Latest news with #DannyKruger
Daily Record
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
DWP urged to review Motability scheme as part of new welfare reforms
Conservative MP Danny Kruger has urged the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to include a review of the Motability scheme as part of the UK Government's planned benefits reforms. The shadow minister put the suggestion to the senior DWP ministerial team on Monday during oral questions. The MP for East Wiltshire said: 'One area where the Government do not seem to be looking for savings is in the Motability scheme. It was supposed to help physically disabled people get around, but now we have 100,000 new people a year joining the scheme, many of them not physically disabled at all.' He highlighted how one in five of all new car purchases are bought through the Motability scheme which is 'costing taxpayers nearly £3 billion a year'. Mr Kruger added: 'I know that the Minister will blame us (Conservative party) for the system, but the fact is that the Government are not even looking at Motability. They have had a year, and it is their policy now. Will the Minister commit to a proper review of the Motability scheme, and if not, why not?' Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms, responded: 'I am not sure whether the shadow Minister wants me to go further or not so far - he seems to be facing both ways. He is right that we are not at this point proposing any changes to the Motability scheme.' The Motability Scheme enables people in receipt of a disability benefit, with an award for the higher or enhanced rate of the mobility component, to transfer some or all of the payment to lease a new car, wheelchair-accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair. As well as a new car, customers also benefit from insurance, breakdown assistance, servicing, maintenance, tyres and windscreen repairs as part of the package. The latest price list for leasing packages shows there are now more than 800 vehicles to choose from. It's important to be aware the DWP does not oversee the scheme, but instead facilitates a direct transfer to Motability of a claimant's payment - in part or full - if they elect to join the nationwide scheme. The higher rate of the mobility part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is worth £77.05 each week, some £308.20 every four-week payment period. The latest figures from the charity behind the Motability Scheme (Motability Operations) show there are now 815,000 customers across the UK, including around 80,000 living in Scotland. The Motability Scheme, or Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme as it is known for those on devolved disability benefits such as Adult Disability Payment (ADP) or Child Disability Payment (CDP), offers an affordable way for disabled people to get around outside more easily. PIP reforms There are currently 3.7 million people across Great Britain in claim for PIP, however, the UK Government expects that figure to rise by a further 750,000 to 4m by the end of the decade and has proposed a raft of new measures to make the benefit sustainable for future generations. Proposed package of reforms to overhaul the welfare system, include: Ending reassessments for disabled people who will never be able to work and people with lifelong conditions to ensure they can live with dignity and security. Scrapping the Work Capability Assessment to end the process that drives people into dependency, delivering on the UK Government's manifesto commitment to reform or replace it. Providing improved employment support backed by £1 billion including new tailored support conversations for people on health and disability benefits to break down barriers and unlock work. Legislating to protect those on health and disability benefits from reassessment or losing their payments if they take a chance on work. To ensure the welfare system is available for those with the greatest needs now and in the future, the UK Government has made decisions to improve its sustainability and protect those who need it most. These include: Reintroducing reassessments for people on incapacity benefits who have the capability to work to ensure they have the right support and are not written off. Targeting PIP for those with higher needs by changing the eligibility requirement to a minimum score of four on at least one of the daily living activities to receive the daily living element of the benefit, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria. Rebalancing payment levels in Universal Credit to improve the Standard Allowance. Consulting on delaying access to the health element of Universal Credit until someone is aged 22 and reinvesting savings into work support and training opportunities through the Youth Guarantee. DWP also launched an online consultation on the new proposals to coincide with the publication of the Green paper. The consultation can be completed by anyone and is open until 11.59pm on Monday June 30, 2025 - you can find full details on here. It's important to be aware that the proposed reforms announced by the DWP will not affect people in Scotland claiming Adult Disability Payment. The Scottish Government announced earlier this week it has no plans to mirror the proposed changes to devolved disability benefits.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opponents of assisted dying vow to fight on as MPs back Bill
