Parliament

Adjournment Debates

An Adjournment Debate is simply a way in the House of Commons of having a general debate without requiring the House to vote. There are several different types of Adjournment Debate. Some allow the House to hold a general open-ended debate on a subject or a Government policy without reaching a formal decision about it. Others provide an opportunity for backbench MPs to raise constituency issues or other matters relating to Government administration or policy and to obtain a response from a Government Minister.

The Member of Parliament who tabled the relevant Adjournment Debate is called to speak and a Minister will reply.  The M.P. has no right of response but can intervene in the Minister's speech if he or she is willing to allow it (this is called 'giving way').

I held an Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons on 2nd November, 2006, about the case of one of my constituents who was a carer to her father.

My constituent, Mrs B, who wished to remain anonymous, became the carer to her father for four years but did not realise that she could claim Carer's Allowance or Attendance Allowance.  This meant that she did not qualify under the rules for Home Responsibilities Protection so that her pension is now reduced by the gap in her employment record during that time. The rules unfortunately do not allow Mrs B to claim retrospectively.

I discussed this matter with the Citizens Advice Bureau who told me that the take up of carers' benefits is low and that Mrs B's case is not, therefore, unusual.  I therefore believe the system should be reformed, firstly so that the availability of these benefits is made more widely known and, secondly, so that people can claim retrospectively.

The Minister for Pensions Reform congratulated me on securing the Adjournment Debate and apologised for the fact that I had been given misinformation by his Department.  He assured me that the Government believed that the system should be reformed so that support for carers is provided in their pension arrangements.  He said that he would be looking at my suggestions for reform and offered to meet me together with my constituents to discuss the matter further.

At the beginning of 2007, in response to my Adjournment Debate, the Government inserted provisions in the new Pensions Bill which will make it easier for carers to protect their pensions and reduces the number of qualifying hours to only 20 per week.

The Government also announced the provision of £33 million in an initiative known as the New Deal for Carers.  Under the initiative, local authorities will be allocated £25 million to provide emergency support, £3 million for a national advice and information service and £5 million for a training programme for carers.