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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 16 June 2014
Deputy Prime Minister
Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the request for local growth funding by the Coast to Capital LEP; and if he will make a statement. [200045]
Greg Clark: All 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships' Growth Deals are currently being assessed, including requests for local growth funding, and we are looking to make announcements in the summer.
Disciplinary Proceedings
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what proportion of staff within his Office who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British; [199881]
(2) what proportion of staff within his Office who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British. [199902]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), today.
Electoral Register
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what support his Department makes available to encourage electoral registration for those who are not able to register online. [200185]
Greg Clark: People can continue to apply to register to vote on a paper form, available from their local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
EROs are encouraged to provide assistance for electors through both face-to-face contact and telephone communication, irrespective of the format of registration.
Equal Opportunities
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consideration his Office gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants. [199945]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), today.
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Leader of the House
Official Visits
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Leader of the House what visits each of the Ministers in his Office have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was. [200491]
Mr Lansley: In February 2013, I visited the Scottish Parliament to examine parliamentary procedures and practices.
In May 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House and I undertook an overseas visit to the European institutions in Brussels. This visit provided an opportunity to consider and promote the role of national parliaments, including the House of Commons, in the processes of European legislation.
In December 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House visited Northern Ireland to engage with various Northern Irish charities and campaign groups on the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill.
In February 2014, I and the Deputy Leader of the House visited the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff to examine parliamentary procedures and the work of the Petitions Committee.
Prime Minister
G7
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the G7 Summit Declaration does not mention Iraq; what discussions took place at that summit on (a) the rise of al Qaeda-linked organisations in western and northern Iraq and (b) other issues relating to Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [200283]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to my oral statement on the G7 on 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 549.
Ministers: Conduct
Michael Dugher: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many members of staff of his Office worked on the review by the Cabinet Secretary of the release of correspondence between Ministers relating to prevention of extremism; [200031]
(2) what interviews were conducted as part of the Cabinet Secretary's review of the release of correspondence between Ministers relating to prevention of extremism; [200032]
(3) if he will publish the review by the Cabinet Secretary of the release of correspondence between Ministers relating to prevention of extremism; [200033]
(4) whether the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests was consulted as part of the review by the Cabinet Secretary of the release of correspondence between Ministers relating to prevention of extremism; [200034]
(5) if he will publish in full the scope of the Cabinet Secretary's review of the release of correspondence between Ministers relating to prevention of extremism. [200057]
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The Prime Minister: The Cabinet Secretary will respond to the hon. Member on this matter shortly. I will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Energy and Climate Change
Coal: Nottinghamshire
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to secure the future of coal mining at Thoresby Colliery in Nottinghamshire. [200311]
Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made as Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on 12 June 2014.
As stated, I will continue to keep the House updated.
Correspondence
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many hon. Members wrote to his Department on behalf of constituents about (a) steps taken to alleviate fuel poverty in the private rented sector, (b) the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and (c) the disconnection of (i) gas and (ii) electricity supplies in the last 12 months; what the average time taken to reply was; if he will place in the Library a copy of each such reply; and if he will make a statement. [199471]
Gregory Barker: For the purpose of answering this question, various searches of the departmental correspondence system have been conducted. In relation to fuel poverty in the private rented sector, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC from hon. Members with the case title ‘Fuel Poverty’. In the period since 10 June 2013, 13 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. On sifting through these individually, none specifically mentioned fuel poverty in the private rented sector. The average time taken to reply was 21 working days.
In relation to the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC from hon. Members with the case title ‘Warm Homes’. In the period since 10 June 2013, 13 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. On sifting through these individually, none specifically mentioned the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. The average time taken to reply was 13 working days.
An initial search of the correspondence system relating to ‘disconnections’ of electricity and/or gas has not yielded reliable results. A more detailed subject search would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
Copies of the relevant correspondence will be placed in the Library of the House.
DECC does not log telephone representations centrally, and therefore providing a response on the number of telephone representations to the Department on these subjects would also entail disproportionate cost.
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Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) written, (b) email and (c) telephone representations he has received on (i) his plans to alleviate fuel poverty in the private rented sector, (ii) the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and (iii) the disconnection of (A) gas and (B) electricity supplies in each month since May 2010; how many such representations were from (1) individuals and (2) organisations; if he will place in the Library copies of the responses sent to such representations; and if he will make a statement. [199472]
Gregory Barker: For the purpose of answering this question, various searches of the departmental correspondence system have been conducted. In relation to fuel poverty in the private rented sector, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC with the case title “Fuel Poverty”. In the period since May 2010, 657 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 264 of these were from individuals, and 77 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
In relation to the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC with the case title “Warm Homes”. In the period since May 2010, 176 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 33 of these were from individuals and 11 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
An initial search of the correspondence system relating to “disconnections” of electricity and/or gas has not yielded reliable results. A more detailed subject search would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
DECC does not log telephone representations centrally, and therefore providing a response on the number of telephone representations to the Department on these subjects would also entail disproportionate cost.
