Stephen presses Government on benefit levels

On 26 May 2022, the Chancellor announced some new support measures to help families with the cost of living. Stephen urged him to improve the process of benefit uprating.

Some of the measures introduced include a windfall tax on oil and gas firms, a one off cost of living payment of £650 for low income households, additional money for those in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment, and an extra £150 from September for those on disability benefits.

The Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, has continued to press the Government to reinstate the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift. This call has been rejected.

Speaking in the chamber, Stephen said “…it is time now to rethink the mechanism through which benefits are uprated…and also the level at which benefits are set.”

You can watch Stephen’s full question - and the Chancellor’s response - below.

Stephen urges Government to help those fleeing Afghanistan

On Thursday 26 May, there was an urgent question to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on evacuations from Afghanistan. Stephen raised the issue of the lack of biometric services in the country.

The requirement for submission of biometrics has been exceptionally lifted for Ukrainian refugees, who are instead invited to submit their biometrics from a visa centre once they reach the UK. This is not the case for those seeking to flee Afghanistan, who are still required to submit their biometrics. However, there is currently no biometric service operating in Afghanistan, so many are left with no option but to stay.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Stephen asked the Minister to suspend the requirement for biometrics for those coming from Afghanistan, as the Government has done for those coming from Ukraine.

You can watch Stephen’s question, and the Minister’s response, below.

Stephen presses Government to monitor India’s foreign contribution law on NGOs

Stephen has led a debate in Parliament on the impact of India’s foreign contribution law on non-governmental organisations.

The Indian Government passed a law in 2020 on the exisiting Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). The Amendment Act restricted regulations on NGOs, and how they received aid from abroad. Since the changes came into effect, more than 14,000 NGOs have been barred from accessing foreign funding.

During the debate, Stephen highlighted the impact these changes have had on NGOs like Oxfam. Oxfam is one of the largest NGOs in India, reaching more than 1.5 million people. Last December, Oxfam lost its FCRA licence, causing a drastic cut in its funding. With 75% of its income coming from foreign aid, there is a great risk the charity will need to cut a large amount of its humanitarian work and staff.

Stephen emphasised that these restrictions on NGOs were mainly to control criticism toward Government policies. He mentioned that in 2016, a commission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council called for the repeal of the FCRA. Despite this, the Indian Government introduced further restrictions in 2020.

Speaking in the debate, Stephen said “The 2020 changes to the FCRA have effectively banned NGOs from research, advocacy and campaigning…It is claimed that all of that is to strengthen transparency and accountability, but it is fairly clear that the Government are targeting charities and non-profits that question their policies. Will the Minister urge the Indian authorities to review carefully the FCRA for compliance with international human rights standards and to suspend aspects of the law that restrict charities from providing urgently needed relief?”

You can read Stephen’s full speech, the Minister’s response, here.

Stephen hosts crypto-currency drop-in event in Parliament

Stephen has sponsored an event in the House of Commons about cryptocurrency, digital assets, and the impact the sector is likely to have on the UK’s economy.

The reception was sponsored by the digital securities exchange, Archax. MPs with all levels of understanding attended to learn about the benefits and challenges posed by cryptocurrency.

After the event, Stephen said “I am grateful to Archax for arranging an informative and helpful discussion. It is important that members are well informed about the impact cryptocurrency and digital assets will have on the economy.”

Stephen asks Government to introduce Alternative Student Finance

During oral questions to the Secretary of State for Education, Stephen raised the plight of Muslim students unable to access higher education, because their faith prohibits them from using interest-bearing loans.

Last year, Stephen tabled an Early Day Motion urging the Government to deliver on its previous commitment to provide sharia-compliant student finance. It was signed by 28 MPs. The Government have since launched a consultation on the new lifelong loan entitlement and said it is still considering how alternative student finance could be delivered through this.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Stephen explained that an estimated 4,000 Muslim students do not go to university each year because there is no finance available that is compatible with their faith. He then asked the Secretary of State “can he give us some indication of how much longer Muslim students have to wait?”

You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Secretary of State’s response, below.

Stephen urges Government to strengthen Homes for Ukraine scheme

On Monday 16 May, during oral questions to the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Stephen raised reports of serious safeguarding concerns about the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

The Government launched its Homes for Ukraine scheme in March, offering households willing to host a refugee £350 a month. Around 200,000 people have signed up to the scheme to sponsor a refugee fleeing Ukraine so far.

