Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Will Quince and Andrew Bridgen

Tuesday 11th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

As my right hon. Friend will know, the UK has a strong commitment and duty to implement international law, but on this matter we have been absolutely clear. I can certainly assure her that we will not sign up to any IHR amendment or any other instrument that would compromise the UK’s ability to make domestic decisions on national measures concerning public health.

[Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Reclaim)]

Can the Minister confirm whether the House will get a vote on the amendments to the International Health Regulations, or will we not?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Will Quince and Andrew Bridgen

Monday 14th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

I thank the hon. Lady for her well-put question. She is right: we want to create a less adversarial system in which parents do not have to fight to get the rights to which their children are rightly entitled. We want the best outcomes for all children with SEND in this country. The hon. Lady will have to wait only a handful more days for us to publish the review.

[Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con)]

Can the Minister confirm that, from September, up to 3,000 new places are being created for children with special educational needs and disability through 35 new special free schools?

[Will Quince]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Through the spending review and the record £2.6 billion of investment in special school places, that will be delivered.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Will Quince and Andrew Bridgen

Monday 9th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

First, I thank the right hon. Gentleman for all his work in this policy area. As he rightly pointed out, the change does remove any potential gap in provision, with people reaching state pension age and leaving universal credit receiving an additional £350 on average. I stress that the process is already in operation on an extra-statutory basis, ensuring that nobody loses out on reaching state pension age. Legislation will be amended accordingly later this year.

[Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con)]

Will the Minister outline to the House what steps his Department is taking to support those citizens who have fallen into problem debt?

[Will Quince]

Certainly—the breathing space policy is a prime example. If my hon. Friend would like to meet me or, indeed, the Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Guy Opperman), who is the Minister for Pensions, we would be happy to do so to set out in more detail the action that the Government are taking.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Will Quince and Andrew Bridgen

Monday 27th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Institute for Fiscal Studies slammed Labour’s pledge to scrap universal credit as uncosted and

“unwise…expensive, disruptive and unnecessary.”

We believe that work should always pay. We need a welfare system that helps people into work, supports those who need help and is fair for everyone who pays for it. Let us remember that no Labour Government have ever left office with unemployment lower than when they started.

[Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con)]

Can the Minister confirm that this Government’s numerous increases to the personal allowance since 2015-16 have taken a further 1.74 million people out of income tax altogether?

[Will Quince]

Absolutely. Income inequality has been falling under this Government in real terms, and the national living wage will rise to £8.72 in April and to £10.50 by 2024. My hon. Friend rightly points out that our tax changes have made basic-rate taxpayers over £1,200 better off than in 2010. We have doubled the free childcare available to working parents of three and four-year-olds to 30 hours per week, saving them up to £5,000 per year per child.