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  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in his Department have been employed on zero-hour contracts in each of the last two years up to the most recent period for which records are available.

    Stephen Hammond

    The number of direct employees of the Department and its 6 Executive agencies who are on zero hours contracts is 9. All are qualified engineers.

    There are no direct employees on zero-hour contracts in the Department’s arms length bodies.

  • Karl McCartney – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to streamline provisional licences for the drivers of heavy goods vehicles.

    Stephen Hammond

    There are no plans to change the current process for the issue of provisional driving licences to drive Heavy Goods Vehicles.

  • Gerry Sutcliffe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gerry Sutcliffe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerry Sutcliffe on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of potential loss of trade to independent high street opticians following the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s decision to award its vision testing contract to Specsavers.

    Stephen Hammond

    In the past, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) dealt with many individual opticians on an ad-hoc basis. Although the individual cost per optician was relatively low, the aggregated spend on the service meant that the contract had to be tendered via the Official Journal of the European Union process. This is in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2006.

    As part of the procurement process, the DVLA identified that 2,009 optical practices carried out vision testing services. The new contract means that independent practices are no longer required to carry out on average 20 assessments per year. This equates to around 10 hours of work.

  • Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent and tackle women’s homelessness.

    Kris Hopkins

    This Government has invested £470 million to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness over the spending review period. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.

    The Government is committed to tackling and preventing all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping the Government. We have:

    • Invested nearly £2 million to stop unlawful practice of councils placing families in B&Bs for more than 6 weeks;

    • Supported the roll out of ‘No Second Night Out’ schemes across England, helping 67 per cent of rough sleepers off the streets after a single night;

    • Invested £42.5 million to improve rough sleeper hostels;

    • Made it easier for councils to help move homeless families out of temporary accommodation more quickly by using good-quality privately rented accommodation – backed up by a £1 billion investment to expand the rented sector; and

    • Supported Local authorities to deliver high quality housing solutions for vulnerable people through the Gold Standard scheme. Councils aiming for the Standard are supported by £1.7 million worth of training and other support.

    The dynamics of domestic abuse mean that accommodation can play an important role in the resolution of interpersonal abuse and conflict. This is why local authorities provide a range of support for victims of domestic abuse. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but Sanctuary Schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others, while some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.

    This Department also funds UKRefugesOnline a UK wide database of domestic violence services which supports the national 24 hour free phone domestic violence helpline. It enables those working with victims of domestic violence to identify appropriate services and potential refuge vacancies around the country so that victims can get the help they need as quickly as possible.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many decision makers within the jobseeker’s allowance framework in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) North Lanarkshire and (d) Airdrie and Shotts constituency had a complaint issued against them in each of the last four years; and how many of those complaints led to disciplinary action.

    Mike Penning

    The information sought is contained in individual personnel records. DWP cannot provide this information as it could only be collated at a disproportionate cost to the department.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people applied for the personal independence payment in (a) Edinburgh East constituency and (b) Scotland since June 2013; how many have been awarded the payment in each case; how many have requested that a refusal of the payment be reconsidered; how many have been awarded the payment following a request for reconsideration; how many have appealed against a refusal of the payment; and how many have been awarded the payment following an appeal.

    Mike Penning

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

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of young people participating in the Youth Contract have been offered permanent employment by their employer once they have completed their placement since the commencement of that programme.

    Esther McVey

    From April 2012 to November 2013 there have been 99,640 18-24 year olds who have started a work experience placement and 41,360 18-24 year olds who have started Sector based work academy pre-employment training. [Youth Contract official statistics: February 2014]

    Research found that 22% of WE participants who completed their placement were offered a job by placement organisers (from a base of 824 survey respondents who completed placement).

    42% of sbwa participants who had a placement and completed it were offered a job by their placement organiser (from a base of 126 who completed a placement).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284017/rr865-youth-contract-customer-experiences.pdf

    “

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who have received a benefit sanction have appealed this decision and won sanction in (a) Scotland, (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency and (c) North Lanarkshire in each of the last four years up to the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Esther McVey

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

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the average change in the number of days people will spend claiming benefits as a result of the help-to-work scheme.

    Esther McVey

    We have a strong evidence base which shows that Help to Work has a positive impact in terms of reducing the number of days claimants spend on benefit.

    Over almost two years, claimants who took part in a trailblazer for Community Work Placement (CWP) and Mandatory Intervention Regime (MIR) spent on average 21 (CWP) and 26 (MIR) fewer days on benefits than an equivalent group of JSA claimants.

    They also spent more time in work than the control group: 9 days for CWP and 11 days for MIR participants.

  • 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 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.197 of the Autumn Statement 2013, what the expected cost to the public purse will be of the basic skills pilot; how many people will benefit from that pilot; what its start and end dates will be; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    The 18-21 Skills for Work pilots will be funded from within the Department’s budget settlement as agreed at Autumn Statement 2013.

    Under the pilot, young people making a claim to JSA between the ages of 18 and 21 years will be screened for English and Maths below level 2. Those identified as having a skill need will be referred on a mandatory basis to Maths or English training.

    It is projected 10,000 JSA claimants will be referred to learning. The pilot will start in late Autumn 2014 and last up to nine months.