😔 Oral Answers to Questions

• Health and Disability Green Paper:
  • The Minister for Social Security and Disability discussed the government’s plan to reform the health and disability benefits system, aiming to provide better employment support for those out of work due to health issues and to ensure the financial sustainability of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
  • Concerns were raised about the potential negative financial impact on disabled people, with fears that cuts could increase hardship and reliance on food banks.
  • The government clarified that they will not convert PIP from cash to vouchers, as proposed previously, and will consult on changes over a 12-week period to listen to feedback from affected individuals.
• Ethnic Minority Discrimination:
  • The Minister for Equalities outlined steps to combat racial discrimination, including mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers and the establishment of a race equality engagement group chaired by Baroness Lawrence.
  • Specific concerns were raised about anti-Muslim hatred in Glasgow and antisemitism in the NHS, with the government affirming its commitment to tackling religious hatred and working on defining anti-Muslim hatred.
  • Discussions also touched on the need for initiatives to address the ethnicity pay gap and to consider caste-based discrimination under existing equality legislation.
• Violence Against Women and Girls:
  • A cross-government strategy is being developed to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), including embedding domestic abuse specialists in emergency control rooms and expanding domestic abuse protection orders.
  • There were calls for better procedures to ensure justice for female victims, particularly those in sensitive professions like policing, and for multi-agency cooperation to provide effective services to domestic abuse survivors.
  • The government highlighted the importance of including men and boys in prevention efforts and stressed the need for a national conversation about misogyny and violence inspired by media content like the Netflix programme “Adolescence.”
• Prime Minister’s Engagements:
  • The Prime Minister discussed international issues, including support for Ukraine and concerns about the resumption of military action in Gaza, emphasizing the urgency of a ceasefire and aid delivery.
  • Domestic issues included discussions on economic strategies, with the Prime Minister defending the government’s actions in stabilizing the economy and addressing criticism from the opposition on national insurance increases and other fiscal measures.
  • The session also covered topics such as healthcare funding, rural crime, and welfare reforms, particularly regarding disability benefits, with the Prime Minister reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring support while fostering economic growth and opportunity.

The level of disagreement in the session is moderate, warranting a rating of 3. Here’s a detailed reasoning for this score:

1. Disability Benefits Reform (Tom Gordon - Sir Stephen Timms): There is notable disagreement regarding disability benefits with Tom Gordon expressing strong concerns over the proposed cuts in the Green Paper, highlighting the potential harm to disabled people. In contrast, Sir Stephen Timms defends these reforms as necessary for financial sustainability and mentions continued support for those who need it most. This represents a clear policy disagreement with strong language used by Gordon.

2. Ethnic Minority Discrimination (John Grady, Tulip Siddiq, Mohammad Yasin, Gregory Stafford, Kirsty Blackman, Wera Hobhouse - Seema Malhotra): The session covers steps to combat discrimination against ethnic minorities, showing a general consensus on the need to address the issue. However, there is disagreement on specific actions, such as the approach to ethnicity pay gap reporting and recognition of caste-based discrimination. These disagreements are expressed more subtly but still indicate divergent views on policy implementation and scope.

3. Violence Against Women and Girls (Darren Paffey, Kevin Bonavia, Sarah Edwards - Jess Phillips): There is broad agreement on tackling VAWG as a national emergency, but disagreements arise around specific measures. For instance, Darren Paffey questions the justice system’s treatment of domestic abuse victims, especially within law enforcement, indicating a need for reform which Jess Phillips acknowledges but does not fully address in her response.

4. Prime Minister’s Questions (Keir Starmer - Various MPs): This section shows more explicit disagreements, especially around economic policies and welfare reforms. The exchanges with Mrs Kemi Badenoch over the emergency Budget, national insurance, and economic management are quite heated, indicating major policy disagreements. Similarly, Danny Kruger’s pointed question about welfare reform versus the Prime Minister’s rebuttal shows a sharp divide on how welfare changes should be approached.

5. Other Topics (Health, Housing, etc.): Other topics such as health services and housing access also reveal disagreements, albeit less intense. For example, Colum Eastwood’s question on disability benefits reform suggests a significant disagreement with the government’s approach, while Uma Kumaran presses on the need for accountability in cladding remediation, showing a difference in urgency and responsibility enforcement.

The session shows a mix of respectful debate and sharper exchanges, particularly in the Prime Minister’s Questions segment. The disagreements are policy-driven and while some are intense, they do not dominate the session to the extent of warranting a higher rating of disagreement. Therefore, a rating of 3 is appropriate, as it reflects the level of opposition and debate without indicating extreme hostility or division.