 claimants now receiving
:31:47. > :31:50.it. Thank you. Given on universal credit you're more likely to be
:31:51. > :31:55.employed to work more and to earn more than on JSA, can the Secretary
:31:56. > :31:59.of State confirm in terms of mechanics of progress on the roll
:32:00. > :32:04.out that the test and learn approach is enabling difficulties to be
:32:05. > :32:09.quickly identified and resolved so that it can be delivered very
:32:10. > :32:13.smoothly? I think my honourable friend is right to point out the
:32:14. > :32:17.technical aspects of roll out, because we have always been clear
:32:18. > :32:22.that an undertaking of this size and scale would be bound to meet
:32:23. > :32:27.obstacles. That is why we adopted the test and learn approach that he
:32:28. > :32:32.has mentioned. And I'm glad to report that it has worked. We have
:32:33. > :32:39.listened to issues raised by our staff, by officials and claim mants
:32:40. > :32:44.and others and we now have a solid foundation, universal credit has
:32:45. > :32:57.delivered in every job centre and local authority area and we have
:32:58. > :33:03.over 400,000 people receiving it. 25th novice UN international day to
:33:04. > :33:09.end violence to women. Problems can be caused to women or men in an
:33:10. > :33:14.abusive relationship and it could exacerbate the difficulties. Will
:33:15. > :33:20.the minister consider automatically splitting payments? Automatically
:33:21. > :33:24.splitting payments would introduce many technical difficulties so that
:33:25. > :33:31.might cause more problems than it solved. But in individual instances
:33:32. > :33:37.it is possible to split the payments to meet the problem she identified
:33:38. > :33:44.and others. But I think doing it automatically would probably not be
:33:45. > :33:50.krabgtical. -- practical. If the honourable gentleman can overcome
:33:51. > :33:54.his national shyness. Vulnerable people in supported housing stand to
:33:55. > :34:02.benefit from universal credit if it is done right. When I went to visit
:34:03. > :34:06.a Salvation Army centre there was concern there would be support in
:34:07. > :34:09.place to make sure people best spend the money they now have their own
:34:10. > :34:14.control over, could the Secretary of State say what support will be
:34:15. > :34:19.available? Yes, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to work
:34:20. > :34:24.of Salvation Army in his constituency and I know in mine,
:34:25. > :34:29.where they have celebrated their 125th anniversary. That is why we
:34:30. > :34:35.have developed a personal budgeting strategy to ensure that claimants
:34:36. > :34:44.have access to money advice, for the transition to universal credit. And
:34:45. > :34:48.indeed there will be a small minority that may need alternative
:34:49. > :34:55.arrangements that. Particularly in the housing sphere is a necessary
:34:56. > :35:03.part of flexibility that we can have with universal credit so a minority
:35:04. > :35:11.are helped to do so. I am dealing with a universal credit case whereby
:35:12. > :35:20.a constituent has been left near destitute. The DWP have alleged he
:35:21. > :35:25.is not a English citizen. Will the minister meet with me to discuss
:35:26. > :35:30.this case to stop this happening to anyone else as universal credit is
:35:31. > :35:34.rolled out I'm always happy to meet the honourable lady to discuss
:35:35. > :35:38.individual cases if she wants. Or if she wants to write me. I will ensure
:35:39. > :35:45.it is dealt with as quickly as possible. Thank you the Government
:35:46. > :35:48.is committed to the creation of jobs and making work pay. We know that
:35:49. > :35:53.work is the best route of poverty and that is why our welfare reforms
:35:54. > :36:00.are focussed on supporting people into work. Interesting if it doesn't
:36:01. > :36:08.necessarily address the question I asked. The Institute for Fiscal
:36:09. > :36:16.Studies last week highlighted the impact that weakersterling will have
:36:17. > :36:19.on the cost of benefits, clothing and food, they estimate inflation
:36:20. > :36:24.could be 2.7%. These are circumstances that were not known
:36:25. > :36:28.and not anticipated at the time when the decision was made to freeze
:36:29. > :36:33.benefits. Should they not themselves be the catalyst for a wre view of
:36:34. > :36:37.that decision? I thank the honourable gentleman for that
:36:38. > :36:42.question. He will of course be aware that last month inflation was down.
