Results 1-20 of 320 for speaker:Baroness Wilkins

Care Bill [HL]: Second Reading (21 May 2013)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, as so many noble Lords have said, making the points that I wanted to make, this is potentially a very important piece of legislation. I warmly welcome it. The well-being principle set out in Clause 1 is particularly welcome and the Government are to be congratulated on acting on so many of the Joint Committee's recommendations for strengthening the Bill. But unless this Bill is...

NHS: West London Hospitals — Question (28 February 2013)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, will the Minister recognise that parking needs of both visitors and patients need to be fully taken into account when making this sort of decision? I declare an interest as being an only-too-frequent visitor to Charing Cross A&E over the last year. It would have been impossible to get to Chelsea and Westminster hospital where the parking is appalling, both for myself and for my...

Transport: HS2 — Question for Short Debate (26 February 2013)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I declare an interest as I was brought up in Amersham and have family and friends living there and in other areas being blighted by this scheme. They are not nimbys but are among the thousands of people throughout the country who have examined the arguments for HS2 and find them utterly unconvincing. The Government claim that HS2 is in the national interest and that it will serve to...

Written Answers — House of Lords: Health: Urology (25 February 2013)

Baroness Wilkins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the commencement of clinical commissioning groups on stoma and continence patients. To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the commencement of clinical commissioning groups on arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff.

Written Answers — House of Lords: Deaf People: Benefits (28 January 2013)

Baroness Wilkins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support will be available to deaf people who need communication support if they are unable to follow complex information when communicating verbally, following the passage of the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013.

Health: Hearing Loss — Question (17 December 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a screening programme for hearing loss for those over the age of 65.

Health: Hearing Loss — Question (17 December 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: I thank the Minister for that reply. He will be aware of the huge level of undiagnosed hearing loss in the UK and the impact this can have on other conditions. It is estimated that at least 4 million people who need a hearing aid do not have one. Not only does unaddressed hearing loss increase social isolation and depression, but there is increasing evidence that there is a link to dementia....

Social Care — Motion to Take Note (29 November 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I, too, warmly congratulate my noble friend Lady Pitkeathley on obtaining this debate. Most especially, I applaud her for highlighting the significant role which housing plays in this debate. The impact which the lack of housing-poor, inaccessible and unsafe homes-have on our health and social care is too often ignored. It is rarely even mentioned, but cuts in the housing budget...

Health: Atos — Question (26 November 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, 40% of those who go to appeal about an Atos assessment win their appeal. Will the Minister say what the cost of those tribunals has been and why the taxpayer should pay for the inadequacy of Atos's assessments?

Welfare Reform Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendment (14 February 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, it was shocking that the other place left so little time for the important amendment concerning the disability addition for children. It received scant debate. I strongly support the current amendment for the reasons that I gave at Third Reading, and trust that the Minister now understands the damage that the Bill will do to disabled children unless action is taken.

Welfare Reform Bill: Third Reading (31 January 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: The Minister said that those children will receive £8,000. They are receiving £9,500 under the current rules.

Welfare Reform Bill: Third Reading (31 January 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I have added my name to this amendment, which has been ably introduced by the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher. The children we are talking about, those who will be affected by this reduction in benefit, are those who are profoundly deaf, who have Down's syndrome and those with cerebral palsy, among many other conditions. The Government are focusing their resources on the most severely...

Welfare Reform Bill — Report (4th Day) (Continued) (17 January 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I, too, put my name to the amendment. I declare an interest as someone who was awarded mobility allowance for life and was then moved to DLA at its inception. I have continued to receive this past pension age. I strongly support the amendment, which would put in the Bill the assurance that awards of PIP will be retained after retirement age, as is the case with DLA. When the...

Welfare Reform Bill: Report (4th Day) (17 January 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I support the amendment, which seeks to ensure that the assessment for the new entitlement is fit for purpose and fulfils the Government's commitment to the social model of disability. As has already been noted, DLA occupies a unique space in the welfare benefits system as it recognises that disabled people face a plethora of extra, often prohibitive, costs as a result of living in...

Welfare Reform Bill: Report (4th Day) (17 January 2012)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I strongly support the amendment, which has the support of many disability organisations and thousands of disabled people and their families who face losing help under the Government's plans. The noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, has already outlined the numbers of people affected by the Government's proposals. These people are not fakers and scroungers. Of current low-rate care...

Health and Social Care Bill: Committee (14th Day) (19 December 2011)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I fully support the amendment just spoken to by the noble Baroness, Lady Jolly, in relation to housing. I speak to Amendment 330A, which is down in my name and in those of the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, and the noble Lord, Lord Low. It is a probing amendment to ask the Minister to ensure that education providers, including academies, schools and colleges, are represented on the...

Welfare Reform Bill: Report (2nd Day) (14 December 2011)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, the Joint Committee on Human Rights has just published its legislative scrutiny of the Welfare Reform Bill in its 21st report of the Session. I quote from its recommendations: "The National Housing Federation estimates that about 108,000 tenants in social rented properties adapted specifically for their needs are likely to be affected by the introduction of the size criteria to...

Welfare Reform Bill: Report (1st Day) (Continued) (12 December 2011)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I strongly support the amendment and urge all noble Lords to do so. Are we really becoming such a mean-spirited nation that we are willing to take away funding from less disabled children as the only means by which more severely disabled children can benefit? That is what the Government are proposing to do with this clause, although we know from a recent Children's Society report...

Funding of Care and Support — Motion to Take Note (24 November 2011)

Baroness Wilkins: My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Pitkeathley for initiating this timely debate. The noble Baroness, Lady Campbell of Surbiton, had hoped to take part but, sadly, she has developed a chest infection and I know that all noble Lords will want to join me in wishing her a speedy recovery. She asked me to speak to the points that she wished to make, which I share, and to thank Marija Davidson...