The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2014, Official Report, column 785W, on conditions of employment, what estimate he has made of the number of indirect employees of his Department who are on zero-hour contracts.
Stephen Hammond
My Department employs no individuals via contingent labour contracts on a zero hour basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) North Lanarkshire and (d) Airdrie and Shotts constituency applied to the jobseeker’s allowance hardship regime and were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
Esther McVey
This data is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Campbell on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in Northumberland received prison sentences for harassment or stalking in the last two years.
Jeremy Wright
A comprehensive framework of civil remedies and criminal offences is available to deal with stalking and harassment. This framework was strengthened by this Government by amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 made by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, which introduced new stalking offences. These offences are designed to address specific stalking behaviour as opposed to harassment more generally. The new offence under section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 covers a course of conduct which causes serious alarm or distress which has a substantial adverse effect on the day-to-day activities of the victim. This recognises the overall emotional and psychological harm that stalking may cause to victims, even where there is no explicit fear of violence. The maximum penalty for the section 2A offence is six months’ imprisonment and for the section 4A offence the maximum penalty is five years’ imprisonment.
The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants sentenced for criminal offences by Police Force Area in England and Wales. The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody for offences related to harassment and stalking (relating solely to racially or religiously aggravated stalking with or without fear of violence under Section 32 (1) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998) in the Northumbria Police Force Area from 2008 to 2012 can be viewed in the table. The Northumbria Police Force Area covers Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Sunderland and Northumberland.It has not been possible to separately identify those offenders in the county of Northumberland.
There were new triable-either-way offences for stalking introduced by Sections 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, as inserted by Section 111 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, which commenced on 25th November 2012. Between this point and the end of December 2012, there were no defendants proceeded against in England and Wales under this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people on (a) employment and support allowance and (b) jobseeker’s allowance have moved from the Work Programme to Work Choice since June 2011.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people on Work Choice are in receipt of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance.
Esther McVey
The requested information is already published and can be found within table 5 on page 16 of the latest publication at the link below:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average period is between a sanction referral being made by a Work Programme provider and a sanction being applied to the jobseeker.
Esther McVey
The time taken for a sanction decision to be made following receipt from a work programme provider can vary depending upon the type of referral and the need to obtain further information from the claimant. We do not measure the time taken to clear these referrals therefore the information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of sanction referrals made by Work Programme providers to a decision maker in his Department have led to (a) a sanction being applied and (b) no sanction being applied.
Esther McVey
Information on the outcomes of decisions resulting from referrals for a sanction for failure to participate in the Work Programme is published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance for users is available at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
Note that the published data is based on decisions and therefore does not show referrals where no decision has been made.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities, what recent progress he has made on the appointment of a business champion for older workers.
Jenny Willott
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2014 Official Report, col 651W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Highways Agency will be able to recover VAT in the same way as it can as an executive agency of his Department when it is transformed into a government-owned company.
Mr David Gauke
Special provisions apply to Government Departments and health authorities that enable them to recover VAT incurred on certain of their non-business activities. These are set out in section 41(3) of the VAT Act 1994.
New bodies are not automatically covered by the above provisions, but the Treasury keeps all taxes under review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-05-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Highways Agency will be subject to the Government’s public sector pay policy when it is transformed into a government-owned company.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government intends to transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, as confirmed in the response to consultation published on 30th April. In accordance with TUPE principles, we expect the pay and terms of employment of all staff to remain unchanged once transferred except for the necessary technical amendments to reflect the change to company status.
Staff management arrangements for the company following transition, including pay and reward, are still being worked through within government. We aim to establish appropriate conditions to allow the company to fulfil its functions efficiently and effectively, whilst keeping costs down for the taxpayer. This will reflect the Government’s pay policy, as well as support the delivery of a substantially increased investment programme.
There is no intention to encourage or create opportunities for legal tax reduction schemes as part of Highways Agency transformation.