The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total number of sittings was by magistrates who sat more than 70 half days in the last year.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The Department does not keep this information centrally and it could only be collected at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of current performance towards achieving the target of assessing all current disability living allowance claimants for personal independence payment by 2018; and if he will estimate the potential additional costs in (a) the amount of benefit claimed and (b) the cost of processing claims if the current rate of assessments were to be maintained.
Mike Penning
We continue to monitor performance in the current phase of reassessment and along with our performance on new claims, this will inform further rollout plans for natural reassessment.
Our plan is to complete reassessment within our original timescales and budget.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 27 March 2014, Official Report, columns 56-7W, on Atos, whether Atos Healthcare will continue to carry out assessments for industrial injuries disablement benefits; and if he will make a statement.
Mike Penning
The Written Statement, Official Report, 27 March 2014, Col. 56WS refers to the exit of Atos Healthcare from the the Medical Services Agreement. This contract includes assessments for industrial injuries disablement benefits. Atos will continue to provide assessments until the transition to a new provider in early 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many magistrates were recruited in each of the last three years.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Magistrates are recruited locally according to the business needs of the magistrates’ courts. The number of magistrates recruited in each of the last three financial years is shown below:
2011/12 – 442
2012/13 – 414
2013/14 – 162
The downturn in recruitment of new magistrates is a natural consequence of falling workloads in the magistrates’ courts, due to factors such as falling crime. The fall in overall numbers is a consequence of the downturn in recruitment combined with the relatively steady levels of retirements and resignations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to take to ensure that Trafford Commissioning Group provides the full treatment for IVF as recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2004.
Jane Ellison
The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will be tailored to local requirements.
NHS England expects all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fertility guidelines. In February 2013, NHS England issued a factsheet to support CCGs in taking on those responsibilities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish his Department’s risk assessment of the transfer of his Department’s contract with Atos Healthcare for provision of work capability assessments to a new provider; and what steps he is taking to mitigate the risks identified in that assessment.
Mike Penning
The transition from Atos Healthcare to the new provider in 2015 provides a further opportunity to improve the service the Department offers to claimants and customers. The Department will manage the transition carefully to mitigate the impact on claimants and customers and to further mitigate any risks the new provider will initially use elements of the Atos infrastructure already in place, including IT, Estate and Atos employees (subject to TUPE).
The priority for the new provider will be to deliver the best possible service for claimants, increase the volume of assessments carried out and reduce waiting times.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the annual cost is of the (a) administration of advisory committees, (b) HM Courts and Tribunals Service staff servicing such committees and (c) training and recruiting members of such committees.
Mr Shailesh Vara
A local advisory committee is responsible for the recruitment of magistrates in a particular area, and for advising on issues relating to the conduct of magistrates following their appointment. The work of the committee is supported by HMCTS staff but the specific costs of administration for the committee and the costs of HMCTS staff supporting its work are not available as these are not recorded separately.
The cost of training advisory committee members in the financial year 2013/14 was £17,401.45
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls the Child Maintenance Options Service received in each month in the last year.
Steve Webb
The number of successful inbound calls received by the Child Maintenance Options Service in each month of the last year is available in the table below.
|
Month |
Number of calls received by the Child Maintenance Options Service |
|
May-13 |
7,845 |
|
Jun-13 |
8,915 |
|
Jul-13 |
10,360 1 |
|
Aug-13 |
11,990 |
|
Sep-13 |
13,835 |
|
Oct-13 |
14,835 |
|
Nov-13 |
21,375 2 |
|
Dec-13 |
22,760 |
|
Jan-14 |
26,515 |
|
Feb-14 |
25,875 |
|
Mar-14 |
26,865 |
|
Apr-14 |
24,565 |
Notes:
– Data Sourced from CMO Monthly MI Service Pack
– Data rounded to nearest 5
1 Child Maintenance Options started providing a ‘soft gateway’ to the 2012 statutory child maintenance scheme, offering parents applying to the 2012 Scheme the opportunity to explore the full range of options before making an application, including considering making their own arrangements.
2 Child Maintenance Options became the automatic ‘gateway’ to the statutory 2012 child maintenance scheme, ensuring all parents who wish to access the 2012 Scheme are making a fully informed decision and have considered making their own arrangements first.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) timetable and (b) process will be under which debt suspension in older Child Support Agency (CSA) cases will be reviewed during the forthcoming CSA case closure process; and what process will be put in place to enable the participation of the parents in that process.
Steve Webb
The Child Support Agency (CSA) plans to close all 1993 and 2003 scheme cases over a three year period starting in 2014.
When a client’s ongoing maintenance liability has ended, the case will be reviewed to ensure any arrears balance is accurate. This process will include any suspended debt to ensure the reason for suspension remains valid and, if not, the debt will be reinstated. Whether the CSA need to contact the client during this process will depend on the circumstances of the individual case.
When the review has been completed, both clients will be informed of the arrears balance and can contact the CSA about this should they wish to do so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has issued guidance to Atos on how to prioritise work capability assessments between reassessments and new claimants for employment and support allowance.
Mike Penning
The Department does not issue guidance to Atos Healthcare on how to prioritise Work Capability Assessments.