Health: Economic Inactivity Debate

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Baroness Meacher

Main Page: Baroness Meacher (Crossbench - Life peer)

Health: Economic Inactivity

Baroness Meacher Excerpts
Thursday 18th May 2023

(1 year, 6 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Evans of Rainow Portrait Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
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My Lords, it is great to see the noble Lord in his place. When I saw him sat there, I had déjà vu from his green Bench in the House of Commons—he is in exactly the same place to ask those Exocet questions. On his specific question, health can be linked to welfare payments, but it is also linked to unemployment because being in good-quality work benefits people’s health and well-being and that of all communities.

Baroness Meacher Portrait Baroness Meacher (CB)
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My Lords, when chronic fatigue, whether triggered by Covid or some other virus, contributes so substantially to the numbers of economically inactive people, can the Minister explain what progress has been made to find a treatment for these very severely handicapped patients? What are the Government doing to make sure that a treatment is urgently found?

Lord Evans of Rainow Portrait Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
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The noble Baroness asks a difficult question that I cannot answer in full. But the Government are supporting disabled people and have done for over a decade now. It is important that people who can work should do so, including disabled people. But I cannot give a fulsome response to the noble Baroness’s question, so I will write to her.