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  • Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government will take to provide support to small organisations which are not able to pay their staff the national living wage.

    Nick Boles

    The National Living Wage is part of this Government’s aim to move from a low-wage, high-tax and high-benefits economy to a high-wage, low-tax and low-benefits economy; it ensures that work pays, and reduces reliance on the State topping up wages through the benefits system. As part of this, the Government is cutting taxes and employer NICs in total by over £3bn a year through the Employment Allowance and Corporation Tax.

    The Government believes that the new National Living Wage is affordable given the strength of the UK economy and labour market.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-09-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many people will lose their working tax credits as a result of being paid the national living wage.

    Damian Hinds

    The information requested is not available.

    The government’s target is for the National Living Wage to reach over £9 by 2020, which means that a full-time worker currently on the National Minimum Wage will be earning over £5,200 more per year.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of how many people will benefit directly from the implementation of the national living wage.

    Nick Boles

    The Office for Budget Responsibility estimate that the National Living Wage will benefit 2.7 million low wage workers by 2020 – http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/July-2015-EFO-234224.pdf

    “

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of adult social care provided by local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    The Government is committed to improving the quality of adult social care. We have taken a number of recent steps to do so.

    In October 2014, we introduced a tougher inspection system by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Following inspections, the CQC now also awards each care service a single quality rating with providers rated as “Outstanding”, “Good”, “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate”. Services rated “Inadequate” are being placed into Special Measure which means they could face closure if they fail to improve.

    These new ratings and other information about the type and quality of care at every care home and homecare service in the country are now available on NHS Choices and the MyNHS Transparency website, making it much easier for people to compare the quality of services.

    This year we introduced a Certificate of Fundamental Care, now known as the Care Certificate. This will help ensure that care workers can deliver a consistently high quality standard of care.

    The Department is funding and working with a number of organisations including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Skills for Care, the Social Care Institute for Excellence, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association on a range of projects to help adult social care organisations and staff improve the quality of care. These resources include new NICE Quality Standards and Guidelines which bring clarity to what excellence looks like in care and Commissioning for Better Outcomes – A Route Map* that sets out a series of commissioning standards that will be used as part of local government sector-led improvement to drive best practices in local authority commissioning under their new duties in the Care Act 2015.

    *Available at:

    http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/5756320/Commissioning+for+Better+Outcomes+A+route+map/8f18c36f-805c-4d5e-b1f5-d3755394cfab

    “

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of giving tenants in the private rental sector the right to end a tenancy with their full deposits if they discover that the landlord has been convicted of a housing offence.

    Brandon Lewis

    A tenancy agreement is a contract between a landlord and tenant. If the conditions of the agreement are breached the affected party will normally have the right to end that contract; any tenant deposit due to be returned will be repaid through the normal procedures. We do not have any plans to alter this arrangement.

  • George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to permitted development rights in 2013 on the roll-out of 4G mobile services; and what plans he has to assess whether further reforms of such rights would facilitate further roll-out of such services.

    Brandon Lewis

    On 10 July, the Government’s Productivity Plan set out its ambitions for mobile connectivity in England and launched the Review of ‘How the Planning System in England Can Support the Delivery of Mobile Connectivity’. We sought views on the ability of the planning system to deliver and support mobile connectivity, the effectiveness of the changes made in 2013, and evidence on technical and operational factors, which may be limiting deployment.

    We received responses from mobile network operators and associated industry, local authorities, countryside groups and others. We are considering the evidence submitted and will announce the outcome of the planning review in due course.

  • George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on future reform of the planning framework in order to facilitate the delivery of enhanced mobile services.

    Brandon Lewis

    On 10 July, the Government’s Productivity Plan set out its ambitions for mobile connectivity in England and launched the Review of ‘How the Planning System in England Can Support the Delivery of Mobile Connectivity’. We sought views on the ability of the planning system to deliver and support mobile connectivity, the effectiveness of the changes made in 2013, and evidence on technical and operational factors, which may be limiting deployment.

    We received responses from mobile network operators and associated industry, local authorities, countryside groups and others. We are considering the evidence submitted and will announce the outcome of the planning review in due course.

  • Bob Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Bob Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Stewart on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the benefits to the taxpayer, and to the electorate, of combining the dates of the proposed new mayoral elections and the local elections.

    James Wharton

    Both combining the dates for the new mayoral elections and local elections, and holding free-standing mayoral elections, can benefit the taxpayers and the electorate. Combining mayoral and local elections gives savings in electoral administration, up to 30% of the cost of each poll, is more convenient for voters and encourages turnout. Holding free-standing mayoral elections enhances mayoral accountability, encouraging value for money in a Mayor’s decisions, and may also allow mayoral governance to be introduced earlier than otherwise.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a landlord licensing scheme.

    Brandon Lewis

    Local authorities have strong powers to introduce selective licensing schemes where they have acute, localised problems of high levels of crime, inward migration, anti-social behaviour or deprivation, or suffer from low housing demand or poor property conditions. These powers should only be used where there is a real need and it is proportionate to do so.

    We do not support blanket licensing schemes as they put unnecessary burdens and expense on good landlords which reduces choice, and increases costs, for tenants. A targeted approach helps to ensure that local authorities focus their enforcement activity on areas with the most severe problems, and are able to deliver their local plans in a way that is beneficial to both landlords and tenants.

  • George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2015-09-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on vulnerable consumers of the switching regime in the mobile sector.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government is committed to working with Ofcom to support quick and easy switching in communications markets. In its current consultation on mobile switching, Ofcom sets out considerations of how current switching processes may lead to consumer harm. Problems that may occur include consumer difficulty with switching processes, unnecessary costs, navigating different processes, breaks in continuity of service, lack of awareness of the implications of and any liabilities arising from switching, and erroneous transfers and ‘slamming’ (where consumers are switched without their consent). Ofcom’s evidence suggests that, although existing mobile switching processes perform relatively well against those measures, they are likely to generate a degree of consumer harm.

    For those who have not switched, the perception of a difficult process can inhibit their engagement with the market and any decision to switch, which is likely to mean they are paying more. BIS research indicates that consumers who may be vulnerable by virtue of personal circumstances – for example, those who are elderly, not working and/or lack ‘self-efficacy’, confidence or trust – tend to be fairly disengaged from markets and the purchase process. Those consumers are much less likely than other groups to gather information, check whether they are on the best deal or switch supplier.

    Ofcom is currently consulting on options to improve mobile switching, with the aim of simplifying and automating the process for all consumers.