First elected: 8th June 2017
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
End reviews of PIP and ESA awards for people with lifelong illnesses
Gov Responded - 10 Sep 2021 Debated on - 4 Sep 2023 View David Linden's petition debate contributionsPeople with a lifelong illness should not be subject to regular reviews for eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). People suffering lifelong conditions should not have to prove they are still ill every couple of years.
End assessments and consider disability benefit claims on medical advice alone
Gov Responded - 21 Dec 2022 Debated on - 4 Sep 2023 View David Linden's petition debate contributionsThe Government should remove the requirement for people claiming disability benefits, such as the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), to have to go through an assessment process. Claims should be based solely on evidence from medical professionals, such as a letter from a GP or consultant.
Full review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) application process
Gov Responded - 1 Nov 2022 Debated on - 4 Sep 2023 View David Linden's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to conduct a full review of the PIP process. This should look at DWP policy and the performance of ATOS and Capita, which conduct the health assessments for applicants. We believe the current process is inherently unethical and biased, and needs a complete overhaul.
Increase statutory maternity pay in line with cost of living crisis
Gov Responded - 13 Jun 2022 Debated on - 19 Jun 2023 View David Linden's petition debate contributionsReview statutory maternity pay in line with inflation and cost of living
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is currently:
90% of your average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks
£156.66 or 90% of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for next 33 weeks. This averages £7.5k p/a
Increase State pensions to £380 a week, and lower retirement age to 60
Gov Responded - 21 Sep 2022 Debated on - 12 Dec 2022 View David Linden's petition debate contributionsThe British State pension is far too low. We want the Government to increase the basic state pension to £19,760 a year (£380 a week), and extend this to anyone aged 60 or over. This should lift thousands out of poverty, and give our elderly folk more spending power and help grow the economy.
Ensure Trans people are fully protected under any conversion therapy ban
Gov Responded - 12 May 2022 Debated on - 13 Jun 2022 View David Linden's petition debate contributionsEnsure any ban fully includes trans people and all forms of conversion therapy.
Allow football fans to attend matches at all levels
Gov Responded - 21 Oct 2020 Debated on - 9 Nov 2020 View David Linden's petition debate contributionsFootball is a powerful tool of which allows a range of benefits such as employment, and other important aspects of life. Football can be associated with passion, emotion, excitement and dedication across the community. With Fans attending football games a range of economic benefits are there too.
These initiatives were driven by David Linden, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
David Linden has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the likely effects of the abolition of the benefit cap, including on levels of absolute and relative poverty, poor mental health, food bank use, borrowing of money from friends and family, evictions from homes and problem debt, and on different groups including women, lone parents and people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the potential merits of prohibiting the making of deductions from certain social security benefits within the first six months of a claim, of restricting the making of deductions in cases where a claimant is at risk of hardship, of reducing the maximum proportion of a claim that may be deducted, and of changing the priority order in which debt repayments are recovered by deductions; to require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the adequacy of the rate at which social security benefits are paid; to require the Secretary of State to publish a strategy for increasing the availability of free debt and money advice for people claiming social security benefits; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to provide that a person who ceases to hold a ministerial office is entitled to a grant only after holding the relevant office for two years or more; and for connected purposes.
Require the Secretary of State to report to Parliament on the likely effects of the abolition of the benefit cap, including on levels of absolute and relative poverty, poor mental health, food bank use, borrowing of money from friends and family, evictions from homes and problem debt, and on different groups including women, lone parents and people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to extend entitlements to parental leave for parents of babies born prematurely or requiring neonatal care; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to establish environmental standards for nappies; to make provision about the advertising and promotion of nappies with regard to those standards; and for connected purposes.
