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  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the effect of government policy on the renewables industry in Scotland.

    Anna Soubry

    I work closely with my Ministerial colleagues at the Department of Energy and Climate Change to support growth in the renewables industry right across the UK, including in Scotland. We are determined to achieve higher levels of UK content in our energy infrastructure. Scotland has benefitted from over £6 billion of investment into the Scottish renewable energy sector since 2010.

  • 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 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people took part in the Access to Work programme in each year from 2010 to 2013.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The number of people helped by Access to Work in each year from 2010 to 2013 is published in the Access to Work Official Statistics which can be found at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/access-to-work-statistics-on-recipients–2

    “

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the triple lock pension policy of the number of pensioners living in poverty in (a) Windsor, (b) the South East and (c) the UK.

    Justin Tomlinson

    While we can’t draw a direct link between the triple lock and pensioner poverty, pensioner poverty is at one of the lowest rates since records began. Pensioners are less likely to be in relative and absolute low income after housing costs than the population as a whole. The Government continues to support the poorest pensioners and from April 2016, Pension Credit will top up income to a guaranteed minimum level of £155.60 for a single person and £237.55 for couples.

    The Government wants all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement. We are committed to the triple lock, the guarantee that the basic State Pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, price increase or 2.5%. From April 2016, the basic State Pension will be over £1,100 a year higher than at the start of the last Parliament. This will benefit many of the 18,000 recipients of State Pension in Windsor, the 1.7 million recipients in the South East and the 13 million recipients in the UK.

  • Stephen Tim – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Tim – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Tim on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances the housing element of advance payments of universal credit can be paid directly to a landlord.

    Priti Patel

    Universal Credit is paid as a single monthly amount. The advance payment provision is for the total UC payment, not for any particular portion of it.

    A payment of Universal Credit in respect of housing costs can be paid directly to the landlord, or in certain circumstances, via an Alternative Payment Arrangement.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases have come before the Court of Appeal challenging the lawfulness of the under-occupancy penalty on the grounds of the effect of that policy on (a) victims of domestic violence and (b) seriously disabled children who need overnight care.

    Justin Tomlinson

    (a) One victim of domestic violence has challenged the removal of the spare room subsidy in the Court of Appeal.

    (b) One challenge in the Court of Appeal from a case with a disabled child who requires overnight care from a non-resident carer.

  • Stephen Tim – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Tim – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Tim on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2016 to Question 23063, on universal credit, when his Department plans to provide that notification to claimants.

    Priti Patel

    We will notify all claimants who we expect to be directly affected by the change to work allowances at the appropriate time. We will also offer tailored support depending on the claimants individual circumstances.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people the Work and Health Innovation Fund will assist; and whether that fund will include initiatives to help people with (a) rheumatoid arthritis and (b) other long-term conditions stay in work.

    Priti Patel

    This government committed in the Autumn Statement 2015 to spend ‘at least £40 million’ on the. Work and Health Innovation Fund. The fund will support a range of trials to generate evidence of ‘what works’ in supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to get into and stay in work.

    The type and size of trials are currently being developed.

    The government committed to publishing a work and health white paper this year, which will share the initial Work and Health Innovation Fund proposals.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been allocated to the Work and Health Innovation Fund; and what evaluation measures will be in place to monitor initiatives helping people with health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis stay in work.

    Priti Patel

    This government committed in the Autumn Statement 2015 to spend ‘at least £40 million’ on the. Work and Health Innovation Fund. The fund will support a range of trials to generate evidence of ‘what works’ in supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to get into and stay in work.

    The type and size of trials are currently being developed.

    The government committed to publishing a work and health white paper this year, which will share the initial Work and Health Innovation Fund proposals.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many meetings she has had with businesses since May 2015 on increasing the number of women on company boards; and who those meetings were with.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities and I have met with many business representatives since taking on our roles as Ministers for Women and Equalities. We have also met employers and business representatives as part of our plans to introduce gender pay gap reporting and always ensure that we use these opportunities to raise the issue of achieving a better gender balance on boards. This includes attending and speaking at conferences and events, including at the 30% Club and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents 190,000 businesses in the UK.

    Since May 2015, we have met numerous business leaders at conferences and events, including meetings with:

    • Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE

    • Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, CBE, CEO, Mitie Group PLC (in her capacity as Chair of the Women’s Business Council)

    • Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, CBE, CEO, Mitie Group PLC

    • Cilla Snowball, CBE, Group Chairman and Group CEO, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

    • Denis Woulfe, Partner, Deloitte LLP

    • Emer Timmons, President, BT Global Services UK

    • Fiona Dawson, Global President, Mars Food, Drinks, and Multisales, Mars Food

    • Sue Langley, OBE, Non-Executive Chairman, A J Gallagher UK, UK Asset Resolution Limited (Northern Rock Asset Management and Bradford & Bingley)

    • Sue O’Brien, OBE, Partner, Ridgeways Partners

    • Amanda Harrison, HR Director, Centrica PLC

    I also spoke at the launch of Lord Davies’s final report, which was attended by a large cross section of over 100 businesses.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the gender balance of public appointments to (a) executive non-departmental public bodies, (b) advisory non-departmental public bodies, (c) independent monitoring boards and (d) non-ministerial departments made since May 2015.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government is committed to increasing the diversity of public appointments and​ has an​ aspiration that 50% of new public appointees should be women. We are making good ​progress; the most recent figures published for 2014-2015 show 44% of new appointments were made to women and a higher proportion of all public appointments (new appointments and reappointments) were made to women last year than at any other point in the last decade. I will continue to urge more women to apply for these important posts.