Biography
Lord Palmer of Childs Hill has engaged extensively with welfare and employment rights issues through 23 debate speeches, with particular focus on supporting unpaid carers—including amendments on kinship care leave, carer's allowance protections, and parental leave for families with seriously ill children. He has also raised concerns about mental health's impact on youth employment and delays in cancer diagnosis for young people, while questioning government commitments to fraud prevention versus vulnerable client support. His contributions reflect consistent advocacy for better protections and support for carers and those dependent on welfare systems.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“…We have seen growing numbers of people, in particular younger people, experiencing poor mental health and other conditions that require additional support. Those trends should concern us because of what they say about the health of our society, not simply because they affect departmental budgets.”
Record by topic
- Mental health233rd of 88016.0
- Unpaid carers48th of 28312.0
- NHS & care workforce/staffing56th of 3028.0
- Adult social care & reform161st of 3764.0
- Cancer332nd of 6224.0
- Dementia211th of 2512.0
- Palliative & end of life care452nd of 5682.0
- Learning disability & autism756th of 8992.0
- Heart disease & stroke324th of 3982.0
- Public health & prevention573rd of 6882.0
- Maternity & neonatal363rd of 4382.0
What they’ve said
“…Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to experience worse educational outcomes, poorer physical and mental health, and fewer opportunities in adulthood. That means that child poverty stores up pressure for the NHS, schools, local services and the welfare system itself.”
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill · 2026-03-12 · Read on Hansard ↗
“My Lords, I thank the Minister for that information, but can she say what assessment has been made of the impact of poor mental health on young people’s ability to gain work? What is the connection between the Department for Work and Pensions and the NHS in dealing with this problem?”
Youth Unemployment · 2026-02-05 · Read on Hansard ↗
“My Lords, I thank the Minister for that, but what assessment has been made of the impact of poor mental health on young people’s ability to enter work? How joined up is the Department for Work and Pensions with the NHS—if it is joined up at all?”
Youth Unemployment · 2026-01-20 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Rare cancers make up about 24% of cancers diagnosed in the UK and the EU per year. This includes cancers of children and young people. My reason for speaking is the delays that children and young people with cancer are experiencing when applying for the disability benefits—DLA and PIP—to which they are entitled.”
Rare Cancers Bill · 2026-01-16 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Aligned to that, staff shortages also mean less support for vulnerable clients. Can the Minister give a more optimistic view than is being reported?…”
Jobcentres: Staffing Levels · 2025-10-23 · Read on Hansard ↗
Contributions reproduced under the Open Parliament Licence.