Vol. 794 Monday No. 213 26 November 2018 PARLIAMENTARYDEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDEROFBUSINESS Questions Universal Credit .............................................................................................................473 Shipbuilding: Appledore Shipyard..................................................................................475 Verify: Digital Identity System .......................................................................................477 Gender Pay Gap.............................................................................................................480 Russia and Ukraine: Seizure of Naval Vessels Private Notice Question ..................................................................................................482 Stalking Protection Bill First Reading...................................................................................................................485 Parking (Code of Practice) Bill First Reading...................................................................................................................486 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2018 Motion to Approve ..........................................................................................................486 Infrastructure Planning (Water Resources) (England) Order 2018 Motion to Approve ..........................................................................................................486 Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Bill Order of Commitment Discharged...................................................................................486 Voyeurism (Offences) (No. 2) Bill Committee.......................................................................................................................487 Leaving the European Union Statement........................................................................................................................500 Kindertransport Commemoration Question for Short Debate..............................................................................................513 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. 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This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2018-11-26 The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Ind SD Independent Social Democrat Ind UU Independent Ulster Unionist Lab Labour LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2018, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 473 Universal Credit [26 NOVEMBER 2018] Universal Credit 474 House of Lords the Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance, Justin Tomlinson, are working hard with Monday 26 November 2018 stakeholders to see what improvements could be made. 2.30 pm Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Lab): My Lords, the Minister said that split payments are available on Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Worcester. request but, as my noble friend said, if somebody asks for a split payment, her abusive partner will know. Universal Credit How many of us would be willing to take the risk of Question further abuse? Can the Minister tell me why the Government think that they know better than survivors 2.37 pm of domestic abuse and the organisations working with Asked by Baroness Sherlock them, and continue to put the onus on the survivor and put her at greater risk? To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to split payments in Universal Credit. Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, it is important to stress that claimants can request a split payment during TheParliamentaryUnder-Secretaryof State,Department a face-to-face meeting and a phone call could be made for Work and Pensions (Baroness Buscombe) (Con): away from the perpetrator of domestic abuse or online, Split payments are already available on request for via the journal. Research carried out for the department universal credit claimants. We have processes in place suggests that only 2% of married couples and 7% of to record complex needs for individual claimants and cohabiting couples keep their finances completely separate. have introduced a new IT function so that these claimants Indeed, a number of legacy payments have always are instantly visible to the staff helping them. We are been paid as one payment. also examining how claimants tell us about their complex needs, how we record those needs and how we can Baroness Couttie (Con): My Lords, many people extract data which can help us monitor and improve who have experienced domestic abuse would find it support. extremely traumatic to relate the details of what has happened to them. Does the DWP require details of Baroness Sherlock (Lab): I thank the Minister. To the abuse before they can receive split payments? mark White Ribbon Day yesterday, I want to ask specifically about the impact of universal credit split Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, that is a very helpful payments on people suffering domestic abuse. At present question— money for children is paid in tax credits to the main Noble Lords: Ha! carer once a fortnight, and that supporting low-paid work to the main earner once a fortnight. Universal Baroness Buscombe: Well, it is helpful because it is credit rolls up all those payments with housing, childcare constructive. No, we do not expect people to disclose and disability payments, and is paid once a month into the details of domestic abuse. Any individual can be the bank account of one member of a couple. There is accompanied by a third-party organisation to provide widespread concern that this may exacerbate economic expert support when discussing their situation with a abuse. Domestic abuse survivors can request a split work coach. Each case is unique and the work coach payment, but charities such as Women’sAid are concerned will therefore ensure that the process is claimant-centric, that simply asking for it can put them at risk because to best support the needs of the individual. We treat of course it triggers the evidence that they have done all personal information in confidence and do not so concerning the abusive partner. My noble friend disclose it to third parties without explicit consent, but Lady Lister raised this in a Question in July and we also ensure mandatory training for our work coaches presumably the Minister has been thinking about it. to give the support that people who are in a vulnerable But the latest statistics show that only 20 households situation require. have split the payments, even though 40% of awards are to couples. Can the Minister please tell the House Baroness Janke (LD): My Lords, what assurance what action the Government are going to take? can the Minister give that split payments will be part of the test and learn DWP pilot scheme to be introduced Baroness Buscombe: The Government support White early next year? Can she also give assurances that any Ribbon Day—the International Day for the Elimination results will be published before the managed migration of Violence against Women—and will be making a takes place in 2019? number of announcements over the 16 days of action, which I am sure all noble Lords will welcome. The Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, the noble Baroness Government are committed to doing everything we may know that during the test and learn phase, we will can to end domestic abuse. It is important to stress be working within a co-design phase for seven months that it is the responsibility of government across Whitehall on a number of projects with stakeholders from all to support victims of domestic abuse. The single payment parts of the welfare system to assist us in the kinds of of universal credit usually allows both people in the questions that we need to ask. But we are also going to household to make the money management choices look at how Scotland implements this. Scotland has that are best for them in considering how their decisions made its own decision, which it is entitled to make, to about work affect their household income. The reality go ahead and implement split payments. We want to is that I and my honourable friend in another place, learn from Scotland, too, about how this can be done, 475 Universal Credit [LORDS] Shipbuilding: Appledore Shipyard 476 [BARONESS BUSCOMBE] The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe) what challenges there might be and how practical it (Con): My Lords, the Government were very disappointed will actually