Stephen attends climate change mass lobby

Stephen has joined a group of constituents who had organised to meet him as part of the Climate Coalition’s ‘The Time is Now’ mass lobby which calls for a green economic recovery from Coronavirus.

Across the country, hundreds of people met virtually with their Members of Parliament to draw attention to this important issue. East Ham residents brought their questions and ideas about renewable energy, recycling and environmental education.

Speaking to the residents, Stephen said: “I welcome the Climate Coalition’s mass lobby, because the more people that are speaking out about the importance of looking after the planet, the better our future will be. The Coronavirus pandemic has certainly led to policy decisions that we would previously have thought to be impossible becoming possible. I hope we can learn from this to ensure that the economic recovery the country now faces is low-carbon, high growth and ensures the protection of the environment.”

Newham MPs call for action amidst cladding delays

Stephen has signed a letter with West Ham MP, Lyn Brown, to the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick expressing their concerns about ongoing cladding issues in the borough.

The letter was written in response to a recent finding that around 2,000 buildings remain covered with flammable cladding, three years on from Grenfell. Both MPs highlight that Newham has many buildings that are deemed “high risk”, before voicing their residents’ frustration at the “slow pace of government support”.

Stephen and Lyn pointed to a worrying situation at Lumiere Building in Forest Gate: “A report previously found that five different types of cladding used on its exterior — including Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) — did not conform to building regulations. “It will cost around £30,000 per leaseholder for the removal and replacement of the cladding. A planning application has been made for the remedial works, but this has been delayed due to Covid-19.”

Such delays could prove fatal, as evidenced by the recent fire at Ferrier Point in Canning Town, in which 100 people were evacuated.

The MPs have asked the Housing Secretary for a meeting to discuss these issues, without delay.

To read the letter, click here.

Stephen asks Prime Minister to raise legacy benefit levels

At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 1 July, Stephen asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to raise levels of 'legacy' benefits to match Universal Credit.

Levels of Universal Credit were raised at the start of the coronavirus crisis but the older legacy benefits have not been raised to match.

Last week, in a report on DWP’s response to the crisis, the cross-party Work and Pensions Select Committee unanimously recommended they be increased.

Stephen said: “The Government – rightly – increased Universal Credit at the start of the crisis. It’s now time to redress the imbalance and increase legacy benefits too. People shouldn't get less help just because they haven't been moved to Universal Credit yet.”

Stephen supports Crisis 'Home For All' campaign

On Tuesday 30 June, Stephen attended the launch of Crisis’ campaign launch ‘Home For All’, which is calling on the Government to ensure no-one is left without a safe & secure home as COVID-19 emergency measures ease.

The event heard from APPG for Homelessness Chair Bob Blackman MP, Crisis CEO Jon Sparkes, frontline organisations and those with lived experience of homelessness.

Speakers highlighted the current watershed moment for the Government’s aim to end rough sleeping. More broadly, they urged the suspension of the No Recourse to Public Funds restriction, and the need to build more social homes.

Stephen commented afterwards: ‘I was delighted to join the Crisis launch.  We saw a remarkable effort from local authorities at the start of the coronavirus crisis to house rough sleepers.  Now we are at a critical juncture.  The Government has announced it wants to end homelessness. I support Crisis’ call for the Government to bring forward emergency legislation to ensure everyone a safe and secure home in this pandemic. The government should invest in social rented homes, and suspend the No Recourse to Public Funds restriction – which forces people into destitution and homelessness.’

Stephen attends National Prayer Breakfast

On Thursday, Stephen attended the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast.

Each year, 700 parliamentarians and church leaders gather in Westminster to pray for the country, at an annual breakfast held by Christians in Parliament. The event is an opportunity to celebrate the church’s contribution to local communities and to recognise the role that Christian faith plays in the life of our nation.

Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, the event was held online this year, which meant many more were able to join. Over 3,000 people gathered virtually in their homes to pray for the ongoing pandemic, our leaders as they navigate the country during this time, and the vulnerable in our society who have been most affected.

At the breakfast, both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition expressed their gratitude to faith groups who are generously serving their communities, and Bishop Graham gave a powerful message on the vital initiatives being taken by churches in the face of recent events, including Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. Musicians also came together to sing Amazing Grace – a hymn that has become a symbol of hope and peace during the pandemic.

Speaking afterwards, Stephen said “I was delighted to see such a huge interest in the breakfast and am pleased that the difficult decision to move the event online this year meant that thousands more were able to join in with the prayers and worship. This certainly reflects the gratitude towards churches during this time, as they serve in all varieties of ways.”

Stephen asks Urgent Question on Universal Credit rules court case

On Thursday 25th June, Stephen brought an Urgent Question following a Court of Appeal judgement on Monday which found Universal Credit rules 'irrational' and the DWP's failure to fix the issue "unlawful".

