On 3 April, the House of Lords discussed an amendment, tabled by Baroness Masham and Lord Rogers, which would ensure that charges for primary healthcare are not made when it is not cost effective to do so or where this would put public health at risk.
Baroness Hamwee, Baroness Williams, Baroness Smith and the Earl of Sandwich supported the amendment and the Government agreed that Lord Howe would meet again with interested Peers when more detailed proposals for the charging arrangement have been developed.
Lord Roberts, Baroness Lister and the Bishop of Leicester re-tabled the permission to work amendment and were supported by the Earl of Sandwich, the Earl of Listowel, Baroness Hamwee, Lord Hussain and Baroness Manzoor. However, the Government gave no ground, repeating its claim that the proposed reduction in the time asylum seekers are excluded from working while waiting for an initial decision “could encourage those who are not genuinely in need of protection to enter the asylum system for economic reasons.” The debates for both this and the above health amendment are in the attached file.
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| House of Lords Hansard Health and work amendment. April 3rd Report | 75.5 KB |