Disciplinary Proceedings
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British. [199883]
Gregory Barker: From November 2010 a single team was established to control the process for all formal disciplinary proceedings being undertaken against civil servants in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Therefore, central records exist only from that date.
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The proportion of civil servants in DECC who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings since November 2010 to date and who are white British is less than 1% of the total number of civil servants in each year.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British. [199904]
Gregory Barker: From November 2010 a single team was established to control the process for all formal disciplinary proceedings being undertaken against civil servants in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Therefore, central records exist only from that date.
The proportion of civil servants in DECC who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings since November 2010 to date and who are white British is less than 1% of the total number of civil servants in each year.
Energy: Prices
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate (a) the number of households which were on social tariffs for their energy supplies before such tariffs were withdrawn and (b) the number of those households which included people considered especially vulnerable to cold-related illnesses. [199430]
Gregory Barker: It is estimated that 1 million households were on social or discounted tariffs in the final year (up to 31 March 2011) before the voluntary tariffs were replaced by the Warm Home Discount scheme (Source: Ofgem's Monitoring Suppliers' Social Programme 2010-2011 Report). The Department does not hold information on those households which included people considered especially vulnerable to cold-related illnesses.
Energy: Profits
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average profit made by energy companies on the energy bills of households in each constituency in the UK. [199575]
Michael Fallon: Data on the average profit made by energy companies at the level of households in each constituency are not available.
The average pre-tax profit made per household consumer in 2012 was £53 or 4.3%. (Source: “Making the Profits of the six largest energy suppliers clear” factsheet, Ofgem). Ofgem also estimates pre-tax margins over the next 12 months using current data in its Supply Market Indicator. Its latest estimate of pre-tax margins for May 2014 to April 2015 was £96 or 7% (Source: Understanding energy bills, Ofgem).
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Equal Opportunities
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what targets his Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year. [199926]
Gregory Barker: The Department currently works towards meeting the diversity representation targets set by the Cabinet Office for Senior Civil Servants. Our current rates against those targets are:
| Percentage | Target (percentage) | |
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants. [199947]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change considers diversity during the procurement or grant allocation process by including diversity within evaluation criteria when appropriate. Diversity is included when it is particularly relevant to the business requirements and circumstances of an individual procurement or grant. In addition, the Department’s standard terms and conditions of contract include specific clauses that cover equality and non-discrimination. The Department also promotes non-discrimination through open procurement procedures and we have removed barriers to supplier entry as part of our efforts to improve engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises. Our contractors are required to abide by the DECC Equality Scheme, details of which can be found through the following link.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47894/359-decc-equality-diversity-strategy-condoc.pdf
Fracking: USA
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had any discussions with his counterpart in the United States Department of Energy as to any change in the estimated levels of recoverable shale gas reserves which has occurred in the US since fracking began; what effect, if any, this might have on potential fracking in the UK; and how the emerging lessons of shale gas extraction in the US and elsewhere are applied in calculating and updating estimates of recoverable reserves in the UK. [200161]
Michael Fallon: Ministers in the Department meet their ministerial counterparts from the Department of Energy in the United States of America on a number of occasions and have wide-ranging discussions.
All meetings between external organisations and Ministers in the Department of Energy and Climate
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Change are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website and are available for download at this link:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx
As has been the case with successive Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Work and Pensions
Access to Work Programme
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of changes to the time taken to review applications for deaf people during the three month suspension of the 30-hour rule in the Access to Work grant. [199580]
Mike Penning: The 30-hour guidance will not be applied to new applicants during this suspension. Existing customers whose support has been changed as a result of the guidance can request a full review of their situation.
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact assessment he made before introducing the 30-hour rule in the criteria for the Access to Work grant; and what impact assessment is now being made. [199582]
Mike Penning: Once the Access to Work review is completed, a full impact assessment will be conducted.
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support will be available for deaf people whose support was reduced as a result of the 30- hour rule in the Access to Work grant. [199583]
Mike Penning: Customers can request a full review of their Access to Work claim at any time.
Child Support
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to expand the PAYE reporting in real time to Child Support Agency claims. [200021]
Steve Webb: Since 25 November 2013, all new applications for child maintenance are made to the 2012 scheme, which is run by the Child Maintenance Service. The Child Support Agency (CSA), which administers the 1993 and 2003 schemes, is now closed to new applications and there are plans in place to gradually end liabilities on these schemes over a three-year period starting this summer.
