The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Burnett on 2015-12-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints have been raised, and disciplinary proceedings brought, in each of the last 10 years involving the interaction between men and women serving in the Royal Navy.
Earl Howe
This information is not held in the format requested.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend the deadline for submissions on his Department’s Consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payment.
Justin Tomlinson
The Department’s consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of PIP began on 10 December 2015 and is scheduled to run until 29 January 2015, a period of 7 weeks and one day.
The time period for the consultation was decided in line with the Government’s consultation principles guidance. This advises that consultations should typically run for between 2 and 12 weeks, but that “the timing and length of a consultation should be decided on a case-by-case basis”.
As we are consulting on the specific and discrete issue of how aids and appliances are accounted for when determining eligibility to the daily living component, we feel 6 weeks is an appropriate length. The last PIP consultation, on the Moving Around activity, also lasted for 6 weeks. As the consultation is running over the Christmas period this was extended by 8 days.
The Department therefore believes that the existing consultation deadline allows reasonable time in which to respond.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of personal independence payment recipients the sample of 105 cases represented in his Department’s Consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payment; what methodology his Department used in its review of those cases; and how that sample was selected.
Justin Tomlinson
As part of the consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of PIP, the Department reviewed a sample of 105 cases where claimants scored all, or the majority, of their points from aids and appliances. These were randomly selected.
PIP is designed to provide a contribution to the additional costs faced by those with a long-term impairment or health-condition. Yet in over 90% of the cases reviewed claimants were likely to have only low or minimal additional costs. This was based on the professional opinion of DWP doctors who looked at all the information held on departmental systems relating to each case.
The Department’s latest published statistics show that, as of October 2015, there were 611,121 PIP claimants. 105 cases would represent 0.02% of this figure. However, this includes claimants who receive the mobility component, which is not within scope of the consultation, as well as those who receive the daily living component, the majority of whom did not score all, or most, of their points from aids and appliances.
Given the strength of the pattern that emerged from the review of the 105 cases, we believe that the cases provide an important indication of how the assessment is working and that it was important to include these findings in the consultation document.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to allow people in receipt of the War Disablement Pension for mesothelioma to apply for the new compensation settlement award.
Justin Tomlinson
Specified payments are set out in the Mesothelioma Scheme Regulations and include payments under the Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disability and Death) Service Pensions Order 2006 and payments under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011. If a person is eligible for or in receipt of a war disablement pension under either of these Orders then they are not eligible for a payment under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS).
The Department does not intend to change the rules relating to specified payments in relation to DMPS.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to planned changes to the housing benefit cap announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what assessment he has made of the effect of that cap on (a) domestic violence refuges and (b) other supported accommodation.
Justin Tomlinson
The introduction of Local Housing Allowance limits to social sector tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit will only apply from April 2018 where new tenancies have been taken out or renewed after April 2016.
The Department is working on the exact policy design details for tenants in supported accommodation which includes domestic violence refuges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will exempt (a) domestic violence refuges and (b) other supported accommodation where higher rates of housing benefit are paid from planned changes to the housing benefit cap.
Justin Tomlinson
The introduction of Local Housing Allowance limits to social sector tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit will only apply from April 2018 where new tenancies have been taken out or renewed after April 2016.
The Department is working on the exact policy design details for tenants in supported accommodation which includes domestic violence refuges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis who were awarded the daily living component of personal independence payment scored all of their points due to aid and appliances.
Justin Tomlinson
For Multiple Sclerosis, the number of individuals awarded the Daily Living component of PIP who scored all of their points due to aids and appliances is 2,200.
This data relates to the period April 2013 to 30th September 2015, and includes Normal Rules awards only.
DWP are currently running a consultation to seek views on how support can best be provided to help meet the costs of disability which are faced by people who are currently awarded points due to aids and appliances. The department is keen to hear views from all interested parties, especially disabled people and disability organisations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of personal independence payment special rules claimants received disability living allowance from 1 April 2013 to 31 October 2015.
Justin Tomlinson
The number of Disability Living Allowance claimants who were reassessed for Personal Independence Payment under the special rules for people who are terminally ill between April 2013 and October 2015 are published and can be found at
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore is available here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what account is taken of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in assessing health conditions as part of work capability assessments.
Priti Patel
Entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is based not on what health conditions a claimant has, but on the functional impact of those conditions. During the Work Capability Assessment claimants are assessed against a number of descriptors covering physical, mental, cognitive and intellectual functions. The healthcare professional makes a recommendation on the individual’s functional capability to the DWP Decision Maker, who makes the decision on benefit entitlement by considering all available evidence, including the assessment report and any additional clinical information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if his Department will work with the Welsh Government to ensure that the views of people in England affected by Welsh rail franchises are considered during the next franchise sale process.
Alun Cairns
We have an agreement in principle with the Welsh Government that executive franchising functions will be transferred to Welsh Ministers to enable them to lead on the procurement, management and enforcement of the next Wales and Borders franchise. To ensure proper accountability for passengers in England, it is expected that services primarily serving English markets will be remapped into other Department for Transport franchises and we will consult on specific proposals in due course.
My officials, along with those from the Department for Transport, are working closely with the Welsh Government to reach final agreement on these matters to ensure that the interests of rail passengers on both sides of the border are fully protected.