In January 2019, the High Court ruled in favour of four women who argued that the Universal Credit regulations did not take into account the fact that pay dates for monthly salaries can fluctuate (due to weekends or bank holidays).

The Universal Credit assessment period runs from the last day of each month to the penultimate day of the following month. Therefore, if an employee is paid a day earlier, they are judged to have earned double in one month and nothing in the next month, meaning their benefits can fluctuate severely. The women involved in the case reported being in rent arrears, being unable to pay council tax, and having to use foodbanks.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the Department of Work and Pensions' (DWP) attempt to overturn the High Court's ruling, with Lord Justice Underhill saying that the issue has had a "severely harmful impact".  

Today, Stephen asked the Work and Pensions Secretary for a statement on the Department's response to this verdict. Stephen said the situation had left claimants' income "severely disrupted". Although he was "grateful" that the DWP was not planning to appeal the ruling and had "accepted the inevitable", they should've "given up the fight" last year. He also asked for an estimate of the number of people affected, and questioned the Minister on when the Universal Credit computer system would be fixed.

Stephen urges Ministers to mitigate funding shortfall in Higher Education

Stephen has joined academic associations from across the country in calling on the government to support a new deal for higher education.

The group, led by the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, wrote to Education Ministers last week. They pointed out that the sharp drop in universities’ income - as a result of a fall in student numbers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic - will endanger the ability of the UK Higher Education sector to maintain excellence in education and research.

The associations called the current government funding model “inadequate” and said rather than providing a one-time bailout, public spending on colleges and universities needs to be increased to be in line with the 34 countries which make up the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Even before the pandemic nearly 25 percent of all UK universities were in deficit and are announcing job cuts and even cuts to the range of courses and subjects being offered.

Speaking to the Newham Recorder, Stephen said: “A recent report by London Economics for the University and College Union showed that coronavirus and ensuing recession will likely lead to 111,000 fewer UK and 121,000 fewer international first-year students attending UK universities this year, resulting in a £2.5bn funding black hole. This would be disastrous.

“Without Government intervention, an estimated 30,000 university jobs are at risk, with a further 32,000 jobs under threat throughout the wider economy.” He added that UK universities need to be valued as part of the frontline response to the pandemic since they supply students to the NHS and conduct research into the virus.

A Department for Education spokesperson said it has introduced a package of measures to stabilise the admissions system and ease pressure on universities’ finances.

Raise the rates of legacy benefits to support people hit hard by coronavirus pandemic, not just Universal Credit, says the Work and Pensions Select Committee

The Work and Pensions Committee, which Stephen chairs, has today published its report on DWP’s response to coronavirus outbreak. The report praises the work of DWP’s frontline staff, but calls the Government to raise rate of so-called legacy benefits, and suspend the No recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition for the duration of the crisis on public health grounds.

The Committee report finds that the pandemic has left huge numbers of people struggling to cover the costs of essentials, with some disabled people in particular hit hard by increased costs of care and rising food prices. It argues that rates of older benefits must be raised by an equivalent amount to the rise in UC, backdated to April, to provide help for millions of people who are struggling to meet the extra inescapable costs imposed by the pandemic.

The report also calls for the immediate suspension of the NRPF condition that prevents an estimated million people who live and work in the UK legally from claiming benefits and receiving access to financial support because of their immigration status. The Committee argues that during a pandemic it cannot be in the public interest to expect people, some of whom are key workers and front-line medical staff, to comply fully with restrictive public health guidance while simultaneously denying them full access to the welfare safety net.

Stephen praised the hard work of the DWP’s frontline staff, saying that without this “the impact of the pandemic could have been much worse”.

He commented: “But the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in a social security system which at times is too inflexible and slow to adapt to support people in times of crisis. The focus has mostly been on the unprecedented numbers of new claims for Universal Credit. But in the background, people on legacy benefits—including disabled people, carers and people with young families—have slipped down the list of priorities. It’s now time for the Government to redress that balance and increase legacy benefits too. It’s simply not right for people to miss out on support just because they happen, through no fault of their own, to be claiming the ‘wrong’ kind of benefit.

“At the same time, people whose immigration status leaves them with no recourse to public funds have been left with no support from the benefits system at all—and at risk of destitution and homelessness. Some have had to face the invidious choice between staying at home and facing financial ruin, for themselves and their children, or going to work and risking spreading the disease. The Government must suspend these rules for the duration of the pandemic.”

Stephen questions Foreign Secretary on FCO-DFID merger

In an Urgent Question on 18 June, Stephen questioned Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab about the proposed merger of the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development.

Stephen highlighted the consensus across the House about the importance of international development since the Jubilee 2000 campaign. He argued for the profound difference between focusing on doing good in the world—tackling poverty and dealing with the climate crisis—and ‘our own national interests’.

