Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to mandatory number plates for cyclists.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government currently has no plans to introduce number plates for cyclists. The absence of a number plate does not prevent a cyclist from being liable for their actions. For those who do not adopt a responsible attitude, or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment, there are laws in place that can make them liable for prosecution. Enforcement of cycling offences is a matter for the police.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the proposals set out in their consultation document Banning conversion therapy, published on 29 October, whether the ban will apply to attempts made to change a person from being transgender to not being transgender.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Opposition Whip (Lords)
We want all LGBT people to be free to be themselves and remain committed to banning conversion therapy. The ban on conversion therapy will protect everyone and will apply to attempts to change a person to or from being transgender.
Under our proposals, people who are transgender or are exploring their transgender status, including under 18s, will remain able to access the support they need from qualified health professionals without change. Parents and teachers will, of course, continue to be able to have conversations with young people or others about whether they are transgender or not. It is important that people are able to have open and explorative conversations that allow them to come to the right decision for themselves.
We will work with the relevant authorities to ensure that our legislative interventions operate effectively.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to prevent two separate Winter Fuel Allowances being offered to a cohabiting couple who own two properties.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Opposition Whip (Lords)
Entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment is based on the circumstances of the household which the claimant has reported as their permanent address. Claimants of benefits, pensions and Winter Fuel Payments have an obligation to report relevant changes to the Department, including changes of address and (where material to entitlement) changes to their household make-up.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of care recipients aged 65 or over are funded (1) wholly, or (2) partly, by local authorities.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
This information is not collected in the format requested. NHS Digital collects data on recipients of long-term care aged 65 years old and over who are supported by local authorities. However, its data collection does not differentiate between those who are funded in whole and those who are funded in part by their local authority.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, for each year from 2014, how many people used deferred payment schemes that enable older people to avoid selling their houses to pay for care.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The data is not available in the format requested. From 2015 NHS Digital collected data the number of new Deferred Payment Agreements (DPAs) agreed during the year and the total number of outstanding DPAs at the end of the year on a voluntary basis. In 2016-17 the collection became part mandatory and later fully mandatory in 2017-18. However, this data does not include the total number of DPAs concluded, therefore does not confirm how many people used a DPA on an annual basis.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many older people will benefit from the new cap on personal care payments for each year from 2023–24 to 2029–30.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Approximately half of all older adults receive some state support for their personal care costs under the current system. This will rise to nearly two-thirds of adults following the implementation of the reforms announced on 7 September. An impact assessment setting out the costs and benefits of social care charging reform will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether care costs that are met at present by the nursing cost allowance will count towards the new £86,000 cost cap for personal care.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
Nursing services provided or funded by the National Health Service are not subject to a financial assessment and contribution by the individual. NHS-funded nursing care will not count towards the £86,000 cap on social care costs due to be introduced in October 2023.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government from what date the spending on care will count towards the £86,000 proposed cap.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The proposed cap will begin to take effect from October 2023. To prepare for the implementation of the new system, local government will assess those who have eligible needs.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their revised means test proposed in the new social care policy will contribute to hotel costs, or only to care costs.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
To ensure that the new system maintains fairness between people receiving domiciliary care and those receiving residential care, individuals will still be responsible for daily living costs, including accommodation costs. For those unable to cover the costs themselves, personal care costs and daily living costs will be means tested. Additionally, people who fall within the means test are guaranteed to retain a personal expenses allowance after daily living costs have been deducted.
Asked by: Lord Lipsey (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost to public funds of their proposed cap on social care costs to be in (1) 2023–24, (2) 2024–25, and (3) 2029–30.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
We committed to ensuring local authorities have access to sustainable funding for core budgets at the forthcoming Spending Review. A full impact assessment will be published in due course, including an outline of the predicted costs to public funds of the cap on social care costs.