Category: Speeches

  • 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 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people on incapacity benefit who have been given a prognosis that engagement in work is unlikely in the longer term have been placed in the work-related activity group since October 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested is shown in the table below:

    Outcomes of functional assessments by prognosis of 2 years or more for the ESA work-related activity group, Great Britain: October 2008 – September 2013

    WRAG: Claimants with a prognosis of 2 years or more

    New Claims – Initial assessment

    11,800

    New Claims – Repeat assessment

    19,700

    Incapacity Benefit Reassessments

    73,100

    Source: Data in the tables above is derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare.

    Notes:

    1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

    2. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker’s decision or the recommendation made by the Atos Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker’s decision is not yet available.

    3. The data presented above comes from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions. It related to new and repeat ESA claims and Incapacity Benefit (IB) claims reassessments. In October 2008, ESA replaced IB for new claims. Starting with a trial in October 2010, and reaching a full scale national roll-out in April 2011, existing IB claims began to be phased out, with claimants reassessed to see if they qualify for ESA instead.

    The reassessment of existing incapacity benefits claimants started in October 2010 with a trial in the Burnley and Aberdeen areas. These are included in the table.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government plans to respond to the recommendations set out in the report of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin on sunbed regulation published in 2014.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has noted the report and is currently considering how to respond to the recommendations.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gilbert on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many additional households in temporary accommodation became subject to the benefit cap on flow in each month between May 2013 and January 2014.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not available.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK have received support through the Access to Work scheme in each of the last three years.

    Mike Penning

    Please see figures for the last full three financial years for which data is avaiable:

    Numbers helped by Access to Work support in Scotland:

    2010/11: 2,800

    2011/12: 2,510

    2012/13: 2,500

    Numbers helped by Access to Work support in Great Britain:

    2010/11: 35,820

    2011/12: 30,780

    2012/13: 31,500

  • Mr Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mr Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the role of firefighters in responding to the recent floods.

    Brandon Lewis

    [Holding Reply: Monday 31 March 2014]

    More than 1,000 firefighters from across the country assisted with the flood response over December, January and February. We are extremely grateful for the work that they did to reduce water levels and help communities deal with the flooding.

  • David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been paid through working tax credits to people in Bolton North East constituency in each of the last three years.

    Mr David Gauke

    Table 1: Bolton North East constituency Working Tax Credit entitlement

    Tax Year

    Total WTC entitlement

    2010-11

    £19 million

    2011-12

    £18 million

    2012-13

    £176 million

    These figures have been rounded to the nearest £ million.

    “

  • Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reasons the use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy granted in respect of members of the IRA was not announced in the London Gazette or the Belfast Gazette.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    There have been no instances in which the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) has been issued in respect of paramilitaries in Northern Ireland since the current Government came to power in May 2010.

    I am not aware of any legal requirement to publish in the media information relating to the use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM). In England and Wales, RPMs signed by HM the Queen, on the advice of the Secretary of State, are then passed to the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery for sealing, who by convention subsequently places the notice in the London Gazette. By convention in Northern Ireland, RPMs signed by HM the Queen are not subsequently placed in the Belfast Gazette.

  • John Healey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of removing dedicated funding for local welfare assistance; and if he will review the current local welfare assistance arrangements introduced in 2013 before any such change is made.

    Steve Webb

    In the next spending round period, from April 2015, central government will continue to provide support to local authorities through general funds, as part of the coalition Government’s commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.

    It was always the intention that 2014-15 would be the last year of separate funding for local welfare provision from the Department for Work and Pensions. Councils will continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances.

    In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, councils can now choose how to best support local welfare needs within their areas. As this is an administrative change only no assessment has been made of the effects. However we are carrying out a review of the current arrangements, working with the Local Government Association and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Once completed it is our intention to place a copy of the findings in the House Library.

  • Lord Quirk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Quirk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Quirk on 2014-03-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Nash on 15 October 2013 (WA 76–7) and 21 October 2013 (WA 122), by what mechanism they have subsequently monitored the enhancement of teaching in maths and English, and with what outcomes.

    Lord Nash

    The new national curriculum sets out very clearly what should be taught to pupils. However, it deliberately gives teachers the flexibility to decide how to teach it. The Department for Education expect schools to identify the support that they need to prepare for the new curriculum, recognising that different schools will face different challenges.

    The Department has provided funding to teaching schools to work with their alliances and beyond, and we have been signposting schools to the range of free support that is available in English and mathematics including the resources developed by the National Literacy Trust and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. The sector-led expert subject groups have been providing audit tools and guidance, and publishers are bringing a variety of new materials to market.

    The Government is funding a national network of around 30 maths hubs to drive up the quality of mathematics teachers. Each hub will be led by an outstanding school and will provide support to all schools in the area, across all areas of mathematics education. Systematic phonics has been emphasised in the teaching of early reading in the new national curriculum because evidence shows that it is the most effective way of teaching all children to begin to read. We have provided match-funding of £23 million to primary schools to purchase high quality phonics resources.

    Ofsted, as part of their on-going programme of inspection, report on the quality of teaching in schools to ensure that teaching in subjects such as English and mathematics is resulting in improved achievement.

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if it remains his policy to publish the report of the Chilcot Inquiry in full; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Cameron

    The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

    Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

    The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

    The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

    The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry’s final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

    Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.