:36:43. > :36:46.What is important is we support people who can work into jobs and
:36:47. > :36:50.into better jobs. That is the premise behind universal credit.
:36:51. > :36:57.Getting people into work lifts them out of poverty and our reforms
:36:58. > :37:07.including increasing the national minimum wage, cutting income tax and
:37:08. > :37:10.the roll out of universal credit. Job centre plus district managers
:37:11. > :37:16.have discretion to work with food banks in areas where the banks are
:37:17. > :37:26.willing to work with them. As part of wider outreach programme. In just
:37:27. > :37:36.six months the Trussell trust has provided more than 2,000 children in
:37:37. > :37:41.Bristol with food parcels. Will the minister agree to the Trussell
:37:42. > :37:46.trust's request to provide a job centre plus hotline for food bank
:37:47. > :37:51.volunteers? Well, first I should say that 90% of out of work benefits are
:37:52. > :38:01.paid on time and we strive to make that better. On the question of is
:38:02. > :38:05.the job centre plus network willing to work with food banks, there is
:38:06. > :38:10.discretion do that. Where the food bank is also happy to do so and
:38:11. > :38:17.there are plenty of examples of that in term of signposting and having
:38:18. > :38:28.work coaches go to food banks. Question 14. Our policy is designed
:38:29. > :38:32.by service user panels, provision is monitored and measured by
:38:33. > :38:39.independent audit and the providers is held to account through the
:38:40. > :38:47.account we have. Citizen's Advice and Mind said in March that private
:38:48. > :38:51.contractor assessors were failing claim avnts with mental health
:38:52. > :38:55.issues. What progress has been made in recruiting mental health nurses
:38:56. > :39:02.by providers to ensure that claimants get the support they need?
:39:03. > :39:06.We have introduced a number of new measures, which include improved
:39:07. > :39:14.training, additional recruitment, but also to ensure that we can
:39:15. > :39:17.monitor to ensure that those doing astessmentes -- assessments are
:39:18. > :39:26.referring o' into mental health services in they feel that is
:39:27. > :39:31.required. A 14-year-old Olivier cares for her mother, with multiple
:39:32. > :39:36.sclerosis. There is uncertainty, where no one is able to work or care
:39:37. > :39:42.for her mother. Would my honourable friend applaud young carers and in
:39:43. > :39:45.light of the proposed end to assessments, if she would consider
:39:46. > :39:48.extending this to people who rely on children to care for them until such
:39:49. > :39:57.time as they finish education. I certainly pay tribute to Olivia
:39:58. > :40:00.and thousands like her who do a physically demanding and emotionally
:40:01. > :40:09.demanding job for their loved ones. What I would say to him is that I do
:40:10. > :40:12.recognise the principle. We've made changes to ESA reassessments. And
:40:13. > :40:17.the green paper affords us the opportunity to look at how that
:40:18. > :40:21.principle could be applied to PIP. What I would say to him is that it
:40:22. > :40:24.may be in his constituent's advantage to have further PIP
:40:25. > :40:28.assessments as her needs may actually increase, but there is an
:40:29. > :40:33.opportunity to have a much more streamlined process that I hope the
:40:34. > :40:38.green paper will deliver. Does the minister realise how wildly wrong
:40:39. > :40:46.some of these assessments can be. I had a constituent with cerebral
:40:47. > :40:50.palsy, told he would get no mobility component, risked losing his car and
:40:51. > :40:54.hence the ability to work. Are there any financial sanctions imposed on
:40:55. > :41:01.the contractor for getting such assessments wildly wrong and
:41:02. > :41:08.threatening people's jobs? Well, her question is in relation to PIP, but
:41:09. > :41:11.we have also introduced other ways we can measure a contractor's
:41:12. > :41:16.performance including use of clinical data. What I would say to
:41:17. > :41:21.her though, is that whether it's PIP or ESA, what we need to ensure is
:41:22. > :41:26.that the evidence that we need to make those judgments is submitted
:41:27. > :41:32.early in the process. We have been doing work to ensure that happens.
