The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to commission and publish an independent evaluation of the universal credit in-work conditionality pilots.
Priti Patel
We will publish a full evaluation of the In-Work Progression Randomised Control Trial, which will include both in-house and externally commissioned research.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of (a) Access to Work expenditure and (b) the potential effect of that programme on (i) social security expenditure and (ii) income tax returns.
Justin Tomlinson
The Government recognises the value users, employers and stakeholders place on the scheme which de-risks the recruitment and retention of disabled people, therefore we have increased the funding for Access to Work, to enable a further 25,000 customers to receive support by 2020. We continue to work with stakeholders to understand the value Access to Work adds.
Officials have previously explored the potential costs and benefits of Access to Work expenditure, including the impacts on social security expenditure and income tax returns. However, in the absence of a control group against which to assess the difference the programme makes to someone’s likelihood of being in work, it is not possible to establish a robust overall value for money figure and it would be misleading to publish estimates. To establish a control group could jeopardise individuals’ current and future employment by restricting access to the programme and support for a sizeable number of people in the short to medium term.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many stroke survivors are in (a) receipt of employment and support allowance and (b) the work-related activity group.
Priti Patel
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of carer’s allowance where the person cared for is a stroke survivor.
Justin Tomlinson
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in receipt of Universal Credit who are in regular employment and paid every four weeks and receive two sets of earnings in one assessment period since the roll-out of the digital service.
Damian Hinds
The specific information requested could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
Unlike tax credits which meant that claimants received demands for repayments and could never be sure they were receiving the correct entitlement, Universal Credit assesses monthly earnings and income in that month. That lessens the burden on claimants who have fluctuating incomes or irregular payments so they can budget with greater confidence and without the anxiety they will be hit with a demand for repayment.
We are currently implementing a test and learn approach to understand the interaction of Universal Credit and employer pay cycles and its effect on awards. This work will include discussions with employers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45252, whether he plans to routinely publish future reviews carried out by his Department on the deaths of social security claimants.
Damian Hinds
Internal Process Reviews are an internal continuous improvement tool and as such there are no plans to publish the reports. We are content to share any recommendations from these reports.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-10-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress the Government has made on developing proposals for reform of the Human Rights Act 1998.
Dominic Raab
This Government will fully consult on our proposals, this session, before introducing legislation for a British Bill of Rights. Further details will be announced in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the (a) Competition Commission and (b) Office of Fair Trading spent on assessing mergers in the NHS in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.
Jo Swinson
The Competition Commission’s (CC’s) inquiry into the proposed merger between Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Foundation Trust and Poole Hospital Foundation Trust, which was concluded in 2013/14, was the Commission’s only assessment of an NHS Foundation Trust merger. The cost of this inquiry was £710,000, which includes the cost of the staff on the inquiry amounting to £639,000 and direct costs of £71,000 (including survey costs).
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) did not collect specific information on the resources used in considering mergers involving NHS Foundation Trusts. However, the average approximate cost involved in scrutiny of a merger by the OFT was £20,000; in total, the OFT considered four mergers involving NHS Foundation Trusts in 2012-13 and 2013-14, of which only one was referred for further scrutiny by the CC.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2014-06-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to promote access to justice.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The Government’s overall reform programme to promote access to justice aims to deliver a simpler justice system that is more accessible to the public; limit the scope for inappropriate litigation and the involvement of lawyers in issues which do not need legal input; and support people in resolving their disputes through simpler, more informal remedies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2015-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Hugo Swire
We are concerned about the incidents that have taken place in recent weeks on both sides of the Line of Control and the International Border in Kashmir. We hope that both sides can take steps to reduce tensions.