Vol. 806 Thursday No. 123 8 October 2020 PARLIAMENTARYDEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDEROFBUSINESS Introductions: Baroness Fox of Buckley and Baroness Fleet.............................................697 Questions Covid-19: Low-income Families .....................................................................................697 Iran: UN Arms Embargo...............................................................................................701 NHS: GP Vacancies .......................................................................................................705 Housing: Rent and Covid-19..........................................................................................708 Parliamentary Constituencies Bill Report.............................................................................................................................713 Grand Committee Trade Bill Committee(4th Day)...............................................................................................GC 205 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. Corrections for the bound volume which Lords wish to suggest to the report of their speeches should be clearly indicated in a copy of the Daily Report, which, with the column numbers concerned shown on the front cover, should be sent to the Editor of Debates, House of Lords, within 14 days of the date of the Daily Report. This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2020-10-08 In Hybrid sittings, [V] after a Member’s name indicates that they contributed by video call. The following abbreviations are used to show a Member’s 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 Lab Co-op Labour and Co-operative Party 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 2020, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 697 Introduction: Baroness Fox of Buckley[8 OCTOBER 2020] Covid-19: Low-income Families 698 House of Lords TheParliamentaryUnder-Secretaryof State,Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Stedman-Scott) (Con): Thursday 8 October 2020 A direct assessment of Covid-19’simpact on low-income families with children has not been made. However, we The House met in a hybrid proceeding. are monitoring several data sources, including Her Majesty’s Treasury’s recent distribution analysis of Noon Covid-19’simpact on working households. The Treasury analysis has shown that the Government’sunprecedented Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Blackburn. supportpackage,includingjobretention,self-employment protection schemes and an additional £9 billion to Introduction: Baroness Fox of Buckley strengthen the welfare system, has supported the poorest working households the most, with those in the bottom 12.07 pm 10% seeing no income reduction. Claire Regina Fox, having been created Baroness Fox of Baroness Sherlock (Lab) [V]: My Lords, the Buckley, of Buckley in the County of Flintshire, was Government may not make an assessment but I am introduced and took the oath, supported by Lord Glasman seriously worried by mounting evidence from Action and Baroness Wolf of Dulwich, and signed an undertaking for Children, CPAG and the Trussell Trust of parents to abide by the Code of Conduct. struggling to pay the bills and to feed their kids in this pandemic. We could help by lifting the benefit cap and Introduction: Baroness Fleet the two-child limit and topping up legacy benefits, but Ministers have said no and now the Chancellor is 12.12 pm threatening to scrap the £20 a week he put on universal credit. I have two simple questions. Does the Minister Veronica Judith Colleton Wadley, CBE, having been accept the evidence that a growing number of parents created Baroness Fleet, of Hampstead in the London are struggling financially? If she does, what are the Borough of Camden, was introduced and took the oath, Government going to do about it? supported by Lord Black of Brentwood and Baroness Morgan of Cotes, and signed an undertaking to abide by Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): I take the noble the Code of Conduct. Baroness’spoint well. I assure her that we are considering all evaluations—the Trussell Trust, Joseph Rowntree and Action for Children, as well as Understanding Oaths and Affirmations Society, the Covid-19 survey and the opinions and lifestyle survey by the Office for National Statistics. I 12.16 pm am sure this question will come up many times today, so I say that the £20 UC increase was put in for one The Lord Bishop of Ely took the oath, and signed an year only. As my colleague the Secretary of State for undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct. Work and Pensions in the other place said, dialogue is continuing with HMT on this, and the Prime Minister Arrangement of Business confirmed yesterday that it is under constant review. Announcement Lord McNicol of West Kilbride (Lab): My Lords, in 12.16 pm 2010 the UK poverty rate stood at 15%; it now stands The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Garden of Frognal) at 26%—an increase of more than 1.1 percentage points (LD): My Lords, the Hybrid Sitting of the House will a year. An additional 670,000 people are expected to now begin. Some Members are here in the Chamber, be classed as destitute by the end of 2020. I want respecting social distancing, others are participating to press the Minister a bit more on the detail on the remotely, but all Members will be treated equally. If supplementary question from the noble Baroness, the capacity of the Chamber is exceeded, I will immediately Lady Sherlock. The Minister talked about what has adjourn the House. Oral Questions will now commence. been done. It does not seem to be working. Can we Please can those asking supplementary questions keep have some explanation of what the Government will them very short, confined to two points? I ask that do in the future? Ministers’ answers are also brief. Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): I can again confirm to the noble Lord that all welfare issues are under Covid-19: Low-income Families constant review and, as sorry as I am, I cannot say Question more than that at this time. 12.17 pm The Lord Bishop of Blackburn: My Lords, a recent Asked by Baroness Sherlock report by the Church of England and the Child Poverty Action Group highlighted the “disproportionate impact” Toask Her Majesty’sGovernment what assessment of the pandemic on low-income families with children, they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 saying that: pandemic on (1) low-income families with children, “Without a radical change in policy direction, the prospects and (2) the support provided to them by the social for many families are likely to deteriorate further through the security system. remainder of this year as unemployment rises” 699 Covid-19: Low-income Families[LORDS] Covid-19: Low-income Families 700 [THE LORD BISHOP OF BLACKBURN] droplet transmission, particularly in small, ill-ventilated and more families become reliant on the welfare system. spaces. Will the Minister assure the House that no Following Prime Minister’s Question Time in the other families with school-age children will be evicted during place yesterday, will the Government do more than this academic year, to prevent families being placed in consider? Will they commit to making the temporary bed and breakfasts,with the increased risk of transmission uplift in universal credit permanent? Will they also of Covid-19, to prevent mental health breakdown in commit to a commensurate increase in the level of children, and avoid further disruption to their education? support for children, to reflect the additional needs of families with children? Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): I thank the noble Baroness for bringing that important point to the Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): As much as noble notice of the House. My best response is that I will go Lords press me today, I can only confirm that matters back to my colleagues at MHCLG to get their position are under constant review. I am sorry, but I am not in on the issue of evictions and write back to the noble any position to make any commitments. Baroness. Baroness Fookes (Con): My Lords, I attach great importance to the work of work coaches in getting the Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Lab) [V]: My Lords, unemployed into work and out of poverty. Is my noble welcome as what the Government have done is, there friend satisfied with the numbers of these at her disposal, is growing evidence of hardship among low-income and with their quality? families with children, most recently from Save the Children today. Following on from the right reverend Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): I know that my Prelate’s question, why have the Government not done noble friend is a great champion of work coaches. anything to improve social security benefits for children? They do a great job and we are proud of the work they are doing at the DWP. I am also proud of the fact that Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): The Government we are doubling the number, spending £895 million. have put £9 billion into the welfare system to help the We will have 13,500 more work coaches, 7,500 in poorest. As I said in my original Answer, the bottom the next three months. I am sure that they will do a 10% have not had their income lessened at all. I know great job. how passionate the noble Baroness is about this, and I respect her tenacity in raising it on a regular basis.