The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he plans to publish the draft Wales Bill.
Alun Cairns
On 29 February, my predecessor announced the Government’s intention to introduce the Wales Bill early in the second session.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the devolution of Air Passenger Duty to Wales.
Alun Cairns
The Government is considering the case and options for devolving Air Passenger Duty to Wales, informed by a review of options to support English regional airports from potential impacts caused by its devolution.
As part of this review, HM Treasury published a discussion paper at Summer Budget 2015 exploring a number of options. HM Treasury is carefully considering the evidence received from stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the Government’s review of the case for a Swansea Bay tidal lagoon.
Alun Cairns
My office remains in close contact with the Department of Energy and Climate Change on both the independent review of tidal lagoons and the potential development of a tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay. Talks between the UK Government and the developer are continuing on a possible Contract for Difference and the conclusion of these discussions will be fed into the independent review for consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government about the possibility of Wales hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Alun Cairns
The Wales Office continues to show its support for Wales to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. I recently met with the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales and would welcome an opportunity to explore the details of a possible bid further with the new Welsh Government after the National Assembly Elections have taken place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which women’s organisations the Minister for Women has met since May 2015.
Caroline Dinenage
The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities and I have met with many representatives from women’s organisations since taking on our roles as Ministers for Women and Equalities. This includes attending and speaking at conferences and events, including a women and equalities stakeholder event held in July 2015, and our pre-CSW NGO event organised by the Government Equalities Office in November 2015, which was attended by representatives of approximately 40 women’s organisations.
Meetings are a matter of public record, and can be found at www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-ministers-quarterly-returns and www.gov.uk/government/collections/moj-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings. Some of the meetings we have held with women’s organisations include:
Women’s Aid
Agenda
30% Club
Rights of Women
Birth Companions
Women’s Business Council
Brighton Women’s Centre
One Small Thing
Women’s Breakout
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32294, what account is taken of a person’s earlier claim for work capability assessment if the person submits a new claim for employment and support allowance.
Priti Patel
In order for the claim to progress, a claimant must demonstrate that there has been a significant worsening in their health condition or that a new health condition has developed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 34050, how much funding his Department has allocated to the work programme and work choice in the 2016-17 financial year.
Priti Patel
The total budget for Contracted Employment Programmes for 2016-17 is £402.4m. It is not possible to publish the disaggregation of this figure to individual programmes, as this is subject to change throughout the year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the new national living wage on carers who will lose their eligibility for the carer’s allowance for working 16 hours per week.
Justin Tomlinson
The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.
The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer’s Allowance.
The Carer’s Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.
Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.
For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer’s Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer’s Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the new national living wage on (a) carers and (b) the eligibility of carers who work 16 hours per week for carer’s allowance.
Justin Tomlinson
The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.
The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer’s Allowance.
The Carer’s Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.
Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.
For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer’s Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer’s Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for the Independent Case Examiner to review accepted cases; and if he will make a statement.
Justin Tomlinson
During the 2015/16 financial year complaints examined by the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) Office took an average of 37 weeks to process from the point at which they were accepted.
Improvements in complaint handling within DWP mean that the ICE Office receive far fewer cases which can be resolved, to the complainant’s satisfaction, without a full investigation of the evidence. This means that the ICE process is reserved for more complex cases which are, by nature, more time consuming.