Tag: Louise Haigh

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) guidance his Department issues and (b) regulations are in place on the provision of electoral roll data to credit reference agencies.

John Penrose

The Electoral Commission provides detailed guidance to Electoral Registration Officers on access and supply of the full electoral register, including by credit reference agencies.

The regulations on the supply of electoral roll data to credit reference agencies are set out in The Representation of the People (England and Wales)(Amendment) Regulations 2002. Under Regulation 114, credit reference agencies registered under Part III of the Consumer Credit Act and carrying on the business of providing credit reference services may only use the full electoral register for specified purposes; namely for checking a person’s identity if they apply for credit, and for the prevention of money laundering fraud. Electoral Registration Officers are entitled to charge credit reference agencies a small fee for copies of the full register, to cover administration costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate his Department has made of the average cost of each official of his Department based at (a) St Paul’s Place, Sheffield and (b) 1 Victoria Street, London.

Joseph Johnson

The average salary costs (incl. pension and National Insurance contributions) for an official in Sheffield is £46,698, whilst the average salary costs (incl. pension and National Insurance contributions) for an official in London is £58,910. This can largely be explained by the London-weighted salary differences and the differences in grade mix of staff in Sheffield and London. For example, almost 9% of London-based staff are SCS (costing around £18m in salaries), whilst only 2% of staff in Sheffield are SCS (costing around £0.5m in salaries).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-08.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of his Department’s (a) Senior Civil Servants and (b) core policy civil servants are based in London.

Harriett Baldwin

100% of HM Treasury Senior Civil Servants and 99.9% core policy civil servants are based in London.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the effect on electoral registration rates of introduction of a requirement to pass on electoral roll data to credit reference firms.

John Penrose

Copies of the electoral register have been made available for sale in one form or another since at least 1832. Credit reference agencies purchase the electoral register because it provides proof to lenders that applicants for credit do in fact live at the address given and that they are not attempting to obtain credit fraudulently using a false name and address. Given the importance of credit in a modern economy, the then Government concluded in 2002 that this was in the public interest. The credit reference agencies are precluded by law from doing anything else with the electoral data, unless the data is also included in the edited register, from which individuals can opt out.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31069 on corruption, what the usual practice is for disclosing such costs.

Matthew Hancock

All Cabinet Office costs are published in its annual report and accounts available on the GOV.UK website.

The Anti-Corruption Champion has had a range of meetings with Ministers and officials from other government departments, as well as representatives from civil society and business, both in the United Kingdom (UK) and overseas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of (a) members of the Senior Civil Service and (b) all officials of his Department will be based at head office on conclusion of BIS2020.

Joseph Johnson

The plans for BIS2020 are still being developed. We do not currently have information on which posts will be at head office in 2020.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the new national living wage on carers who will lose their eligibility for the carer’s allowance for working 16 hours per week.

Justin Tomlinson

The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.

The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer’s Allowance.

The Carer’s Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.

Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.

For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer’s Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer’s Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many prosecutions were brought under Section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each year since the coming into force of that Act.

Matthew Hancock

No prosecutions have been brought under section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was spent on non-payroll staff in his Department in 2015-16.

Mr Mark Francois

My Department spent the following amounts on non-payroll staff in 2015-16, as will be reported in our Annual Report and Accounts:

Cost of contingent labour (agency staff and contractors) – £2,858,046

Cost of consultants/consultancy – £511,460

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in her Department are paid through limited companies.

George Eustice

Core Defra publishes Workforce Management Information on a monthly basis. This sets out the number of staff who are a) on payroll and b) off payroll and the published data covers financial years 2010-11 to 2015-16. It can be found at the following link: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/workforce-management-information-defra.

No civil servants within Core Defra are paid through limited companies.

The figure for spend on non-payroll staff in 2015-16 will be published in the 2015-16 Annual Report and Accounts.

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