Social Energy Tariff (No. 2) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Marion Fellows (SNP)
Sun Protection Products (Value Added Tax) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Amy Callaghan (SNP)
Employment Equality (Insurance etc) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Natalie Elphicke (Con)
Banking and postal services (rural areas) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Drew Hendry (SNP)
Tree-lined Streets Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Chris Clarkson (Con)
Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Jim Shannon (DUP)
Employment (Dismissal and Re-employment) (No. 2) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Gavin Newlands (SNP)
Green Deal (Conduct of Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Ltd) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alan Brown (SNP)
Access to Banking Services Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Ben Lake (PC)
Unpaid Trial Work Periods (Prohibition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Stewart Malcolm McDonald (SNP)
The Government’s Roadmap to a Digital Future includes digital transformation in Government by “automating manual processes” in order to realise efficiency opportunities for Government and deliver value for the taxpayer.
Automated decision making in Government is compliant with provisions in GDPR and the Data Protection Act, which includes the right for a data subject to request “a new decision that is not based solely on automated processing”.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/roadmap-for-digital-and-data-2022-to-2025
The UK Government has not conducted any polling or focus groups on public attitudes towards the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. We have not received information from the Scottish Government on the costs of any public consultation, insight and engagement activity that was undertaken by the Scottish Government.
The Government has been liaising with territorial offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts across the devolved administrations to discuss the UK Government’s approach to protecting everyone in England and Wales from conversion therapy practices.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2022 to question PQ 127518.
Both the constituency and ministerial correspondence emails have been provided as points of contact where appropriate. Any correspondence affecting the department which is sent to the constituency office is passed to the Cabinet Office in the usual way.
I announced to the House my intention to create an Office of the Prime Minister. Further details will be announced in due course. As Prime Minister, I am held to account each week at Prime Minister's Questions, answer written questions, and appear before the Liaison Committee at regular intervals.
The establishment and terms of reference of individual Select Committees is a matter for the House.
Information on Cabinet Office staff costs and exit packages are routinely published as part of the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts. Future information will be published in the usual way.
As has been the case with successive administrations, Government routinely works with suppliers to provide polling and market research work so as to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important campaigns and policies. This enables us to deliver strong, national, cross-government communications campaigns, including to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic. Internal policy development work is not normally disclosed.
Details of departmental expenditure and contracts are published on GOV.UK.
As has been the case with successive administrations, Government routinely works with suppliers to provide polling and market research work so as to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important campaigns and policies. This enables us to deliver strong, national, cross-government communications campaigns, including to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic. Internal policy development work is not normally disclosed.
Details of departmental expenditure and contracts are published on GOV.UK.
Paragraph 5 of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out their role in relation to the exercise of management functions.
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly on GOV.UK.
As a result of Covid-19, it has been necessary to conduct negotiations through video conference. Negotiators from the UK and the EU held discussions through video conferencing on 20 – 24 April 2020 for the second round of negotiations on the UK-EU future relationship. A written ministerial statement (HCWS209) made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 28 April 2020 updated the House on the progress of negotiations.
The third round of negotiations started this week, also via video conference, and will conclude on 15 May.
The Government is committed to effective scrutiny of its trade agenda and has put in place a comprehensive framework for scrutiny of free trade agreements (FTAs). This includes a commitment to seek to hold a general debate on a new FTA where one is requested by the relevant Select Committee, subject to parliamentary time being available.
The scheduling of parliamentary business is not a matter for the Department for Business and Trade.
The UK’s accession to CPTPP will not change the UK’s existing commitments under the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).
The Government does not foresee any impacts on UK small farmers due to the UK’s legal obligations under CPTPP Article 18.7.2 because there will be no changes to the UK’s existing legislative framework in this area.
UPOV provides for plant breeders’ rights, aiming to encourage the development of new varieties of plants, with benefits such as food security and mitigating climate change.
Mechanisms are available within CPTPP to discuss issues raised by signatory countries.
The UK’s position on settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law and undermine the prospect of a two-state solution.
Under the existing UK-Israel trade agreement, goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, nor the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.
