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  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to monitor the application of the easement of conditionality rules under the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Homeless Claimants) Amendment Regulations 2014 since those Regulations were brought into force.

    Priti Patel

    It is the responsibility of Jobcentre Plus managers to monitor the appropriate application of easements to Jobseeker’s Allowance conditionality. In doing so, they use an assurance framework to assess the quality of work coach interviews and Claimant Commitments to make sure they appropriately reflect individual circumstances.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will automatically exempt people (a) who are homeless, (b) with mental ill health and (c) in other at-risk groups from benefit sanctions.

    Priti Patel

    The sanctions process encourages benefit claimants to do everything they can to find work. Evidence shows that they have a positive impact on behaviour – over 70% JSA & over 60% ESA claimants say that sanctions make it more likely they will follow the rules.

    Jobseekers are only asked to meet reasonable requirements, taking into account their circumstances and capability, including mental health conditions, disability housing status and caring responsibilities. These requirements are clearly explained and agreed by jobseekers with their Work Coach and set out in their Claimant Commitment.

    As we already have a number of flexibilities in place, we will not be automatically exempting people who are homeless, who have mental health issues, or other vulnerable groups from benefit sanctions.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of disabled people in work in (a) Dorset and (b) the South West.

    Justin Tomlinson

    In the last two years, the number of disabled people in work has increased by 339,000. But we recognise that the gap between the employment rates of disabled people and non disabled people remains too large. That is why we are committed to halving it.

    The Spending Review announced a real terms funding increase to help people with health conditions and disabilities return to, and remain in, work.

    In the South West, disabled people who want to work can get support from Jobcentre Plus and a range of employment programmes such as Work Programme, Work Choice and Specialist Employment Support. Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job.

    To support and increase the number of disabled people into employment we are offering a more tailored personalised package of employment support in Greater Wessex which includes Dorset. The Personalisation Pathfinder provides disabled people in Greater Wessex with a more personalised and flexible employment support package that puts the individual at the heart of the employment offer.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that conditionality requirements for jobseekers in receipt of universal credit are eased during periods when an individual claimant is homeless.

    Priti Patel

    Work Coaches regularly discuss a range of issues and circumstances with claimants. Where homelessness is raised, and is a barrier to employment, work coaches can temporarily lift or vary work search and availability requirements to help support in finding accommodation. Conditionality requirements reflect reasonable expectations given the claimants circumstance. These are recorded in the Claimant Commitment and regularly reviewed.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will expand the Targeted Affordability Fund to assist with changes to housing benefit in the social sector announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Targeted Affordability Funding will be based on recycling around 30 per cent of the savings from the measure to freeze LHA rates, which was announced in the Summer Budget. The funding will be available from 2017/18 onwards and will be used to support areas where higher rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation. The amounts of funding which will be available each year and the plans for how we will distribute it, will be announced in due course.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Oral Contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions of 7 December 2015, Official Report, column 693, (a) which food banks he visited and (b) on which dates those visits took place in the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department does not hold the information requested. Ministers have conducted visits to food banks in various capacities, including in their roles as Members of Parliament.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to publish a health impact assessment on proposals for new airport runways of (a) the health effects of noise and (b) other health effects before the construction of those runways is started.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.

  • Alex Chalk – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Alex Chalk – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department plans to spend per person on cycling in England outside London for each year until 2020-21.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has agreed a four-year revenue and five-year capital settlement for local transport spend, which includes cycling and walking investment. The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, to be published in summer 2016, will explain the Government’s investment strategy for cycling and walking.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has invested in cycling in each of the last three years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In the last three years, the Department for Transport (DfT)’s budgets for cycling programmes were:

    DfT budgets: (million)

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    Cycle-Rail

    £7.0

    £7.5

    Bikeability

    £11.7

    £11.7

    £11.7

    Junction safety

    £30.0

    £5.0

    Linking Communities

    £8.0

    £7.5

    Cycling Ambition – Cities/National Parks

    £46.6

    £46.6

    Highways Agency

    £4.8

    LSTF- Cycling

    £37.8

    £37.8

    £37.8

    Total DfT

    £94.5

    £120.9

    £96.1

    In 2014-15, the Department’s dedicated cycling programmes were Bikeability, Cycle Ambition Cities, Cycling in National Parks and the Highways Agency’s cycling programme. The Department funds cycling programmes through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, with around 28% of the LSTF being spent on cycling. The Department secures a range of match funding contributions from local authorities for these programmes: the LSTF secured 99% match funding.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the procurement of bi-modal trains so that more trains can run on the West Coast Main Line and then travel on to parts of the network that are not electrified.

    Claire Perry

    It is for the operator to assess the merits of using such rolling stock. We believe that they are best placed to procure the rolling stock that they require to deliver the necessary levels of service and capacity. Bi-modes clearly provide one option for new rolling stock as can be seen by the current procurement of the Class Hitachi AT-300s by Great Western Railway.

    “