However, several migrants’ rights organisations have raised concerns that social media platforms are enabling sex traffickers to abuse the Homes for Ukraine scheme by offering women conditional accommodation, putting them at risk of sexual exploitation.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Stephen said: “criminal record checks on their own cannot prevent this. What assurance can the Minister give us about the rigour and effectiveness of the separate home checks undertaken for the scheme?”

You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Secretary of State’s response, below.

Stephen speaks about the cost-of-living crisis

MPs have debated the Queen’s Speech in the House of Commons, The speech - which took place on 10 May - set out legislation that the government intends to pursue in this forthcoming Parliamentary session. 

Stephen spoke in the debate. He discussed his fears about the  cost-of-living increase. He also urged the government to provide greater support for families who are struggling to make ends meet. 

In his speech, Stephen said the cost-of-living crisis effected everyone. He noted that benefits were at a historically low level, following the removal of the £20 a week uplift in Universal Credit last October. He went on to question how people would be able to continue to pay their bills in the coming months. Recent research suggested that those on benefits will be using up to 50 per cent of their benefits on energy bills alone.

Stephen argued that major changes were needed especially to the five-week wait for the first Universal Credit payment. Stephen ended his speech saying “The least-well off in our society need urgent help,”

Keir Starmer echoed Stephen’s comments. He told MPs later that the government was "out of energy" and "bereft of ideas and purpose". Keir pointed out there were few measures in the Queen's Speech to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. By contrast, he said a Labour government would tackle the cost-of-living-crisis “head on". 

Stephen calls on Ministers to protect medical students

Stephen has written to the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, asking whether the NHS bursary can be increased for student doctors in the penultimate two years of their training. 

A number of trainee doctors from East Ham have been in touch with Stephen. They note that a medical degree is uniquely funded compared to other three year courses - medical students normally spend five to six years at medical school. These final years are covered by the NHS bursary, which is less than what they were provided with by student finance in previous years. There are fears that this could deter would be doctors from poorer backgrounds, as medical students are now graduating with over £100,000 of debt. 

In his letter. Stephen asked for immediate access to full maintenance loans as well as access to the NHS Learning Support fund, which has already been made available to other healthcare students.

Having spoken to some of his constituents about this issue, Stephen said: “I am troubled by the lack of support offered to medical students in the UK.

“The current shortage of NHS workers means that the government cannot afford to deter any future doctors.”

Stephen visits Maximus UK's employability centre in Newham

Maximus have launched their latest Restart scheme in Newham to help people into work. Stephen recently visited the new site to hear about their work.

Restart is a government backed scheme to provide people who have been unemployed for 12 to 18 months with the tailored support they need to overcome barriers and find work. They are working with local community groups to deliver this support.

Stephen visited the new site and met some of the employment advisors helping to deliver the scheme. Speaking after the visit, he said: “I enjoyed visiting Maximus’ new premises in Newham. The Restart scheme has great potential in helping people overcome barriers to work. I applaud the approach Maximus is taking in forming close partnerships with employers urgently looking for staff, and with local initiatives.”

Stephen calls for re-think on arms trade with Israel

Stephen has written to the International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, asking that the Government re-think its policy of selling weapons to Israel.

During the violence last spring, Stephen supported calls for the Government to report to Parliament with an assessment of the use of any exported arms and equipment in the conflict and for it to examine the risks involved in any future arms sales to the Israeli security forces. This has not happened.

The Government’s latest annual report on export licensing decisions, which covers 2020, lists 109 licences for military goods, worth £27.8 million, issued between 1 January and 31 December 2020. Despite these figures, the Government has repeatedly said that it takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and that it considers all export applications thoroughly against a strict risk assessment framework.

Having sent his letter, Stephen said: “I believe we need a new arms export regime that is truly transparent, free from arbitrary political judgments and reflects our commitment to upholding international law.

“I would have liked to see Government Ministers review what type of weapons the UK sells to Israel, and whether there is a risk they will be used to violate international law. If Ministers find that is the case, then they have not just a moral duty to stop those arms sales, but a legal requirement to do so as well.”

Stephen warns DWP about pension claims

Credit: Sarah Agnew, Unsplash

Stephen has voiced concern that elderly men and women who have been underpaid on their state pensions are being turned away by government call centre staff – with some having phones hung up on them.