:41:33. > :41:37.It is improving things considerably. Number 20 Mr Speaker. Thank you Mr
:41:38. > :41:40.Speaker. In his written ministerial statement to the House of Commons on
:41:41. > :41:44.15th September my right honourable friend the Secretary of State
:41:45. > :41:48.confirmed that from 2019/20 we will be introducing a new funding model
:41:49. > :41:52.for supported housing. I can confirm that today the department for work
:41:53. > :41:56.and pension as long the with the Department for Communities and Local
:41:57. > :42:00.Government will public a consultation document with the
:42:01. > :42:03.details to underpin the model and the evidence review of supported
:42:04. > :42:07.housing in Great Britain. One in five people affected by severe
:42:08. > :42:11.mental illness rely on supported housing. What discussions has the
:42:12. > :42:12.minister had with the Department of Health with the effect the policy
:42:13. > :42:19.changes have had on those suffering changes have had on those suffering
:42:20. > :42:23.with mental illness? Not only with other Government departments but
:42:24. > :42:27.with the supported housing sector myself and colleagues have been
:42:28. > :42:30.talking extensively not just since the 15th September but now that
:42:31. > :42:41.consultation document is published, those conversations will be going
:42:42. > :42:43.forward. Thank you Mr Speaker. Well, automatic enrolment will give about
:42:44. > :42:53.11 million people the opportunity to save in a work place pension scheme.
:42:54. > :42:56.All of that must meet qualifying criteria and minimum requirements.
:42:57. > :43:03.Just under seven million people have been enrolled by more than 293,000
:43:04. > :43:08.employers. It's welcome that more people are joining pension schemes,
:43:09. > :43:13.but given that the pension regulator has issued 3,700 penalty notices in
:43:14. > :43:17.the quarter to September, up from 861, doesn't this suggest that
:43:18. > :43:23.perhaps getting a bit too cumbersome on small businesses? The vast
:43:24. > :43:26.majority of small employers are meeting their automatic enrolment
:43:27. > :43:30.duties on time and without the need for any enforcement action. The
:43:31. > :43:33.regulator has issued more fixed penalty notices this quarter, that's
:43:34. > :43:38.perfectly true as my honourable friend pointed out. But it's
:43:39. > :43:39.proportionate to the number of employers now implementing automatic
:43:40. > :43:47.enrolment. THE SPEAKER: Topical questions.
:43:48. > :43:50.Number one, Sir. Mr Speaker, since my appointment as Secretary of State
:43:51. > :43:53.I've been determined to look at the benefits processes we have to ensure
:43:54. > :43:58.they're working in a fair and proper way. As part of that ongoing work,
:43:59. > :44:02.I've announced an extension to the group's who can access hardship
:44:03. > :44:05.payments immediately following a sanction. Those groups now include
:44:06. > :44:09.someone with a mental health condition and homeless people. This
:44:10. > :44:13.change will help ensure sanctions do not discourage those vulnerable
:44:14. > :44:17.groups from engaging fully with the welfare system. We have a system
:44:18. > :44:22.that's fair, protects of most vulnerable and supports people into
:44:23. > :44:28.work. I welcome what my right honourable friend has said to the
:44:29. > :44:33.House. But turning to the new figures from the office Office of
:44:34. > :44:36.National Statistics which show an increase of 590,000 disabled people
:44:37. > :44:42.in employment over the last three years, I am particularly pleased
:44:43. > :44:48.that these figures show that my local authority areas of Basingstoke
:44:49. > :44:52.and Dean have rates of 16. 3 and 14% above the national average. Would my
:44:53. > :44:54.right honourable friend join me in welcoming those figures. Can he
:44:55. > :44:58.assure me that this Government will commit to building on this success
:44:59. > :45:04.by continuing to reduce the disability employment gap? I'm
:45:05. > :45:09.grateful to my honourable friend and delighted to hear about the figures
:45:10. > :45:14.in his own area, which are reflecting, as he says, a national
:45:15. > :45:18.move where we are narrowing the disability employment gap by 2. 3%
:45:19. > :45:22.over the past year. There is still an enormous amount more to do, which
:45:23. > :45:27.is why we've produced the green paper jointly with the Department of
:45:28. > :45:31.Health. But this an absolutely central task for this department
:45:32. > :45:36.over the next three years and we will pursue it with as much vigour
:45:37. > :45:42.as we can. New criteria for PIP means that there's been a reduction
:45:43. > :45:47.in unaided walking criteria from 50 metres to 20 metres to qualify for
:45:48. > :45:50.the Motability scheme. Three of my constituents originally failed under
:45:51. > :45:54.the new criteria and were threatened that a car would be removed if they
:45:55. > :46:02.couldn't pay for it themselves. They won on appeal, like 60% of apelants.
