My Lords, I beg to move the five Motions standing in my name on the Order Paper. Moved, That the draft regulations and orders laid before the House on 18 and 25 January and 8 February be approved [15th, 16th and 18th Reports from the Joint Committee and 25th Report from the Merits Committee].—(Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.) On Question,...

My Lords, I beg to move the five Motions standing in my name on the Order Paper. Moved, That the draft regulations and orders laid before the House on 18 and 25 January and 8 February be approved [15th, 16th and 18th Reports from the Joint Committee and 25th Report from the Merits Committee].—(Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.) On Question,...

Draft SI on pneumoconiosis etc (workers compensation) (payment of claims) (amendment) (SI 2006/829). Draft SI on pension protection fund (risk-based pension protection levy) (SI 2006/672). Draft SI on social security benefits up-rating. Draft SI on guaranteed minimum pensions increase (SI 2006/673). Draft SI on occupational pension schemes (levy ceiling) (SI 2006/742). Lords motions to approve. Agreed to on question (formal).

Draft SI on pneumoconiosis etc (workers compensation) (payment of claims) (amendment) (SI 2006/829). Draft SI on pension protection fund (risk-based pension protection levy) (SI 2006/672). Draft SI on social security benefits up-rating. Draft SI on guaranteed minimum pensions increase (SI 2006/673). Draft SI on occupational pension schemes (levy ceiling) (SI...

rose to move, That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2006 [16th Report from the Joint Committee]. Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.

rose to move, That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2006 [16th Report from the Joint Committee]. Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.

I am grateful to the Members of the Committee who have commented on the regulations. I shall take first the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott, to my noble friend. Although he cited the RPI figure of 2.7 per cent, he might also have referred to the other actions that the Government have taken...

I am grateful to the Members of the Committee who have commented on the regulations. I shall take first the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Oakeshott, to my noble friend. Although he cited the RPI figure of 2.7 per cent, he might also have referred to the other actions that the Government have taken...

rose to move, That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2006 [16th Report from the Joint Committee]. The noble Lord said: I am satisfied that this is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The uprating order will, as usual, increase...

rose to move, That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2006 [16th Report from the Joint Committee]. The noble Lord said: I am satisfied that this is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The uprating order will, as usual, increase...

Benefit uprating orders come at predictable and regular intervals. On the whole they say things which can be worked out once the September inflation rate is known. Last year it was 2.7 per cent and this uprating applies across the board with the exception of those benefits which are uprated in line...

Benefit uprating orders come at predictable and regular intervals. On the whole they say things which can be worked out once the September inflation rate is known. Last year it was 2.7 per cent and this uprating applies across the board with the exception of those benefits which are uprated in line...

I do not have a great deal to add to my question on the pneumoconiosis instrument regarding the appropriate inflation rate and inflation adjustment, which is as relevant to this order. Perhaps the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, will deal with that now. On the points just raised by the noble Lord, Lord Howard, I do...

I do not have a great deal to add to my question on the pneumoconiosis instrument regarding the appropriate inflation rate and inflation adjustment, which is as relevant to this order. Perhaps the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, will deal with that now. On the points just raised by the noble Lord, Lord Howard, I do...

Draft SI on social security benefits up-rating (SI 2006/645). Lords debate on motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Grand Committee off floor of the House (Moses room) (Debated with draft SI on guaranteed minimum pensions increase (SI 2006/673))

Draft SI on social security benefits up-rating (SI 2006/645). Lords debate on motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Grand Committee off floor of the House (Moses room) (Debated with draft SI on guaranteed minimum pensions increase (SI 2006/673))

Draft SI on guaranteed minimum pensions increase (SI 2006/673). Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question (formal). Grand Committee off the floor of the House (Moses room).(Debated with previous SI on social security benefits up-rating)

Draft SI on guaranteed minimum pensions increase (SI 2006/673). Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question (formal). Grand Committee off the floor of the House (Moses room).(Debated with previous SI on social security benefits up-rating)

I am grateful for that guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I took the trouble to look up the last four years’ debates on the uprating, and it was my understanding that they roved quite widely. However, I shall observe your strictures. We are talking about benefit recipients, and the benefits...

I am grateful for that guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I took the trouble to look up the last four years’ debates on the uprating, and it was my understanding that they roved quite widely. However, I shall observe your strictures. We are talking about benefit recipients, and the benefits...

: Bring back Mrs. Thatcher!

: Bring back Mrs. Thatcher!

It is a privilege to follow the speeches by my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley) and the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), who put the proposed upratings into context. The Government came to power in 1997 promising radical and ambitious...

It is a privilege to follow the speeches by my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley) and the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), who put the proposed upratings into context. The Government came to power in 1997 promising radical and ambitious...

The hon. Gentleman again seeks to assert that there has been a recent decision or change of policy, but there has not. I repeat the commitment that we have given many times before that if pensioners and benefit recipients choose to collect their income from the post office we want...

The hon. Gentleman again seeks to assert that there has been a recent decision or change of policy, but there has not. I repeat the commitment that we have given many times before that if pensioners and benefit recipients choose to collect their income from the post office we want...

Does the Minister accept that all the things that he has just described depend fundamentally on pensioners and benefit recipients being able to access those benefits in the first place? Does he agree that the Government’s decision on the card account will severely undermine people’s ability to access the benefits...

Does the Minister accept that all the things that he has just described depend fundamentally on pensioners and benefit recipients being able to access those benefits in the first place? Does he agree that the Government’s decision on the card account will severely undermine people’s ability to access the benefits...

No, I want to make headway. The hon. Gentleman also dwelt on the issue of fraud and error in the benefits system, describing the recent report by the National Audit Office as critical of my Department in that respect. I urge him to go back and read the report again;...

No, I want to make headway. The hon. Gentleman also dwelt on the issue of fraud and error in the benefits system, describing the recent report by the National Audit Office as critical of my Department in that respect. I urge him to go back and read the report again;...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

If the hon. Gentleman waits until the Government respond to Lord Turner’s report, he will find that the issue is effectively taken up there. The hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) also dwelt at length on Lord Turner’s report. He reminded us of the one Liberal...

If the hon. Gentleman waits until the Government respond to Lord Turner’s report, he will find that the issue is effectively taken up there. The hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) also dwelt at length on Lord Turner’s report. He reminded us of the one Liberal...

I wonder how the hon. Gentleman reconciles the remarks that he has just made about means-testing with the Chancellor’s remark, made when the Labour party was in opposition, that he wanted a significant diminution in the use of means-testing in the British welfare system. Is that an aspiration that has...

I wonder how the hon. Gentleman reconciles the remarks that he has just made about means-testing with the Chancellor’s remark, made when the Labour party was in opposition, that he wanted a significant diminution in the use of means-testing in the British welfare system. Is that an aspiration that has...

We have had a short but, nevertheless, lively debate. I have been struck by the fact that the hon. Members who have spoken have found it quite a strain to confine themselves to the orders under consideration. I take it from that that, in fact, they have very little to...

We have had a short but, nevertheless, lively debate. I have been struck by the fact that the hon. Members who have spoken have found it quite a strain to confine themselves to the orders under consideration. I take it from that that, in fact, they have very little to...

With the leave of the House, I should like to respond to the debate, which has been interesting, important and short. I was particularly interested to hear the remarks made by my hon. Friend the Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr. Stuart), who reminded us in an interesting and fluent...

With the leave of the House, I should like to respond to the debate, which has been interesting, important and short. I was particularly interested to hear the remarks made by my hon. Friend the Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr. Stuart), who reminded us in an interesting and fluent...