Opponents of assisted dying have urged the House of Lords to give Kim Leadbeater's Bill 'the scrutiny that it needs' after MPs narrowly backed the legislation. Ms Leadbeater's Bill passed what could be its final Commons hurdle by 23 votes, down from the majority of 55 it secured when MPs first voted on it in November. The Spen Valley MP declared 'thank goodness' after the result while Rebecca Wilcox, daughter of campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, said it was 'wonderful' the result had come ahead of her mother's birthday. But opponents vowed to fight on against what they called a 'deeply flawed Bill'. A group of 27 Labour MPs who voted against the legislation said: 'We were elected to represent both of those groups and are still deeply concerned about the risks in this Bill of coercion of the old and discrimination against the disabled, people with anorexia and black, Asian and minority ethnic people, who we know do not receive equitable health care. 'As the Bill moves to the House of Lords it must receive the scrutiny that it needs. Not about the principles of assisted dying but its application in this deeply flawed Bill.' But Ms Leadbeater told the PA news agency she hoped there would be no 'funny games' in the Lords, as her Bill faces further tough hurdles in the upper chamber. She added: 'I would be upset to think that anybody was playing games with such an important and such an emotional issue.' Meanwhile, one of the leading opponents of the Bill, Conservative Danny Kruger, described its supporters as 'enemies', saying he felt 'like Evelyn Waugh at the time of the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939'. In a series of tweets on Friday night, the East Wiltshire MP accused assisted dying campaigners of being 'militant anti-Christians' who had failed to 'engage with the detail of the Bill'. He added: 'It's the revenge of the middle-aged against their dependents.' Ms Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End Of Life) Bill will now proceed to the House of Lords, where it will undergo further scrutiny before becoming law, should peers decide to back the legislation. But some peers have already spoken out against the legislation, with the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, saying they 'must oppose' the Bill as 'unworkable and unsafe'.
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Church of England should rethink automatic secrecy of misconduct hearings, say MPs
Church of England proposals for church courts to automatically be held in secret should be reconsidered, a parliamentary committee has warned. The clergy conduct measure is intended to propose the existing clergy disciplinary measure, which has been extensively criticised for failing to tackle allegations of serious or sexual misconduct against clergy. Under the terms of the new measure, when an allegation of misconduct is made against clergy 'the tribunal or court is to sit in private except in a case where' certain conditions are met, such as a public hearing being requested by the defendant. MPs and peers sitting on the ecclesiastical committee told church representatives on Tuesday that members of the public had expressed concern to them about the new proposals. Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, the chair of the committee and a former head of the courts, urged the witnesses 'to look at sitting in public, because that's an issue which a number of people have raised, and I share the concern. It is fair to say family courts sit in private, but we do try to sit in public when we can.' Al Pinkerton, the Liberal Democrat MP for Surrey Heath, said that 'the fact that it is private by default and public by exception certainly has raised more than one eyebrow'. He continued: 'The fact that I've had as much correspondence as I have suggests that you have perhaps got this the wrong way round.' Danny Kruger, the Conservative MP for East Wiltshire, said that the measure would leave the Church of England out of step with other disciplinary systems. 'My understanding is that most comparable tribunals in the secular space – whether that's in respect of medical practitioners, even police misconduct hearings, the bar, military court service – the default setting in those cases is that the proceedings will be public,' he said. Edward Dobson, the church's legal adviser, disputed the characterisation of the measure. 'These are not secret hearings,' he said. 'These are private hearings, where the evidence is taken in private, and it is important to distinguish between those two concepts.' He said the General Synod, the Church of England's legislative assembly, had rejected an amendment for hearings to ordinarily be public. 'It was felt very strongly that the interests of children in particular, vulnerable adults, those giving evidence, were best met, and evidence was achieved best, with a broad confidentiality,' he said. Clive Scowen, who moved the amendment, said: 'My view is that, because of the genuine public interest in the conduct of the clergy of the established church and the current climate of openness and transparency concerning judicial proceedings generally, hearings should be in public unless the tribunal finds there is a good reason for them to be in private.' He said that even though his amendment had been rejected, 'the new measure as a whole is a great improvement on the current legislation' and he hoped parliament would approve it. According to minutes of the proceedings where Scowen's amendment was rejected, a committee of the General Synod discussed how 'other professional tribunals, such as General Medical Council hearings, sit in private due to the confidentiality of patient information'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion However, a spokesperson for the GMC said that this was wrong, and that the GMC did not hold hearings. The spokesperson said that when the GMC had concerns about doctors, it presented evidence to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, and that such hearings were ordinarily public. A spokesperson for House of Survivors, a campaign group for victims of clerical abuse, said: 'Secrecy as a starting point is not a good look. There are situations and times where private hearings may be called for. But that should be much better judged in each situation, rather than a blanket approach.' The spokesperson stressed that the group believed the Church of England should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act, from which it is immune. 