Author: admin

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will conduct a study on the potential merits and feasibility of upgrading the trunk road section of the A595 in 2016.

    Mr John Hayes

    Highways England, the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, and Cumbria County Council commissioned a study to examine the connectivity, capability, resilience, and reliability of the A595. This will conclude later this month. Highways England has also commenced its evidence-based Route Strategy process. If this section of the A595 is included in the priority list, the next stage would be to consider potential improvement options, which would be developed during the next Road Investment Strategy (RIS) period (2020-2025).

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the safety of passengers at train stations in London.

    Paul Maynard

    We are working with train operators inside and outside of London, including through franchising arrangements, so that they maintain or increase the number of the stations which have been awarded ‘Secure Station’ status. The Secure Stations scheme is managed by the Department for Transport (DfT) and British Transport Police (BTP), and sets station design and management standards. It is aimed at:

    • preventing and reducing crime and disorder, providing a safer environment for passengers and staff;
    • increasing passenger numbers;
    • reducing costs of repair following vandalism, graffiti, etc., and of lost staff time due to distress or injury.

    DfT is also currently working with the BTP to review and refresh the Secure Stations scheme to ensure that it continues to drive up standards, covers wider aspects of station security and that it reflects recent changes to the operating structure of the rail industry.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions his Department has had with members of the National Assembly for Wales on the proposed Blue Route M4 relief road.

    Guto Bebb

    The M4 is one of Wales’ vital arteries and an important strategic route across Britain. It has been clear for some time that congestion on the M4 corridor around Newport is damaging the Welsh economy, and that an upgrade is urgently required. The Secretary of State for Wales met with the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure following his appointment to discuss options for upgrading the M4.

    The Welsh Government has announced that an independent public inquiry to examine its preferred route for the M4 relief road will commence in the Autumn. I look forward to seeing the inquiry’s findings and to a positive outcome to the benefit of both businesses and commuters.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that the level of functional impairment is adequately assessed to provide appropriate support for a claimant to obtain employment.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Department introduced the independent audit of Work Capability Assessments in March 2015 in line with the start of the new Health and Disability Assessment Service contract.

    Audit has a central role in confirming that independent health professional advice complies with the required standards and that it is clear and medically reasonable. It also provides assurance that any approach to assessment and opinion given is consistent so that, irrespective of where or by whom the assessment is carried out, claimants with conditions that have the same functional effect will ultimately receive the same benefit outcome.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the evidence base for the choice of descriptors used in work capability assessments.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Details of the evidence base and consultative group members involved in the development of the Work Capability Assessment can be found in the Transformation of the Personal Capability assessment reports of September 2006, February 2007 and November 2007.

    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090605153301/http:/www.workandpensions.gov.uk/welfarereform/pca.asp

    “

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Fitness for Work data his Department receives from GPs, collected under the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Statements of Fitness for Work) Directions 2015, is considered identifiable personal data by his Department.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The data collected under the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Statements of Fitness for Work) Directions 2015 will be non patient identifiable on extraction and anonymous on publication, and will not contain any personal information that can be used to identify individuals. Additional measures such as aggregation of disease codes and small number suppression will also be applied which means that, for published information, any number less than five will be replaced by a star.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of extending the Shared Accommodation Rate to social rented housing on the ability of single people under the age of 35 to access general needs social rented housing.

    Caroline Nokes

    Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

    Single people under 35 will be exempt from the Shared Accommodation Rate if they fall into one of the categories below:

    • They have children or a non-dependent living with them;
    • They qualify for a severe disability premium;
    • If they have left care and are under the age of 22;
    • If they have an extra bedroom for a non-resident carer providing overnight care;
    • If they are a foster carer;
    • They are aged 25 to 34 years old and have spent at least 3 months in a homeless hostel or hostel specialising in rehabilitation and resettlement;
    • They are aged 25 to 34 years old who are an ex-offender managed under a multi-agency MAPPA agreement.

    For those who are not covered by these exemptions, they will be able to apply for Discretionary Housing Payments if they need help meeting the shortfall in their rent.

  • Roger Mullin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Mullin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Mullin on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants were sanctioned more than once in (a) Fife and (b) Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14, (iv) 2014-15 and (v) 2015-16.

    Damian Hinds

    The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

    Information on Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanction decisions, by cumulative frequency and geography, is available here: 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/Getting-Started—SuperWEB2.html

    “

  • Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Greenwood on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the internal guidance that his Department issues to staff on the safeguards that those staff must observe when consideration is being given to (a) suspend or withhold payment, (b) make a substantial change to the level of entitlement or (c) terminate a claim in the case of a claimant of personal independence payment who has a mental health condition.

    Damian Hinds

    There is no intention to publish the internal guidance as it is for Department use only.

  • Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Margaret Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Greenwood on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the internal guidance that his Department issues to staff on the safeguards that those staff must observe when consideration is being given to (a) suspend or withhold payment, (b) impose a sanction or (c) terminate a claim in the case of a claimant of jobseeker’s allowance who has a mental health condition.

    Damian Hinds

    There is no intention to publish the internal guidance as it is for Department use only.