Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chloe Smith and Deidre Brock

Monday 8th November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

6. What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that disabled people are supported in work.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Chloe Smith)]

The Department delivers national programmes as well as initiatives in partnership with the health system to support disabled people to start, stay and succeed in employment. These include Access to Work and intensive personalised employment support, which continues to provide that support after work has begun.

[Deidre Brock]

It is essential to ensure, particularly as we approach the winter, that all workers have access to a liveable sick pay and do not put themselves and others at risk. However, the current earnings threshold disproportionately affects disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. What concrete actions will the UK Government take to finally fix the wholly inadequate sick pay system?

[Chloe Smith]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising those points, and it is a pleasure to work with her once again; I have done on various topics. The Government previously consulted on reform to statutory sick pay, as she will know, but we did not think that the pandemic was the right time to introduce changes to it, as that would have placed an immediate and direct cost on employers at a very difficult time. Instead, we prioritised changes to the wider welfare system. However, I can assure her that our work on this is ongoing and I look forward to talking to her and others further about this.

Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' Access

Debate between Chloe Smith and Deidre Brock

Tuesday 4th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Chloe Smith]

I welcome that glimpse of experience. It is important to say again that what we are discussing here today are the normal operations of the lobby. We are making sure that that is supplemented by these additional briefings.

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

These are the words of the Prime Minister in 2017 when he was Foreign Secretary:

“Where governments fear freedom of expression they often try to shut down media and civil society, or clip their wings.”

He also said:

“A free media is vital to creating a vibrant, informed and engaged population and helps to support a safer, more prosperous and progressive world.”

Why does he now think that freedom of the press is important everywhere except Downing Street?

[Chloe Smith]

Because the hon. Lady is wrongly describing the situation. The Prime Minister stands by those words, as do I.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chloe Smith and Deidre Brock

Wednesday 22nd January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

T2. I wonder whether the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster shares my concern about the lack of transparency in campaigns, and about rumours of wrongdoing in previous campaigns. Will he be responding to the recommendations of our all-party parliamentary group on electoral campaigning transparency, which include regulating the ability of campaigns to target voters on the basis of personal data, and streamlining national versus local spending with a per-seat cap on total spending?

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Chloe Smith)]

I will be taking a look at that report, and I shall be happy to talk to the hon. Lady further.