Business of the House

Debate between Mike Crockart and Lord Young of Cookham

Thursday 28th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Sir George Young]

The hon. Lady is right to draw the House’s attention to the debt that we owe to all those who work for the House and provide such a high-quality service, often in challenging circumstances. I understand that the contract for the switchboard operation has been awarded to Capita as part of the initiative of the House of Commons Commission to reduce costs. The hon. Lady’s concern is not primarily a matter for the Government, but it is a matter for the Commission, so I will raise it with the Commission and see whether there is a role for us to play in minimising the dislocation of her constituents.

[Mike Crockart (Edinburgh West) (LD)]

Will my right hon. Friend arrange for a debate on the functioning of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, especially in relation to the extra funds made available to it to deal with tax avoidance and tax evasion? It appears to me that it is the media that are finding high-profile tax avoiders, while HMRC is chasing one of my constituents for small overpayments of tax credits from more than 10 years ago. I am sure that is not what the extra resources were intended for.

[Sir George Young]

I am sure my hon. Friend will take up with vigour the case of his constituent who is being pursued for tax credits. We all know from our own casework that quite often tax credits are overpaid through no fault of the constituent, and then some time later HMRC asks for the money back and it is not there.

On my hon. Friend’s first point, the Government have given £900 million in extra resources to HMRC specifically to bring in more tax, and we estimate that that will bring in an extra £7 billion of revenue.

Business of the House

Debate between Mike Crockart and Lord Young of Cookham

Thursday 17th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Sir George Young]

We had a debate on the national planning policy framework in the last days of the previous Session, so I cannot promise another in the near future, but my hon. Friend raises an important issue which I will share with Ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government. I will also ask the Secretary of State to write to her to try to address the particular concern that she has raised.

[Mike Crockart (Edinburgh West) (LD)]

May I ask the Leader of the House to arrange for a statement from a Minister in the Department for Work and Pensions on any ongoing improvements to the work capability assessment and its related appeals process? With official figures showing that only a third of appeals are successful, rising to 70% for those helped by citizens advice bureaux, and with six to 12 months’ delays in receiving the results of appeals, far too many of my constituents are still being left without support, for entirely dubious reasons.

[Sir George Young]

I understand my hon. Friend’s concern. He will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is in his place, and that he will respond to the debate later today. Perhaps he will refer, in his wind-up speech, to the Harrington reviews that are now under way, and that have been set up specifically to address the issues to which my hon. Friend refers. I know that my right hon. Friend will do what he can to allay those concerns.

Business of the House

Debate between Mike Crockart and Lord Young of Cookham

Thursday 26th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Sir George Young]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport was asked about this earlier by the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport, and gave the Government’s response. As the hon. Gentleman knows, Dow did not own Union Carbide at the time of the tragedy and I do not think there are good reasons, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said, for taking the action that was taken.

[Mike Crockart (Edinburgh West) (LD)]

Would my right hon. Friend agree to a debate about the provision of Government services to the deaf and hard of hearing? On Monday I had the first surgery with a deaf British sign language user in my constituency using Deaf Action’s SignVideo system over the internet. We must be assured that all services, whether in education, health or justice, are equally accessible.

[Sir George Young]

I am sure that every Member of the House would agree with the proposition, which my hon. Friend has just put forward, that services should be more accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. I will raise the issue with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, who has responsibility for disabilities, and then let my hon. Friend know what steps we have already taken in this area and what further steps are planned.