Debates between Lord Markham and Baroness Verma during the 2019-2024 Parliament

Domestic Violence and Brain Injury

Debate between Lord Markham and Baroness Verma
Monday 23rd October 2023

(1 year, 1 month ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Markham Portrait Lord Markham (Con)
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I add my condolences following the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton—a true great. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for the work he has done in this space; it is another example of where being asked a Question forces us to look at the situation. The noble Lord made the point very well. Sport is in the news, and we have all seen the head injury assessment protocols, especially in rugby, but you are 11 times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury from domestic violence than you are from sport. When we get the findings from the research, early in the new year, I invite the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, to join me in ensuring that we have an action-oriented approach to make sure that the awareness and research supports a good action plan.

Baroness Verma Portrait Baroness Verma (Con)
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My Lords, can my noble friend assure me and the House that, when he is collecting data, he will also be looking at people from minority communities, particularly those who cannot report domestic violence issues for language reasons? Would my noble friend also talk to his colleagues in education, to ensure that everyone living in this country has access to learning English?

Lord Markham Portrait Lord Markham (Con)
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Yes, on both counts. Unfortunately, domestic violence is something that affects all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds and minorities. About 5.7% of women and 3% of men, and a lot of children, are thought to suffer domestic violence. I am absolutely happy to give that undertaking.

NHS: Discharge to Assess Policy

Debate between Lord Markham and Baroness Verma
Tuesday 8th November 2022

(2 years ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Verma Portrait Baroness Verma (Con)
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My Lords, I declare my interests as in the register. First, carers need respite, so will the Government focus on ensuring that carers’ families are given respite so that they can have some quality of life, which, at the moment, is not readily available to them? Secondly, will my noble friend the Minister please look yet again at the minimum that councils can pay providers for delivering adult social care?

Lord Markham Portrait Lord Markham (Con)
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First, I repeat that the needs of carers, including for a break, some respite, are very much understood. Part of the £292 million fund in 2022-23 is in place to try to give unpaid carers a week’s break. On the second part of the question, I will need to come back to my noble friend in writing.