Tag: Paul Blomfield

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 28094, on minimum wage: enforcement, if he will provide details of the assurance process used to make sure that employers who have been found to be non-compliant with the national minimum wage have fully self-corrected their pay system and paid all workers any national minimum wage arrears that they are owed.

Nick Boles

The assurance process involves Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) performing a sample check that arrears have been paid to workers under self-correction. Workers are selected and contacted by telephone and correspondence to confirm that they have received the arrears they are owed, and the amount that the employer has reported. If HMRC do not receive a self-correction report from the employer they will remind the company and then follow up with an unannounced visit, where appropriate. If HMRC has concerns following the above processes then an investigation is re-opened.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department spent on upgrading its IT systems in 2014-15.

Joseph Johnson

The Department spent £38m on upgrading IT systems in 2014-15, including both software and equipment development. This includes around £31m for internally developed software, predominantly within delivery bodies of the department such as the Student Loans Company. It also includes the Core Department roll out of a new ICT system, Evolve, for use by all staff. This replaced the previous IT service. The total cost of the Evolve rollout was £3.5 million.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the annual cost is of policy staff (a) from his Department’s office at St Paul’s Place, Sheffield and (b) from his Department’s office at 1 Victoria Street, London travelling to Sheffield.

Joseph Johnson

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, on immigration detention, HCWS679, whether notice will be given to pregnant women who will be detained.

James Brokenshire

At present, detention is authorised by an officer of at least the rank of Chief Immigration Officer (CIO) or Higher Executive Officer (HEO). As stated in the Government’s Written Ministerial Statement of 14 January, the Government is developing a new approach to the case management of those detained. This is intended to replace the existing detention review process with a clear removal plan for all those in detention.

It will ensure that all detainees, including pregnant women, spend the minimum possible time in detention. Under the new policy in order for detention to be extended beyond 72 hours ministerial authorisation will be required and the maximum detention period will be one week.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons and Independent Monitoring Boards already provide independent oversight of detention facilities and conditions of detention. Individuals, including pregnant women, are given prior notification of their liability to removal from the UK by the Home Office and they would be detained only for the purposes of identification or removal.

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.