'The Church of England has gotten away with far too much secrecy. A lot of problems are to do with a lack of transparency, a lack of accountability, at a very senior level,' he said. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support for rape and sexual abuse on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at
Leader Live
14-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Doctors raise concerns over assisted dying Bill ahead of return to Parliament
In what will be seen by some as a blow for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it cannot support the proposals in their current form, while separate research has highlighted division on the issue amongst family doctors in England. The Bill, which relates to England and Wales, will come before MPs in the House of Commons on Friday for its report stage – where various further amendments will be debated and voted on. It is not yet clear whether time will allow on the day for a third reading vote. It will be the first time the Bill is back before the Commons since the historic yes vote in November. The Bill's continued passage through Westminster comes as the Scottish Parliament backed the general principles for assisted dying in a vote on Tuesday. Holyrood voted by 70 votes to 56 in favour of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. On the Westminster Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has said it cannot support the proposed legislation in its current form, highlighting 'serious concerns'. Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who is opposed to the Bill, said this was a 'very significant intervention', and Labour's Melanie Ward, who also voted against it, said it was a 'blow to (the Bill's) foundations'. The college said it has 'unanswered questions' about the safeguarding of people with mental illness and warned of a shortage of consultant psychiatrists to meet the demands of the Bill. Meanwhile, research by the BBC suggested varying views among GPs. Of 1,000 doctors who responded to questions on assisted dying, 500 were opposed to legalisation while about 400 were in favour, the broadcaster said. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told the BBC the results showed doctors had 'real concerns about the practical and legal implications of a change in the law on assisted dying', which she said 'must be acknowledged and addressed, so that any legislation is watertight'. The Bill was amended during committee stage earlier this year, including the High Court element being scrapped in favour of multidisciplinary panels featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. The RCPsych has said it is 'not clear what a psychiatrist's role on a multidisciplinary panel would be', and also demanded any new law 'must exclude the physical effects of mental disorder, such as anorexia or dementia, as the basis for eligibility'. Dr Lade Smith, president of the RCPsych, said: 'It's integral to a psychiatrist's role to consider how people's unmet needs affect their desire to live. The Bill, as proposed, does not honour this role, or require other clinicians involved in the process to consider whether someone's decision to die might change with better support. 'We are urging MPs to look again at our concerns for this once-in-a-generation Bill and prevent inadequate assisted dying/assisted suicide proposals from becoming law.' Dr Annabel Price, also from the RCPsych, said: 'The college has spent decades focused on preventing people from dying by suicide. 'A significant part of our engagement on this Bill to date has been to point out that people with terminal physical illnesses are more likely to have depression. 'Terminal illness is a risk factor for suicide, and unmet needs can make a person's life feel unbearable. But we know that if a person's situation is improved or their symptoms treated, then their wish to end their life sooner often changes. 'The Bill does not specify whether assisted dying/assisted suicide is a treatment option – an ambiguity that has major implications in law.' Labour MP Simon Opher, who is also a GP and is supportive of the Bill, said the legislation has been amended to be even safer than it was. He told the BBC Radio Four Today programme: 'I totally understand the criticisms around the Bill but I think that actually if you read the Bill it's incredibly safe now and it has a number of safeguards around capacity and coercion and indeed that's why we've involved psychiatrists for the very difficult cases around assessing mental capacity – which are very few but we need their expertise on that level.' Asked whether he felt concerns raised by royal colleges might put MPs off voting in favour of the Bill, he said: 'GPs are split on this and I totally acknowledge that and I know many people who I deeply respect who are against it and many who are for it. 'But I think that actually talking to MPs, many of them haven't changed their views on this. 'There's about three or four I know that may vote in favour of the Bill because of the extra safeguards we've built into it.' Meanwhile, Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the Westminster Bill, praised the 'lengthy, constructive and compassionate debate' in the Scottish Parliament, saying they had 'listened to the voices of those with personal experience of those injustices and concluded that the status quo cannot be defended any longer'.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Doctors raise concerns over assisted dying Bill ahead of return to Parliament
