Lords questions to government on Tuesday 16 June
15 June 2020
Daily oral questions in the House of Lords on Tuesday 16 June focused on the constitution, democracy and rights commission; the social housing White Paper; government manifesto commitments; and the government response to the Institute for Fiscal Studies report on the mental health effects of lockdown.
Questions on Tuesday 16 June:
- Baroness Whitaker asked the government about the terms of reference and the appointment process, for the constitution, democracy and rights commission.
Topics discussed include: taking account of the rights of marginalised people in the UK; examining the roles of the Lord Chancellor and judiciary; representation from all four nations of the UK; examining voting; debating the agenda of the commission in the House of Lords; public trust in the political system; federalising the UK; and limiting the scope of the Human Rights Act.
- Baroness Sanderson of Welton asked the government when it plans to publish the social housing White Paper.
Topics discussed include: timelines for publication of the white paper; increasing social housing; accessibility standards; using pension fund assets to invest in social housing expenditure; defining affordable rent rates; and affordability of social housing rents.
- Lord Young of Cookham to ask the government about its plans to review its manifesto commitments as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Topics discussed include: manifesto commitments preventing the government from mitigating the recession; financing a long-term solution to social care and applying lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic; economic empowerment of Muslim women; reviewing children's social care; reviewing the commitment to establish a national strategy for disabled people in light of the pandemic; support for the working class and trade union voters; raising income tax, VAT, National Insurance or taxes on small businesses; the triple lock on pensions; trade relationships with commonwealth members; and extending the Brexit transition period.
- Baroness Tyler of Enfield asked the government about its response to 'The mental health effects of the first two months of lockdown and social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK' report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Topics discussed include: government steps to prevent a mental health crisis; getting children and young people back to school; funding additional early intervention services; prioritising access to support for BAME communities; abandoning social distancing in schools; addressing mental health inequalities; the effects on women of ending the self-employed income support scheme; and waiting times for young people to receive mental health support.
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