Support For People During Reconsideration Of Employment And Support Allowance Refusals

Menzies Campbell has signed EDM4. Motion reads: "That this House notes that at present people who apply for employment and support allowance (ESA) and are declared fit for work can ask for this decision to be reconsidered prior to lodging a formal appeal; further notes that at present people can continue to receive ESA at the assessment rate during this period; welcomes the introduction of reconsideration in all cases as of 28 October 2013; expresses concern that people will no longer be able to claim ESA during this period; expresses further concern that their only alternative will be to apply for jobseeker's allowance (JSA), for which being fit for work is a condition of receipt; further notes that since October 2008 four in 10 appeals have been successful; fears that in future people who are awarded ESA on appeal will be ineligible for either ESA or JSA during reconsideration; believes that the Government has a duty to support those who cannot support themselves through no fault of their own; and calls on Ministers to make the necessary legislative changes to allow ESA claimants to continue to receive the benefit at the assessment rate during this period."
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War Widows’ Pension

Menzies Campbell has signed EDM187. Motion reads: "That this House is deeply concerned about the anomaly whereby war widows awarded a pension between 31 March 1973 and 5 April 2005 lose their entitlement if they co-habit or re-marry, whereas those widowed before and after those dates do not; and calls on the Government to rectify this unfair discrimination, affecting some 4,000 widows, by allowing all of them to keep their pensions for life, as advocated by the War Widows' Association of Great Britain."
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Statistics On Reconsiderations Of Employment And Support Allowance Refusals

Menzies Campbell has signed EDM5. Motion reads: "That this House notes that at present people who apply for employment and support allowance (ESA) and are declared fit for work following a work capability assessment can ask for this decision to be reconsidered prior to lodging a formal appeal; welcomes the introduction of reconsideration in all cases as of 28 October 2013; further notes that the Government regularly publishes statistics on the number of successful appeals, but does not publish statistics on the number of successful reconsideration requests; believes that this provides an incomplete picture of the effectiveness of the work capability assessment; and thus calls on the Government to regularly publish statistics on the number of successful reconsideration requests as soon as possible."
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Wildlife Crime

Menzies Campbell has signed EDM189. Motion reads: "That this House welcomes the Government's increased focus on tackling international wildlife crime demonstrated through the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade and subsequent declaration signed by 41 countries, as well as the UK Commitment to Action on the Illegal Wildlife Trade; and urges the Government to now deliver a thorough, domestic, strategic plan for tackling wildlife crime offences within the UK."
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Gaza | Oral Answers to Questions – Defence | Commons debates

I have not been here quite as long as the right hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Sir Nicholas Soames), but I certainly share his frustration, and I suspect that it is shared in all parts of the House. It is wholly unacceptable that the people of Israel should be subject to random and indiscriminate rocket attacks, but it is equally unacceptable that the response of the Israeli Government should be disproportionate, contrary to international law and at the expense of civilians, particularly children.

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