:46:03. > :46:06.Would the minister maintain the payments during the appeal process
:46:07. > :46:14.and re-instating the crow tiara for 50 metres? I would say two things,
:46:15. > :46:18.first of all that particular criteria that I'm very aware of is
:46:19. > :46:21.not the sole criteria. Many other factors are taken into account.
:46:22. > :46:26.There is more I wish to do on Motability. We are looking at this
:46:27. > :46:32.whole area very closely. I continue to work with small
:46:33. > :46:36.businesses across my constituency of Cardiff north while automatic
:46:37. > :46:40.enrolment is rolled out. I was heartened by the report last week
:46:41. > :46:44.which showed that 22 to 29-year-olds especially are now massive boost in
:46:45. > :46:47.coverage of pensions. Can I ask the Government what it's doing to ensure
:46:48. > :46:50.that everyone in my constituency in Cardiff north and the United Kingdom
:46:51. > :46:55.has the opportunity of saving for a good quality work place pension? I
:46:56. > :47:00.thank my honourable friend for the question. I can reiterate the fact
:47:01. > :47:04.that plans to expand autoenrolment are taking place and hundreds of
:47:05. > :47:08.thousands of people are signing up for it. So there's been a
:47:09. > :47:12.significant improvement in that. And in terms of self-employed people and
:47:13. > :47:17.other people that are not within the scheme, we are having a review next
:47:18. > :47:24.year, 2017 review into automatic enrolment. That's just the sort of
:47:25. > :47:27.thing we should be looking at. Given the department promised to increase
:47:28. > :47:29.the number of people supported by access to work, account minister
:47:30. > :47:33.tell us why there are fewer people in receipt of access to work than
:47:34. > :47:37.there were in the last year of the last Labour Government? Well, I will
:47:38. > :47:43.happily write to the honourable gentleman with the figures, I don't
:47:44. > :47:46.recognise what he has said. We have actually expanded those schemes and
:47:47. > :47:51.the green paper asks what more we can do. We want to ensure that
:47:52. > :47:56.everyone who want to get into work has the equipment and the support
:47:57. > :48:01.they need to do so. A lot more people seem to be working
:48:02. > :48:05.till they're much older these days, few things are more depressing than
:48:06. > :48:08.after they've worked and put into their private pensions that when
:48:09. > :48:11.they do finally retired they are hammered for taxation until they
:48:12. > :48:15.drop. Is his department talking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer
:48:16. > :48:18.about imagine Tiff ways of rewarding people who have worked all their
:48:19. > :48:23.lives and just done the right thing? I thank the honourable gentleman for
:48:24. > :48:27.that question. I'm sure, I sincerely hope from his point of view that he
:48:28. > :48:31.doesn't work until he drops. But I take the main point that he says
:48:32. > :48:36.which is that people are retiring older. I'm sure that the Treasury as
:48:37. > :48:39.part of a continual policy of reducing taxation for people will be
:48:40. > :48:45.looking to this in the future. But the good news is that with pension
:48:46. > :48:49.freedoms and of course the tax-free element that pensioners enjoy, there
:48:50. > :48:57.is a lot more scope now for pensioners to do the kind of thing
:48:58. > :49:02.that he's saying. Thank you Mr Speaker. The IFS project that child
:49:03. > :49:10.poverty will go up by 50% over the course of this Parliament. Why is
:49:11. > :49:14.that? Well, the IFS's projections are for the IFS to explain. I can
:49:15. > :49:17.give the honourable gentleman the facts. The proportion of people
:49:18. > :49:24.living in relative poverty is near its lowest level for more than 30
:49:25. > :49:29.years. Since 2010, there are 300,000 fewer people in poverty, 100,000
:49:30. > :49:32.fewer working-age adults in poverty and 100,000 fewer children in
:49:33. > :49:39.poverty. I think the whole House should welcome those figures. I'd
:49:40. > :49:44.like to ask my right honourable friend what the Government is doing
:49:45. > :49:50.to ensure that there is a whole system approach to seeing work as a
:49:51. > :49:53.health outcome? I would point my honourable friend to the joint
:49:54. > :49:58.health and work green paper that we have just published. I think this is
:49:59. > :50:02.a key opportunity early enough in this Parliament if we wanted to
:50:03. > :50:06.reform things like the work capability assessment we could do
:50:07. > :50:10.so, that will really ensure that people who need support get it
:50:11. > :50:17.whether it is coming from our services or health care.
