Business of the House

Patricia Gibson Excerpts

Thursday 28th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Andrea Leadsom]

The hon. Lady raises an important point. It is vital that we do everything we can to support people with autism, many of whom can have extremely rich and fulfilling lives and may need some support to do that. There was a debate on autism quite recently, but the hon. Lady may like to seek a Backbench Business debate so that this important issue can be discussed further.

[Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) (SNP)]

Last August, Siobhan McLaughlin won her case in the Supreme Court giving her access to widowed parent’s allowance for her children, which she had been denied because she was not married to her late partner of 23 years. The Court ruled that the purpose of the allowance is to diminish the financial loss caused to families with children by the death of a partner, and that it is unlawful to deny the allowance to an unmarried parent. Will the Leader of the House make a statement on why, seven months after the Supreme Court judgment, unmarried parents are still being denied this support after the death of a partner?

[Andrea Leadsom]

The hon. Lady raises an important issue, and if she would like to write to me, I can take it up directly with the Department on her behalf. Equally, she may prefer to raise it directly with Ministers.