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  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the correlation between the reduction in the rate of unemployment in the West Midlands between 2010 and 2016 and any trend in the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts in that region.

    Priti Patel

    Figures published by ONS show that rising employment in the West Midlands since 2010 – reflected in falling unemployment – has been dominated by more people in full-time and permanent jobs.

    Information on trends in zero-hours contracts over this period is not available on a consistent basis. This reflects the view of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that responses to questions about zero-hours contracts in the Labour Force Survey are likely to have been affected by greater awareness of the term itself.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to support unemployed young people under 25 whose income will be affected by the planned changes to universal credit from April 2017.

    Priti Patel

    Universal Credit gives greater incentives for people to move into, and then progress in work. Within legacy benefits single young people under 25 without children are not generally eligible for in-work support from Working Tax Credit and can face a severe withdrawal of benefits when they go into work. The introduction of Universal Credit represents a marked improvement in support.

    Furthermore, DWP is introducing a new Youth Obligation from April 2017 which will ensure that young people aged 18–21 who are claiming Universal Credit, are given the support, skills and experience they need to move into work, to sustain work and to fulfil their potential.

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many telephone calls his Department received to its benefit helplines from people in Inverclyde in 2015.

    Priti Patel

    DWP operates a national network of contact centres which allows calls from anywhere in the country to be routed to the next available agent, regardless of their location. This virtual national telephony network means that it is impossible to provide a definitive answer regarding the volume of calls received from any particular geographical area.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment his Department carried out on the changes proposed in the Consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payment, Cm 9171, published in December 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    DWP has conducted a consultation to seek views on how support can best be provided to help meet the costs of disability faced by people who are currently awarded points due to aids and appliances. The department has received responses from a range of interested parties, including disabled people and disability organisations. The consultation has now closed and the department is considering these responses.

    No decision has yet been made as to whether any change should be made to the current system and the department does not have any preference between the five options presented in the consultation. We also invited additional suggestions for change.

    If the department decides that change is required, a full equality analysis will be conducted and considered prior to a final decision being made, in line with the Department’s obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nusrat Ghani – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23955, how much of those revenues were directed to his Department as fines for poor performance.

    Claire Perry

    None of the revenues relate to fines for poor performance paid to the Department as no fines were levied.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the extent of the practice of nationality-based pay discrimination against non-EEA seafarers employed on (a) UK and (b) non-UK registered vessels working from UK ports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The department is currently seeking evidence on possible cases of discrimination, including on pay discrimination, through the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 which is due to complete in autumn 2016.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s annual seafarer statistics include forecasts of future numbers of UK seafarers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The invitation to tender for the Seafarer Projections Review was sent out by the Crown Commercial Service on Tuesday 19 January 2016 and the closing date for bids is Tuesday 1 March 2016. Part of the ITT specified that the research should include a model and projections for seafarers over the next decade. We will draw upon this research when developing our own projections. Subject to the tender process, it is our intention to publish this work when it is complete.

    In Seafarer Statistics 2015, published on 27 January 2016, it was mentioned that in 2016, the department will be undertaking a user engagement exercise to find out more about how the Seafarer Statistics are used and to collate views on the methodology. The aim of this will be to identify any opportunity for methodological improvements and ensure that the statistics continue to be fit for purpose. The inclusion of projections within this annual publication will be considered as part of this review.

    I refer the honourable Member to my response to the Hon Member for Easington (Graeme Morris) on 27 January 2016 http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=23191; and to my answers to the Hon Member 24914 https://wqa.parliament.uk/Questions/Details/31981 and 24917 https://wqa.parliament.uk/Questions/Details/31978.

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  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Scottish Government on the results of that government’s lowering of drink-drive limits; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    I am intending to discuss with the Scottish Minister about the experience of the lower limit in Scotland and about the timescales to get access to robust evidence of the road safety impact. It is important to base our decisions on evidence and the Scottish experience will be crucial to that before we consider any possible changes to the limits in England and Wales. This Government’s current position however remains to focus resources on enforcing against the most serious offenders.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has requested the British Transport Police to set out options for a reduction in the British Transport Police budget.

    Claire Perry

    I refer the Hon. Member to my previous answer of 11 January 2016 http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=20671.

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  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18454, what progress his Department is making on updating the Accessibility Action Plan; and when he plans to publish it.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport is preparing a revised Accessibility Action Plan (AAP) at the moment in discussion with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. We plan for the AAP to be ready for wider consultation in the summer and that it will likely be published by the end of the year.