Unlike 1993 and 2003 scheme cases, 2012 scheme maintenance calculations are based on historic data supplied by interfaces with HMRC and Jobcentre Plus IT systems. In the vast majority of applications these interfaces return information to allow a calculation to be made. This is reviewed on an annual basis or where there are in-year changes of at least a 25% change in the level of income. This simplified approach provides parents with greater certainty over the level of maintenance payable. In instances where HMRC information is not available, our process involves gathering current income
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information from the paying parent or employer. It is for these 2012 scheme cases that we are currently exploring opportunities to access and use real-time earnings information.
Children: Day Care
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the revised plans for the roll-out of universal credit announced on 5 December 2013, what estimate he has made of the number of families which will be eligible for support for childcare through universal credit in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18 and (d) 2018-19. [200190]
Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral West (Esther McVey), to the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 174W.
Children: Poverty
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of welfare reforms since May 2010 on levels of child poverty. [199576]
Esther McVey: The Government have not made an assessment of the effect of welfare reforms on levels on child poverty. Given the large number of reforms and variables involved, the impact of welfare changes cannot be seen in isolation.
However, the guiding principles of all of this Government’s welfare reforms are to get more people into work by making work pay.
A key component of the welfare reform is universal credit. Universal credit is expected to improve work incentives by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work, and by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits when they increase their earnings.
We estimate this new reform will lift around 300,000 children out of poverty.
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children in poverty in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in each year until 2020. [199577]
Esther McVey: The Government do not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty either locally or nationally. The number of children in poverty is dependent on a number of factors which cannot be reliably predicted, including the median income.
The Government do not believe it is possible to accurately project child poverty to 2020. Poverty projections are rarely accurate. For example, IFS projections in October 2011 suggested the number of children in relative poverty would fall by 100,000 in 2010-11, whereas in fact it fell by 300,000.
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Employment and Support Allowance
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many claimants in the employment and support allowance work related activity group are currently on the Work programme; and how many such claimants had the period before they were fit for work assessed as (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months and (d) over 12 months; [199390]
(2) how many claimants of employment and support allowance referred to the Work programme since June 2011 had an estimated period before they were fit for work of (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months and (d) over 12 months. [199394]
Esther McVey: The information we have in respect of both referrals and attachments, by prognosis group, are given in the following table.
| Number of Work programme referrals and attachments by ESA prognosis customer groups, Great Britain, 1 June 2011 to 31 December 2013 | ||
| ESA prognosis customer group | Referrals | Attachments |
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answers of 1 April 2014, Official Report, column 603W, column 604W and column 605W on employment and support allowance, how many people who have been given a prognosis that (a) a return to work could be considered within two years and (b) return to work is unlikely in the longer term have been placed in the work-related activity group since October 2008. [200146]
Mike Penning: The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Outcomes of functional assessments by prognosis for the ESA work-related activity group, Great Britain: October 2008 to September 2013 | ||
| WRAG: Claimants with a prognosis of: | ||
| Under two years | Two years or more | |
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| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker’s decision or the recommendation made by the Atos Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker’s decision is not yet available. 3. The data presented above come from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions. They relate to new and repeat ESA claims. In October 2008, ESA replaced IB for new claims. Starting with a trial in October 2010, and reaching a full-scale national roll-out in April 2011, existing IB claims began to be phased out, with claimants reassessed to see if they qualify for ESA instead. Source: Data in the table above are derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare. | ||
Employment Schemes
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the freedom of information request made by Frank Zola to his Department on 28 April 2014, on community work placements, when his Department plans to publish the names of the 70 placement providers under the Help to Work scheme; how many current placement providers there are; if he will publish the names of all such organisations providing such placements under the Help to Work scheme in (a) Brighton and Hove local authority area and (b) in the UK; and if he will publish job descriptions for those placements (i) provided to date and (ii) planned to be provided. [198855]
Esther McVey: The Department can confirm that it holds the names of the 70 subcontractors under the Help to Work scheme as referenced in the freedom of information request made by Frank Zola. However, the Department cannot disclose their names as the information is intended for publication at a future date.
In terms of names of organisations that are work placement hosts, the Department wishes not to disclose the information as we believe that the public balance weighs in favour of withholding the information.
Housing Benefit
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local authorities in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned unused discretionary housing payment to his Department in 2013-14. [200090]
Steve Webb: The information requested is due to be published shortly as part of wider analysis on the use of discretionary housing payments (DHP) in 2013-14.
Housing Benefit: Brent
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in the London borough of Brent are affected by the household benefit cap; what the composition of the households is; and what the length of time and amount capped by the household benefit cap is. [199793]
Esther McVey: The following information on the number of households capped (latest data March 2014) is available by local authority at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-march-2014
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Data are available on number of households capped (current and cumulative), amount capped, number of dependents and household type.