Officials at the Department for Work and Pensions have been ordered to cut short calls about the state pension from anyone who does not fit into a specific set of groups, according to both the Public Accounts Committee and the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs.

The “extremely worrying” policy was highlighted in a joint letter from Stephen and the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Meg Hillier. They warned some pensioners could lose hope in the fight for a fair pension.

Around 134,000 have been underpaid in total. Some of them could be owed lump sums amounting to tens of thousands of pounds – but the DWP has previously said it could take years to pay the funds back because of the time it takes to track each individual down. The departement has set its own deadline of December 2023 for these reviews.

Latest figures show just 9% of the £1billion owed has been repaid. Stephen described the situation was “worrying” and added “…the onus is on the DWP to repay those whose pensions have been underpaid. This should be done as soon as possible.”

Stephen attends Diabetes UK reception

Stephen has attended the launch of a new report, ‘Diabetes in Serious,’ organised by Diabetes UK. The report seeks to emphasise the prevalence of diabetes in our society and the impact the pandemic has had on diabetes sufferers.

At the event, Stephen inspected artwork by some of the 4.9 million people living with or affected by diabetes in the UK, expressing their experiences with diabetes.

The report included a new survey of over 10,000 people who suffer from the condition, and investigated how the COVID pandemic has interacted with existing pressures to affect those with diabetes. For example, it revealed that only 36% of people with diabetes received their recommended care checks in 2020-21, down from 57% in 2019-20.

Speaking afterwards, Stephen said “It was enlightening to see how those suffering from diabetes expressed their perspective through art. I found the work Diabetes UK does to tackle issues faced by those with Diabetes encouraging.

“I support Diabetes UK in their campaign for a recovery plan specifically addressing the challenges facing diabetes services.”

Stephen pledges support to Guide Dogs' All Things Equal campaign

Stephen has attended a Guide Dogs’ parliamentary event to back their campaign to support young people with a vision impairment.

During the event, Stephen met with children and their families to discuss the challenges they face in the education system. Guide Dogs’ recent research has found that 69% of teachers lack confidence that they have the right skills to support disabled children, including those with sight loss, to reach their full potential.

Guide Dogs’ All Things Equal campaign is calling for greater recognition of vision impairment throughout the Special Educational Needs and Disability system.

Speaking afterwards, Stephen said “I enjoyed attending Guide Dogs’ event in Parliament to pledge my support for their All Things Equal campaign. I applaud Guide Dogs for all they are doing to help improve access to education and support for young people with sight loss. “

Stephen attends Vodafone's parliamentary drop-in to mark 10 years of their Digital Parenting Magazine

Last Wednesday, Vodafone celebrated 10 years of their Digital Parenting Magazine, which is a tool to help parents, carers, and grandparents make the most of their digital opportunities for themselves and their family.

A number of charities working towards better online safety were also at the event, including NSPCC and the Good Things Foundation. Vodafone shared their work around tackling the digital divide ahead of the Online Safety Bill, which is currently awaiting Committee Stage.

Stephen recently welcomed the Government’s decision to impose a new legal duty on online platforms to make the internet safer by tackling scam adverts through the Online Safety Bill. The Select Committee for Work and Pensions - which Stephen chairs - has been calling for the inclusion of scam adverts in the Bill for the past year.

Stephen calls for removal of asbestos by 2062

Credit: Tneil Abt, Unsplash

Stephen - as Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee - has called on the government to commit to a strategy to remove all asbestos from public and commercial buildings by 2062.

Despite being banned more than 20 years ago, the WPC estimates that asbestos still exists in around 300,000 non-domestic buildings, including schools. The Health and Safety Executive, however, is yet to provide a clear time frame and strategy for its total removal, nor does it provide evidence-based “safe and effective” removal techniques, according to the report.

Asbestos is still the greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK, linked to more than 5,000 deaths in 2019 alone, including cancers and long-term injury from past exposure.

In its latest report, Stephen’s committee cited a growing public health risk as buildings are adapted in line with the move to net zero and other energy efficiency targets, disturbing the toxic materials in the process.

Speaking about the report, Stephen said: “Asbestos is one of the great workplace tragedies of modern times and the risk remains real.

“Falling back on regulations which devolve responsibility to individual building owners and maintenance managers will not be sufficient to protect people’s health.