Stephen commented: ‘I deeply regret the Government decision to downgrade International Development last week. The churches were largely responsible for delivering the consensus around it twenty years ago. Ending that consensus makes Britain weaker.’

Stephen speaks in debate on the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities

In a debate in the House of Commons on Thursday 18 June, Stephen spoke in a debate brought by Dawn Butler on the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities, arguing for the "No Recourse to Public Funds" (NRPF) restriction to be suspended.

Stephen noted that the Public Health England report released last week highlighted that "people of BAME groups are also more likely than people of white British ethnicity to be born abroad, which means they may face additional barriers in accessing services”. He highlighted the NRPF restrictions on leave to remain as a particular barrier.

The restriction applies to over a million migrants with leave to remain and legally working in the UK - many with children born in the UK, who might be British nationals - from accessing Universal Credit and most benefits.

Stephen said: ‘The welfare safety net is not there for people with no recourse to public funds. That has created a very serious problem of destitution and a huge increase in food bank demand in many parts of the country. The no recourse to public funds restriction must be suspended for the duration of this crisis.’

Stephen paid tribute to organisations in East Ham who are helping, including the Bonny Downs Baptist church and the Bonny Downs Community Association; the Masjid Ibrahim mosque; the Malayalee Association of the UK; the London Tamil Sangam; and Councillor Lakmini Shah.

Stephen presses Boris Johnson on support for those with No Recourse to Public Funds

In Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 17 June, Stephen questioned Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his previous commitment at the Liaison Committee to support those with No Recourse to Public Funds.

Stephen pressed Boris Johnson to suspend the restriction for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak and ensure families with NRPF can access the free school meal vouchers over the summer.

Stephen commented afterwards: ‘The Prime Minister should keep his promise at the Liaison Committee to support those with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). Many can't get any help at all. And he needs to make good on his comment that all families with NRPF can claim Free School Meals over the summer.’

Stephen speaks to Dersingham Primary School pupils about Internet Safety

On Thursday, Stephen took part in a virtual assembly at Dersingham Primary School.

The interactive assembly was run by Google and Parent Zone helped the children to become ‘internet legends’. The initiative is part of a wider campaign which offers primary school teachers free training and resources about Digital Wellbeing. The pupils heard how crucial it is to be sharp about what they share online, be alert to dangerous sites, keep their personal information secure, and be kind to other people on the internet.

Speaking to the children, Stephen said: “The internet is very exciting, and offers a lot of opportunities to learn about all sorts of things. That is why it is so important to make sure that we use it safely, so that we can make the most of it.”

Stephen calls on the Government to fund free school meals

Stephen has written to the Secretary of State for Education demanding he reverses his decision to withdraw funding for free school meals over the summer holidays as part of Labour’s ‘Holiday without Hunger’ campaign.

Many children are at risk of going hungry this summer as the government withdraws support for the provision of free school meals. With the added pressure of the coronavirus crisis plunging families into deeper poverty and social distancing and added pressures raising questions on whether holiday lunch schemes may run, many families are rightly concerned about how they will afford food during the summer holidays.

Stephen said: ‘’Children are at a heightened risk of going hungry this summer as the Covid-19 crisis hits family incomes and charities and food banks struggle to provide the same level of holiday support. There is a simple solution to this, and that is for the government to continue funding free school meals throughout the summer holidays. Their refusal to do so is a deeply callous move. That is why I have written to the Secretary of State today to ask him to reverse his decision as part of Labour’s ‘Holiday without Hunger’ campaign.’’

Stephen asks Ministers to consider including Black History in National Curriculum

Stephen has written to the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, asking if Ministers are looking at including Black history in the National Curriculum.

In recent weeks, Stephen has been contacted by a number of his constituents who have raised concerns about events of the last few weeks which have disproportionately affected Black people in the UK. They are troubled that the national curriculum excludes Black histories and omits the contributions Black people have made to the UK.

There have been numerous calls over the years to reform the national curriculum to incorporate Black histories, but that these requests have been denied.

You can read Stephen’s letter here.

Stephen criticises Covid-19 BAME report

Stephen has written to the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, asking that he release the full, unredacted, report authored by Public Health England on the “Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19”.

Sections of the report were removed from the review, including the experiences and perspectives of BAME stakeholders from across the UK. Stephen also raised questions about the lack of analysis in the report. It contained only two paragraphs detailing why BAME people are more likely to die from coronavirus. There were also no clear and actionable recommendations for government.

Speaking about the report, Stephen said: “The review was deeply disappointing. It told us what we already know - that BAME people and the most disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted by Covid-19.

“But it failed to provide any recommendations on how to reduce these disparities, leaving us with more questions than answers. The Government must not wait any longer to address underlying racial and socioeconomic injustices, so that no more lives are lost.”