Details on length of time capped are not available.
Housing Benefit: Wales
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much each local authority in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding in 2013-14. [200089]
Steve Webb: The information requested is due to be published shortly as part of wider analysis on the use of discretionary housing payments (DHP) in 2013-14.
Jobcentre Plus
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) computers, (b) job-search stations and (c) telephones were available for jobseekers to use in Jobcentre Plus offices in the United Kingdom in each financial year since 2008-09; and whether these will be available in every Jobcentre Plus in 2015-16. [199642]
Esther McVey: We are changing the way we provide our service, moving from a telephone and jobpoint-based service to one which is making use of the latest technologies. From now until the end of October, we will be installing wi-fi and new web access devices across the jobcentre network. This will enable claimants to access universal jobmatch and other job sites, as well as allowing them to apply directly for vacancies that they find.
| Equipment available for jobseekers to use in jobcentres in Great Britain1 from 2008-16 | |||
| (a) Computers | (b) Jobsearch stations (jobpoints) | (c) Telephones (customer access phones) | |
| 1 Figures for Northern Ireland are not available. 2 Assisted service available to vulnerable claimants who are unable to access DWP services without our help. The assisted service is face-to-face and includes use of a telephone for claimants who need support to resolve their inquiry. Support is tailored to the individual’s needs. 3 Estimated figures. Note: All figures are as of financial year end. | |||
The figures for 2013-14 were provided by Operations to the Digital Jobcentre Project as part of an audit undertaken at the start of the project and have not been properly checked and verified.
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the availability of telephones and computers for jobseekers to use in Jobcentre Plus offices; and what plans he has to improve the provision of such equipment. [199830]
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Esther McVey: The Digital Jobcentres project will modernise the jobcentre digital infrastructure. From now until the end of October, we will be installing wi-fi and new web access devices (WADs) across the jobcentre network.
These WADs will enable claimants to access universal jobmatch and other job sites, as well as allowing them to apply directly for vacancies that they find. The purpose of this new equipment is to help those who have no access to digital technology elsewhere.
Wi-fi will be available across the entire jobcentre network by the end of October.
We will also be replacing around 2,300 customer access phones with a new assisted service for claimants who attend the jobcentre and are unable to access DWP services without our help. The assisted service is face-to-face and includes controlled use of a telephone. Support is tailored to the individual’s needs.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Preston
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people from each EU state are currently in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance in Preston constituency. [199742]
Esther McVey: The information as requested is not available.
Members: Correspondence
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the hon. Member for Harrow West's letter of 2 June 2014 regarding Mr Abdi Kadir Mumin of Harrow; and if he will make a statement. [200056]
Mike Penning: I wrote to the hon. Member on 10 June 2014.
New Enterprise Allowance
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received the New Enterprise Allowance since its commencement; and how many such people have subsequently (a) returned to jobseeker's allowance and (b) registered with HM Revenue and Customs as self-employed. [200334]
Esther McVey: The number of New Enterprise Allowance starts since its commencement is regularly published by the Department and can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-work-programme-support-new-enterprise-allowance-march-2014
The Department has made an assessment of the number of New Enterprise Allowance participants returning to any out-of-work benefit in the following published analysis. This suggests that 78% of people who started drawing the New Enterprise Allowance remained off benefit continuously for 12 months.
ttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225167/NEA_benefit_status_ad-hoc_v3.pdf
With regards to the number registered with HM Revenue and Customs, the Department does not hold individual-level data on self-employment with which we would be able to make this assessment.
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Occupational Pensions
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress is being made in ensuring that all eligible employees have been offered automatic enrolment into a workplace pension scheme with minimum employer contributions. [200197]
Mike Penning: So far, automatic enrolment has been a stunning success. The latest information published by the Pensions Regulator on 12 June 2014 showed that more than 15,000 employers have completed the automatic enrolment process and 3.6 million eligible workers have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension.
Around 99% of employers who have completed registration have done so without the need for the Pensions Regulator to use its statutory powers. Employers have understood that providing a workplace pension and helping their workers plan for retirement is now the norm.
Preliminary findings from the 2013 Employers' Pension Provision survey show that around 90% of automatically enrolled workers have remained members of a pension scheme. This early success has led the Government to revise down our opt-out predictions. Instead of the anticipated 30% opt-out rate, the Government now expect only 15% of individuals will opt out once automatic enrolment is fully rolled out.