:50:18. > :50:21.By Wednesday's Autumn Statement it will be 505 days since the
:50:22. > :50:27.Government announced the two child clause policy and rate clause in the
:50:28. > :50:31.budget 2015. It's estimated this policy will put 200,000 children
:50:32. > :50:36.into poverty by 2020. The Government still can't tell us how it will
:50:37. > :50:41.actually work with a measly 38-day consultation for the public to
:50:42. > :50:45.respond. When will the Government finally admit that the two child
:50:46. > :50:50.policy is unworkable, when will he scrap the policy? Difficult
:50:51. > :50:54.decisions had to be made in welfare reform. The vast majority of
:50:55. > :51:00.families with children have fewer than two children, this is one
:51:01. > :51:03.decision made. It plies to only new case -- applies to only new cases.
:51:04. > :51:07.With regards to the exemptions, these are some of the most difficult
:51:08. > :51:11.and sensitive topics. It is right to have a full consultation and work
:51:12. > :51:16.closely with experts in the sector to make sure we get the process
:51:17. > :51:19.exactly right. I was very pleased to hear last week from the minister for
:51:20. > :51:25.the disabled that she really understands the extra costs that
:51:26. > :51:31.people have in the ESA group. She talks about liquidity. Can she
:51:32. > :51:35.reiterate the assurance that the people who no longer receive the
:51:36. > :51:40.benefit could be compensated in other ways, could she clarify? Yes,
:51:41. > :51:46.I'd be happy to give reassurances. In addition to discretionary
:51:47. > :51:49.payments made through the work coach with the financial, flexible support
:51:50. > :51:53.fund - yes, it's always been the case. With relation to costs that
:51:54. > :51:58.they incur from actually getting into work, those other costs that
:51:59. > :52:02.they face, not directly related to getting into work, we are looking at
:52:03. > :52:06.ways of how we actually reduce the outgoings. There are a number of
:52:07. > :52:10.national and locally administered schemes to mitigate those costs. I
:52:11. > :52:13.am very clear, we have to do both things, ensure that someone can
:52:14. > :52:17.endure and cope with the situation that necessity find themselves in
:52:18. > :52:23.but we must also bring forward that support in April to enable them to
:52:24. > :52:28.get out of the situation. With around ?4 billion of child
:52:29. > :52:33.support debt still outstanding, and DWP's own figures to March this year
:52:34. > :52:37.showing that 90,000 nonresident parents had not paid child support
:52:38. > :52:42.in full, will the Secretary of State tell the House where extra resources
:52:43. > :52:49.can be found to ensure those parents due child maintenance receive it in
:52:50. > :52:52.full and on time? We encourage paying payments to pay their
:52:53. > :52:55.maintenance on time and in full and to avoid the accrual of arrears.
