Tag: Dawn Butler

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2015-10-27.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the average annual amount by which working families affected by changes to tax credits will be compensated by the increase in the level of the minimum wage.

Damian Hinds

This Government is committed to moving from a high welfare, high tax, low wage economy to a lower welfare, lower tax, higher wage society. As the Chancellor made clear on [Monday / 26 October], the Government will set out at Autumn Statement how we plan to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits, saving the money we need to save to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

The Summer Budget offered a new deal for working people. A new National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and above, initially set at £7.20 per hour from April 2016, will directly benefit 2.7 million low wage workers, and up to 6 million could see a pay rise as a result of a ripple effect up the earnings distribution. The new National Living Wage will boost pay for those currently earning the National Minimum Wage by £4,800 a year by 2020 when the National Living Wage is expected to rise to over £9 per hour.

To help working families keep more of what they earn, the personal allowance will increase to £11,000 in 2016-17 and £11,200 in 2017-18. The government has committed to increase the personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020 which will mean that a typical basic rate taxpayer will see their income tax cut by £1,205 a year compared to 2010.

The government set out its assessment of the impacts of the Summer Budget policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2015 to Question 14463, what the timetable for the equality impact assessment referred to will be.

Ben Gummer

The Government and NHS Employers have made clear that an Equality Impact Assessment will be published alongside the new national contract, 90% of which was agreed with the British Medical Association in talks up to 10 February 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the Shortage Occupation List to ensure that the £35,000 earnings threshold for tier 2 visa holders does not lead to the loss of highly skilled teachers of subjects other than mathematics and science.

James Brokenshire

The Shortage Occupation List is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) and is reviewed regularly. The MAC’s recommendations are evidence-based and the list comprises skilled jobs where there is an identified national shortage which is sensible to fill, at least in part, through immigration. The Government is currently considering the MAC’s future work programme, including commissioning a review of the Shortage Occupation List.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on the case of Andargachew Tsege and efforts to ensure proper legal and consular access for Mr Tsege and visitation rights for his family.

James Duddridge

The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised Mr Tsege’s case with the Ethiopian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during his visit to Ethiopia on 1 June 2016. The Foreign Secretary received assurances that Mr Tsege will be allowed access to independent legal advice to allow him to discuss options under the Ethiopian legal system. We will continue to press the Ethiopians as necessary to ensure that Mr Tsege has legal representation. As a result of sustained lobbying by the British Government, we now have more frequent consular access to Mr Tsege. He has been visited by UK Government officials on 10 occasions, most recently by both Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and by the FCO’s Africa Director on 1 June 2016. Mr Tsege is also receiving regular visits from his family in Ethiopia, and the FCO continues to provide consular support to Mr Tsege’s family in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what equality impact assessment has been carried out on the consequences of selective education, as outlined in the Schools that work for everyone consultation document on the right for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities pupils to be in mainstream education.

Nick Gibb

This Government is committed to ensuring all children, including those with SEND, have the opportunity to achieve their potential and make a successful transition to adult life.

The Admissions Code and the Equality Act 2010 apply to all schools – both selective and non-selective – meaning they must make admission decisions over those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) fairly.

The Department is having, and will continue to have, due regard to equalities impact, both in the study of responses to the consultation document and throughout any development of policy areas, following the consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will introduce new sentencing guidelines recommending strict penalties to assist magistrates in prosecuting caces under the Equality Act 2010 where a private hire or taxi driver has refused to provide transport to a visually impaired passenger and their guide dog.

Andrew Selous

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 September 2015 to Question 8187.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s timeline on its cycling and walking investment strategy, published in December 2015, what progress it has made on its obligation of being ready to announce its funding plans for investment in cycling and walking by the end of winter 2015-16.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Infrastructure Act 2015 does not place an obligation on Government to publish plans for investing in cycling and walking at any specific time. However, in December my Department published “Setting the first Cycling and Walking Strategy” which set out our proposed timescales for publication, including our intention to publish a Statement of Funds Available. My officials are currently working on the first Strategy, to be published in draft in spring 2016, which will contain information on financial resources as well as our ambition, objectives and actions for delivery.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether a decision has been reached on the composition of the UK delegation to the World Humanitarian Summit in May.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The final decision on who will be in the delegation will be taken nearer the time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring before the House legislative proposals on requiring bus companies to instal audio-visual technology to aid visually impaired passengers.

Andrew Jones

I know that accessible on-board information can give a range of passengers the confidence to use bus services, safe in the knowledge that they will know when to alight.

Previously, the systems to provide such information have been expensive to fit and maintain, but I understand that new technology may make it more affordable.

We are currently considering the most appropriate next steps, but in the meantime I encourage bus operators to consider the benefits of better, more accessible information for all their customers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what formal guidance the Government has issued to departments on equality impact assessments.

Caroline Dinenage

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in the Equality Act 2010 ensures that public bodies take account of equality and consider the potential impact of decisions on groups with protected characteristics. All bodies exercising public functions are subject to the PSED and need to understand the impact of their policies and services on people with different protected characteristics, and be able to provide evidence that this has been taken into account during the decision-making process. However, the legislation does not prescribe how this information needs to be recorded and it is not a statutory requirement in England to prepare or publish information in a particular form, such as an Equality Impact Assessment.

The Government Equalities Office has published a quick-start guide on the PSED and has circulated PSED guidance across Whitehall. It also provides advice to other departments on their legal obligations by delivering workshops and presentations to staff. A range of guidance on the PSED is also available from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.