Personal Independence Payment
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have made claims for personal independence payment following a stroke in the UK since April 2013; and how many have received a decision from his Department. [199453]
Mike Penning: The available data on claims to personal independence payment were published on 5 June 2014 and are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014
Information on the number of successful new claimants is available against a range of conditions, including neurological conditions, which will include those who have had a stroke. The information is published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what volumetric models have been used to identify where backlogs of personal independence payments might develop in his Department’s administration of claims, as recommended by the National Audit Office; and when he plans to publish those models. [199454]
Mike Penning: We have no plans to publish any volumetric models.
Kate Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people waiting for a personal
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independence payment decision are doing so because
(a)
the claimant has made the initial telephone claim but is waiting to receive, or has not yet returned, the additional information form or DS2600 for special rules for terminally ill people,
(b)
the claimant has returned their personal independence payment additional information form but is awaiting their face-to-face assessment appointment date,
(c)
the claimant had their face-to-face assessment by his Department has not yet made a decision on their claim,
(d)
the claimant has returned the DS1500 and his Department has not yet made a decision on their claim and
(e)
the claimant has informed his Department that they wish to withdraw their claim. [199460]
Mike Penning: The information the hon. Member has requested is not currently available.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what review his Department has carried out of operating assumptions and how in practice the speed and quality of personal independence payments decisions are affected by those assumptions. [199468]
Mike Penning: We are continually monitoring the PIP end-to-end journey and, along with our providers, we are taking forward various initiatives to improve overall PIP processing times, while also maintaining a strong focus on the quality of PIP decisions.
We are monitoring and evaluating these actions and will continue to look for opportunities to introduce further initiatives as appropriate.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department has assessed whether the new personal independence payment claims, assessment and decision-making process meets obligations to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, including terminally ill people; what mechanisms are being used for gathering feedback from claimants on the new process; and how many people have provided feedback on the process to date. [199469]
Mike Penning: The Department carries out analysis of the likely impacts of its policies on protected groups, including disabled people, as required by the Equality Act. Equality impact assessments conducted in respect of PIP are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-living-allowance-reform-equality-impact-assessment
Although we do not keep details of the numbers of individual claimants who have provided feedback, we regularly receive and consider feedback from a variety of sources, including claimants, our staff, providers and from our Implementation Stakeholder Forum, which hears views from a wide range of organisations representing and supporting disabled people. I, along with my officials, meet regularly with organisations representing disabled people.
We are conducting two independent reviews of PIP, the first of which will report by the end of 2014. The terms of reference for this review are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/simplifying-the-welfare-system-and-making-sure-work-pays/supporting-pages/introducing-personal-independence-payment
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Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provisions are made for assessing people with aphasia following stroke when claiming personal independence payments (PIP); what the exceptional criteria are for issuing PIP paper claim forms; and how many PIP1 paper claim forms have been (a) requested and (b) issued. [199470]
Mike Penning: Where it is clear from their questionnaire or from medical evidence that an individual who is making a claim for PIP has aphasia, the health professional will advise on the level of relevant functional loss on a paper basis wherever possible. Where a face-to-face consultation is required, claimants are encouraged to bring another person with them where they would find this helpful.
In exceptional circumstances, where a claimant is unable to deal with the Department by telephone and has no one to help them make the telephone call, claimants can request a paper version of the initial claim form. Additionally, we can offer a home visit. The Department does not collect details of the number of requested or issued paper claim forms.
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the current average waiting time is for personal independence payment assessments to be completed and a decision made in (a) England and (b) Leeds. [199819]
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average length of time between an assessment appointment for personal independence payment and a decision being made has been for residents of (a) Washington and Sunderland West constituency, (b) the Sunderland local authority area and (c) the North East region since the beginning of the scheme; [199860]
(2) what the average length of time between applying for a personal independence payment and an assessment appointment has been for residents of (a) Washington and Sunderland West constituency, (b) the Sunderland local authority area and (c) the North East region since the beginning of the scheme. [199859]
Mike Penning: The information you have requested is not currently available.
Preston
Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Ministers in his Department have visited Preston since June 2010; on what date each such visit took place; what the purpose was of each such visit; and who those Ministers met on each such visit. [199735]
Esther McVey: The Department does not maintain a central record of all ministerial visits and to gather this information would incur disproportionate costs.
Social Security Benefits
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on correspondence with recipients of (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) employment and support allowance in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013. [200145]
Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.
