The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 14 January 2016, HCWS70, on immigration detention, when she plans to publish the joint Department of Health, NHS and Home Office mental health plan.
James Brokenshire
The Government is still considering the arrangements for publishing the joint Department of Health, NHS England and Home Office mental health action plan.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 15358, what recent progress has been made on the review into the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates.
George Eustice
We are continuing to consider which aspects of the current Code of Practice might need revisiting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-20.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 1 March 2016 to Question 25631, whether HM Revenue and Customs has completed its investigations into the six social care companies; and what recent assessment he has made of the extent of National Minimum Wage compliance in the social care sector.
Mr David Gauke
The government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage should receive it. Employers who pay workers less than the minimum or living wage not only have to pay back arrears of wages at current rates but also face financial penalties of up to £20,000 per underpaid worker.
HMRC has not completed all the investigations into the six social care companies. HMRC continues to be aware of the risks of underpayment of NMW in the social care sector and is prioritising complaints from workers; working with other agencies and departments to raise awareness of the rules; and undertaking targeted enforcement to ensure that workers are paid what they are legally owed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-07-06.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39321, on Civil Service recruitment, what assessment he has made of the effect of the geographical focus on London of fast stream recruitment on his Department’s plans to diversify the civil service.
Matthew Hancock
Research undertaken within the Civil Service (by the Bridge Group in 2015/16) and externally (e.g. by Trendence in 2015) shows that lower socio-economic applicants are potentially more likely to be less mobile and less willing to move to London.
A dedicated new assessment centre will open in Newcastle in Autumn 2016. From Autumn 2017 we intend to regionalise further, introducing ‘pop up’ centres in support of our fixed assessment locations.
Beyond the assessment process, we also require all centrally managed Fast Streamers to undertake a regional place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what timeline he has set for the appointment of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement.
Margot James
The appointment of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement is being made through a formal recruitment process. A campaign was jointly launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS) and the Home Office in June after the Immigration Act received Royal Assent in May 2016. Shortlisting took place during the summer and interviews are scheduled for early October.
My Rt hon Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Home Department plan to meet appointable candidates following interviews, and will have discussions before making a joint decision. The successful candidate will be announced as soon as practicably possible.
BEIS and the Home Office are working together to implement a Labour market Enforcement programme. This followed a formal consultation, Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market, to which groups representing workers and victims of labour market exploitation responded.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what verification process is used by HM Revenue and Customs to ensure that the level of arrears paid to workers using the self-correction process by employers found to be non-compliant with the (a) national minimum wage and (b) national living wage is a true reflection of the amount the workforce is owed.
Margot James
Where HM Revenue and Customs instructs employers to self-correct, the employer must declare details of the arrears subsequently paid to workers. HMRC perform checks before accepting that pay has been corrected.
HMRC take the circumstances of individual employers into account when instructing to self-correct. If the value of the arrears repaid does not reflect what HMRC expect based on the facts of the case, they can open an investigation to ensure that workers receive what they are owed. Where employers need assistance determining the value of the arrears owed, HMRC will work with them to ensure they get it right.
HMRC’s assurance process involves performing a sample check that arrears have been paid correctly. Workers are selected and contacted by telephone and correspondence to confirm that they have received the arrears they are owed, in the amount that the employer has reported.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for his proposal to exclude taught masters students who are over the age of 30 from the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England.
Joseph Johnson
A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the proposed exclusion from the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England of taught masters students who are studying via distance learning at a minimum of 50 per cent intensity.
Joseph Johnson
A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the proposal to include in the new postgraduate loans scheme proposed for England part-time taught masters students studying at a minimum of 50 per cent intensity not via distance learning.
Joseph Johnson
A consultation on the proposed postgraduate Master’s loan scheme was held earlier in the year. The consultation covered proposed terms and conditions, including an age eligibility criterion and the eligibility of distance learning. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and the Department will respond in the autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he made of the effect of NHS England taking over responsibility for commissioning health services within the immigration detention estate in England on the adequacy of health provision within that estate.
Ben Gummer
In 2014 Health and Wellbeing Needs Assessments were carried out at all Immigration Removal Centres to ascertain the needs of the detainees, which in turn informed the quality and standard of services commissioned by NHS England, from 1 September 2014, to meet those needs.
National standards have been developed, against which health care providers are measured as part of contract management. A suite of indicators of performance are now in place to support this and to provide national data to demonstrate improvements in service delivery and outcomes.