Elections Bill
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Lord Ashton of HydeThursday 10th March 2022
(2 years, 2 months ago)
Lords ChamberRead Full debate Elections Act 2022 View all Elections Act 2022 Debates Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts Amendment Paper: HL Bill 96-I(b) Amendments for Committee (Supplementary to the Marshalled List) - (10 Mar 2022)
Lord Ashton of Hyde (Con)
Now we have a debate, which the Minister can answer.
Tax Credits
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Lord Ashton of Hyde(8 years, 6 months ago)
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Lord Ashton of Hyde
The noble Lord may not want to hear it but I will tell him anyway:
“We will continue to reform tax credits and save the money needed so that Britain lives within its means while at the same time lessening the impact on families during the transition”.—[Official Report, Commons, 27/10/15; col 177.]
The Chancellor has said that he will set out those plans in the Autumn Statement.
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister have an estimate of the number of disabled children whose families will be driven into debt as a result of the planned tax credit cuts? Will he give the House an assurance that he will put pressure on the Chancellor to mitigate these quite appalling consequences in his Autumn Statement?
Lord Ashton of Hyde
My Lords, I am not quite sure what the planned tax credits are now, which is why we will wait until the Autumn Statement. However, I can say that for disabled people we have until now protected those benefits related to the additional costs of disability and we will continue to do so.
Humanist Marriage
Debate between Baroness Meacher and Lord Ashton of Hyde
Lord Ashton of Hyde
I can tell my noble friend that in Scotland there were 3,052 humanist marriages in 2012. There are estimated to be 600 to 800 humanist marriages which are not legally valid at the moment, although 80% have civil marriages as well.
Baroness Meacher (CB)
My Lords, when all that the proposal seeks to do is extend the current practice for Jewish and Quaker marriages to humanists, does the Minister accept that this is not a major change in the law? In view of the overwhelming support in the consultation for this change, would the Minister agree that there is no reason not to go ahead before the election?
Lord Ashton of Hyde
I do not know that there was overwhelming support. The responses are being evaluated at the moment, and there will be an announcement by the end of the year.