"My Lords, a snapshot by the Institute for Fiscal Studies last year showed that one in four people on furlough were over 50. My concern is that many of those people will not go back into employment again—as we have heard, over-50s are harder to employ. Could we not profitably …..." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech
"My Lords, as others have, I thank the Minister for introducing this SI in her characteristically clear, straightforward way. I declare my interest as set out in the register as the director of a financial services business.
"My Lords, one thing that has become apparent during Covid is that initiatives work best when they are local rather than national. Needs for skills and therefore for training are also often local rather national. For instance, the noble Baroness, Lady Janke, referred to the creative industries. In this country …..." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech
"My Lords, I welcome the regulations and thank the noble Baroness for introducing them. It is right that they are now extended to cover co-operatives, friendly societies and other community purpose efforts. There will be many more occasions on which we need these regulations. I share the concerns of the …..." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech
"My Lords, I thank the Minister for the way in which she introduced the regulations and for the time she made available to talk to those of us who were interested. She is always keen to be helpful and it is much appreciated.
"My Lords, I welcome the Bill and declare my interest as the director of a savings business. Pensions are the main savings for millions of people in this country, but the savings level is still woefully low. People are looking towards a retirement that will leave them impoverished, and many …..." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people they expect to benefit from the new state pension, and what will be the average increase per person...." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech
"I thank my noble friend the Minister for those encouraging numbers. The old system was complicated and confusing, and many people were left uncertain of what their income would be in retirement. Does my noble friend think that the new system, which is not just higher but clearer, might encourage …..." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech
"Very often, those who are out of work are suffering from other problems as well, often drink or drug addiction or a very poor education. Can the Minister say what is being done to help with those issues?..." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech
"My Lords, I recently visited the Hammersmith Jobcentre Plus. I recommend it to all noble Lords, and not only if they are looking for jobs. It was a delight to see that under one roof one could get help with housing, drug and education problems as well as with jobs—and, …..." Baroness Wheatcroft - View Speech