Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Virendra Sharma and Sajid Javid

Tuesday 13th July 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Sajid Javid)]

I want people to be able to get the care they need when they need it and to have the choices they want. I want people to live their life in full and to live independently as part of a community for as long as possible without facing an astronomical care bill. We are committed to social care reform, and we will bring forward proposals this year.

[Mr Sharma [V]]

I thank the Secretary of State for responding to my initial question. Eleven years into this Tory Government, 10 years on from Dilnot and almost 700 days since the Prime Minister promised

“to fix social care, once and for all”,

looking at it and studying the options is not enough for the four out of five people who say, “We need a solution now.” Is this just another of the Prime Minister’s promises that will not quite materialise?

[Sajid Javid]

We have already seen substantial increases in adult social care funding, but the Government have said that we want a long-term, sustainable solution, so we will bring forward proposals on that. The hon. Gentleman will know that later today we are debating the Health and Care Bill, which is also about structural reform, so I look forward to seeing him in the Aye Lobby.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Virendra Sharma and Sajid Javid

Monday 29th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

1. If he will extend Government support for English for Speakers of Other Languages classes to include newly arrived asylum seekers.

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sajid Javid)]

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like first to express how shocked and appalled I am at the deadly gun attack that took place this weekend at the synagogue in Pittsburgh. I am sure that the whole House will want to join me in expressing our deepest sympathies for the victims and those injured, as well as their families. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish friends across the world and utterly condemns antisemitism in all its forms.

My thoughts today are also with the friends and families of the victims of the terrible crash at Leicester City football club. I thank the emergency services for their response to this awful tragedy. I know that they did their absolute best.

Turning to Question 1, Government support towards integration is given through English language tuition, but it is available only once asylum seekers are recognised as refugees. This focuses resources on those recognised as being in need of protection.

[Mr Sharma]

I thank the Secretary of State for his response. Given the limitations on ESOL budgets, will he assure me that sufficient funding will be available to support the plan that he has in this area?

[Sajid Javid]

The hon. Gentleman raises an important question. It is right that we support those who are given protection in ways to integrate into British life, and language is important to that. I assure him that we have a good budget in this area; in 2016-17, it was £99 million of the total adult learning budget.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Virendra Sharma and Sajid Javid

Tuesday 28th June 2016 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

My hon. Friend highlights the opportunities of Brexit and we absolutely should now start embracing those opportunities; free trade agreements with many more countries is just one of them. Australia is an excellent example, and that is exactly the sort of thing we should be working on.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

Many of my constituents have no or very little access to computers and the internet. Will the Government continue to press banks and other key providers to retain high street services for customers who receive utility and other bills in paper form on request?