Former Conservative MP for Eastbourne
Can the Minister tell us why her Government have presided over the closing of 100,000 pension schemes and the halving of active membership of those schemes? Why have her Government been so timid about supporting risk-sharing models so that employers and employees alike do not have to face the stark choice between DB and DC-defined benefit and defined contribution-schemes?
I thank all those who have spoken in this debate, and I am delighted that there is such consensus among all parties that the proposals are a good idea. I especially thank the Minister, who has taken real trouble to go into the matter in such depth. I particularly endorse what she said about the Cinnamon Trust and other bodies that are involved with the issue generally. I remind the House that...
Unless I misheard the Minister, her statistics are pretty damning. My arithmetic suggests that if those statistics are accurate, only one in 20 care homes is pet-friendly. Does that not underline the need for legislation along these lines?
I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. It is a great pleasure to be able to introduce my Bill. I begin by thanking its sponsors, who, as you will see, Mr. Deputy Speaker, are a cross-party group. I particularly thank the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer), who introduced a very similar Bill not long ago. I am grateful to him for all his help and encouragement on this...
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I know that he is a doughty campaigner in his constituency for older people and their rights. It is important that we try to put a stop to this needless trauma for older people. I am particularly interested in the matter not simply because of my experiences as a local MP, or indeed as vice-president of Age Concern Eastbourne, but also in my role as shadow...
I am most grateful for that intervention. The hon. Gentleman is right. Some charities-the hon. Gentleman may have come across them-bring pets into care homes for a couple of hours so that residents can pet and play with them. Clearly, there is a benefit from that. I cannot help him with the statistics, which are difficult to obtain. I suspect that one reason for that is that people have not...
The hon. Gentleman makes a good point, although I have come across some fairly vicious Yorkshire terriers in my time, particularly when out canvassing. I will be happy to take that on board in Committee. Basically, animals must be of a species authorised by the Secretary of State, so we are not talking about wolves, tigers or pythons, as I said, or anything of that sort. There could be an...
Speaking of cynicism, I wonder whether my hon. Friend can help me on this point: does she understand the tactics of the Liberal Democrats in apparently intending to go into the Lobby to vote against the uprating of all these benefits while hoping against hope that they will lose?
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) representations she has received from and (b) discussions she has had with (i) the Royal British Legion, (ii) other third sector organisations and (iii) other interested parties on the renaming of council tax benefit as council tax rebate.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has undertaken into the relationship between levels of spending on police and crime rates; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much capital funding has been allocated to the Sussex Police in each year since 2000.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions her Department has had with (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department for Communities and Local Government on the renaming of council tax benefit as council tax rebate.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what discussions her Department has held with the Local Government Association on the renaming of council tax benefit as council tax rebate; (2) what advice her Department issued to local authorities on renaming council tax benefit as council tax rebate; (3) what estimate her Department has made of the number of local authorities...
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate her Department has made of the potential number of additional claimants who will claim council tax benefit when it is renamed council tax rebate.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department has taken to draft legislation to facilitate the renaming of council tax benefit as council tax rebate; and when she expects to lay such legislation before Parliament.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the lessons to be learned from other Government IT projects in the delivery of services for the National Employment Savings Trust by the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority.
