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Tag: Frank Field

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on the Universal Jobmatch programme between (a) April and September 2012, (b) October 2012 and March 2013, (c) April and September 2013, (d) October 2013 and March 2014 and (e) April and September 2014.

    Esther McVey

    The Programme expenditure for Universal Jobmatch over the period April 12 to September 14 includes contractual costs as well as internal costs. Any reporting therefore risks being in breach of commercial in confidence agreement.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of employment and support allowance claims processed within (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30, (d) 40, (e) 60 and (f) more than 60 working days.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not available.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether jobseekers must declare casual income earned during a sanction period once their jobseeker’s allowance claim is resumed; and whether that amount is then deducted from subsequent benefit payments.

    Esther McVey

    When a Jobseeker’s Allowance Claimant is subject to a sanction, the award continues even if no actual payments are being made. As such the claimant should continue to notify changes of circumstances, including casual work. The normal JSA rules apply, whereby if the hours worked exceed 16 hours or the earnings are higher than the rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance, the award will end.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the appropriate age at which people must renew their driving licence; and what evidence his Department took into account when so doing.

    Stephen Hammond

    Increasing the driving licence renewal age was proposed as part of the recent review of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

    No detailed assessment has yet been made about this proposal. Any such decision would not be taken until a full consultation had been carried out and supporting evidence considered.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to protect consumers from fraud and other doorstep crimes.

    Jenny Willott

    The Government takes doorstep crime very seriously and the issue has been identified as a top priority by the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP) which brings together enforcement, consumer education, and advocacy partners to identify, prioritise and coordinate collective action to tackle the issues causing greatest harm to consumers.

    Both the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), which are funded by BIS, are putting resources into tackling doorstep crime and Trading Standards Officers across the country are cracking down on these fraudsters. In Lincolnshire for example, Trading Standards has teamed up with the Police and Community Lincs to raise awareness of doorstep crime amongst professionals caring for the elderly, including awareness of bogus callers, rogue traders, distraction burglary, and scam mail. To date 330 health and social care professionals who work regularly with 4,300 elderly and vulnerable people have been trained in how to spot potential victims and how to intervene at an early stage of a scam.

    Doorstep Crime will also be the focus on this year’s National Consumer Week in November 2014, when CPP Partners and the Government will work together to in raise consumer awareness of how to spot a bogus salesperson and where to report it.

    We are also hitting the perpetrators of fraud hard. A recent operation involving Trading Standards companies across the country and 20 police forces brought down a trio of fraudsters targeting vulnerable caravan park residents across the country. This resulted in 6 years of custodial sentences being handed down and the recovery of £20,000 in cash.

    We encourage anyone who believes that they have been the victim of doorstep crime or fraud to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 08454 040506.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to collect data on work capability assessment outcomes for people diagnosed with fibromyalgia; and if he will estimate the cost of collecting such data.

    Mike Penning

    The Department does collect some data on Work Capability Assessment (WCA) outcomes for people diagnosed with fibromyalgia but it is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s total budget for assisted voluntary returns projects is for the current financial year, and what has been the total budget for such projects in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The information requested is shown below.

    Financial Year

    Total spending on Assisted Voluntary Returns Programmes (£ million)

    2009-10

    20.5

    2010-11

    17.4

    2011-12

    7.5

    2012-13

    8.9

    2013-14

    8.6

    2014-15

    10.8

    The figures quoted relate to the UK Assisted Voluntary Return Programme, and the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programmes operated in Greece and Turkey.

    The figures for years 2009/2010 to 2013/2014 relate to actual spend and the figures for 2014/2015 are projected spend.

    The Home Office also receives funding from the European Union for the UK Assisted Voluntary Return programme. Due to a change in financial reporting the amounts for 2011/2012 onwards are shown net of the amounts received or expected from this source, whilst the amounts for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 are shown gross although the yearly total budget allocation remains broadly the same.

    The Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programmes in Greece and Turkey also receive funding from the British Government’s Return and Reintegration Fund. The figures quoted incorporate this funding stream.
    The figures provided are sourced from a Home Office management information system and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which is not quality assured under National Statistics protocols and is subject to change due to internal data quality checking. Figures provided from this source do not constitute part of National Statistics and should be treated as provisional.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracted staff there are carrying out functions for his Department who are paid less than the Living Wage by (a) occupation, (b) location and (c) contractor.

    Mike Penning

    DWP have discussed with contractors the payment of the London Living Wage. Telereal Trillium have worked with us so that from April 2014 all of their London based staff were paid at least the level of the living wage. Discussions are continuing with our other major contractor, Cofely.

    We intend to have the same negotiations regarding staff based across the regions where the situation is currently:

    REGION

    NUMBER OF STAFF

    Scotland

    539

    North East

    309

    North West

    885

    Yorks & Humber

    529

    East Midlands

    255

    West Midlands

    770

    East Of England

    252

    Wales

    279

    South East

    366

    London

    2

    South West

    307

    TOTAL

    4,493

    It is not possible to provide further breakdown of these figures as this information is commercially sensitive.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit claims made in pilot areas have been based on independent self-assessment.

    Esther McVey

    We have interpreted the question as the proportion of people who assess their own eligibility for UC via the on-line self assessment tool.

    https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/entitlement

    The Department does not collect this data

    “

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-04-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of employees hired under the Employment Allowance Scheme are (a) employed on zero-hours contracts and (b) paid below the living wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation.

    Mr David Gauke

    The information requested is not available.

    The Employment Allowance is available to businesses and charities and is worth up to £2,000 off their total employer Class 1 National Insurance contributions (NICs) bill.

    Employers are likely to use the NICs savings from the allowance in a variety of ways. Research by the Federation of Small Businesses suggests that employers may use these savings to increase wages, employ more staff or invest in their business.