Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with HM Treasury on additional financial support to implement the draft proposals put forward in the Haass agreement.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    No estimate has been made of the cost. I continue to support and encourage the Northern Ireland parties as they pursue an agreement on flags, parading and the past, but as these are mainly devolved matters funding for new structures would principally come out of the Block Grant that is paid to the Northern Ireland Executive. Requests for additional funding will be considered in the context of the current UK Government deficit that we inherited from our predecessors and would require Treasury approval.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to ensure that TPContact achieves and maintains high standards of customer service.

    James Brokenshire

    Any failure against the contractual critical service levels may result in
    deductions against their submitted invoices. In the event of continuous and
    unacceptable failures the Department has the ability to terminate the contract.

    The performance of Teleperformance as with all of our contracts is subject to
    close Home Office scrutiny. The governance processes include regular meetings
    at all levels, from local operational teams up to senior official levels, to
    allow in-depth reviews of performance against the service standards set out in
    the contract, and to provide an escalation route to resolve any issues that may
    arise. We also expect suppliers to provide continuous improvement in delivery
    of customer services over the course of the contract, which is also monitored
    through these processes.

    The Department withheld payment of the contractual transitional payment until
    transition was complete in each country where Teleperformance operates. This
    has now been has now been approved for payment in countries where visa
    application centres (VACs) are operational but withheld in locations still to
    be transitioned. Ongoing contractual payments will be subject to the service
    credit process outlined above.

    The data required to judge performance against contractual service standards is
    not yet available. We are not aware of any withdrawn applications linked to
    delays in processing at the identified visa application centres since they took
    over this service. The Home Office is currently collating data on complaints
    for the period since Teleperformance commenced operations and it is not
    available for publication.

    UK Visas & Immigration has worked closely with Teleperformance from the point
    at which contracts were awarded to prepare for live operations, including the
    summer peak. Annual and monthly application volumes and forecast figures for
    2014 were provided to Teleperformance as part of the tender process and local
    discussions have taken place to determine the number of appointment slots
    available. Opening hours have been extended and appointment availability has
    been increased in a number of locations to prepare for the summer period. Where
    VACs are open every day, the availability of appointment slots is continually
    monitored, with further measures being taken if appointments are consistently
    fully booked.

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has any plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department has undertaken a review into the removal of check off arrangements and is considering the next steps following this review.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will refer the matter of the release of correspondence between the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Education on preventing extremism to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Barnsley East on 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 338W.

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many formal client complaints were brought against Jobcentre Plus staff in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) West Lothian local authority area and (d) Livingston constituency in each of the last five years.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not available prior to July 2010, however data is available as follows:

    July 2010 – March 2011

    April 2011 – March 2012

    April 2012 – March 2013

    April 2013 – March 2014

    Scotland

    815

    1,070

    983

    773

    National (England, Scotland & Wales)

    6,180

    8,979

    16,864

    15,481

    DWP completed the incremental roll-out of a new complaints process in December 2012 which encouraged the recording of complaints. The data provided spans both processes.

    As complaints are not recorded by local authority area or constituency, this level of data isn’t available.

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated current backlog of persons waiting to be assessed by Atos Healthcare for (1) Employment Support Allowance, and (2) Disability Living Allowance, broken down by region of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales; what action they are taking to address the backlog; and on what evidence they base their attribution of the delays to failings within Atos.

    Lord Freud

    The table below shows outstanding Employment and Support Allowance new claims, existing Employment and Support Allowance recipients awaiting a review and Incapacity Benefit claimants awaiting reassessment, at the end of April 2014 for England, Scotland and Wales. The figures exclude cases referred to Atos Healthcare where the claimant has yet to return their ESA50 questionnaire.

    Region

    ESA New claims awaiting a Work Capability Assessment

    Existing ESA recipients awaiting a review Work Capability Assessment

    Incapacity Benefit recipients awaiting reassessment

    England

    333,000*

    201,000*

    74,000*

    Scotland

    34,000*

    13,000*

    2,000*

    Wales

    28,000*

    20,000*

    7,000*

    * Note: figures are based on operational management information received from Atos Healthcare and are rounded to the nearest thousand.

    The total Disability Living Allowance claimants’ awaiting an assessment at the end of April 2014 nationally was 800. Figures are based on operational management information received from Atos Healthcare and are rounded to the nearest hundred.This information is not routinely collated to regional area.