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Social Security Benefits: Greater Manchester
Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many residents of (a) Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency and (b) Manchester have had their benefits sanctioned in each year since 2010; [200129]
(2) how many people have had their benefits sanctioned in (a) Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency and (b) Manchester in the most recent period for which figures are available. [200128]
Esther McVey: The available information as requested is shown in the following table.
| Number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction applied in Wythenshawe and Sale East parliamentary constituency and Manchester local authority: 2010 - 2013 | ||
| Wythenshawe and Sale East parliamentary constituency | Manchester local authority | |
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant for those in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance, or income support (lone parents). 3. Data are for January to December in each year. 4. Income support lone parents receive a fixed sanction of 20% of the personal allowance rate of a single claimant (not aged less than 25) for each failure to attend/participate in a Work Focused Interview until 10p is left in payment. This sanction lasts until the individual attends and participates in a Work Focused Interview. In the case where there is more than one sanction in place the claimant need only attend/participate in one Work Focused Interview in order for all related sanctions to be removed from their benefit. 5. New sanctions rules came into force for JSA and ESA from 22 October 2012 and 3 December 2012. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the new regime is the number of low, intermediate, and high-level referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules 6. This information for JSA and ESA sanctions is published at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Sources: 1. (JSA and ESA): DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database 2. (IS): Income Support Computer System | ||
Social Security Benefits: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of each type of benefit were sanctioned and for what period by Warrington Jobcentre in each year since 2010. [200048]
Esther McVey: The information requested on the duration of benefit sanctions is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The available information on the number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction is shown in the following table.
| Number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction in Warrington Jobcentre Plus office: 2010-13 | ||
| Jobseeker's allowance (JSA) | Employment and support allowance (ESA) | |
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| Notes: 1. Statistical disclosure control has been applied to protect against the identification of individual claimants. 2. Figures for income support lone parents are not available by Jobcentre Plus office. 3. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. 4. Data refer to January to December in each year shown. 5. New regulations introduced a new revised sanctions regime for JSA and ESA claimants from 22 October and 3 December 2012 respectively. 6. These data are published at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database. | ||
Universal Credit
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the risk of fraud in (a) the pathfinders for universal credit and (b) the roll out of the universal credit system. [199461]
Esther McVey: DWP has taken a number of steps to design out fraud and error in the universal credit system.
Prior to the introduction of universal credit (UC), DWP assessed the risk of fraud and error and concluded the risk would be mitigated by restricting the initial claims in pathfinder areas to those with the lowest risk of fraud, and to exclude more complex claims where fraud or error was more likely. DWP also implemented an automated data-matching capability to defend the UC system against the top causes of fraud or error. This Counter Fraud Capability introduced an automated pre-payment check for the first time to prevent fraud. It checked the very first UC claim and has checked every claim made since. This process also conducts a weekly scrutiny of all the data DWP holds against all UC claims to detect any fraud that may have subsequently started so we can take action immediately.
To provide a secure roll-out of UC nationally, DWP's specialists in security and counter-fraud work are working with the UC Programme to ensure that the essential security and counter-fraud controls are in place before the digital ‘end state' service can go live. By drawing on security and counter-fraud knowledge from across Government and external security expertise, we are ensuring that the core digital service is ‘secure by design' from the outset, and that the service is also supported by the right online security and counter-fraud capabilities.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on legal costs incurred appealing against decisions by the Information Commissioner requiring the release of information about the universal credit programme since 2011. [200143]
Esther McVey:
The Department’s records relating to legal costs do not distinguish between actions which the Department has brought and actions which it has defended
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or the stage of legal proceedings in respect of which each invoice for legal representation is paid. Disaggregating the data would take the costs of responding to the question over the disproportionate cost threshold.
Wood: Health Hazards
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the health dangers of wood dust. [200011]
Mike Penning: I have been asked to respond as this falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Wood dust can cause non-reversible health problems, including skin disorders, obstruction of the nose and rhinitis, asthma and nasal cancer. There are appropriate workplace controls and HSE provides comprehensive guidance for employers on these.
Exposure to wood dust in workplaces is regulated by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) which require exposures to be reduced as far below the workplace exposure limit as is reasonably practicable. Suitable control measures may include local exhaust ventilation, on-tool extraction systems and, in some cases, respiratory protective equipment. Workers will usually require health surveillance checks.
HSE has recently commissioned a new study to update the evidence base for wood dust exposure and health effects in the UK construction and woodworking industries. The study will run over the next two to three years and is being undertaken by the Health and Safety Laboratory with support and assistance from industry.
Work Capability Assessment
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training (a) Atos staff and (b) staff of his Department are given in mental health for the purposes of assessing whether claimants are fit for work. [199817]
Mike Penning: All health care professionals receive training in mental health issues as part of their induction training, are required to engage in a programme of continuing medical education, which includes modules on mental health issues, and have access to Mental Function Champions.
Atos training and guidance materials are regularly reviewed and external experts, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, are involved in quality assurance.
All health care professionals are monitored to ensure that their work meets the required quality standards. If a problem is identified, the health care professional may be required to undertake tailored training, which may involve training in mental health issues if required.
