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  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 26W, on nurseries, for what reasons his Department is reviewing provision of workplace nurseries; when that review will be complete; how many families access his Department’s workplace nursery provision; how much workplace nursery provision by his Department costs each year; and whether his Department claims tax relief on workplace nurseries.

    Mike Penning

    There are currently seven workplace nurseries in operation, by third parties, on DWP premises.

    The Department’s current contracts with its nursery providers are soon expiring. Therefore, it is appropriate to review future nursery provision in general and consider whether it is appropriate and cost effective to continue to contract for on site services.

    In addition, as part of its remuneration package, the Department supports employees through a salary sacrifice scheme where employees can give up part of their salary in return for childcare vouchers, which allows for significant savings through tax relief. This gives parents support in order to make their own choices for childcare. Consequently, as suitable alternatives exist, it is no longer appropriate to continue to contract for workplace nursery provision.

    There are currently 361 families who access DWP’s workplace nurseries.

    The cost of nursery provision:

    2013/14 YTD (Feb): £29,112

    2012/13: £50,693

    2011/12: £80,811

    2010/11: £88,494

    The Department doesn’t claim tax relief on workplace nurseries

    No information is held on Executive agencies and non-departmental bodies. There would be a disproportionate cost to source that information.

  • David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead, of 18 November 2013, Official Report, column 674W, on jobseeker’s allowance, what assessment he has made of the (a) monitoring system which checks that sanctions by Jobcentre Plus staff are applied appropriately and (b) outcome of independent reviews undertaken into sites making exceptional numbers of referrals of clients to decision makers.

    Esther McVey

    It is for local and district management to ensure Jobcentre Plus staff apply labour market conditionality fairly and consistently, taking into account individual claimant circumstances; and to make sure referrals to decision makers are appropriate and of consistently good quality.

    Independent reviews undertaken last year suggested that referral rates were appropriate. Findings from those reviews are fed back into operations to help inform ongoing monitoring and delivery.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for applicants for the personal independence payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission of the PIP2 form and the date of receipt of the first payment after an assessment from each assessment provider.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Liverpool, West Derby, official report, 5 March, column 850W.

    In order to manage the gap between Personal Independence Payment go-live and the first release of Official Statistics in Spring 2014, we are assessing whether we can release some further information. If the quality assurance of this information shows that it is sufficiently robust and reliable then we will publish it via ad-hoc statistical releases.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for applicants for the personal independence payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission of the DS1500 form and the date of receipt of the first payment after an assessment by each assessment provider.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Liverpool, West Derby, official report, 5 March, column 850W.

    In order to manage the gap between Personal Independence Payment go-live and the first release of Official Statistics in Spring 2014, we are assessing whether we can release some further information. If the quality assurance of this information shows that it is sufficiently robust and reliable then we will publish it via ad-hoc statistical releases.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for applicants for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission of the PIP2 form and the date of the face-to-face PIP assessment from each assessment provider.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Liverpool, West Derby, official report, 5 March, column 850W.

    In order to manage the gap between Personal Independence Payment go-live and the first release of Official Statistics in Spring 2014, we are assessing whether we can release some further information. If the quality assurance of this information shows that it is sufficiently robust and reliable then we will publish it via ad-hoc statistical releases.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of vacancies currently available on Universal Jobmatch are employee only jobs.

    Esther McVey

    In answering question 195183 we have interpreted “employee only jobs” as meaning “employee owner status jobs.”

    Universal Jobmatch revolutionises the way jobseekers look for work and it has already helped many jobseekers find the jobs they want. It is part of the government’s plan for providing easy online access to government services for all.

    Universal Jobmatch has streamlined our existing services for employers and empowered claimants to take more responsibility for their jobsearch and get more targeted support from advisers.

    It does not capture information on the number and proportion of zero-hours contracts or ‘employee owner’ status jobs.

    Jobcentre Plus guidance stipulates that claimants should not be mandated to apply for a job offering a zero hours contract. It also states that no sanction action will be taken if claimants refuse or fail to apply.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance were sanctioned for failing to complete their job search evidence form for the week of 25 December 2013 to 1 January 2014.

    Esther McVey

    Published data on sanctions is currently available up to 30th September 2013, with the next scheduled release in May 2014.

    Claimants are expected to do all that is reasonable within full time working hours in any week to look for work and this is not restricted to specific days.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent social and employment programmes financed through the European Social Fund; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    The European Social Fund supports a range of activities to help unemployed and disadvantaged people improve their employment prospects and skills. These activities expand or enhance the support provided by national and local programmes. Recent activities are being evaluated by a number of research studies and a cohort survey of participants. Reports on these will be published during 2014 and 2015.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 723W, on conditions of employment, how many and what proportion of vacancies available on Universal Jobmatch are zero-hours contracts jobs.

    Esther McVey

    In answering question 195183 we have interpreted “employee only jobs” as meaning “employee owner status jobs.”

    Universal Jobmatch revolutionises the way jobseekers look for work and it has already helped many jobseekers find the jobs they want. It is part of the government’s plan for providing easy online access to government services for all.

    Universal Jobmatch has streamlined our existing services for employers and empowered claimants to take more responsibility for their jobsearch and get more targeted support from advisers.

    It does not capture information on the number and proportion of zero-hours contracts or ‘employee owner’ status jobs.

    Jobcentre Plus guidance stipulates that claimants should not be mandated to apply for a job offering a zero hours contract. It also states that no sanction action will be taken if claimants refuse or fail to apply.

  • Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, at the latest date, how many immigration detainees were being held in HM prisons; how many foreign national offenders, whose sentences had already expired but who had not been deported were being held; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such persons on the rehabilitation of British prisoners.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    For the week commencing 31 March, there were 720 immigration detainees in prisons.

    Please note that the data includes a small number of individuals who have never served a custodial sentence, but who present specific risk factors that indicate they pose a serious risk of harm to the public or to the good order of an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) including the safety of staff and other detainees, which cannot be managed within the regime applied in IRCs.

    To extract this small number of cases would incur a disproportionate cost.

    Foreign national offenders held in prisons beyond the end of their sentence under immigration powers are normally held in unconvicted conditions. Their presence in these prisons does not affect the rehabilitation of British nationals whose access to accredited interventions and other rehabilitation services is governed by risk of offending and offender-related need.