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  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people who are currently unemployed who have repeat episode depressions; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the use of mindfulness-based interventions in making people ready for work.

    Mike Penning

    We do not keep health data on those who are currently unemployed. However we know that at any one time one in six people has a mental health problem like anxiety or depression, and a further two in a hundred are affected by severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia.

    We are currently considering the design of the pilots to test the most promising interventions and evidence-based approaches put forward by RAND Europe and we will be implementing these pilots this year.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy since the introduction of that Index in 2011; and what policies his Department has introduced to improve national wellbeing as defined in that Index since 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is measuring National Wellbeing, not as an index but through a framework of 41 indicators which capture social progress around important aspects of life for individuals, communities and the nation. The statistics are experimental and as such we should not expect to have examples of major policies that have been heavily influenced by the wellbeing data at this stage.

    Evidence provided to the Environmental Audit Committee for its Inquiry into Wellbeing can be found at:

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/well-being/

    “

  • Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Buckland on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the written statement by the Minister for Universities and Science of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 1-2WS, on Higher Education: student support, what revisions he plans to make to the draft statutory guidance, Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    There has been close liaison between the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills throughout the passage of the Children and Families Act 2014. As a result, no changes will need to be made to the draft statutory guidance, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which organisations involved in reporting hate crime his Department has funded in each financial year since May 2010.

    Stephen Williams

    DCLG supports a series of organisations who tackle hatred in all its forms. Reporting forms only one part of this, complementing the work of organisations such as the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Show Racism the Red Card and the Anne Frank Trust who DCLG support to tackle hate crime.

    DCLG has provided funding to the following organisations that report hate crime.

    Organisation

    Financial Year

    Amount of Funding

    Tell MAMA

    2011-12

    £91,567

    2012-13

    £223,517

    2013-14

    £80,457

    True Vision

    2012-13

    £75,000

    2013-14

    £25,000
  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities (a) to help the understand the threat from extremism and (b) relating to statutory powers available to them to challenge extremist speakers.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office provides ongoing support for local authority Prevent
    coordinators funded by the Home Office in priority areas (currently thirty
    local authorities, based on assessment of risk), to ensure that they understand
    the threat of extremism and are equipped to deal with it effectively. This is
    done through regular regional events, issuing briefings on specific issues, and
    sharing best practice across different authorities. The police, including
    police Prevent co-ordinators, also work closely with local authorities and
    share appropriate information with them.

    The Home Office issued advice in 2013 to help local authority Prevent
    Coordinators manage the challenges posed by extremist speakers. This included
    an overview of the duties placed upon public bodies under the Equalities Act
    2010 and the regulations that events must comply with.

    Additionally, the Department for Communities and Local Government gave
    Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Luton Borough Council funding to lead
    a national Special Interest Group of local authorities across England affected
    by the activities of the English Defence League and similar groups, which has
    supported them in sharing knowledge about what works best in tackling extremist
    groups.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) published since May 2010 on citizenship and public attitudes towards extremism.

    Stephen Williams

    My Department has not commissioned any such research since 2010.

    We have not published any such work other than the legacy Citizenship Survey which was discontinued in 2011, as it represented poor value for money for its £4 million a year cost.

    Instead, we have focused on front line support for integration projects. A summary of our integration work can be found online at:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/communitiesuk/sets/72157644380501531/

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training (a) Atos staff and (b) staff of his Department are given in mental health for the purposes of assessing whether claimants are fit for work.

    Mike Penning

    All healthcare professionals receive training in mental health issues as part of their induction training, are required to engage in a programme of continuing medical education which includes modules on mental health issues, and have access to Mental Function Champions.

    Atos training and guidance materials are regularly reviewed and external experts including the Royal College of Psychiatrists are involved in quality assurance.

    All healthcare professionals are monitored to ensure that their work meets the required quality standards. If a problem is identified, the healthcare professional may be required to undertake tailored training, which may involve training in mental health issues if required.

    DWP staff receive training in respect of decisions concerning medical or disability issues, including mental health. Specifically learning is provided on:

    • understanding the WCA descriptors
    • gathering evidence from the claimant and medical professionals
    • using the evidence to apply the descriptors and determine capability for work.

    Within the learning emphasis is placed on the on-going support available to Decision Makers from Atos Healthcare to interpret and understand medical information.

    In the Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment published in December 2013, Doctor Litchfield made a number of recommendations related to training in mental health which have been accepted subject to further scoping work.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have currently been waiting (a) up to one month, (b) one to two months, (c) two to three months, (d) three to four months, (e) four to five months and (f) more than six months for their appeal against their being deemed fit for work to be determined.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits including a person’s entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

    Whilst a work capability assessment (WCA) can be a key factor in an ESA decision, it is not the only consideration. Appeals are brought against ESA refusals, and not WCA decisions themselves. The Tribunal does not record information on those ESA appeals in which the WCA decision is a factor, and as such HMCTS does not hold the specific information requested.

    Information on appeals against ESA decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014

    “

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the current average waiting time is for personal independence payment assessments to be completed and a decision made in (a) England and (b) Leeds.

    Mike Penning

    The information you have requested is not currently available.

  • Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether a Minister will be responsible for preparing the Department’s response to the Belgian government’s request for information regarding the Typhoon as a successor to their F-16 fleet.

    Michael Fallon

    The Eurofighter Typhoon programme is carried out in partnership with the Governments of Germany, Italy and Spain. This includes cooperation on exports. The Government of Belgium has expressed an interest in Typhoon as well as other competing aircraft as a potential replacement for their F-16 fleet. UK Trade and Investment have been invited, to participate in preliminary discussions at official level on Typhoon. United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) officials are working with colleagues across Government, in the partner nations and with Eurofighter GmbH to coordinate a response.

    Within UK Government work on Typhoon export campaigns is led by UKTI, but HMG takes a collaborative approach to defence exports and so all campaigns are a cross departmental effort. Information on staffing numbers is not therefore available centrally.

    Ministerial responsibility for UKTI rests with my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Lord Livingston of Parkhead). My noble Friend reports to my Rt Hon Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, as the two responsible Cabinet Ministers.

    Information regarding Ministers’ meetings is published by the Department on the internet: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&publication_type=transparency-data

    The Minister of State for Trade and Investment discussed Typhoon exports during his meeting with BAES on 18 December 2013. The Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills has no immediate plans to meet his Belgian counterpart.

    “