National Insurance: Charity Sector
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Baroness Twycross(1 week, 3 days ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I think we need not to talk ourselves into a corner on this, where we assume that things are going to be as dire as they might be. In response to the question put to my noble friend Lady Taylor, who is here today, let me say that we would not have made the choice unless we had to, but there is a need to protect small businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the employment allowance to £10,500 and extended it to all eligible employers. The OBR expects about 250,000 employers to gain from the changes and a considerable number to see no change at all, so more than half of all businesses, including charities, will not see the rise that the noble Lord suggests will happen.
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, having worked with the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux some years ago, I am very conscious that most bureaux operate on an absolute shoestring. Will the Government consider exempting these small bureaux and other small charitable organisations from the national insurance rise? Many of them simply will not be able to deal with it and they will go out of business.
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I hope it is reassuring to the noble Baroness that the smallest charities and organisations should not see a rise in their national insurance contributions. If she has examples of citizens advice bureaux where they think this is not the case, I ask her to let me know. I am hugely aware of and in awe of the work that the citizens advice bureaux do in supporting some of our most vulnerable citizens.
Olympics and Paralympics: Competitors in Female Categories
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Baroness Twycross
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I am not aware of that report. I will read it and respond to the noble Baroness in writing.
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, will the Minister assure the House that the Government will take action to ensure that biological men cannot in future compete in sports in the female category, at the Olympic level and levels below?
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I repeat that the sports councils’ guidance recognises that there need to be different solutions for different sports; it is not a matter of the Government dictating to the sports councils how they should address this. The sports councils and the sports themselves need to assess the situation, take into account the differences between the different sports and make appropriate recommendations for their own sport based on up-to-date research.
Infected Blood Inquiry
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Baroness Twycross
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, I want to add bit of urgency to the point about full compensation. The noble Earl, Lord Howe, rightly referred to the urgent need for treatment for the victims of the infected blood scandal. It is ironic that we talk about the urgency of treatment and compensation decades after this happened. Nevertheless, it is good to hear that from the noble Earl, Lord Howe. The Minister referred to interim payments on a number of occasions, but these people do not just need interim payments. They have suffered and suffered for decades, and they need and deserve the full compensation as a matter of absolute urgency. I simply wish to leave that thought with the Minister.
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I reassure the noble Baroness that the Government are absolutely committed to paying comprehensive compensation to infected and affected victims of the blood scandal. This is such a priority for the Prime Minister that he stated this publicly on his second day in office. I hope the noble Baroness can take some reassurance from that.