The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of recipients of the Independent Living Fund (a) are in employment and (b) were in employment at the date of application.
Mike Penning
The information is not available in the format requested as the ILF does not record the employment status of its recipients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2014-05-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Prison and Probation Ombudsman’s (PPO) report on Learning from PPO Investigations: Risk factors in self-inflicted deaths in prisons.
Jeremy Wright
We will carefully consider the Ombudsman’s recommendations made in the Learning Lessons Bulletin on Risk Factors in self-inflicted deaths in prison to identify further learning. I also refer the honourable member to the answer given to the Lord’s Oral Question on 6 February 2014 (Official report Col 36 ), announcing that the Government hasestablished an Independent Review into the self-inflicted deaths of 18-24 year olds in NOMS custody. The review is being led by Lord Harris of Haringey and will report by Spring 2015. NOMS takes the safety of prisoners very seriously and draws learning from individual death in custody reports from the PPO as quickly as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has commissioned on diabulimia in teenagers and young adults.
Dr Daniel Poulter
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for South Yorkshire from 2008 to 2013. The CLAHRC carried out a programme of research on young people with Type 1 diabetes including research relating to eating disorders in this patient group. Outputs include papers published in the journal Diabetic Medicine.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to families with children with autism.
Norman Lamb
The Care Bill has simplified the process for adult carers in England to access an assessment of need for social care, based on the appearance of a need for support.
The Children and Families Act has introduced new arrangements for supporting young people with a special educational need, and their families. A single assessment involving professionals and commissioners, and the child’s family, will identify the care needs for the child or young person (from ages 0 to 25) to inform an individual Education, Health and Care Plan focusing on outcomes and the integrated services to deliver them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Bain on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which priority investors in Royal Mail have subsequently sold all or part of their holdings of shares since the date of flotation; and what estimate he has made of the level of profits made in each case.
Michael Fallon
Maintained by Royal Mail and is subject to uncertainties (e.g. funds can hold their shares through a range of nominees/custodians).
Based on the Bloomberg register dated 23rd April, we estimate that more than half of the pilot fishing investors allocated shares remain invested and that they hold shares equal to more than 50% of their combined allocations.
Given that the timings of sales and purchases are not available on a fund by fund basis, the Department does not know, and has not made any estimate, of any profits made by these investors (other than Lazard Asset Management whose representative told the Public Accounts Committee on 30 April the level of profit it made on the sale of Royal Mail shares for its clients).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria on 14 April 2014 at the next European Union meeting of Foreign Ministers.
Mark Simmonds
We expect the next Foreign Affairs Council to focus on Ukraine. Nigeria is not currently on the agenda. Our High Commissioner in Abuja has discussed the abductions with his EU colleagues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the letter dated 5 March 2014 from the Minister of State for Pensions to the hon. Member for Cardiff South and Penarth, what estimate he has made of the number of service spouses who will be affected by his plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make national insurance credits available for past periods for service spouses.
Steve Webb
Subject to Royal Assent of the Pensions Bill a duty will be placed on the Secretary of State to make regulations to allow service spouses and civil partners, due to reach State Pension age from 6 April 2016, to apply for National Insurance credits for periods during which they accompanied their husband, wife or civil partner on a posting outside the UK. The regulations will make provision to allow credits for periods between 1975/76 and 2010.
We are working with the Ministry of Defence on the finer details of the scheme including the manner in which applications will need to be made and the precise date when the administrative arrangements will be in place.
We estimate that up to 20,000 individuals could have a higher single-tier pension from these credits as some individuals may, at state pension age, already have sufficient qualifying years to gain a full single-tier pension.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pete Wishart on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to ensure that pregnant women and nursing mothers in receipt of section 4 support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are recognised as a vulnerable group when contracting and allocating placement accommodation.
James Brokenshire
The guidance and procedures on providing accommodation to pregnant women in the
asylum support system is contained in the policy document "Healthcare needs and
Pregnancy Dispersal guidance", which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthcare-needs-and-pregnancy-disper
sal-instruction
The Home Office is currently considering some changes to the document following
consultation with the Refugee Council and Maternity Action.
Pregnant women are already recognised as a vulnerable group in the asylum
support system. Regulation 4 of the Asylum Seekers (Reception conditions)
Regulations 2005 provides that their special needs must be taken into
consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what powers the Child Maintenance Service has to address non-compliance by employers with a notice of deduction of earnings; and how many cases have there been of such non-compliance in each of the last three years.
Steve Webb
It is a criminal offence under section 32 (8) of the Child Support Act 1991 not to comply with a deduction from earnings order. Failure to comply may result in enforcement action being taken against the employer, which can include a fine of up to £500.
The 2012 child maintenance scheme, administered by the Child Maintenance Service, was opened to all new applicants on 25 November 2013. We are not yet in a position to release full statistics for this scheme. When 2012 system data become available and fully assured they will be released as part of a managed process, which will be pre-announced and in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
With regard to cases on the 1993 and 2003 schemes operated by the Child Support Agency (CSA), it is not possible to specify the exact number of instances of non compliance with these orders. This is due to the fact that while data are collected on the numbers of deduction from earnings orders not receiving payment, this can be for reasons other than non-compliance, including time delays of the employer implementing the request and the time to action a change in employment circumstances.
However, information on the number of prosecutions under section 32(8) of the Child Support Act 1991 in cases on the 1993 and 2003 schemes can be found on page 48 of the CSA Quarterly Summary of Statistics at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-statistics-december-2013.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to enable small businesses to claim a rates reduction to help them retain staff.
Brandon Lewis
As announced at the Autumn Statement, the Government has introduced in England a £1 billion package of business rates support for 2014-15. That includes the continued doubling of Small Business Rate Relief for a further year which we estimate will support 540,000 businesses. The Localism Act has also made it easier for small firms to claim the rate relief to which they are entitled. This support builds on the £11 billion a year of tax cuts this government has announced to corporation tax, employer National Insurance Contributions and fuel duty.
Business rates in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.