The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential of extended peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to effect change in Israel’s control of East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley.
Baroness Warsi
The Government fully supports the peace talks which we hope will lead to a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect the property rights and security of Palestinians if peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are extended.
Baroness Warsi
I refer the noble Baroness, Lady Tonge to the answer I gave her on 21 November 2013 (Official Report, column WA233).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning Palestinian deaths since the beginning of the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Baroness Warsi
We have made frequent representations to the Israeli authorities about Israel Defence Forces’ use of live fire and appropriate force in both Gaza and the West Bank. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised this issue with the Israeli Defence Force on 11 March.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the perpetration of forced marriage becoming a criminal offence later in 2014, they have any plans to increase funding to United Kingdom charities helping victims of forced marriage and honour-based abuse.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The Home Office and Ministry of Justice have collectively ring-fenced nearly £40 million of stable funding up to 2015 for specialist local support services and national help lines to tackle violence against women.
The Forced Marriage Unit has also allocated £150,000 to the domestic programme fund, which supports local forced marriage-related projects in the UK.
We keep funding for the provision of national services under review. Decisions on how best to fund local services for victims of forced marriage are a local matter and it is the responsibility of the Local Authorities to identify any gaps in service provision and put in place appropriate solutions to address this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2014-04-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the number of job vacancies in the United Kingdom; and, of that figure, how many are (1) full-time, (2) part-time, and (3) zero-hours contracts, temporary or self-employed vacancies.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why Remploy Employment Services is now called Remploy; and whether his Department will continue to fund employment services provided by Remploy.
Esther McVey
Remploy has formally always existed as a single company, Remploy Ltd. Remploy Ltd managed the operation of its business through two different arms: Remploy Enterprise Businesses, the factories, and Remploy Employment Services. Following the completion of Remploy’s commercial process to exit its factory businesses it has decided that there is no longer a need to differentiate between the businesses, and it is now using Remploy only, as previously.
The Department agrees Remploy funding and performance targets, including Work Choice job outcome targets, on an annual basis. Remploy’s performance targets for 2013-14 were published on 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 60WS, by written ministerial statement confirming publication of Remploy annual report and accounts 2013. Remploy performance targets and funding for 2014-15 will be published alongside the 2014 accounts later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people classed as homeless will be defined as vulnerable under the proposed mechanism within universal credit to pay housing benefit directly to landlords.
Steve Webb
We do not want to automatically label any claimant as financially incapable. Alternative payment arrangements (including payments to landlords) are assessed on their individual merits. The nature of the accommodation status of a claimant is one of a number of factors to be considered when assessing the necessity for an alternative payment arrangement, and this is set out in the operating guidance we published in February last year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment vacancies were advertised in Jobcentre Plus offices in (i) Rossendale and (ii) Darwen in the latest period for which figures are available.
Esther McVey
We do not advertise in jobcentres, all vacancies are now advertised on Universal Jobmatch System, which was introduced in November 2012. The system does not provide data at jobcentre level, as all vacancies notified to the system are available to all users.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of paying a second attachment fee for each person who is transferred from Newcastle College to new providers of the Work Programme.
Esther McVey
The information is not available as it is too early in the procurement process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to provide families with financial assistance in caring for a child; and if he will make a statement.
Mike Penning
The Department provides families with financial assistance in caring for a child through Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and the disability and carer premiums in the income-related benefits.