Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Thérèse Coffey and Mike Hill

Monday 25th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Dr Coffey]

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the key role that pension scheme assets can play in tackling climate change. The UK is already leading the way on this issue, thanks to actions taken by the Government, but particularly by my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Guy Opperman), the excellent Minister for Pensions. In 2018, we introduced key environmental, social and corporate governance legislation for occupational pension scheme investments, and we have gone further with the pension scheme legislation that is currently awaiting Royal Assent. It makes the UK the first major economy to put assessing climate risk and disclosure into statute for pension schemes, a point that we will continue to reinforce as we run up to hosting COP26, and we encourage other countries to do likewise.

[Mike Hill (Hartlepool) (Lab) [V]]

According to TUC polling, two fifths or 40% of workers say they will have to go into debt or into arrears on their bills if their income drops to £96 per week, which is the equivalent level of statutory sick pay. What steps is the Department taking to ensure that SSP is set at a level that does not require people to take on extra debts or avoid paying bills?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Thérèse Coffey and Mike Hill

Monday 30th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Dr Coffey]

The situation that happens with aspects of pensions is quite complicated and often these are reciprocal arrangements, so that is where such things as aggregation may well happen, but that does rely on those agreements being in place. That has been the policy on pensions for longer than any of us in this House have been alive, I expect, and it continues to be honoured. I am conscious of what the hon. Member says, but there may well be other elements of support that the constituent to whom she refers may be entitled.

[Mike Hill (Hartlepool) (Lab)]

Some sources predict that 2.6 million people could be unemployed by next year. Five years on from universal credit being piloted in my constituency of Hartlepool, it still has teething problems. Can the Minister assure the House that the system will cope, should claimant numbers rise significantly?