Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Lake Excerpts

Wednesday 15th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is completely right to draw the link between drug addiction and rough sleeping. That is why our drugs strategy is so absolutely vital for tackling this problem. I also want to thank local councils and everybody involved in the Everyone In campaign. Homelessness and rough sleeping are a blight and a disgrace—a shame for our society. I am proud to say that our rough sleeping snapshot shows that levels have fallen by 43% since 2017, although clearly, as we come out of the pandemic in the next year or so, we must make sure that we continue to reduce rough sleeping. It remains an absolute priority for this Government.

[Ben Lake (Ceredigion) (PC)]

Q3. With the emergence of the omicron variant and the rising number of covid infections, more and more people are being asked to self-isolate or stay at home to look after isolating children. I have been contacted by people in Ceredigion who have been excluded from isolation support payments as they are not in receipt of benefits or are above the weekly earnings threshold. Will the Prime Minister act urgently to increase statutory sick pay, which currently stands at a mere £96.35 a week, so that people in this position do not have to choose between following public health regulations and putting food on the table?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank the hon. Gentleman very much. I understand the difficulty that some families will find themselves in. We want to look after everybody throughout the pandemic. That is why we have done things like lifting the living wage in the way we have and increasing the funds available for childcare, but also making sure that councils have an extra hardship fund of half a billion pounds to help families of the kind that he describes through this winter.