This will not change in the upgraded FTA with Israel. The UK will not compromise on any of our longstanding positions on the Middle East Peace Process throughout this negotiation, including with respect to settlements.
Minimum wage legislation prohibits unpaid work trials that are excessive and not part of a genuine recruitment process. An unpaid trial work period lasting a few hours may be reasonable and legal. This is because the main purpose would be to test the individual, and what is done would probably have little or no other value to the employer. However, an unpaid trial lasting more than one day is probably illegal in all but exceptional circumstances.
DBT does not hold information about the number of people who have undertaken unpaid trial shifts in England, Wales and Scotland in each of the last five years.
If someone has undertaken an unpaid work trial and thinks they should have been paid NMW, they can call the ACAS helpline or make a complaint to HMRC.
I attended the meeting of the Disability Charities Consortium on 24 May, where the CEO of SCOPE was in attendance.
The Government has extensive additional support in place for those on certain disability benefits, including: the Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, the Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payments, the Constant Attendance Allowance and the War Pension Mobility Supplement.
In addition, every household will have benefitted from the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme which together have covered around half of a typical household energy bill this winter, and by the end of June will have saved a typical household around £1,500.
As we explore possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024, we are working with disability organisations, considering the costs for disabled people and assessing need for specific support for disabled people using medical equipment in the home.
The Government is continually reviewing the financial support it provides for the differing energy needs within its communities and prioritising support for the most vulnerable.
As the Government explores possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024, it is working with disability organisations, considering the costs for disabled people, and assessing the need for specific support for disabled people using medical equipment in the home. Officials are discussing developing policy with charities, industry, and other consumer groups with a view to targeting support for the most vulnerable and alleviating fuel poverty.
The application portal for EBSS AF will open on the GOV.UK webpage by 27 February and this will include an overview of eligibility and what applicants need to do to apply. Local authorities will be provided with guidance on how to provide this support to eligible households ahead of the launch.
On 19 December, the Government publicly announced the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vital-help-with-energy-bills-on-the-way-for-millions-more-homes-across-great-britain-and-northern-ireland. The application portal for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding is due to open on gov.uk later this month and will include an overview of eligibility.
Since 2011/12, the Government has provided over £2.5 billion in funding to support the Post Office network and is providing a further £335 million for the Post Office over the next three years. Since 2019 the annual network subsidy, which helps to ensure the viability of rural and community branches, has been maintained at £50 million a year and will remain at the same level until 2025.
The then minister overseeing Postal Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam, attended the National Federation of SubPostmasters conference in May where he heard directly from postmasters about the issues around remuneration.
Although this is an operational matter for Post Office, I recognise how critical these issues are for postmasters and the future of the network and the Department will continue an open dialogue with the Post Office to assess what action can be taken.
The then minister overseeing Postal Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam, attended the National Federation of SubPostmasters conference in May where he heard directly from postmasters about the issues around remuneration.
Although this is an operational matter for Post Office, I recognise how critical these issues are for postmasters and the future of the network and the Department will continue an open dialogue with the Post Office to assess what action can be taken.
The then minister overseeing Postal Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam, attended the National Federation of SubPostmasters conference in May where he heard directly from postmasters about the issues around remuneration.
Although this is an operational matter for Post Office, I recognise how critical these issues are for postmasters and the future of the network and the Department will continue an open dialogue with the Post Office to assess what action can be taken.
The BBC is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee and all of its concessions. The Government is therefore not involved in TV Licensing operations.
Information about Pension Credit and how to check whether someone is eligible for a free licence is included on all of TV Licensing’s mailings, as well as on the TV Licensing website.
The Government makes information about TV licence concessions available on the gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/free-discount-tv-licence.
My Department has held a number of meetings with representatives of the outdoor events industry to discuss guidance and next steps to reopening the sector.
DCMS officials last met with the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain on 14 August, and have also spoken to representatives of the Amusement Device Safety Council.