To read Stephen’s letter to the Health Secretary, click here.

Stephen calls for UK to stop teargas and rubber bullet exports to US

Stephen has called on the government to suspend the export of British riot gear, teargas, and rubber bullets to the US in light of a violent police crackdown against peaceful civil rights protesters in the country.

In his letter to the International Trade Secretary, Stephen said: “…it has been the policy of successive governments over the past two decades to refuse licences for the export of arms and equipment that might be used for internal repression in the countries to whom they are being sold. I am therefore troubled that exports from the UK may have been used by police in the US to attack people who have gathered – peacefully and unarmed – to protest against George Floyd’s death. “

Labour leader Keir Starmer echoed Stephen’s thoughts when he asked Boris Johnson to review such exports. All major opposition parties have now backed the call.

Government export licence records show that the US is one of the world’s largest buyers of UK arms, with almost £6bn worth licensed for export since 2010. The licences have included £18m worth of ammunition, including so-called “rubber bullets”, smoke and pyrotechnic charges, CS gas grenades, and teargas.

To read the letter, click here.

Stephen questions Belly Mujinga investigation

Stephen has questioned the outcome of the investigation into the death of Belly Mujinga. Ms Mujinga died on 5 April, a few weeks after a 57-year-old man spat at her at Victoria Station, where she worked. The man claimed to have coronavirus.

British Transport Police interviewed a 57-year-old man but said "…there was insufficient evidence to support a prosecution based upon the allegation that the man spat deliberately on Mrs Mujinga or said that he had the virus".

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has now been asked to review the evidence after more than a million people signed a petition in support of Ms Mujinga. BTP said it requested the review in light of the "wider public interest".

Prior the announcement of the review, Stephen wrote to the Chief Executive of Govia Thameslink, the Commissioner of Transport for London and the Chief Constable of British Transport Police about the case.

Stephen responds to review on Covid-19 on BAME communities

Stephen has responded to the publication of Public Health England’s review into the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities. He said: “I am relieved that the government has – belatedly – published the review authored by Public Health England. It confirms much of what we already knew, namely that the those in the poorest households and from BAME backgrounds are disproportionately impacted.

“I am puzzled that the review makes no recommendations to Ministers. Residents of Newham – as well as other communities across the country – will want to know what action the Government plans to deal with the unequal suffering of the BAME community from coronavirus. I will write to the Health Secretary later today asking what his department plans to do for our borough in light of the review.”

The report can be read here.

Stephen secures promise from Boris Johnson to look at ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition

In a meeting of the Liaison Committee today on 27 May, Stephen questioned Boris Johnson about No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), securing a promise from the Prime Minister to look again at the policy.

No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) is a condition applied to people staying in the UK with a temporary immigration status. Stephen highlighted a couple in East Ham with two children who were being forced into “destitution” as a result of NRPF.

However, Johnson appeared not to be familiar with the policy when questioned, asking why they were not eligible for benefits like Universal Credit.

Johnson said he would look at how NRPF works: “You’ve raised a very, very important point if a condition of their leave to remain is that they should have no recourse to public funds. I will find out how many there are in that position, and we will see what we can do to help.”

Stephen commented afterwards: “Our social security system should be a safety net that protects people from destitution. But for hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in the UK legally, and for their children, it offers no support at all. In the midst of a global pandemic, with so many people prevented from working through no fault of their own, there is an urgent need for Government action. For two months, Ministers have been promising to act, but we’ve seen no substantial change.

The Prime Minister was clearly surprised to hear that people in this situation can’t claim Universal Credit or other benefits – so I am hopeful that he will now put his foot on the accelerator and offer much needed support to people facing financial hardship.”

Stephen has written to the Prime Minister following the Committee hearing.

Stephen presses Minister on re-opening places of worship

Stephen has pressed the Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick, to provide details of the Government’s plan to re-open places of worship.

Following the official guidance on social distancing, churches, mosques, synagogues and many other places of worship have made the difficult decision to close their doors. Although many are adapting to the situation by hosting services online, many would prefer to some form of collective worship as soon as practically possible.

Responding to Stephen, Mr Jenrick confirmed that the Government aims to reopen places of worship on 4 July. A taskforce has also been launched, which is working alongside faith leaders to ensure a safe return. The Government is funding the group FaithAction to consult with faith communities to ensure their views are being represented at the Taskforce’s meetings. However, the Minister has made clear that “…no place of worship will be able to reopen before a final decision by the Government and the accompanying changes to the legal position in the published regulations.”

Speaking about the issue, Stephen said “In times of crisis, faith offers many people hope and reassurance. I sympathise deeply with anyone who has been unable to worship with their faith communities during this time and will continue to press the Government for a detailed strategy for reopening places of worship as soon as it is safe to do so.”