Tag: Emily Thornberry

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 34085, whether any UK discussions with the Saudi Arabian authorities regarding the alleged use of cluster munitions in Yemen have led to confirmation that such munitions have been used by Saudi Arabian armed forces on any occasion.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of reports of the alleged use of Cluster Munitions by the Coalition in Yemen . We have raised this issue with the Saudi Arabian authorities and, in line with our obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, continue to encourage Saudi Arabia, as a non-party to the Convention, to accede to it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households that will move into work as a result of moving onto universal credit by 2020.

Priti Patel

Once fully rolled-out, up to 300,000 more people are likely to be in work as a result of Universal Credit (UC).

Evidence from “Universal Credit at Work Spring 2015” show claimants are more likely to be in work, spend more time in work, and earn more than their counterparts on Jobseekers Allowance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/405921/uc-at-work-spring-2015.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Government plans to respond to the First Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Affordable Childcare, Session 2014-15, HL Paper 117.

Mr Sam Gyimah

During the passage of the Childcare Bill, we committed to writing to members of the House of Lords Affordable Childcare Select Committee with a response to their report. We will do so shortly. At the appropriate time, we will place copies of the response in the libraries of both Houses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release, Prison building revolution announced by Chancellor and Justice Secretary, published on 9 November 2015, whether the Government plans to consult on proposals to sell prison estates to property developers.

Andrew Selous

On 9 November the Chancellor and Secretary of State announced their intention to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, thereby enabling them to turn away from a life of crime. This will involve building nine new prisons and closing old and inefficient prisons which do not support the aims of a redesigned estate. No decisions have yet been made on where new prisons will be built.

We are currently considering which of our old and inefficient prisons will close. We will engage with stakeholders during the process of sale including valuation experts and potential developers in order to maximise the value achieved.

Any relocation of prisoners will be done with careful planning. Where staff are affected they will be managed through the process of change using processes deployed during previous closures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) start fees, (b) short placement completion fees, (c) long placement completion fees and (d) job outcome fees have been paid to providers of Community Work Placements under the Help to Work scheme since April 2014.

Priti Patel

From April 2014 to the end of June 2015 there were 25,340 participants who started a Community Work Placement. These would all have triggered a start fee to the relevant provider.

The department intends to publish further information on Community Work Placements on the 22 December 2015. This release will cover the number of short placement completion, Long placement completion and Job Outcome fees paid to providers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to improve employment support for people with disabilities who are in receipt of the support component of employment and support allowance.

Priti Patel

In the Autumn Statement on Wednesday 25 November, the Chancellor announced a real terms increase in funding to help people with health conditions and disabilities including those in receipt of the support component of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), return to, and remain in, work.

Government will be launching a new ‘Work and Health Programme’ – restructuring our current provision so that it provides the best possible support for people with health conditions or disabilities, including those classed as economically inactive due to long term sickness or disability.

At least £115m of funding will go to the Work and Health Unit, including a work and health innovation fund to test new ways to join up health and employment to help people with disabilities and health conditions to return to and stay in work.

Government will publish a White Paper in the New Year that will set out further reforms to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities and further reduce the disability employment gap.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many local housing allowance rates were subject to the overall caps rates for the relevant property size in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15.

Justin Tomlinson

In 2011-12 Local Housing Allowance rates were uprated on a monthly basis. In April 2011, eleven LHA rates were set at the level of the LHA caps for the relevant property size. By the end of the year, in March 2012, seventeen LHA rates were set at the level of the caps. In 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 the number of LHA rates subject to the caps was 17, 15 and 18 respectively.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints from workers were received by HM Revenue and Customs on non-compliance with minimum wage legislation in 2014-15.

Mr David Gauke

The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay back arrears of wages at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to £20,000 per underpaid worker.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enforces the national minimum wage (NMW) legislation on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). It does so by investigating all complaints made about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, and carrying out targeted enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of NMW across the whole of the UK.

I refer the honourable member to the answer provided at UIN 28587 for information on recovery of arrears and on the number of incidences of non-compliance on 26 November 2015.

In 2014/15, HMRC issued financial penalties on 735 employers totalling £934,660 for non-compliance with NMW legislation.

In 2014/15, HMRC completed 2,204 investigations as part of its duty to enforce minimum wage legislation.

Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should contact Acas on 0300 123 1100. HMRC reviews every complaint that Acas refer to it but these may not always lead to an investigation. In 2014/15, HMRC received 2489 worker complaints via the helpline.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children are registered on waiting lists for social housing.

Brandon Lewis

In 2013-14, there were around 91,000 single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children on at least one social housing waiting list in England. This is down from 124,000 in 2004-5 and 110,000 in 2010-11. (Source: English Housing Survey, Department for Communities and Local Government).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications of differences in the administration of universal credit amongst the different local authorities involved in the Universal Support Delivered Locally pilot programme for the effectiveness of that pilot.

Priti Patel

Assessment of the Universal Support trials is currently underway. The final evaluation will be published in late Spring 2016. The Trials will enable us to ensure we follow the most effective delivery approach.