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  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of young people participating in the Youth Contract have been offered permanent employment by their employer once they have completed their placement since the commencement of that programme.

    Esther McVey

    From April 2012 to November 2013 there have been 99,640 18-24 year olds who have started a work experience placement and 41,360 18-24 year olds who have started Sector based work academy pre-employment training. [Youth Contract official statistics: February 2014]

    Research found that 22% of WE participants who completed their placement were offered a job by placement organisers (from a base of 824 survey respondents who completed placement).

    42% of sbwa participants who had a placement and completed it were offered a job by their placement organiser (from a base of 126 who completed a placement).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284017/rr865-youth-contract-customer-experiences.pdf

    “

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people applied for the personal independence payment in (a) Edinburgh East constituency and (b) Scotland since June 2013; how many have been awarded the payment in each case; how many have requested that a refusal of the payment be reconsidered; how many have been awarded the payment following a request for reconsideration; how many have appealed against a refusal of the payment; and how many have been awarded the payment following an appeal.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Liverpool, West Derby and the hon Member for Airdrie and Shotts, official report, 5 March, column 850W.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many decision makers within the jobseeker’s allowance framework in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) North Lanarkshire and (d) Airdrie and Shotts constituency had a complaint issued against them in each of the last four years; and how many of those complaints led to disciplinary action.

    Mike Penning

    The information sought is contained in individual personnel records. DWP cannot provide this information as it could only be collated at a disproportionate cost to the department.

  • Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent and tackle women’s homelessness.

    Kris Hopkins

    This Government has invested £470 million to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness over the spending review period. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.

    The Government is committed to tackling and preventing all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping the Government. We have:

    • Invested nearly £2 million to stop unlawful practice of councils placing families in B&Bs for more than 6 weeks;

    • Supported the roll out of ‘No Second Night Out’ schemes across England, helping 67 per cent of rough sleepers off the streets after a single night;

    • Invested £42.5 million to improve rough sleeper hostels;

    • Made it easier for councils to help move homeless families out of temporary accommodation more quickly by using good-quality privately rented accommodation – backed up by a £1 billion investment to expand the rented sector; and

    • Supported Local authorities to deliver high quality housing solutions for vulnerable people through the Gold Standard scheme. Councils aiming for the Standard are supported by £1.7 million worth of training and other support.

    The dynamics of domestic abuse mean that accommodation can play an important role in the resolution of interpersonal abuse and conflict. This is why local authorities provide a range of support for victims of domestic abuse. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but Sanctuary Schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others, while some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.

    This Department also funds UKRefugesOnline a UK wide database of domestic violence services which supports the national 24 hour free phone domestic violence helpline. It enables those working with victims of domestic violence to identify appropriate services and potential refuge vacancies around the country so that victims can get the help they need as quickly as possible.

  • Gerry Sutcliffe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gerry Sutcliffe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerry Sutcliffe on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of potential loss of trade to independent high street opticians following the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s decision to award its vision testing contract to Specsavers.

    Stephen Hammond

    In the past, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) dealt with many individual opticians on an ad-hoc basis. Although the individual cost per optician was relatively low, the aggregated spend on the service meant that the contract had to be tendered via the Official Journal of the European Union process. This is in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2006.

    As part of the procurement process, the DVLA identified that 2,009 optical practices carried out vision testing services. The new contract means that independent practices are no longer required to carry out on average 20 assessments per year. This equates to around 10 hours of work.

  • Karl McCartney – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to streamline provisional licences for the drivers of heavy goods vehicles.

    Stephen Hammond

    There are no plans to change the current process for the issue of provisional driving licences to drive Heavy Goods Vehicles.

  • Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Pamela Nash – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in his Department have been employed on zero-hour contracts in each of the last two years up to the most recent period for which records are available.

    Stephen Hammond

    The number of direct employees of the Department and its 6 Executive agencies who are on zero hours contracts is 9. All are qualified engineers.

    There are no direct employees on zero-hour contracts in the Department’s arms length bodies.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 817W, on railways: sanitation, if he will commission an investigation into sanitation of train toilets; and if he will include in that investigation a review of the adequacy of the accountability of train companies for sanitation of trains.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department has no plans to commission such an investigation. Ensuring that appropriate standards of cleanliness are met is a matter for train operators.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rosie Cooper – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to undertake a review of (a) the methods of any car park management company responsible for hospital car parks where there has been an significant increase in the number of car parking charge notices issued and the number of appeals since that company was awarded the contract and (b) in each such case, the reasons for those increases.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Parking in hospital car parks is the overall responsibility of the relevant National Health Service (NHS) Trust or landowner as is the case for all other private car parks. As such it is entirely a matter for the Trust or landowner to determine the levels of any parking charges. I have no plans to review or intervene in this matter as the Government promotes a system of industry self-regulation in the private parking sector.

  • Lindsay Roy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Lindsay Roy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lindsay Roy on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many women in Scotland were self-employed in the most recent period for which information is available.

    David Mundell

    In the latest Annual Population Survey, accessed by NOMIS on 29 April 2014, the figures for the period January 2013 to December 2013 show the number of women (aged 16 +) who were self-employed in Scotland was 94,000.