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  • Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all railway stations in (a) Liverpool Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool City region and (c) England and Wales are wheelchair accessible.

    Claire Perry

    Whenever the rail industry carries out infrastructure work at stations it is required to meet the latest UK and EU accessibility standards.

    We have also extended the Access for All programme, which will have provided step free access at over 200 stations by 2019. In Liverpool Walton both Fazkerley and Orrel Park have been completed. In the wider Liverpool City area Liverpool Central, Sandhills, Birkenhead North, Formby, Hooton, Meols and Waterloo have also been included in the programme.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the level of public subsidy for train operators in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    Actual figures for public subsidy are published on the Office of Rail and Road’s (‘ORR’) website at http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/browsereports/1.

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  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made on accessibility of utilities bills for (a) people with disabilities and (b) elderly people.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Equality Act 2010 protects service users from discrimination on a number of grounds, including disability and age. In the case of disability, it also requires providers of services to make reasonable adjustments for customers who require them. The government has recently published a memorandum to the Act, on post-legislative scrutiny. A link to the memorandum can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441838/Memo_to_Women_Equalities.pdf

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  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work capability assessments in connection with claims for employment and support allowance have been carried out in (a) Lewisham Deptford constituency, (b) London Borough of Lewisham, (c) London and (d) England since 1 September 2014.

    Priti Patel

    The total number of Work Capability Assessments completed from September 2014 to March 2015, were: 2,800 in the London Borough of Lewisham; 62,600 in London, and; 393,700 in England.

    All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100 and include Employment and Support Allowance initial assessments, repeat assessments and, Incapacity Benefit reassessments.

    The information requested by parliamentary constituency is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department were allocated to deal with representations from hon. Members to address constituents’ concerns on 1 October (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013, (d) 2014 and (e) 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Many staff across the Department spend a proportion of their time working on ministerial correspondence.

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people under 25 years old in (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency, (b) the London Borough of Lewisham, (c) London and (d) England receive tax credits.

    Damian Hinds

    The latest information on Child and Working Tax Credits statistics is available on the Gov.uk website. Link provided below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-and-working-tax-credits-statistics-provisional-awards-geographical-analyses-december-2013

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  • Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the contribution of the Minister of State for Disabled People to the debate on Welfare Reform (Sick and Disabled People) of 27 February 2014, what progress his Department is making on an assessment of the effect of welfare changes on disabled people and carers; and when his Department plans to publish that assessment.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Cumulative impact assessment analysis published by HMT is the most comprehensive available, as spending is not the only way to help disabled people and carers. It is crucial that any assessment includes looking at further support including health spending, employment support, and investment in infrastructure, as well as the introduction of the National Living Wage, the extended childcare offer for working parents of three and four year olds and the increase to the personal allowance. HM Treasury’s analysis includes these wider impacts in its cumulative analysis.

    However, it is not possible to produce a cumulative impact assessment of policies on disabled people and carers using this model only.

    The Government has published analysis showing how the share of public spending that benefits households and the share of tax paid by households changes as a result of government policy.

    The richest fifth will be paying a greater proportion of taxes in 2017-18 than in 2010-11 as a result of government policy – and more than all other households put together.

    The proportion of spending received by households in each quintile has not changed since 2010-11: around half of all spending on welfare and public services is still going to the poorest 40 per cent of households.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve Rotheram – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to close the pay gap between disabled workers and other workers.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government is committed to ensuring that all disabled people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. Work is an important part of this, which is why we committed to halving the disability employment gap in our manifesto – we want to ensure that many more disabled people who can and want to work have that opportunity.

    Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people (and other groups) from discrimination at work, including unequal pay (in relation to the disabled person’s gender) and less favourable treatment, which may require the employer to provide a reasonable adjustment.

    The National Living Wage – which will ensure that all low wage workers, including those with disabilities, can take a greater share of the gains from growth – will come into force from 1 April 2016.

    Disability Confident works with an increasing number of employers to promote the benefits of employing disabled people, encouraging good practice, challenging prejudicial attitudes, increasing understanding of disability, removing barriers, and helping to ensure that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

    Access to Work provides support above and beyond employers’ reasonable adjustments. Every year, Access to Work supports tens of thousands of disabled workers to enter or retain employment and progress in their careers.

  • Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase the accuracy of initial personal independence payment (PIP) decision-making to address the rate of successful appeals of PIP.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department monitors the quality and accuracy of its decision making with a robust quality assurance framework where feedback is given to individual decision makers as required. When a decision is overturned by a tribunal, it does not necessarily mean that the original decision was incorrect. A reason for a decision being overturned could, for example, be the provision of additional written evidence that was not available to the original decision maker. That is why we reformed the system, with the introduction of mandatory reconsideration, which enables a further opportunity for evidence to be provided without need to go to appeal. Of course, the Tribunal can form a different view based on the same facts and medical evidence. We will continue to use feedback from the Tribunal to inform the Department’s approach to decision-making or consider onward challenge where that is appropriate.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of people claiming, or applying for, Employment and Support Allowance, who are found fit for work, are then refused Jobseeker’s Allowance because they are judged by Jobcentre Plus as being not fit for work.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.