:52:56. > :52:59.However, where a paying parent fails to pay on time, we aim to take
:53:00. > :53:03.immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. We have
:53:04. > :53:08.a range of strong enforcements powering including seizing property
:53:09. > :53:11.and commitment to prison. We attempt to re-establish compliance initially
:53:12. > :53:16.through a one-off card payment or negotiated agreement. Deduction from
:53:17. > :53:20.the paying parent's owning or deduction from a bank account. We
:53:21. > :53:24.are in the process of responding to a consultation from earlier this
:53:25. > :53:32.year on using powers to deduct from joint bank accounts. Will he allow
:53:33. > :53:35.alternative payment arrangements for universal credit claimants with
:53:36. > :53:40.complex need to start at the beginning of their tennancies and
:53:41. > :53:49.will he ensure such arrangements are delivered quickly? The DWP have long
:53:50. > :53:54.recognised challenges faced in relation to universal credit. We
:53:55. > :53:57.will ensure that suitable financial products are available and for the
:53:58. > :54:01.small minority that need them, alternative payment arrangements can
:54:02. > :54:06.be set up. All APA cases are dealt with urgentsly. The majority of
:54:07. > :54:11.cases are processed within a five-day average clearance time. It
:54:12. > :54:14.was a long overdue victory for common sense that those people with
:54:15. > :54:19.chronic illnesses and long-term conditions will no longer be subject
:54:20. > :54:24.to the work capability assessment, but what about our brave veterans in
:54:25. > :54:28.receipt of war pensions? Why are they still subject to work
:54:29. > :54:32.capability assessment? I think the honourable gentleman makes a very
:54:33. > :54:35.good point. It is one as a former Armed Forces Minister that I have
:54:36. > :54:38.discussed with the department and that's why we have specific
:54:39. > :54:48.questions related to our armeds forces in the green paper. The most
:54:49. > :54:52.challenging gap we need to bridge in the disability employment statistics
:54:53. > :54:55.are the ones for people with learning difficulties. In answer to
:54:56. > :54:59.a written question, the Civil Service were unable to break down
:55:00. > :55:02.those stats to show the numbers of people employed with learning
:55:03. > :55:08.disabilities. Does the minister agree this would be vital stats to
:55:09. > :55:12.help in our ability to provide policies and support for people in
:55:13. > :55:19.these circumstances? I agree absolutely with my honourable
:55:20. > :55:24.friend, which is why we are doing that at a local level as possible.
:55:25. > :55:27.On December 5 we are holding a drop-in session to which every
:55:28. > :55:32.member of the House will be invited. As well as giving them information
:55:33. > :55:36.about how to run local events to get participation in the green paper
:55:37. > :55:40.consultation, we will be giving them local data so that they can get that
:55:41. > :55:42.local focus on the people we are trying to help today and the unmet
:55:43. > :55:53.need. Paper Can the Secretary of State
:55:54. > :55:57.advice why his colleagues voted for my motion calling on the the
:55:58. > :56:02.Government to pause cuts to ESA and universal credit. Members are
:56:03. > :56:09.entitled to vote in their House the way they like. I disagree with his
:56:10. > :56:15.motion, and... I'm not sure the Chief Whip would entirely agree with
:56:16. > :56:18.me at all times. But it is a fact. I disagree with the case the
:56:19. > :56:23.honourable gentleman made in that debate. I think as has been explored
:56:24. > :56:29.over the last hour in this question time, there has to be a bans --
:56:30. > :56:33.balance between keeping the public finances in order and ensuring our
:56:34. > :56:36.benefits system works as well as possible to help as many people as
:56:37. > :56:44.possible into work. That is what we have been doing for many years and
:56:45. > :56:49.that is what we will continue to do. Universal credit was roll out in
:56:50. > :56:54.Waverly on 25th May, at present it is not going well and many people
:56:55. > :56:59.are finding themselves in difficult situations. Can the Secretary of
:57:00. > :57:04.State assure me and my constituents that everything is being done to
:57:05. > :57:09.address these technical issues, so that universal credit can play the
:57:10. > :57:15.role for which it was intended. I'm always happy to talk about any
:57:16. > :57:19.technical issues as we roll out this important benefit. And if my
:57:20. > :57:25.honourable friend wishes to bring them to my attention in detail,
:57:26. > :57:32.which will talk to him about them. Shouldn't the people who were
:57:33. > :57:39.damaged by the contaminated blood scandal be passported on to the new
:57:40. > :57:43.Pip reveal if they're already in receipt of DLA. I don't know whether
:57:44. > :57:47.it is an issue the the honourable lady has raised before, I'm sorry if
:57:48. > :57:51.I'm not aware of the previous correspondence she has had with the