“Setting a clear deadline of 40 years will help to focus minds. The clock is ticking and this is no time for laissez-faire.”

Latest edition of Churches Update on NOW!

The Labour Party has today published its latest edition of Churches Update. In this edition, you can read about:

• Government failing to deliver on Faith New Deal fund

• Prime Minister “slanders” Archbishop of Canterbury

• Calls for churches to act on slavery

• Stephen Timms on No Recourse to Public Funds

To read the latest edition, click here.

Stephen welcomes Archbishop's intervention on Rwanda

Credit: Aaron Burden, Unsplash

Stephen has welcomed comments by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, after he spoke out about government plans to send migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda whilst their claims are processed.

During his Easter Sunday sermon, Archbishop Welby accused Ministers of "subcontracting our responsibilities" over its plans. He said the idea was "opposite to the nature of God."

In a letter to The Times, Stephen said the Archbishop’s interventions were nothing new. He noted that Many of Archbishop Welby’s predecessors had spoken out about government policies. He wrote:

“Political interventions by Archbishops are nothing new. Rowan Williams criticised the Labour Government of which I was a member. He was outspoken about the Iraq war and the Equality Bill. His predecessors, George Carey and Robert Runcie, were not afraid to speak out against governments whilst they were in Lambeth Palace. The modern welfare state — perhaps Labour’s greatest achievement—owes much to the efforts of wartime Archbishop William Temple. As leader of a worldwide church, Justin Welby is appointed to speak up for those who cannot speak themselves. He is right to speak out.”

Stephen presses Prime Minister on police fines

On 19 April, the Prime Minister - Boris Johnson - gave an update to the House of Commons. This followed the revelation that he had been issued a fine from the police for breaking lockdown rules.

Johnson has been issued a fixed-penalty notice for breaking Covid-19 laws whilst attending a party in No 10 Downing Street last year. The police are still investigating a number of other parties he is alleged to have attended. Johnson has given a full apology and resisted calls to resign.

During the statement in the House of Commons, Stephen asked “does the Prime Minister recognise that there is a very serious problem for the long term in leaving a lawbreaker in charge of the lawmakers?”

You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Prime Minister’s response, below.

Stephen questions Prime Minister on unemployment levels

Last week, Stephen challenged the Prime Minister on his claim that unemployment levels are now lower than since the start of the pandemic. Boris Johnson told Stephen he had corrected the record for this misleading claim, but there is no evidence of him doing so.

The Prime Minister has claimed repeatedly in the House of Commons that employment figures are up since the start of the pandemic. On 24 February, the Chair of the UK Statistics Authority - Sir David Norgrove - wrote to the Prime Minister challenging this assertion. His letter states “according to the latest ONS figures, it is wrong to claim that there are now more people in work than before the pandemic began: the increase in the number of people who are on payrolls is more than offset by the reduction in the number of people who are self-employed.” In fact, there are now around 600,000 fewer people in employment.

During questions to the Deputy Prime Minister on 16 March, Stephen highlighted Johnson’s misleading claim and asked if he accepted the correction from Sir David Norgrove. Then, on 30 March, Stephen asked the Prime Minister the same question during the Liaison Committee - which is a meeting between Select Committee Chairs.

Stephen reminded the Committee that Johnson has said in the House of Commons 9 times that the number of people in work is higher now than it was before the start of the pandemic. When questioned on whether he accepts that was claim was incorrect, the Prime Minister said “I think I have repeatedly and I think I took steps to correct the record earlier.”

There is, however, no evidence that the Prime Minister has corrected the record.

You can watch the full exchange below.

Stephen presses Government on Multi-Academy trusts

On Monday 28 March, the Government published the Schools White Paper. The Education Secretary - Nadhim Zahawi - presented the White Paper to the House of Commons. Stephen pressed him on Multi-Academy trusts.

The document, called “Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child”, outlines the Government’s vision for schools for the next eight years. Nadhim Zahawi launched its publication at a visit to Monega Primary School in East Ham.

During the Education Secretary’s statement in the House of Commons, Stephen raised the problems around Multi-Academy trusts. He said “I welcome his proposal to allow local authorities to set up and lead trusts. Does he have plans, as has been reported, also to allow schools to exit from MATs that do not suit them, and to increase the accountability of trusts to local authorities?”

You can watch Stephen’s full question - and the Minister’s response - below.