DWP staff receive training in respect of decisions concerning medical or disability issues, including mental health. Specifically, learning is provided on:
understanding the WCA descriptors;
gathering evidence from the claimant and medical professionals; and
using the evidence to apply the descriptors and determine capability for work.
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Within the learning emphasis is placed on the ongoing support available to decision makers from Atos Healthcare to interpret and understand medical information.
In the Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment published in December 2013, Doctor Litchfield made a number of recommendations related to training in mental health which have been accepted subject to further scoping work.
Work Programme
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people referred to the Work Programme who fail to participate in mandated activity. [200144]
Esther McVey: The available information for jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) claimants who have been sanctioned for failure to participate in the WP is given in Table 1.8 here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-and-employment-and-support-allowance-sanctions-decisions-made-to-december-2013
The available information for employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants who have been sanctioned for failure to participate in a work-related activity, which will include the WP, in given in Table 2.6 of the same spreadsheet.
This information is also published and available at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance for users is available at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Welfare: Circuses
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will hold discussions with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the possible implementation in Wales of a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. [199555]
George Eustice: We remain committed to discussing with counterparts in all the devolved Administrations whether a Bill introducing a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses could be a Great Britain or even United Kingdom Bill.
Ash Dieback Disease
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of health of the UK tree population following the recent Ash Dieback epidemic. [200115]
Dan Rogerson:
Surveillance and monitoring has been carried out by the Forestry Commission and the Food and Environment Research Agency to provide intelligence on the rate of spread for Chalara. The surveillance in all four Administrations is helping to determine the extent of the disease. This work will continue on new infected
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sites and, in consultation with stakeholders, the Government will consider what future surveillance work is needed.
Further information on the management approach to Chalara and other established tree pests and pathogens in England can be found in the Tree Health Management Plan, which was published in April 2014.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tree-health-management-plan
Bees
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department received from the European Commission for projects relating to bees in 2013-14. [199556]
Dan Rogerson: In 2013-14 €116,760.90 of funding was provided by the European Commission for research projects relating to bees.
Dogs: Injuries
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dogs were injured as a result of (a) dog fighting, (b) dog baiting and (c) unprovoked attacks by other dogs in each region of the UK in each of the last five years. [199662]
George Eustice: The data requested are not collected or held by DEFRA.
Equal Opportunities
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants. [199948]
Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA follows Cabinet Office advice in meeting its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which is part of the Equality Act 2010, when considering bids for commercial contracts or grants.
As part of our evaluation criteria we ask each bidder to provide evidence of their equality and diversity policy or an equivalent document which demonstrates their organisation’s commitment to equality and diversity and which is compliant with the relevant legislation.
We ask each bidder to describe the steps they have taken to:
monitor equality and diversity performance;
implement training programmes for raising awareness;
ensure staff and sub-contractors working on the contract comply appropriately with the relevant legislation;
address cases of discrimination and other breaches and set out measures for preventing recurrences; and
give the Department full confidence in their organisation’s approach to equality and diversity.
A score is allocated to the bidder’s response to these questions which forms part of the overall technical evaluation of the bid.
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Food
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's Sustainable Consumption Report, published in July 2013, what progress has been made on developing integrated healthy sustainable dietary guidelines to help health professionals, educators, businesses and the public make healthier and more sustainable food choices. [199831]
George Eustice: The Sustainable Consumption Report, published on 29 July 2013, was produced by a group of organisations following discussions facilitated by DEFRA. The report reflects the views of the stakeholders who were involved in its production; it does not represent Government policy.
I met with the co-chairs of the working groups in March, and work has now started to peer review and publish the principles of a healthy and sustainable diet.
Pigs: Disease Control
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about the threat to pig health in the UK arising from (a) African swine fever and (b) porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus. [200085]
George Eustice: DEFRA, through the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency, undertakes routine scanning surveillance for the detection of new or re-emerging animal diseases that may pose a threat to animal health or public health. When an increase in threat is recognised, we publish risk assessments which are shared directly with our European colleagues and the European Commission. These are publicly available at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/monitoring/poa/
On African swine fever, we produced a risk assessment following the detection of wild boar cases in the European Union on the border with Belarus in January 2014. The situation and the risks posed to member states are discussed at meetings of the Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health. These discussions have led to additional safeguard measures and the increased level of surveillance in Poland and Lithuania.
DEFRA was made aware of porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) and the emergence of a new virulent strain in the Americas and Asia in May 2013, when we first published an assessment of the risk of the disease entering the UK. We shared this assessment with the European Commission and our European colleagues. This was to raise awareness in a public forum, despite PED not being a notifiable disease. Since then, we have worked closely with other Member States with significant pig industries and the Commission to share our concerns. This has resulted in improved safeguard measures and a commissioned piece of work by the European Food Safety Authority to look at risk pathways.
