Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Guy Opperman and Mark Fletcher

Monday 4th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Guy Opperman]

I can only repeat that, compared with 2009-10, there are 400,000 fewer children in absolute poverty after housing costs.

[Mark Fletcher (Bolsover) (Con)]

14. What recent progress his Department has made on tackling benefit fraud.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Guy Opperman and Mark Fletcher

Monday 13th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Guy Opperman]

That is a bit rich. When the last Labour Government were in power, the state pension was under £100; it is now going up to £185 going forward. It is almost double what it was before thanks to the triple lock introduced by this Government and the coalition Government. It is also very much the case that pension credit take-up is actually going up, not down. Over the two years of the pandemic, both the basic and new state pension will have increased by more than prices thanks to the cumulative effects of the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020 and the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2021.

[Mark Fletcher (Bolsover) (Con)]

11. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure cross-Government delivery of the national disability strategy.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Guy Opperman and Mark Fletcher

Monday 9th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Guy Opperman]

I am afraid that the hon. and learned Lady is wrong. I will quote from the Marmot review, which says on page 13 that

“Increases in life expectancy have slowed since 2010”,

but then adds at page 15 that

“Life expectancy at birth has been increasing since the beginning of the 20th century.”

[Mark Fletcher (Bolsover) (Con)]

13. What steps she is taking to reduce the number of assessments undertaken by claimants with disabilities.