Written Question
Wednesday 22nd February 2017
Asked by:
Lord Northbourne (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address issues arising from family breakdowns, and the impact on male children of growing up in a household without a resident father.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government recognises the damaging impact of conflict between parents on children’s outcomes. New evidence was published last year highlighting this link, and making clear that the presence or absence of parental conflict has a much greater impact on a child’s outcomes than the structure of the child’s family. Our child maintenance system encourages separated parents to collaborate and make family based arrangements where they can, working together in the interests of their child once they separate. Evidence shows that after separation where parents are able to take a collaborative, low conflict approach it is better for children’s outcomes, including over the involvement of the non-resident parent where this is appropriate, whether this is the child’s mother or father.
Written Question
Monday 30th January 2017
Asked by:
Lord Northbourne (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the increase in the number of children in the UK being brought up in a family with only one resident parent, and in particular of the number of boys being brought up in a family with no resident father; and what policy they have developed in this regard.
Answered by Lord Henley
The information requested is not collected.
This government is committed to providing the best outcomes for children. The Department’s forthcoming Green Paper on Social Justice will outline how it plans to improve children’s outcomes.
Written Question
Wednesday 3rd February 2016
Asked by:
Lord Northbourne (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define family income and household income, and whether family income includes the father's income whether or not he is living with his children and their mother.
Answered by Lord Freud
The Government does not have a single standard definition of family or household income. The definition used will vary depending on the particular circumstances under consideration.
The definition of household income in the National Statistics publication Households Below Average Income, which analyses the income distribution, is:
Total income from all sources of all household members including dependants.
This definition includes any income received by a household member from an absent parent or former partner.
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 25 Jan 2016
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
"My Lords, on this kind of issue I am usually very much on the side of those who are sorry for those who have problems. But I think a much stronger case would be made if the amendment could be rephrased so as to take into account the possibility that, …..."Lord Northbourne - View Speech
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Speech in Grand Committee - Tue 12 Nov 2013
Children: Sport
"My Lords, I shall take just one moment to draw attention to the importance that sport can have for disadvantaged children. I can probably do this best with a very small story. Once, I was sitting with a very wise and experience head teacher at a school near Eastbourne for …..."Lord Northbourne - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 14 May 2013
Queen’s Speech
"My Lords, as my contribution is relatively brief, perhaps I may take half a minute to say how much I agree with the noble Earl, Lord Listowel, who, alas, is not in his place at the moment, on the importance of early years—the first two years of a child’s life—and …..."Lord Northbourne - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 11 Dec 2012
Equal Marriage Consultation
"My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that a very significant element in marriage concerns children? Will she give an assurance that the position of adopted children in single-sex marriages will not be changed for either better or worse by a partnership entering into a civil marriage?..."Lord Northbourne - View Speech
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 28 Nov 2011
Unemployment: Young People
"Will the Minister indicate what proportion of the 1 million or so unemployed young people have families where neither the father nor the mother is in employment?..."Lord Northbourne - View Speech
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Speech in Grand Committee - Wed 23 Nov 2011
Welfare Reform Bill
"I wonder whether the Minister can give some sort of comfort to those of us who feel, as the right reverend Prelate does, that raising children under five is a business very often for the mother or the father and that they are providing a much more important service to …..."Lord Northbourne - View Speech
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Speech in Grand Committee - Wed 23 Nov 2011
Welfare Reform Bill
"My Lords, I shall not speak at any length because I was not able to be here for the previous day in Committee, but I am very concerned about the effect of the Government’s proposals on carers.
On paying rent to tenants rather than landlords, does the Minister know what …..."Lord Northbourne - View Speech
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