:57:52. > :57:57.department. I would be happy to meet with her to is the cuss that. --
:57:58. > :58:07.discuss that. Pip helps people with mental conditions higher than under
:58:08. > :58:14.DLA. What can be done to signpost people to additional support? We
:58:15. > :58:19.have been trialing a number of measures, for example the mental
:58:20. > :58:21.health trail blazers that combine employment support advice with
:58:22. > :58:27.psychological support delivered through the NHS and we are going to
:58:28. > :58:31.roll that out nationally. Does the Secretary of State understand that
:58:32. > :58:35.the dismissive answers the minister gave about the problems faced by
:58:36. > :58:40.WASPI women are a slap in the face to women who have worked all their
:58:41. > :58:44.lives and in many cased have retired to look after sick or elderly
:58:45. > :58:51.relatives, thus saving the country millions of pounds. It is time they
:58:52. > :58:58.recognised those who have done the right play should be looked at a and
:58:59. > :59:03.their situation alleviated. Since the original legislation was passed
:59:04. > :59:09.now more than 20 years ago and since the 20 lever act, the Government
:59:10. > :59:15.committed 1.1 billion to lessen the impact of the changes for those
:59:16. > :59:18.affected and in the end, we have to address the issue that clearly
:59:19. > :59:26.having the same pension age for men and women is fair. And that at a
:59:27. > :59:31.time when we are all living longer, then it is necessary if we are going
:59:32. > :59:38.to keep a credible pension system going, for the pension age to go up
:59:39. > :59:44.gradually for both sexes. And I'm sorry that many people in the Labour
:59:45. > :59:48.Party don't seem to accept those basic facts of arithmetic. But
:59:49. > :59:52.they're basic facts. The mitigations that were put in place means that no
:59:53. > :59:57.one has seen their pension age change by more than 18 months
:59:58. > :00:03.compared to the previous time table for 81% of these women the increase
:00:04. > :00:07.will be no more than 12 months. As a final point for the honourable
:00:08. > :00:13.gentleman who is shouting, other countries have actually done this
:00:14. > :00:19.faster than the UK. In nine European countries, including Germany,
:00:20. > :00:26.Denmark and the Netherlands, the state pension age was 65 for women
:00:27. > :00:30.as far back as 2009. So I'm afraid the Labour Party will have to accept
:00:31. > :00:33.these basic facts. I was hoping there would be time for the
:00:34. > :00:41.remaining two questioners. There isn't. But it with will have to be
:00:42. > :00:46.found any way. On Saturday evening I met with a constituent who came to
:00:47. > :00:49.see my about the issue of PIP reassessments for those with
:00:50. > :00:54.deafness-related questions. The question he wanted to put was
:00:55. > :00:57.whether part of review of reassessment process whether
:00:58. > :01:02.ministers will look carefully at the situation relating to these group of
:01:03. > :01:06.individuals. Yes, the Green Paper will afford us the opportunity to do
:01:07. > :01:13.that. I think around certain disabilities in particular, there
:01:14. > :01:19.are some sensitive issues about how someone might need help provided,
:01:20. > :01:22.for example someone's preference to use sign language which we also need
:01:23. > :01:32.to take into account. We will do that. I was contacted by a
:01:33. > :01:37.constituent who was asked to complete an evaluation form at the
:01:38. > :01:41.end of a Pip assessment and alleges the professional who conducted the
:01:42. > :01:46.assessment stood over her and watched as she completed the
:01:47. > :01:52.paperwork. I'm sure the minister will share my alarm that people may
:01:53. > :01:56.feel menaced into giving favourable feedback. Will she look into this? I
:01:57. > :02:00.think if the honourable lady can give me any more specifics about
:02:01. > :02:06.that, I will be happy to look into it. In terms of the satisfaction
:02:07. > :02:14.reviews that are done, the satisfaction rating is high, and I
:02:15. > :02:22.do not think my view... No, no, I I think we need to give credit where
:02:23. > :02:30.it is due due. If that practice is going on, I will be very happy to
:02:31. > :02:34.look into it. Order. Urgent question, Lisa Nandy. To make a
:02:35. > :02:39.statement on the leadership, staffing and budget and structure of
:02:40. > :02:50.the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. Mr Speaker, the
:02:51. > :02:54.inquiry was set up to look at the extent to which institutions in
:02:55. > :03:00.England and Wales failed to protect children from sexual abuse. We know
:03:01. > :03:04.the terrible impact that abuse has on survivors, sometimes for many
:03:05. > :03:12.years. As the House knows, following the resignation of the previous
:03:13. > :03:19.chair, my honourable friend the Home Secretary appointed Alexis Jay. She
:03:20. > :03:21.has a distinguished career in social work. She