Rural Areas: Festivals and Special Occasions
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) rural festivals and (b) country sports events have been held in the UK in each of the last five years. [200069]
Dan Rogerson: DEFRA does not hold this information.
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Water Charges: South West
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether agreement has been reached to extend to 2020 the reduction to household water bills for South West Water customers. [200276]
Dan Rogerson: The Government announced the decision to fund South West Water to enable it to cut bills by £50 per year for all household customers in the Budget 2011. Households in the south-west have received the reduction since April 2013. The understanding has always been that this reduction would continue for the duration of both the current spending review and the next.
Defence
Air Force
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) rank and (b) length of service was of each RAF engineer (aerosystems) officer who left the service in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [199373]
Anna Soubry: The information requested constitutes personal data and is prohibited from release under the Data Protection Act 1998.
However, based on the information held from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2014, the average total length of service on exit by rank for the engineer (aerosystems) officer is as follows:
| Rank (RAF Engineer (Aerosystems)) | |
| Average length of service | |
| 1 Insufficient data to provide an average. The small number of Engineering (Aerosystems) Group Captains during the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2014 means the resulting “average” would be misleading. | |
Air Force: Leukaemia
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force armourers have died from leukaemia in each of the last five years. [200079]
Anna Soubry: From 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013 (the last full year for which data are available), no RAF Armourer personnel have died as a result of leukaemia.
Armed Forces: Cadets
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have applied to join the Royal Navy cadet force in each of the last five years. [199104]
Anna Soubry: The number of people who made a formal application to join the Royal Navy and Royal Marines combined cadet force in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
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| Adult Volunteers | Cadets | |
In accordance with convention, these figures have been rounded.
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Armed Forces: Pay
Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what annual percentage increases in starting rates of pay (a) lieutenant colonels, (b) majors, (c) captains, (d) lieutenants, (e) sergeants, (f) corporals and (g) privates in the Army have received since 1982. [198821]
Anna Soubry: The annual percentage increases awarded by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body for the starting rates of pay of the specified ranks are shown in the following table. There was no annual percentage increase in 2011 and 2012 but all privates were awarded a £250 rise.
| Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Sergeant | Corporal | Private | |
Armed Forces: Sexual Offences
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend schedule 2 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 to make the referral to the Service Police of sexual assault, exposure and voyeurism mandatory by commanding officers; and if he will make a statement. [199541]
Anna Soubry: There are no current proposals to amend schedule 2 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 to include the offences of sexual assault, exposure and voyeurism. A commanding officer made aware of an allegation that any of those three offences have been committed is under a statutory obligation to ensure it is investigated appropriately. Additional guidance, provided in the Manual of Service Law, informs commanding officers to take legal advice when making a decision as to who should investigate, with the presumption that the service police should normally be made aware.
Armed Forces: Young People
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in preparing a cost-benefit analysis of the recruitment and training of minors; and when he expects to publish a report on that issue. [198847]
Mrs Moon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answers of 18 November 2013, Official Report, columns 696W and 698W and of
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18 December 2013,
Official Report,
columns 632W, on armed forces: young people, if he will publish the terms of reference of the cost-benefit analysis of the recruitment of young people into the armed forces; when he expects that report to be published; and if he will make a statement. [199067]
Anna Soubry: The report has been submitted by the Army to Ministry of Defence (MOD) HQ for consideration. It is not possible to provide a publication date for the report until the report's findings have been considered.
The terms of reference of the report are as follows:
“What is the cost overhead to MOD of Phase 1 training for Junior Entry (JE) soldiers versus Standard Entry (SE) soldiers joining the Army?”
Arms Trade
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in the arms industry in the UK. [200072]
Mr Dunne: The Ministry of Defence no longer compiles national or regional defence industry employment statistics as they do not directly support policy making or operations.
Army: Ethnic Groups
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many black and minority ethnic personnel have served in each regiment of the Army in each of the last 10 years. [198951]
Anna Soubry: The number of black and minority ethnic personnel serving in each regiment of the Army in each of the last 10 years is detailed as follows:
| Arm/Service | 1 April 2005 | 1 April 2006 | 1 April 2007 | 1 April 2008 | 1 April 2009 |
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| Arm/Service | 1 April 2010 | 1 April 2011 | 1 April 2012 | 1 April 2013 | 1 April 2014 |
The figures are for Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, full-time Reserve Service, mobilised Reserves, TA and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from Gurkha Trained Adult Male to United Kingdom Trained Adult Personnel. Data have not previously been recorded for the Army Reserve.
Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts.