Speeches by Bedford.

“One way of ensuring that new unitary authorities such as those for Leicestershire have adequate funding is to base that funding on robust business cases. Given that the Department was five weeks late in providing feedback to the local authorities, will the Minister commit to extending the deadline to ensure that those …”

“Does the Minister agree that those pensioners who missed out on their payment in the winter of 2024 and will qualify under these rules should be reimbursed for the money they lost?”

“I am coming on to that point, actually. On the context of pension adequacy in general, how do you see that evolving? Clearly, we go back decades that the balance between state pension and private pension provision would have been significantly different. How do you see that evolving in terms of greater onus being place…”

“Welcome, Minister. I want to turn to state pension adequacy. Looking at the second stage of your review on this, could I get your thoughts on the broader societal challenges that will feed into that, such as the pressures from housing, health, social care, and how that will be taken on board in the mix?”

“I am conscious of time, so quickly going back to the adequacy point, I want to get a few comments from you about this: some stakeholders have suggested that some adequacy benchmarks should be looked at, such as target placement rates or minimum income standards. What is your view on that?”

“I will come on to some questions later on that particular point. On your comment there about having confidence in the system, one of my concerns over the last six months is there have been rumours swirling in the media around changes that could potentially come in the pension space, such as restricting tax-free drawdow…”

“I have loads of questions, but I will trim it down to one on the investment review. Looking at the potential mandation in the forthcoming Bill, I have spoken to a number of pension stakeholders about their concerns on the market intervention here and the impact that could have. Can you elaborate on that a little bit as…”

“While we might not agree with their methods, peaceful protests can take many forms, including the burning of religious texts. Does the Minister agree that freedom of expression must be protected and that any move by Parliament or the courts to introduce a blasphemy law would undermine it?”

“Can the Minister give assurances to football fans in my constituency that with the burdens of the Employment Rights Bill, the hike in national insurance contributions and the introduction of yet another regulator, there will not be a hike in ticket prices?”

“Would that latter approach be more bureaucratic and more costly to administer than the energy companies themselves delivering that support?”

“Finally, I think Energy UK have proposals around those that use electric heating and perhaps adjusting the levies and tariffs around that to support. Clearly that is an additional cost to them. Do you have any views on that?”

“Earlier we touched on the social tariff. You touched on it briefly about your reluctance to go down that route because of the impact of the market. Do you recognise the advantage, though, of having a social tariff for vulnerable customers? I thought you could elaborate a bit further on it.”

“You touched on earlier the standing charge issue in terms of it is a flat fee per day. Often those older people or those in high-energy use, that it would disproportionately affect them given that they might not be using as much energy. What are your thoughts on that in terms of how the social tariff or a framework cou…”

“In terms of what you believe the Government should be prioritising in the run-up to winter coming this year, what do you think could be the best mechanisms to support those that are in fuel poverty?”

“Turning to support that energy companies could provide, such as the social tariff or similar schemes. Clearly support for pensioners or vulnerable people has to be paid for by someone, either the state or energy companies. Someone has to pay. I am thinking the most efficient way of delivering that could be directly thr…”

“In a recent evidence session in Cardiff we spoke to stakeholders and one of them mentioned that a significant cost is the standing charge on fuel bills—50p a day, 60p a day, regardless of what energy you have used. What is your view about how that could be baked into a social tariff and how that could help to support?”

“You have already mentioned the warm home discount and some other support that there is out there. What are your views on a social tariff? I know that in the utility sector—particularly the water industry—how it is applied is a bit haphazard but there are various levels of social tariffs that different companies apply. …”

“Given that my constituents overwhelmingly voted to take back control of their borders in the 2016 referendum, what safeguards is the Prime Minister putting in place to ensure that his youth experience scheme is not open borders by the back door, which would be seen by my constituents as yet another Brexit betrayal?”

“Employers in my constituency tell me that they are less likely to employ young people as a result of the Employment Rights Bill because of the increased risk of employing someone at the start of their career. What representations has the Minister made to her colleagues to ensure that the most damaging parts of that leg…”

“On the employment point, given the link between Universal Credit, health entitlement and the daily living component of PIP, how might this in your view affect people with fluctuating conditions and mental health concerns accessing benefits and engaging with employment?”