Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rebecca Long Bailey and Maria Eagle

Monday 18th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Maria Eagle]

The UK has always recognised the possible humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. The proposed panel does not establish a clear mandate to address maintaining long-held knowledge of the devastating consequences of nuclear war using scientific research, and the resolution will not advance progress towards nuclear disarmament. That is why we voted against it.

[Rebecca Long Bailey (Salford) (Ind)]

The Secretary of State’s commitment to nuclear testing veterans is well known, but he may be concerned by a report in the Daily Mirror today claiming that incorrect testimony and incomplete documentation were provided by civil servants and given to judges in the court cases brought by the nuclear veterans over decades. Will the Secretary of State investigate those claims urgently and report to the House?

Concentrix

Debate between Rebecca Long Bailey and Maria Eagle

Wednesday 26th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Rebecca Long Bailey]

I could not agree more. The case to which I have referred is not an isolated one. According to the Government’s own figures, the company has considered about 667,000 cases, of which 103,000 have been amended. That means that 15% of investigations have wrongly pursued perfectly legitimate tax credit claimants, and they are simply the ones who have had the strength to come forward and present themselves, including to their MPs, as we have heard.

[Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood) (Lab)]

In every single one of the Concentrix cases that has been taken up by my office so far and that has been resolved, the payment has been put back in place. In other words, they have been 100% wrong. What does my hon. Friend think that the Government ought to do about that?

[Rebecca Long Bailey]

I think that the cases we have seen so far are the tip of the iceberg. The Government have a responsibility to ensure that all cases are adequately investigated, and that no one has fallen through the cracks and not presented themselves either to their MP or directly to Concentrix.