All 3 Debates between Justin Tomlinson and Thangam Debbonaire

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justin Tomlinson and Thangam Debbonaire
Monday 1st July 2019

(5 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Justin Tomlinson Portrait Justin Tomlinson
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I know my right hon. Friend has championed the case of Miss Saamanthy and I understand that the trust has contacted her to discuss alternative roles in the organisation, including roles that staff with hearing disabilities have successfully been recruited into. I also encourage that particular NHS trust to sign up to the Disability Confident campaign.

Thangam Debbonaire Portrait Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)
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I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Speaker’s parliamentary placement scheme, which offers paid internships with training. The graduates graduated just last week. The one that I had the joy of hosting did very well out of that, and that was on the disability strand, hence my question. Will the Minister add his support to the disability strand of the scheme and also look at strengthening the learning from that scheme, so that we can help more employers in the public sector be better employers under Disability Confident?

Justin Tomlinson Portrait Justin Tomlinson
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Absolutely, and I am really encouraged to hear about that. Through the Disability Confident scheme and the Access to Work scheme, we want to do everything that we can to support these new opportunities being created, because ultimately, the employers benefit when disabled people’s talents are unlocked.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justin Tomlinson and Thangam Debbonaire
Monday 13th May 2019

(5 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Justin Tomlinson Portrait Justin Tomlinson
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There is a real emphasis on ensuring that assessors are best placed to identify how fluctuating health conditions and hidden disabilities will impact on the assessment. I am disappointed to hear what the hon. Lady reports and I would be happy to meet her to discuss it further.

Thangam Debbonaire Portrait Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)
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My caseworkers recently updated me on the thousands and thousands of pounds of public money that they have helped to recover for constituents who are entitled to it, often after many months of delays. I am not satisfied with that; I am angry that this Government Department is keeping so many of my constituents and, I presume, others across the country in poverty for so long when they are owed this money. What is the Government doing about reviewing DWP’s shameful record on paying people money to which they are entitled?

Severe Disability Premium

Debate between Justin Tomlinson and Thangam Debbonaire
Tuesday 7th May 2019

(5 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Justin Tomlinson Portrait Justin Tomlinson
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I apologise to the hon. Lady that I have not seen the letter yet. I will make sure that I do as a matter of urgency and will respond personally.

Thangam Debbonaire Portrait Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)
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My constituent suffered severe trauma and mental illness. When he filled in his form four years ago, some mistakes were made, but those mistakes could and should have been picked up. However, he has had to wait years for money he was owed in back payments.

The problem I want to raise with the Minister is that our local Money Advice Service was not able to get a response from the DWP. It was only when my caseworkers got involved that the £15,000 my constituent was owed was repaid. What will the Minister do to ensure that DWP staff are responding in a timely manner to Money Advice staff?

Justin Tomlinson Portrait Justin Tomlinson
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I am very sorry to hear about that, because what we would like to see—there are many, many cases of best practice—is local support organisations working hand in hand with local jobcentres, so that the most vulnerable claimants in particular get additional support as they go through the system.