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  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are currently auto-enrolled in the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST); and what the mean monthly contribution paid in by members of NEST is.

    Steve Webb

    The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) announced on 1 April 2014 that they have over a million members.

    The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information about the level or amount of member contributions to NEST.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 724W, on housing benefit: social rented housing, if he will make an interim assessment of the effects of the under-occupancy penalty on rent arrears in the social rented sector in the first year of its introduction.

    Esther McVey

    We have already commissioned a two year evaluation of the effects of the removal of the spare room subsidy across Great Britain. The evaluation commenced in April 2013 and is being led by Ipsos-MORI and includes the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research. The final report will be published in late 2015.

    Rent arrears can have multiple causes and levels tend to fluctuate over time. A longer time frame than one year is required in order to factor out short-term fluctuations and to see whether and to what extent the removal of the spare room subsidy has impacted on rent arrears levels.

    There is some evidence that rent arrears levels are falling, as the Homes and Communities Agency reported in February 2014 that the median level of arrears among larger housing associations had fallen from 4.1% in the second quarter of 2013-14 to 3.9% in the third quarter of 2013-14.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 724W, on housing benefit: social rented housing, for what reasons his Department has determined that a longer timeframe than one year is required to assess the effects of the under-occupancy penalty on rent arrears in the social rented sector.

    Esther McVey

    Rent arrears can have multiple causes and levels tend to fluctuate over time. Analysis of monthly, quarterly or even a single year of arrears is insufficient to reliably remove these normal fluctuations, driven by both seasonal and general economic trends, and to determine whether and to what extent the removal of the spare room subsidy has impacted on rent arrears levels

  • Henry Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Henry Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will establish an Aircraft Noise Ombudsman; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the recommendations made by the Airports Commission, including the recommendation to create an independent noise authority. The Government will respond to the Interim Report as soon as possible.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has given to motorway police on advising (a) vehicles without all-round screen vision and (b) public service vehicles carrying passengers of (i) up to 3.5, (ii) between 3.5 and 7.5 and (iii) over 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight against entering or travelling in, or preventing such vehicles entering or travelling in, the right-hand overtaking lane of a three or more lane motorway; and which last edition of the Highway Code included advice on these matters.

    Damian Green

    The Home Office has not issued any guidance and does not hold any information on the enforcement of lane discipline. Enforcement of the law is an operational matter for the police.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the 2013 edition of the Highway Code, paragraph 264, what guidance her Department has given to motorway police on enforcement of the requirement that drivers overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles should return to the left-hand lane as soon as they are safely past; what the maximum penalty is for a driver not complying with that requirement; and on how many occasions in the last 24 months (a) warnings have been given to such drivers, (b) enforcement procedures have been instigated against such drivers and (c) such drivers have been prosecuted for related road traffic offences.

    Damian Green

    The Home Office has not issued any guidance and does not hold any information on the enforcement of lane discipline. Enforcement of the law is an operational matter for the police.

  • Jim Dowd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Jim Dowd – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dowd on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list the fiduciary duties applying to Ministers.

    Mr David Cameron

    The Ministerial Code sets out the duties and responsibilities of Ministers.

  • Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to carry out a review on its policy on fees in the employment tribunal system.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Lord Chancellor is committed to reviewing the impact of the introduction of fees in the employment tribunals system. The Ministry of Justice is currently finalising arrangements for the timing and scope of this review, to enable the impacts to be properly assessed, and we will be making an announcement in due course.

  • Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Buckland on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to provide for first party and third party personal injury insurance fraud to be treated the same way by the courts.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Government is committed to reducing the number of fraudulent personal injury claims. To this end, we are considering what specific reforms might be appropriate.

    As announced last year, we are working with stakeholders in the industry to tighten the medical evidence process so that only evidence from accredited experts can be considered, and the costs for those reports can be fixed. This will mean people can no longer profit from exaggerated or fraudulent compensation claims but victims with genuine cases can still get the help they deserve. We are introducing these reforms later in the year. We are also working to secure better data on motor accident cases, including the number of fraudulent cases.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration reconsideration cases have been outsourced to Capita Business Services; what payment Capita Business Services receives to process these cases; which country these cases are processed in; and what targets she has set Capita Business Services for that work.

    James Brokenshire

    Capita has been contracted to deliver contact management and casework services
    for the Home Office. The initial target is for 50,000 casework outcomes to be
    delivered, which includes responding to requests for reconsideration.

    Disclosure of payment information would result in commercially sensitive
    information being placed in the public domain and could jeopardise the
    effective use of public money by undermining further contractual negotiations.

    Capita process all of work under this contract in the United Kingdom.

    Capita are currently delivering a phased mobilisation of casework services in a
    model office environment, to build up capacity and refine processes. The
    contract requires Capita to deliver the first 50,000 casework outcomes within
    nine months of completing model office and moving into full delivery under the
    contract.