Tag: Owen Smith

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many days were lost to sickness in his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Justin Tomlinson

We have greatly reduced sickness absence in DWP from an average of 11.1 days per employee eight years ago to just 6.4 days per employee now. This is below the figure for the public sector of 7.9 days on average per employee, which was independently reported by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development in its latest sickness absence report.

The number of working days lost to sickness within the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last 10 years is recorded in the following table.

Period	Working Days Lost to Sickness Absence	Average Working Days Lost per Employee
2014/15	527,961	6.5
2013/14	620,122	6.9
2012/13	699,731	7.4
2011/12	671,412	7.3
2010/11	846,168	8.1
2009/10	911,809	8.5
2008/09	849,448	8.9
2007/08	1,053,768	10.1
2006/07	1,361,196	11.1
2005	1,233,162	10.1

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment the Government has made of the rates of productivity of young employed people in the UK.

Mr Rob Wilson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the morale of his Department’s staff.

Justin Tomlinson

The morale of the Department’s staff is not measured although the related concept of Employee Engagement is measured regularly through the Department’s annual People Survey.

The People Survey is conducted in the Autumn every year and we are currently in the middle of completing this year’s survey.

Results will be available and made accessible to the public through the Gov.uk website in mid-November.

Last year’s results can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397958/dwp-people-survey-2014.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect on productivity of increasing the minimum wage.

Nick Boles

The Government will publish a full Impact Assessment alongside draft regulations to implement the National Living Wage.

As noted in Summer Budget 2015, at a firm level there is some evidence that previous increases in minimum wages in low paying firms may have been associated with increases in productivity.

Additionally, the Office for Budget Responsibility has published an estimate of the aggregate impact on productivity due to compositional change in the economy. They estimate an increase in hourly productivity in 2020 of 0.3 percentage points through this mechanism.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to promote Pension Wise.

Harriett Baldwin

The government launched a comprehensive nationwide marketing campaign in late August. This will ensure that more people are aware of Pension Wise, of how it can help them, and that they can – and do – access high-quality, impartial guidance on making the most of the new pension flexibilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the level of problem debt in the UK.

Harriett Baldwin

The Office for National Statistics does not publish data on problem debt in the UK. According to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics, unsecured debt as a proportion of income currently stands at 37 per cent in Q2 2015, down from its pre-crisis peak of 46 per cent in Q1 2007.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what specific guidance and advice his Department will be issuing to pensioners on the change in the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme from a benefit to an interest-bearing loan.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department will be ensure that impartial advice is provided to all claimants, including pensioners, on taking out a loan. This will ensure that all claimants are able to make informed decisions about taking a SMI loan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to improve rates of pay for people aged under 25.

Nick Boles

The priority for younger workers is to gain skills and experience and to secure work. This is already reflected in the National Minimum Wage rate structure, where the youth rate is currently £1.40 lower than the adult rate. This reflects that wages tend to increase through the early 20s, as workers gain more experience. Youth unemployment is higher compared to those over 25.

The wages of younger workers will continue to be underpinned by the National Minimum Wage as recommended by the Low Pay Commission at the highest possible level without affecting employment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on housing benefit between 2010 and 2015.

Justin Tomlinson

Housing Benefit expenditure information is available in our Benefit Expenditure tables which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2015

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners will lose money as a result of changing the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme from a benefit to an interest-bearing loan; and what the average annual loss will be for such pensioners.

Justin Tomlinson

All SMI claimants, including pensioners, will continue to receive the same level of support as now towards their mortgage interest when it becomes a loan. As a result no claimants, including pensioners, will receive less in SMI payments than they would now.