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Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in each parliamentary constituency will be affected by the new benefit cap from April 2016; and what the mean amount of benefit capped will be in each constituency.

Justin Tomlinson

We will confirm roll out plans after the Welfare Reform and Work Bill has received Royal Assent.

A breakdown by local authority of the estimated number of households potentially affected by the benefit cap will be provided to local authorities in due course.

01/01/2023
Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of recipients of their first universal credit payment received an advance payment of that credit in 2015.

Priti Patel

The information you have requested is not currently available.

During 2016 we will be increasing the range of statistics on Universal Credit which will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

01/01/2023
Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department gives to Jobcentre Plus staff on alerting applicants to the possibility of applying for universal credit by telephone rather than online.

Priti Patel

The main route to access Universal Credit (UC) is through digital channels. Where a claimant is unable to access the on-line service, departmental guidance directs staff to advise claimants of the UC helpline number to make a claim.

01/01/2023
Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many claimants for personal independence payment have been asked to pay for a letter from their GP explaining their impairments or disability whilst being moved from disability living allowance to personal independence payment.

Justin Tomlinson

Claimants are advised during the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim process that they should not request any documents from their GP that they may be charged fees for. Where an Assessment Provider requires further medical evidence to assist in completing the assessment report they may request a GP Factual Report (GPFR). GPs are paid a prearranged fee by assessment providers for GPFRs as the information requested is not included in their contractual agreement. As independent contractors GPs are permitted to charge their patient a fee as the provision of the report is outside their contractual obligations. The BMA provides guidance on appropriate levels of fees for different types of reports.

01/01/2023
Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many people of each gender have worked as special advisers in the Government Equalities Office since 2010.

Caroline Dinenage

Since May 2010, four female and two male special advisers working for successive Ministers for Women and Equalities have had responsibilities which have included women and equalities issues.

01/01/2023
Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 21128, whether his Department plans to make additional funding available to help repair local highway infrastructure damaged by the winter floods of 2015-16.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport is providing £40 million of emergency government funding to support communities in Cumbria and Lancashire, by helping fund repairs to key local transport infrastructure. This builds on the government’s provision of up to £2 million in the initial aftermath of the severe wet weather to enable Cumbria and Lancashire authorities to carry out an initial assessment of what repairs were required to roads and bridges.

£3.3 million of funding has also been announced for the restoration of the Tadcaster Bridge and the construction of a temporary footbridge while work is ongoing, to support this community in North Yorkshire. Further, we have recently announced up to £5.5 million of funding to help with the rebuilding of Elland Bridge in Calderdale.

01/01/2023
John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment Network Rail has made of the costs and benefits of replacing level crossings with bridges on its England network.

Claire Perry

This is an operational matter for Network Rail who have a policy of actively pursuing closure of level crossings at every opportunity.

The company has already closed nearly 1,000 level crossings since 2009 but, since the circumstances at each level crossing are unique, there are no firm rules about closure. Risk assessments are instead undertaken at every site which informs the identification and implementation of further risk controls.

The United Kingdom already has the best level crossing safety record in Europe but we are supporting Network Rail through a ring-fenced fund to ensure that risks can be reduced even further.

01/01/2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Highways Agency on (a) improving arrangements to clear litter and flytipping on the M67 and M60 around the Denton Interchange and (b) repairing defective lighting columns along the M67 and M60 around the River Tame.

Andrew Jones

My Department will liaise with Highways England in relation to its arrangements for clearing litter and flytipped rubbish from the M60 and M67 Motorways in the vicinity of, and at, the intersection. The discussions will also include the condition of the lighting along the M67 and the M60 near the River Tame. I would expect that Highways England officials write to you directly to ensure that this matter can be dealt with as soon as possible.

01/01/2023

Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will discuss with the Highways Agency the time taken to (a) programme and (b) complete highway works on the M54 in Shropshire.

Andrew Jones

(a) With regard to current and future works on the M54 in Shropshire, there are currently no delays to the programme of works for the current financial year, 2015/16.

(b) For the forthcoming financial year, 2016/17, Highways England is in the process of finalising the programme of works. This will be completed by the middle of February. The proposed works are:

Scheme	Nature of work
M54 WB J3 Exit Slip Resurfacing	Pavement
M54 J7-6 Fence & Barrier	Fences and Barriers
M54 J2-M6 J10A WB	Pavement
M54 J10a-J1 Drainage	Drainage
M54-M6 J10a-J1 WB Drainage	Drainage
M54-M6 J10a-J1 EB Drainage	Drainage
M54 J4 Traffic Signals Refurbishment	Traffic Signals

There have recently been problems with the concrete carriageway on the eastbound side of the M54 between junctions 3 and 2. Highways England has carried out a significant number of temporary repairs and is likely to undertake some more substantial repairs by the end of April 2016, whilst we investigate a longer term solution.

01/01/2023

Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people of each gender work in his Department.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The table below provides headcount figures for permanent staff in the Department for Transport including its Executive Agencies at 31 December 2015:

DfT Organisation	Men	Women	Total
DfT Centre	1,248	774	2,022
DVLA	2,416	3,722	6,138
DVSA	3,172	1,300	4,472
MCA	681	347	1,028
VCA	112	43	155
TOTAL	7,629	6,186	13,815

Note that in 2009/10 58.7% of the total DfT staff were male compared to 55.2% as at 31 December 2015.

01/01/2023