An MP who backs the assisted dying Bill has insisted many of his colleagues have not changed their views on the issue, as GPs and psychiatrists raised concerns days before the legislation returns to Parliament for debate. In what will be seen by some as a blow for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it cannot support the proposals in their current form, while separate research has highlighted division on the issue amongst family doctors in England. The Bill, which relates to England and Wales, will come before MPs in the House of Commons on Friday for its report stage – where various further amendments will be debated and voted on. It is not yet clear whether time will allow on the day for a third reading vote. It will be the first time the Bill is back before the Commons since the historic yes vote in November. The Bill's continued passage through Westminster comes as the Scottish Parliament backed the general principles for assisted dying in a vote on Tuesday. Holyrood voted by 70 votes to 56 in favour of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. On the Westminster Bill, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has said it cannot support the proposed legislation in its current form, highlighting 'serious concerns'. Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who is opposed to the Bill, said this was a 'very significant intervention from the Royal College of Psychiatrists'. The college said it has 'unanswered questions' about the safeguarding of people with mental illness and warned of a shortage of consultant psychiatrists to meet the demands of the Bill. Meanwhile, research by the BBC suggested varying views among GPs. Of 1,000 doctors who responded to questions on assisted dying, 500 were opposed to legalisation while about 400 were in favour, the broadcaster said. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told the BBC the results showed doctors had 'real concerns about the practical and legal implications of a change in the law on assisted dying', which she said 'must be acknowledged and addressed, so that any legislation is watertight'. The Bill was amended during committee stage earlier this year, including the High Court element being scrapped in favour of multidisciplinary panels featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. The RCPsych has said it is 'not clear what a psychiatrist's role on a multidisciplinary panel would be', and also demanded any new law 'must exclude the physical effects of mental disorder, such as anorexia or dementia, as the basis for eligibility'. Dr Lade Smith, president of the RCPsych, said: 'It's integral to a psychiatrist's role to consider how people's unmet needs affect their desire to live. The Bill, as proposed, does not honour this role, or require other clinicians involved in the process to consider whether someone's decision to die might change with better support. 'We are urging MPs to look again at our concerns for this once-in-a-generation Bill and prevent inadequate assisted dying/assisted suicide proposals from becoming law.' Dr Annabel Price, also from the RCPsych, said: 'The college has spent decades focused on preventing people from dying by suicide. 'A significant part of our engagement on this Bill to date has been to point out that people with terminal physical illnesses are more likely to have depression. 'Terminal illness is a risk factor for suicide, and unmet needs can make a person's life feel unbearable. But we know that if a person's situation is improved or their symptoms treated, then their wish to end their life sooner often changes. 'The Bill does not specify whether assisted dying/assisted suicide is a treatment option – an ambiguity that has major implications in law.' Labour MP Simon Opher, who is also a GP and is supportive of the Bill, said the legislation has been amended to be even safer than it was. He told the BBC Radio Four Today programme: 'I totally understand the criticisms around the Bill but I think that actually if you read the Bill it's incredibly safe now and it has a number of safeguards around capacity and coercion and indeed that's why we've involved psychiatrists for the very difficult cases around assessing mental capacity – which are very few but we need their expertise on that level.' Asked whether he felt concerns raised by royal colleges might put MPs off voting in favour of the Bill, he said: 'GPs are split on this and I totally acknowledge that and I know many people who I deeply respect who are against it and many who are for it. 'But I think that actually talking to MPs, many of them haven't changed their views on this. 'There's about three or four I know that may vote in favour of the Bill because of the extra safeguards we've built into it.' Meanwhile, Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the Westminster Bill, praised the 'lengthy, constructive and compassionate debate' in the Scottish Parliament, saying they had 'listened to the voices of those with personal experience of those injustices and concluded that the status quo cannot be defended any longer'.
