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  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (a) on what dates and (b) by what margins Govia Thameslink Railway has been in breach of the terms of its franchise agreement since the start of that franchise in 2014.

    Claire Perry

    Since Rail Industry period 7 in financial year 2015/16 (ending mid October 2015), Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have exceeded the breach level for the Cancellations benchmark. The Secretary of State issued GTR with a Remedial Plan Notice last year requiring them to set out in a Remedial Plan the measures they will take in order to improve their performance and included remedial plan benchmarks against which GTR are measured for the duration of the Remedial Plan. GTR have not breached the remedial plan cancellations benchmark and are under the breach benchmark for delays and peak short formations.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support women and men who want to remain in employment after reaching state pension age.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This Government believes that there are huge benefits to working longer including keeping active, boosting financial prospects and a better quality of life.

    The Government has taken several steps to support people who want to remain in employment after State Pension age. In the last Parliament, this included:

    • Removing the Default Retirement age, enabling older people to remain in employment and retire when the time is right for them.
    • Extending the right to request flexible working, enabling all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service to agree a working pattern which suits them and their employer.
    • Maintaining the exemption from paying National Insurance contributions to those over State Pension age, unless they are self-employed and are paying Class 4 contributions.
    • Appointing a Business Champion for Older Workers, who produced a report and worked with employers to explore the benefits of fuller working lives.

    In this Parliament, we are working in partnership with employers to improve the retention, retraining and recruitment of people aged 50 and over, by:

    • Publishing a new, Employer-led National Strategy setting out our vision for older workers, later this year.
    • Reviewing the availability of Advanced Learner Loans and the Higher Education student support package, which contribute to the costs of study for all ages, including those beyond the State Pension age.
    • Minister for Pensions attended meetings and events with businesses to promote the Fuller Working Lives agenda and encourage employers to overcome age discrimination.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of British nationals claiming pensions who live outside the UK and the European Economic Area; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    No information is available concerning the number of British individuals who are living outside the UK and inside/outside the European Economic Area who are in receipt of a UK State Pension. This is because the UK State Pension is a contributory based pension, where nationality or citizenship do not form part of the eligibility criteria.

    Information is available on the number of UK State pension recipients who live outside the UK by country; this can be found on the link below to the Department’s Tabulation tool.

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/sp/cccountry/ccsex/a_carate_r_cccountry_c_ccsex_nov15.html

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  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of British nationals claiming pensions who live outside the UK and in the European Economic Area; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    No information is available concerning the number of British individuals who are living outside the UK and inside/outside the European Economic Area who are in receipt of a UK State Pension. This is because the UK State Pension is a contributory based pension, where nationality or citizenship do not form part of the eligibility criteria.

    Information is available on the number of UK State pension recipients who live outside the UK by country; this can be found on the link below to the Department’s Tabulation tool.

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/sp/cccountry/ccsex/a_carate_r_cccountry_c_ccsex_nov15.html

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  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people transferred from disability living allowance to personal independence payments in each month since January 2014.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Data on clearances of claims by type (i.e. awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), by a range of breakdowns including whether they were new claimants or Disability Living Allowance to PIP reassessment claimants, are available from Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

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  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been awarded the enhanced rate mobility component of personal independence payment in each month since January 2014.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The available data on the number of claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), by a range of breakdowns including award outcomes, are available from Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.

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  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department collects on the (a) cost of tribunal hearings for sanctioned jobseeker’s allowance claimants and (b) costs of tribunals for other benefits.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) cannot isolate cost data relating to specific benefit types. I refer the hon Member to my answer to PQ 39104, which states that the estimated average cost of a tribunal case for all benefits in the First Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) in 2014/15 (the latest period for which figures are available) was £468.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects Capita to respond to the right hon. Member for Delyn in relation to correspondence dated 1 February, 14 April and 10 June 2016 relating to Mrs M. of Flint.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The letters to which you refer were received by Capita but not processed in line with their standard procedures. Capita apologises for the delay and any inconvenience caused and are investigating why their procedures were not followed.

    Capita sent their reply to the honourable Member on Friday, 17 June.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what service standard he expects of Capita for response times for correspondence from hon. Members relating to personal independence payments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Capita aims to respond to correspondence within 20 working days but this is not a contractual service level agreement

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if the Government will retain the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers in 2017-18.

    Nick Boles

    The Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) is available until the end of the 2016/17 academic year to businesses with fewer than 50 employees, who have not employed an apprentice in the last 12 months. Eligible employers can receive a £1,500 grant per apprentice (aged 16 to 24) for up to five new apprentices undertaking an apprenticeship framework.

    Further details on how small businesses will be supported to take on apprentices from April 2017 will be published at the end of June.