More broadly, my Department’s officials have regular contact with the Events Industry Forum, which is responsible for developing Covid-secure guidance for outdoor events. We continue to engage with visitor attraction stakeholders through the Visitor Economy Working Group.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Recommendation 10 of this report proposes the development of a national education initiative in schools which educates young people on ways they can play a role in preventing violence against women and girls.
Schools and colleges have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. Since September 2020, relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) has been a statutory part of the curriculum. RSHE teaches pupils what healthy relationships look like, and the concepts of, and laws relating to, all forms of abuse. The RSHE statutory guidance also advises schools to be aware of issues such as sexism, misogyny, homophobia, and gender stereotypes, and to take positive action to tackle these issues. The RSHE guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools have flexibility over how they deliver RSHE, so they can develop an integrated approach that is sensitive to the needs and backgrounds of their pupils. Some schools choose to deliver programmes which include lessons on how to be an active bystander. Rape, harassment, and abuse are explicitly taught about in the ‘Being Safe’ topic. Schools should teach pupils the knowledge they need to recognise and report abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Pupils should know how to report concerns and seek advice when they suspect or know that something is wrong.
Following the Ofsted Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges, the Department is producing non-statutory guidance that will focus on how to teach RSHE to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence. This guidance is to be published in 2023.
The Government remains committed to making the necessary changes to allow children to start Reception aged five where this is what their parents want. The Department will consider the appropriate time for consulting on these changes in the context of competing pressures on parliamentary time.
We will publish AWC’s updated Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Fish at the Time of Killing. The Government does not respond to AWC advice but their advice and recommendations are used extensively in policy development.
Peer review of the Life Cycle Assessment of disposable and reusable nappies in the UK has been completed and arrangements for publication of the research are being finalised.
Defra has not made an assessment of the impact of the effect of inflation in the cost of pet food for domestic animals. Defra is in close contact with animal welfare organisations about cost of living issues affecting animal welfare.
Work on the environmental assessment of disposable and reusable nappies is nearly complete and peer review of the work is being finalised. No date has been set for publication.
Whilst no specific assessment has been made on the impact of rising energy costs on the Scotch Whisky industry, the UK Government is in regular dialogue with the industry, and aims to provide the framework for a forwarding-thinking, competitive alcoholic drinks sector which can grow, export and innovate in line with Government ambitions.
The Government is excited to see the investment in green energy sources being made in some distilleries and looks forward to seeing many further such schemes in the coming years as we continue the drive to greater efficiency.
The Government plans to announce a new six-month scheme - the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses - to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn with further details on the practicalities to be announced soon. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.
Whilst no specific assessment has been made by the UK Government, according to the Scotch Whisky Association more than 11,000 people are directly employed in the Scotch Whisky industry in Scotland, and over 42,000 jobs across the UK are supported by the Scotch Whisky industry.
7,000 of these jobs are in rural areas of Scotland providing vital employment and investment opportunities to communities across the Highlands and Islands.
The Scotch Whisky industry continues to provide a significant contribution to the Scottish economy, with sustained export values of around £4.5 billion, and £5.5 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy, according to industry analysis. The 140 Scotch Whisky distilleries which operate across Scotland attracted around 2.2 million visitors in 2019 making this industry the third most popular tourist attraction.
In addition, 57% of distillers reported an increase in their number of staff in the past twelve months, with all respondents expecting to need to add to their workforces in the coming year. These figures outlined by the Scotch Whisky Association demonstrate the wide range of employment opportunities this industry provides to those in Scotland.
Whilst no specific assessment has been made by the UK Government, according to the Scotch Whisky Association more than 11,000 people are directly employed in the Scotch Whisky industry in Scotland, and over 42,000 jobs across the UK are supported by the Scotch Whisky industry.
7,000 of these jobs are in rural areas of Scotland providing vital employment and investment opportunities to communities across the Highlands and Islands.
The Scotch Whisky industry continues to provide a significant contribution to the Scottish economy, with sustained export values of around £4.5 billion, and £5.5 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy, according to industry analysis. The 140 Scotch Whisky distilleries which operate across Scotland attracted around 2.2 million visitors in 2019 making this industry the third most popular tourist attraction.
In addition, 57% of distillers reported an increase in their number of staff in the past twelve months, with all respondents expecting to need to add to their workforces in the coming year. These figures outlined by the Scotch Whisky Association demonstrate the wide range of employment opportunities this industry provides to those in Scotland.
Whilst no specific assessment has been made on the impact of rising shipping costs on the Scotch Whisky industry, according to the Scotch Whisky Association nearly 40% of businesses reported shipping costs doubling in the last 12 months.
Industries have reported that shipping costs have risen to a high level in international freight markets during 2021 and 2022. This is as a result of unprecedented levels of demand driven by changed consumer behaviour during the pandemic, and global operational factors that impacted capacity. This has been a worldwide impact and all types of goods using container shipping will have been affected. The operational issues have significantly improved, and market analysis by industry suggests that current demand is softening and that pricing levels have also started to decline in line with this.
The UK Government is in regular dialogue with the industry and aims to provide the framework for a forwarding-thinking, competitive alcoholic drinks sector which can grow, export and innovate in line with the Government’s ambitions.
Whilst no specific assessment has been made on the impact of rising energy costs on the Scotch Whisky industry, the UK Government is in regular dialogue with the industry, and aims to provide the framework for a forwarding-thinking, competitive alcoholic drinks sector which can grow, export and innovate in line with Government ambitions.
I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member. Defra is currently dealing with unprecedented volumes of correspondence due to COVID-19. A reply to the hon. Member's correspondence is being prepared and will be sent out very shortly.
The importance of the Scotch whisky industry to the UK economy is recognised, providing £5.5bn Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy and supporting more than 42,000 jobs across the country. The Department for International Trade engages regularly with The Scotch Whisky Association and individual whisky producers to support opportunities in overseas markets through Free Trade Agreements and understand challenges the industry may face. We closely monitor global trading conditions to assess the impact of factors such as shipping costs on our key export industries.
UK food and drink, including Scotch whisky, is renowned worldwide for its quality and provenance. It underpins the UK’s strong reputation in global trade of goods. In 2021, global Scotch whisky exports were worth £4.5bn to the UK economy. The Department for International Trade works closely with trade associations in the drinks industry, business representative organisations and the UK’s whisky producers to maximise opportunities in overseas markets for this outstanding British industry and to support UK trade relations in international markets.
In preparation for resuming talks with the US on Section 232 tariffs, we continue to work closely with the UK steel and aluminium industries to understand the implications of the US-EU deal. Any deal that the UK secures with the US must work for the steel and aluminium sectors. We have also been engaging with UK importers, including the SWA. Importers know that our preference is the full removal of 232 tariffs, in which case the UK’s rebalancing measures will not be required, ensuring that UK industries are not left at a competitive disadvantage.
I refer the Hon. Member for Glasgow East to the answer my Hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade gave to the Hon. Member for Dundee West on 9 November 2020, UIN: 111560.
The Integrated Activity Fund provides funding in support of a range of programmes across the Gulf Region, including but not limited to, activities focusing on education, sport and culture, and healthcare. The Department for International Trade has been involved in several such projects, all of which are in line with international standards and aim to share the UK's expertise and experience.
It is Government policy not to disclose specific information related to the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments that accompany these bids due to their sensitive nature. This ensures that officials can be candid in their assessments and accurately consider the proposed assistance.
We welcome the ambition of the recommendations from the Transport Champions for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls. In line with their recommendation on national transport planning guidance, the Department for Transport is updating guidance on consultation for local transport schemes as part of its forthcoming Local Transport Plan guidance.
In addition, as part of their Public Sector Equality Duty, when designing transport projects local authorities must consider the needs of people in relation to characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010, including sex, age and race.