The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many permanent HS2 Ltd employees are based in Birmingham; and what proportion of the total number of HS2 Ltd employees those employees represent.
Andrew Jones
As at the 1 October 2016 there were 338 permanent HS2 Ltd employees based in Birmingham, representing 37% of the overall HS2 Ltd employee base.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s bus statistics table BUS0208, what the supported bus service mileage has been by local authority in each year since 2010.
Andrew Jones
The data in table BUS0208 on vehicle miles on local bus services by local authority and service type, including local authority supported mileage, is available for the years 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16.
Table BUS0208 for 2013/14 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/379004/annual-bus-statistics-year-to-march-2014.zip
Table BUS0208 for 2014/15 is available at:
Table BUS0208 for 2015/16 is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/560582/bus0208.ods
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 44873, how many civil servants are currently analysing the responses to the draft cycling and walking strategy.
Andrew Jones
This Government wants to create an environment which encourages walking and cycling, where cycling and walking is the norm for short journeys or as part of a longer journey. Our goal is of streets and public places which support walking and cycling and a road network where infrastructure for cycling and walking is always improved when local and national routes are maintained, upgraded or built.
Moving forwards the Department is working on a revision of the draft Strategy based on the feedback received during the consultation period. A number of officials are involved with the Strategy, with one specifically concerned with the consultation analysis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 44873, in what month he expects the cycling and walking investment strategy to be published.
Andrew Jones
We have previously said we would publish the Strategy in the summer of 2016. Due to the very large number of consultation responses covering a wide range of issues, there has been a need to assess these and make any necessary revisions to the Strategy. We hope to publish the Strategy shortly but we are not able to specify a precise month.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she expects to reply to the letter of 14 September 2016 from the Rt hon. Member for Camberwell and Peckham on the contract for future delivery of the Equality Advisory Support Service.
Caroline Dinenage
We are aware of the Rt Hon. Member’s letter of 14 September 2016 regarding the contract for future delivery of the Equality Advisory Support Service. I regret that we were not able to respond by her deadline of 10 October 2016 but assure the Rt Hon Member that the response has now been sent to her, as of Friday 21 October.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Selous on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants there were in South West Bedfordshire constituency (a) on the latest date for which figures are available and (b) in each year since 2010.
Penny Mordaunt
The information available for the number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants, by Parliamentary Constituency, is published and can be found at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with care providers on funding the additional costs of introducing the national living wage.
David Mowat
Social care continues to be a key priority for the Government. This is why, against the context of tough public sector finances; the Government has taken steps to protect social care services. The Government is giving local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. This should mean local government has access to the funding to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament. This will support councils to continue to focus on core services and to pay fees which reflect provider costs including the National Living Wage.
The Spending Review took into account a range of financial and economic factors, including projections and data on the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care.
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance make clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage.
Social care workers play a vital role in our society and it is unacceptable that there are some circumstances where they are not being paid properly. Non-compliance with the National Living Wage is illegal and the Department is working with HM Revenue and Customs to help eliminate it from the home care sector.
The Department has regular meetings with the trade bodies that represent the care sector and is grateful for the information provided that adds to our understanding of financial challenges including the National Living Wage. In addition major providers and associations in the care industry have formed their own taskforce to discuss key issues for the sector. The Department attends as an observer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-10-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on family incomes of the withdrawal of tax credits as a result of the introduction of the national living wage.
Jane Ellison
The introduction of the National Living Wage in April 2016 marked an important step towards building an economy that works for everyone. At £7.20, it represented a 50p increase on the National Minimum Wage, and a pay rise for over a million low paid workers across the UK.
A family’s entitlement to tax credits depends on a number of factors including the level of income they receive. The introduction of the National Living Wage and the consequential adjustment to a family’s award will be dependent on individual circumstances. The first tax credits income threshold is £6,420, so once a household’s earnings reaches this income threshold, their tax credit award is removed at a rate of 41p for each pound of income above the threshold.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether the conditions have been met for the Pensions Regulator to issue a contribution notice to Tata Steel in relation to the British Steel Pension Scheme.
Richard Harrington
The assessment of whether it is appropriate to issue contribution notices is the responsibility of the Independent Pensions Regulator.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-10-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of whether it is necessary to improve support services for people with disabilities entering the labour market; and what steps his Department is taking to make recruitment processes accessible for all.
Penny Mordaunt
The Government is committed to enabling all disabled people to fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations. Work is an important part of this, and the Government wants all disabled people and people with a long term health condition to go as far as their talents will take them. Every individual should have the opportunity to work and share in the economic and health benefits that work brings.
A new Disability Confident employer scheme went live on 14 July 2016. When employers sign up as Disability Confident they are asked to make specific meaningful offers of opportunities for disabled people such as jobs, apprenticeships, internships, and work experience opportunities.
We will soon publish a Green Paper that will explore a range of options for long-term reform across different sectors, targeting the factors which contribute to the disability employment gap.