Tag: Andrew Stephenson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have signed up to the Class 3A Voluntary National Insurance Contribution Scheme in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Pendle constituency.

Justin Tomlinson

We do not hold application data for the State Pension top up (Class 3A) at a regional or constituency level. To obtain this would incur a disproportionate cost. Across the UK we have received 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A) in the scheme’s first 3 weeks.

Up to c. 12m individuals are eligible for the scheme depending upon personal circumstances. In the first 3 weeks of operation there were 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-01-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the sale of illegally-produced alcohol in shops.

Damian Hinds

The Government is committed to tackling alcohol fraud. Alcohol producers have to be licensed or gain approval by HMRC to operate. Illegal production is off-record and often involves the counterfeiting of established alcohol brands; chiefly spirits.

Detections of illegally produced alcohol in shops are low. However, because of the potentially serious health consequences of consumption, vigilance by enforcement agencies and the public is crucial.

HMRC responds robustly to all discoveries of illegal production of alcohol and works collaboratively with other enforcement agencies such as Local Authority Trading Standards and the Police, to tackle the sale of counterfeit alcohol. As well as exchanging intelligence, HMRC and Trading Standards Officers take part in joint exercises targeting retailers in specific regions to detect illegal products. Agencies working together can bring a broader range of sanctions and penalties against those who chose to flout the laws.

Sales of alcohol that are suspected to be illegally produced, counterfeit or untaxed can be reported to HMRC by using hotline number 0800 595 000, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contribution his Department has made to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief’s report on Bangladesh which will be published in March 2016.

Mr Hugo Swire

Officials from the British High Commission in Dhaka discussed the preliminary findings of Heiner Bielefeldt, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief with him during his visit to Bangladesh in September 2015. We look forward to the release of his report at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016 and will encourage the Government of Bangladesh to consider all its recommendations carefully.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people found a lost pension scheme through the Pension Tracing Service in each of the last five years.

Justin Tomlinson

The Pension Tracing Service (PTS) located the following number of schemes:

2011/12 Successful Traces 69,143

2012/13 Successful Traces 93,975

2013/14 Successful Traces 125,502

2014/15 Successful Traces 107,834

2015/16 Successful Traces 133,702

These numbers represent the number of schemes PTS located for customers but PTS have no way of knowing how many customers went on to find a lost pension.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mental health support systems are in place in schools to tackle eating disorders and anorexia.

Edward Timpson

Education professionals have a vital role to play in raising concerns about eating disorders and anorexia, and other mental health issues, as well as providing support when such issues have been identified.

Schools should consider how to provide appropriate support to their pupils and they are able to decide on the most appropriate way to do this, based on their individual circumstances. One of the best ways is as part of a ‘whole-school’ approach and we have taken a range of actions to support them to do this, including being informed about eating disorders and anorexia.

We have funded guidance and age-appropriate lesson plans on teaching mental health in PSHE – which covers teaching about eating disorders and anorexia. Training for teachers on eating disorders and anorexia is available through MindEd, a free online portal which has been developed to enable all adults working with children and young people learn more about specific mental health problems and how to support them. We have also revised and updated our blueprint for effective school-based counselling.

However teachers are not mental health specialists, and can need specialist help to support pupils with eating disorders and anorexia. We have contributed to a £3m joint pilot between schools and specialist mental health services, to help schools draw on specialist support for their pupils, where needed.

To improve the specialist support available, the Government made available £150m in April 2015 for 5 years to enable specific improvements in the support available to young people with eating disorders. In 2016 -17, £30m of this funding has been allocated by NHS England to Clinical Commissioning Groups to improve community based eating disorder services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of provision of play opportunities for children with disabilities and complex needs.

Edward Timpson

Play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is recognised in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework[1], which states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.”

Early Years educators and Early Years teachers are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. It is for individual schools and settings to provide opportunities for play for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs.

We welcome the report published by Sense and their continuing efforts to support deafblind children and young people.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework–2

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the establishment of the HMS Juffair naval base on the UK’s ability to react to humanitarian crises in the Gulf.

Penny Mordaunt

The improvement to the Support Facility at Mina Salman Port in Bahrain will provide a permanent expansion of the Ministry of Defence’s presence in the Gulf. The enhanced facilities will provide better support for ships on operations including supporting humanitarian crises.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

Mr Hugo Swire

We closely follow the human rights situation in Bangladesh. We welcome the Government of Bangladesh’s stated commitment to protecting human rights but where credible allegations of abuses are made, we are consistent in raising them with the Government. In particular we condemn all forms of violence and excessive use of force, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and attacks against secularists and religious minorities. We make clear our opposition to the death penalty. We are also clear that a vibrant civil society and a media that is free to discuss and debate freely are fundamental to building democracy and should be protected and preserved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been collected by other EU countries on behalf of the Government through the Mutual Assistance Recovery Directive in each year since that Directive came into effect.

Mr David Gauke

This information is not published by the UK Government or by the EU Commission.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of how long it takes British citizens to find work after returning from a long period living overseas.

Damian Hinds

No such assessment has been made by DWP.