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Tag: Chris Ruane

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what comparative assessment he has made of the rates of mental ill health caused by (a) working long hours and (b) being unemployed.

    Norman Lamb

    Numerous studies, including the Marmot Review into health inequalities in England (published in 2010) draw attention to the impacts of unemployment, and particularly long-term unemployment, on mental health.

    Research also demonstrates that work related stress and mental health problems often go together. Work related stress may trigger an existing mental health problem that the person may otherwise have successfully managed.

    However, common mental health problems and stress can exist independently. For example, people can have work related stress leading to physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, without experiencing anxiety and depression. They can also have anxiety and depression that is unrelated to stress.

    Gainful employment promotes mental well-being. Unfortunately, the workplace can also be the source of nonproductive stress leading to physical and mental health problems, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours and suicide.

    A number of studies demonstrate an association between the areas of England worst affected during the recent financial crisis and increased suicide rates. Between 2008 and 2010, there were approximately 800 more suicides among men and 155 more among women than would have been expected based on historical trends. This was supported by a recent review of the international impact of the global economic crisis. A rise in poor health status associated with the recession has also been found not only for the unemployed, but also among people who remain employed.

    People come into contact with the welfare system at a time when they may be vulnerable because of unemployment and its associated consequences. The Department for Work and Pensions provides guidance and training for staff to help them identify and support people who are vulnerable, including those who may be at risk of suicide or self-harm.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many of the six million people identified as missing on the electoral register by the Electoral Commission in 2011 have been registered to vote in each year since 2011.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that its last GB wide study into the completeness of electoral registers was completed in 2011. This type of research does not specifically identify unregistered individuals but provides an assessment of the overall accuracy and completeness of the registers. The Commission’s next study is being published in July and this will update the picture on levels of completeness in 2014.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-17.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 510W, on Electoral Register: young people, what steps his Department has taken to circulate the Rock Enrol! resources to (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the European Parliament, (c) members of the Scottish Parliament, members of the Legislative Assembly and Assembly members, (d) local councillors, (e) schools, colleges and universities and (f) local education authorities.

    Greg Clark

    The government has made available £4.2 million funding to all 363 local authorities (LAs) and valuation joint boards (VJBs) in Great Britain. The Government has written to Electoral Registration Officers and encouraged them to use this funding to support the delivery of Rock Enrol! in their area. Officials will continue to work closely with LA/VJBs in order to monitor and measure the outcomes.

    The Government is supportive of organisations that promote democratic engagement such as Bite the Ballot and welcomes lessons from their experiences.The Rock Enrol! learning resource is freely available on the gov.uk and Times Education Supplement websites amongst others. The Government is also working with a range of organisations, including the Association of Citizenship Teachers, to promote the use of Rock Enrol!

    For details of the Electoral Commission’s registration activities I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Hon. Member for South West Devon on 22 January 2014, Official Report, column 209W [183573].

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 638W, on the work capability assessment, if he will make it his policy to collect such information in future.

    Mike Penning

    To provide the requested information would incur disproportionate cost

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what percentage of those registered to vote by post did so in (a) police commissioner elections and (b) the local European elections in each electoral area; and what the percentage turnout was at polling stations in each election and in each area.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the turnout figures at the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were as follows:

    2012 Police and Crime Commissioner elections

    In-person turnout %

    Postal voter turnout %

    England and Wales

    9.2

    48.2

    Avon and Somerset

    13.8

    52.1

    Bedfordshire

    13.2

    52.3

    Cambridgeshire

    10.5

    49.7

    Cheshire

    8.4

    48.6

    Cleveland

    9.0

    48.9

    Cumbria

    10.1

    50.1

    Derbyshire

    8.2

    49.5

    Devon and Cornwall

    10.1

    43.8

    Dorset

    11.3

    53.5

    Durham

    6.7

    45.2

    Essex

    8.3

    48.3

    Gloucestershire

    11.4

    48.1

    Greater Manchester

    7.3

    44.5

    Hampshire

    9.5

    50.0

    Hertfordshire

    8.2

    48.9

    Humberside

    14.5

    60.0

    Kent

    10.5

    52.5

    Lancashire

    7.9

    49.7

    Leicestershire

    11.2

    52.0

    Lincolnshire

    10.6

    49.1

    Merseyside

    6.3

    48.5

    Norfolk

    9.5

    49.0

    North Yorkshire

    9.0

    46.3

    Northamptonshire

    12.9

    50.8

    Northumbria

    6.3

    44.1

    Nottinghamshire

    9.8

    53.2

    South Yorkshire

    6.1

    46.7

    Staffordshire

    6.9

    48.8

    Suffolk

    10.3

    50.4

    Surrey

    9.9

    48.9

    Sussex

    10.1

    49.6

    Thames Valley

    8.7

    45.4

    Warwickshire

    10.3

    54.1

    West Mercia

    8.4

    47.5

    West Midlands

    8.6

    47.4

    West Yorkshire

    7.3

    47.1

    Wiltshire

    10.3

    44.7

    Dyfed-Powys

    11.3

    46.4

    Gwent

    8.3

    44.2

    North Wales

    9.8

    47.2

    South Wales

    8.6

    44.7

    The turnout figures at the 2009 European Parliament elections were:

    2009 English European elections

    In-person turnout %

    Postal voter turnout %

    United Kingdom

    30.3

    64.4

    Great Britain

    29.9

    64.4

    England

    30.8

    64.7

    Northern Ireland

    42.6

    68.9

    Scotland

    24.4

    63.3

    Wales

    25.4

    61.7

    London

    30.0

    61.2

    South West

    34.8

    67.7

    South East

    33.5

    67.8

    Eastern

    34.0

    66.7

    West Midlands

    31.3

    66.1

    East Midlands

    32.8

    66.9

    Yorkshire & the Humber

    26.8

    63.4

    North East

    21.4

    59.4

    North West

    26.3

    63.0

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2012, Official Report, column 444W, on constituencies, what comparative assessment he has made of the accuracy of the (a) electoral register and (b) census.

    Greg Clark

    Using population figures derived from census data would not provide a better basis for a review of constituency boundaries than using the electoral register. The electoral register is updated annually, whereas the census takes place every ten years; in addition, census figures will include persons who are not eligible to register to vote, for example on grounds of citizenship or age.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Attorney General, what the Law Officers’ Departments’ policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.

    Mr Dominic Grieve

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the 26th March 2014 (Official Report, Col 300W).

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has invoked penalty clauses for unacceptable performance standards of (a) Capita or (b) other private sector companies administering personal independence payments.

    Mike Penning

    The Department has applied performance measures against both of the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Providers and has recovered Service Credits (Financial remedies) in accordance with their contracts.

    Specific application of service credits for Capita and Atos Healthcare is commercially sensitive information.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the savings to the public purse from the personal independence payment programme; and what assessment he has made of the long-term risks to that programme.

    Mike Penning

    The National Audit’s Office (NAO) report acknowledged that it is too early to make judgements about value for money.

    Both the NAO and Office for Budget Responsibility noted that the introduction of Personal Independence Payment is expected to deliver very significant savings for the taxpayer, estimated to be £3bn per year by 2018 as well as delivering fairer outcomes for disabled people.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the number of electoral registration officers who have not fulfilled their statutory responsibilities in each of the last 10 years.

    Greg Clark

    The Government has made no such estimate.

    Since 2008, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been subject to performance standards set and monitored by the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission publishes its annual reports on ERO performance on its website.