The current Household Support Fund runs from April 2023 until the end of March 2024, and the Government continues to keep all its existing programmes under review in the usual way.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. Our approach to tackling poverty is based on clear evidence that parental employment, particularly where its full time, reduces the risk of poverty. In the financial year 21/22, children living in households where all adults work were around five times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the \u2018triple lock\u201d.<\/p>
<\/p>
To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the Government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6 million low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4169", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Younger of Leckie"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-04T12:34:44.27Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Household Support Fund"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of ending the Household Support Fund on 31 March on (1) the number of people experiencing destitution, and (2) wider public services including the NHS, social care and homelessness services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4719", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"} ], "uin" : "HL2605"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690587", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690587/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Willaertia magna C2c maky<\/em> cannot currently be used in biocidal products within Product Type 11 (Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems) within Great Britain. It is considered to be a new active substance, and there is no existing approval for it.<\/p> <\/p> Any new active substance under the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation requires an application and a full assessment of its safety and effectiveness before a decision can be reached on whether the substance meets the requirements for approval.<\/p> <\/p> Currently there are no applications for approval of this substance within any Product Type in Great Britain.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4169", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Younger of Leckie"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-05T12:32:07.67Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Biocidal Products: Regulation"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what is their position on the regulation of Willaertia magna c2c maky as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-type 11, following the European Commission's decision not to approve it.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4719", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
], "uin" : "HL2606"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690588", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690588/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government does not currently routinely record the total amount of people with long COVID or new cases identified. However, the most recent data from the Office of National Statistics shows that for the 4-week period ending 5 March 2023, 1.9 million people, or 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing long COVID symptoms; 83,000 people first had, or suspected they had, COVID-19 less than 12 weeks previously, 1.73 million people had symptoms for 12 or more weeks, 1.3 million people for at least a year and 762,000 for at least two years; and 1.5 million people reported day-to-day activities adversely affected. Of these, 381,000 reported that their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been limited a lot.<\/p> Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the percentage of long COVID sufferers who are able to receive specialist treatment, activity data released by NHS England shows that, for the month of December 2023, there was a total of 1,104 initial specialist assessments completed during the month and an additional 8,696 follow-up appointments were carried out. In total, since the data was first published in July 2021, 101,998 patients have received an initial specialist assessment. A further 347,837 follow-up appointments have taken place.<\/p> NHS England has invested £314 million to expand long COVID treatment in the National Health Service and rehabilitation services, establishing 100 long COVID services for adults and 13 specialist paediatric hubs for children and young people. These assess people with long COVID and direct them into appropriate care pathways which provide appropriate support and treatment. Commissioning of post-COVID services will transition from the long COVID national programme to integrated care boards by the end of March 2024. Funding for long COVID services in 2024/25 is expected to be allocated based on the 2023/24 distribution.<\/p> The NHS and wider scientific community are working at unprecedented pace to better understand long COVID, supported by £50 million in research funding.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4948", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Markham"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Markham"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-28T13:58:06.63Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Long Covid"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the overall burden of Long Covid, (2) the number of new cases being identified each month, (3) the percentage of sufferers who are able to receive specialist treatment, and (4) the provisions available for long-term support and assistance.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4719", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
], "uin" : "HL2607"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690589", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690589/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The UK has a comprehensive regulatory framework in place to ensure products are safe before they are placed on the market. Period products, including period pants and menstrual cups, are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. This provides a baseline of safety for applicable products, requiring that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be placed on the market. The law places obligations on producers, manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure consumers are provided with safety information, including instructions for safe use.\u202fThis includes risks that are not immediately obvious to consumers without adequate warnings, such as the use of additives and antimicrobial substances and the presence of silver in these products.<\/p> <\/p> Period products are not classed as biocidal products under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation but are instead articles which contain or are treated with a biocidal product (such as a silver compound). A number of silver active substances are currently waiting to be assessed for safety and efficacy as biocides under the GB review programme of existing active substances. While this is the case they can be legally used in treated articles including period products.<\/p> <\/p> Defra continues to monitor research on chemicals in period products as part of the UK REACH Work Programme, working closely with the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency. This ongoing work covers all risks, including those relating to aquatic life. Studies carried out in the EU found that the chemicals identified in these products were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/5006", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Douglas-Miller"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL2622"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-06T17:13:24.333Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sanitary Products: Safety"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of the use of silver in period products, including period pants and menstrual cups, in the light of concerns among the scientific community regarding the safety of the wearer and environmental impacts, particularly on aquatic life.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4719", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
], "uin" : "HL2608"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690590", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690590/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We have not carried out an assessment of the change to the Permitted Period since it was introduced. The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4169", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Younger of Leckie"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-05T12:32:25.267Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit: Employment"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the requirement under the Universal Credit and Jobseeker\u2019s Allowance (Work Search and Work Availability Requirements - limitations) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 that jobseekers claiming Universal Credit must widen their search beyond their preferred sector after four weeks, including the impact on (1) the average salary of former claimants, (2) the percentage of claimants who remain in jobs sixth months and a year after initial employment, (3) the percentage of claimants who subsequently go on to claim sickness benefits, and (4) the percentage of claimants who are sanctioned for not taking a job.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4719", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
], "uin" : "HL2609"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690603", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690603/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The UK has a comprehensive regulatory framework in place to ensure products are safe before they are placed on the market. Period products, including period pants and menstrual cups, are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. This provides a baseline of safety for applicable products, requiring that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be placed on the market. The law places obligations on producers, manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure consumers are provided with safety information, including instructions for safe use.\u202fThis includes risks that are not immediately obvious to consumers without adequate warnings, such as the use of additives and antimicrobial substances and the presence of silver in these products.<\/p> <\/p> Period products are not classed as biocidal products under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation but are instead articles which contain or are treated with a biocidal product (such as a silver compound). A number of silver active substances are currently waiting to be assessed for safety and efficacy as biocides under the GB review programme of existing active substances. While this is the case they can be legally used in treated articles including period products.<\/p> <\/p> Defra continues to monitor research on chemicals in period products as part of the UK REACH Work Programme, working closely with the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency. This ongoing work covers all risks, including those relating to aquatic life. Studies carried out in the EU found that the chemicals identified in these products were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/5006", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Douglas-Miller"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL2608"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-06T17:13:24.267Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sanitary Products"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take action to prevent the unnecessary use of additives and antimicrobial substances in period products claiming \u2018anti-odour\u2019 or \u2018antimicrobial\u2019 properties.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4719", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle"}
], "uin" : "HL2622"}
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}