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  • 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 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what scope there is for a Work Programme prime provider or sub-contractor to propose variations to the claimant commitment agreed with a jobseeker who subsequently embarks on the Work Programme; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    The claimant can ask for their Agreement / Commitment to be changed at any time. Where a Work Programme provider or sub-contractor feels the Agreement / Commitment should be varied, they should ask the claimant to raise this at their next attendance at the Jobcentre.

  • 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 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what scope there is for amending an individual’s claimant commitment after it has first been drawn up.

    Esther McVey

    Once in place, both the claimant and Jobcentre Plus work coach can ask for the Claimant Commitment to be changed at any time.

  • Lord Hughes of Woodside – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Hughes of Woodside – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hughes of Woodside on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 11 June (WA 387), whether they will publish in the Official Report the increase or decrease in crime statistics since 2010 for each of the Police Authorities in England and Wales, including London, and for each area covered by Police and Crime Commissioners.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Lord Rowlands – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Rowlands – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rowlands on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what nuclear power stations there are in the United Kingdom; which of those are being decommissioned; what has been the cost to date of each station; and what is the estimated cost of completion of the decommissioning process.

    Baroness Verma

    The current and former nuclear power stations designated to NDA are Berkeley, Bradwell, Calder Hall, Chapelcross, Dungeness A, Hinkley Point A, Hunterston A, Oldbury, Sizewell A, Trawsfynydd and Wylfa.

    All are being decommissioned with the exception of Wylfa which continues to generate.

    The costs of each station since their respective generation end dates, and during the period in which they have been in NDA ownership (since 1 April 2005) have been:

    Berkeley £400 million

    Bradwell £590 million

    Calder Hall £265 million

    Chapelcross £490 million

    Dungeness A £285 million

    Hinkley Point A £370 million

    Hunterston A £345 million

    Oldbury £72 million

    Sizewell A £280 million

    Trawsfynydd £540 million

    The estimated cost of completion (the remaining lifetime cost) for all of the sites named is £16.5 billion.

    EDF / British Energy stations are: Hunterston B, Hinkley Point B, Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Dungeness B, Heysham 2, Torness, Sizewell B.

  • Lord Rowlands – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Rowlands – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rowlands on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the final cost of terminating the welfare to work contracts made before May 2010.

    Lord Freud

    We have interpreted the question as referring to the early cancellation of Flexible New Deal (FND) contracts in 2011.

    I would draw your attention to the DWP Annual Accounts 2011-12 (page 174) FND exit costs.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214340/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2011-2012.pdf

    “

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision by Atos Healthcare to end its contract early, whether that contract will now be made public.

    Lord Freud

    A redacted copy of the Medical Services Contract between the Department for Work and Pensions and Atos Healthcare was placed in the House of Lords library on 14th September 2010.

    The Health Services Category Team are currently undertaking the necessary contractual action following the mutual Termination of the Medical Services Contract with Atos and an updated version of the contract will be placed in the library by 30th July 2014.

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated current backlog of persons waiting to be assessed by Atos Healthcare for (1) Employment Support Allowance, and (2) Disability Living Allowance, broken down by region of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales; what action they are taking to address the backlog; and on what evidence they base their attribution of the delays to failings within Atos.

    Lord Freud

    The table below shows outstanding Employment and Support Allowance new claims, existing Employment and Support Allowance recipients awaiting a review and Incapacity Benefit claimants awaiting reassessment, at the end of April 2014 for England, Scotland and Wales. The figures exclude cases referred to Atos Healthcare where the claimant has yet to return their ESA50 questionnaire.

    Region

    ESA New claims awaiting a Work Capability Assessment

    Existing ESA recipients awaiting a review Work Capability Assessment

    Incapacity Benefit recipients awaiting reassessment

    England

    333,000*

    201,000*

    74,000*

    Scotland

    34,000*

    13,000*

    2,000*

    Wales

    28,000*

    20,000*

    7,000*

    * Note: figures are based on operational management information received from Atos Healthcare and are rounded to the nearest thousand.

    The total Disability Living Allowance claimants’ awaiting an assessment at the end of April 2014 nationally was 800. Figures are based on operational management information received from Atos Healthcare and are rounded to the nearest hundred.This information is not routinely collated to regional area.

    The Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland has a separate contract with Atos Healthcare for the delivery of assessments in Northern Ireland. Therefore, questions relating to waiting times in Northern Ireland should be addressed to the Minister for Social Development in Northern Ireland.

    We are working closely with our supplier to deliver the best possible service for claimants, driving up performance and quality to help reduce waiting times and process claims as quickly as possible. We are continuing to monitor and robustly manage this contract.

    Identification by the Department of a reduction in Atos Healthcare’s quality led to decisive action in the form of a retraining and re-accreditation exercise and an overhaul of audit arrangements when we instructed Atos Healthcare to introduce an improvement plan in July 2013. The quality of reports provided by Atos Healthcare has improved significantly but the Department continues to monitor quality closely.

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many companies currently providing contracted services to government departments and agencies use zero hours contracts.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The information requested is not held centrally.

  • Baroness Drake – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Drake – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Drake on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to lower the level of fees for access to employment tribunals.

    Lord Faulks

    The Justice Secretary is committed to reviewing the impact of the introduction of fees in the employment tribunal system. The Ministry of Justice is currently finalising arrangements for the timing and scope of the review to ensure that the impacts can be properly assessed. An announcement will be made when the review begins, and again when it has been completed, setting out the results.

  • Lord Hoyle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Hoyle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hoyle on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is any regulation of heir hunters in the way they operate or the fees they charge beneficiaries; if not, whether they have plans to introduce such regulations; and, if not, why not.

    Lord Deighton

    There is no regulation in place that specifically covers the way probate researchers operate or the fees they charge beneficiaries.

    Relationships between probate researchers and their clients are normally contractual arrangements and subject to contract law.

    The Government is planning to introduce regulation of the activity of conducting private investigations, surveillance or inquiries, which could bring some probate and asset researchers into scope for statutory licensing by the Security Industry Authority.