    The Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland has a separate contract with Atos Healthcare for the delivery of assessments in Northern Ireland. Therefore, questions relating to waiting times in Northern Ireland should be addressed to the Minister for Social Development in Northern Ireland.

    We are working closely with our supplier to deliver the best possible service for claimants, driving up performance and quality to help reduce waiting times and process claims as quickly as possible. We are continuing to monitor and robustly manage this contract.

    Identification by the Department of a reduction in Atos Healthcare’s quality led to decisive action in the form of a retraining and re-accreditation exercise and an overhaul of audit arrangements when we instructed Atos Healthcare to introduce an improvement plan in July 2013. The quality of reports provided by Atos Healthcare has improved significantly but the Department continues to monitor quality closely.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many representations he has received opposing the removal of customer access phones from Jobcentre Plus offices; which Jobcentre Plus offices serving constituents of Ogmore constituency have been affected by the removal of customer access phones from such offices; and how many people in Ogmore constituency are being serviced by each such Jobcentre Plus office.

    Esther McVey

    The Department has received a number of representations on the removal of Customer Access Phones. The Department operates an Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum, made up of charities, community organisations and customer representative groups, and this issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Forum in May.

    Jobcentres provide face to face support for claimants. Following the removal of Customer Access Phones, claimants who require access to a phone in connection with their benefit or job search will still be given controlled access to a telephone in a Jobcentre.

    Ogmore constituents are served by several Jobcentres as the Jobcentre network does not reflect constituency boundaries. A summary follows by Jobcentre in the constituency:

    Bridgend Jobcentre

    Customer Access Phones have not yet been removed.

    Maesteg Jobcentre

    Customer Access Phones were withdrawn, replaced by a new assisted service of face to face support in 2014.

    Llantrisant Jobcentre

    Customer Access Phones were withdrawn, replaced by a new assisted service of face to face support in 2014.

    Porth Jobcentre

    One Customer Access Phone is currently available; three were withdrawn between November 2013 and January 2014, because of falling demand.

    Jobcentre boundaries do not match constituency boundaries so we can only provide a breakdown for Ogmore in total, these follow below:

    · Total JSA claimants (March 2014): 1,559

    (Source: ONS claimant count with rates and proportions)

    · Total claimants (Working-age client group – key benefit claimants (August 2013)): 10,510

    (Source: DWP benefit claimants – working age client group)

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in South Sudan to prevent famine, to prevent the spread of cholera, and to promote humanitarian access.

    Baroness Northover

    The UK is a leading donor to the humanitarian response in South Sudan. We have announced £82.5 million for support inside the country, and £12.5 million for support to refugees. Improved access is critical to the effectiveness of the humanitarian response. At the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on 20 May, the DFID Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State called on all parties to facilitate safe and speedy access. The FCO Minister for Africa also raised this with senior Ministers when he visited Juba in April. UK officials raise our concerns regularly with the parties in Juba and Addis Ababa.

    The UK is actively supporting work to help tackle the food security crisis and cholera. We are providing £16 million of funding to the World Food Programme (WFP) to help provide food aid or cash for around 160,000 people, and £8.3 million to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to help provide livelihoods support for 40,000 households. To help counter the growing cholera epidemic our support through the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF – £4 million) will include funding for the UNICEF cholera response and for critical Water, Sanitation and Hygiene supplies. We are also funding two technical experts in the World Health Organisation (WHO) who are currently supporting the cholera response.

  • Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what facilities his Department has identified to allow (a) company directors, (b) bankrupts and (c) others to be interviewed locally after the closure of the Hull Official Receiver’s office.

    Jenny Willott

    The Insolvency Service announced its decision to close its Hull office on 27 March 2014 and indicated that the intention was to preserve the services to customers by opening an interview facility in the Hull area. Also on 27 March 2014 I wrote to local Members of Parliament to share their views on local issues that might influence the location of a local interview facility. These views, along with analysis of customer information, will be used to select the precise location. The facility will be operational by the time of the closure, in November 2014.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness King of Bow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities received additional Discretionary Housing Payment funding from the extra £20 million announced in October 2013; and how much was made available in each case.

    Lord Freud

    The information that has been requested was published on 24 March 2014 on GOV.UK and can be accessed through the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/295291/s3-2014.pdf

    “