The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many social housing tenants with spare bedrooms have had their housing benefit reduced due to the removal of the under-occupancy penalty in each of the last three years.
Justin Tomlinson
The information is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has issued written guidance to providers of the work capability assessment informing them not to direct customers to appeal decisions on their entitlements in any circumstances.
Justin Tomlinson
Information on appeals rights are made available to claimants on the relevant benefit helpline and online on Gov,UK where they can also begin their online application. Claimants are also made aware of their appeal rights when they receive their initial decision notice, which explains there is right of appeal after an application for Mandatory Reconsideration, and again when they receive the decision notice sent in response to their application for Mandatory Reconsideration. An online and postal option is provided to make their appeal.
The guidance issued to the provider by the Department is clear in that the provider should not advise the claimant on any issue relating to their benefit entitlement including the right or appropriateness of an appeal. If the claimant were to bring this up, the advice is for the provider to signpost them to the Department.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will visit the West Cumberland Hospital (a) before the start of the formal consultation stage of the Success Regime and (b) during the formal consultation stage of that regime.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Department continues to champion the Success Regime and I look forward to visiting West Cumberland Hospital. My private office is in touch with North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust to make arrangements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many motability vehicles were held by people in (a) Wrexham, (b) Wales and (c) the UK in receipt of the enhanced mobility component of personal independence payments in each of the last six months for which records are available.
Justin Tomlinson
The Department does not hold this information. Motability is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme. Whilst the Department meets regularly with Motability to discuss scheme performance, questions relating to the details of the scheme’s operation should be directed to Motability itself.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many publicly-funded jobs related directly to the Northern Powerhouse are located in (a) Cumbria, (b) Northern England, (c) London and (d) other parts of England.
Greg Hands
The Northern Powerhouse is the government’s plan to boost the economy across the North of England. This will help businesses grow and increase private sector job creation. Unlike previous failed attempts to improve the economic performance of the North, it is not about just creating publicly-funded jobs.
There is already evidence that the Northern Powerhouse is working: according to the latest data, private sector employment outside of London and the South East increased by 1.5m between Q3 2010 and Q3 2015, and in the North alone there are almost 412,000 more people in work than in April 2010. Over the last year the number of people in employment in the North has grown faster than in the South. Employment in Cumbria has also grown by 6,700 (3%) since 2010 and 10,900 (4.7%) over the last year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-03-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the application for a Lancashire combined authority; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Marcus Jones
The Department has to date not received any applications for a Lancashire Combined Authority. To make such an application an area must, in accordance with the provisoins of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 1999, as amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, undertake a gvoernance review for the area and also publish a scheme setting out propsals for a Combined Authority. They must also undertake a public consultation on these proposals and provide a summary of these proposals to the Secretary of State.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people were employed in his Department’s Cardiff office in each year since 2010.
Joseph Johnson
The number of people employed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills HQ in its Cardiff office in each year since 2010 is shown in the table below.
|
Year |
Headcount |
|
2010 |
2 |
|
2011 |
5.5 |
|
2012 |
9 |
|
2013 |
33.2 |
|
2014 |
47.1 |
|
2015 |
41.3 |
|
2016 |
48.9 |
The headcount, which is shown in full time equivalent, is as at 31 March in each year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage small businesses to apply for government contracts.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stroud on 27 April UIN: 904721.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the Government’s housing policy on the ability of smaller housing applications in rural villages to succeed.
Brandon Lewis
We believe that meeting the housing needs of rural communities is vitally important.
The National Planning Policy Framework rightly asks local planning authorities to identify and plan to meet the needs of their communities. It is for local planning authorities, in consultation with local people, to use their evidence base to ensure they plan to meet their housing need, shaping where development should and shouldn’t go, through an up to date Local Plan. Over 85,000 affordable homes have been provided in rural local authorities in England between April 2010 and March 2015.
Budget 2016 announced a £60 million fund to help bring forward community-led housing developments in rural and coastal communities. This fund will target those areas which are particularly affected by the impact of second homes. We will be announcing further details on how the fund will be allocated shortly.
The Homes and Communities Agency and my officials meet regularly with those working to deliver homes in rural communities to discuss the provision of affordable rural housing.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings her officials have had with non-governmental organisations which receive funding from her Department since she took up office.
Rory Stewart
As a matter of course, DFID officials meet regularly in the UK and overseas with a wide range of non-governmental organisations who receive funding from DFID.