The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are paid as personal independence payment assessors in Scotland.
Penny Mordaunt
378 people were working as Personal Independence Payment Health Assessors in Scotland (6 October 2016).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2015 to Question 11169, what discussions the Government has had with the devolved administrations on the recommendation in the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s report, State of the Nation 2014: Social Mobility and Child Poverty in Great Britain, published in October 2014, that unpaid internships should be eliminated by 2020.
Nick Boles
No formal discussions on unpaid internships have taken place between the UK Government and the devolved administrations following the publication of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s report in October 2014. The UK Government recognises that a number of the levers that can be used to influence social mobility are the responsibility of the devolved administrations, and we are keen to work closely with all partners to help improve social mobility across the United Kingdom.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his polices of the conclusion of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, entitled Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2015, that the number of people living in poverty who depend on housing in the private rented sector has doubled in the last decade.
Brandon Lewis
No such assessment has been made. The Government believes that the key to improving affordability is to build more homes. We have several initiatives to improve affordability, including a £10 billion debt guarantee scheme to support the delivery of new homes purpose built for private rent, up to 30,000 additional affordable homes and the delivery of 200,000 Starter Homes at a minimum 20% discount for young first time buyers through the planning system.
In addition to existing powers already in place, measures being taken forward through the Housing and Planning Bill will give councils stronger powers and incentives to tackle rogue landlords, to prevent those members of society in most need of affordable housing from becoming victims of poor quality and unsafe accommodation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policy on apprenticeships of the finding of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in its report, Engineered in Britain, published in December 2015, that more than half of manufacturers think that a lack of skilled people is the biggest danger to UK manufacturing.
Nick Boles
Skills policy is a devolved area so the Devolved Administrations have complete flexibility over how to support businesses in all sectors to ensure there are sufficient skilled workers. In England, our 2020 Vision sets out how we will reach 3 million apprenticeship starts by 2020. We are supporting the growth of apprenticeships in all sectors by working with large and small businesses to begin or expand their programmes, setting new expectations for public sector bodies, and through public procurement.
Employer-led reforms continue to improve the quality of apprenticeships, with employers designing new apprenticeship standards that fully meet their skills needs. Employers in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector are involved in developing apprenticeship standards in over 30 occupations, including aerospace engineer and manufacturing engineer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the security of pensions invested in the British Steel pension fund.
Justin Tomlinson
The government continues to work closely with Tata on the future for the members of the British Steel pension fund. Members of defined benefit occupational pension schemes in the UK are covered by a robust framework of protection.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-10-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department’s staff performance monitoring includes key performance indicators on how many personal independence payment (PIP) claims are (a) accepted and (b) rejected by those staff who are PIP assessors.
Penny Mordaunt
The role of contracted Assessment Providers is to carry out health and disability assessments on behalf of the Department. They do not determine if a claim to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is successful. They provide a report to DWP decision makers who then determine entitlement to benefit. No targets are in place as to how many applications are successful.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-12-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2015 to Question 11065 and with reference to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s report, Downward Mobility, Opportunity Hoarding and the Glass Floor, published in June 2015, what discussions the Government has had with the devolved administrations on that report’s findings that children from better-off families are hoarding opportunities in the education system and in the labour market.
Nick Boles
There have been no discussions with devolved administrations specifically in relation to this report.
However, it should be noted that many key levers for improving social mobility such as apprenticeships, traineeships and higher education have some degree of devolution across the UK and so policy decisions on these issues should be referred to the relevant devolved administration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusion of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Report entitled, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2015, that the rise in homeless households from 40,000 to 53,000 between 2009-10 and 2014-15 was primarily due to families reaching the end of their private rented tenancies.
Brandon Lewis
One person without a home is one too many. The Government has invested over £500 million since 2010, enabling local authorities to help 935,800 households from becoming homeless.
But there is more to do to prevent homelessness and we are working with homelessness organisations and across departments to consider options, including legislation, to prevent more people from becoming homeless in the first place including as a result of the ending of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding has been allocated to apprenticeships in each year since 2010.
Nick Boles
The following table shows actual spending figures for apprenticeships in England for Financial Years 2010-2014
|
£K |
FY2010-11 |
FY2011-12 |
FY2012-13 |
FY2013-14 |
FY2014-15 |
|
16 to18 inclusive |
744,870 |
758,966 |
670,211 |
717,575 |
783,198 |
|
19 and over |
450,880 |
624,602 |
753,886 |
737,022 |
776,573 |
|
TOTAL |
1,195,750 |
1,383,568 |
1,424,097 |
1,454,597 |
1,559,771 |
Responsibility for the Apprenticeship Programme is shared between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which funds adult apprenticeships (19+) and the Department for Education which funds 16-18 year olds.
The apprenticeships levy will put apprenticeship funding on an even more sustainable footing and improve the technical and professional skills of the workforce, which is an important component of productivity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-04-18.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the potential price per share at sale of the Government’s 73 per cent stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland compared to the amount paid per share in 2008.
Harriett Baldwin
The Government will conduct further sales of RBS shares subject to market conditions, and in doing so will maximise value for the taxpayer.
The OBR presented an estimate of future proceeds in the March 2016 Budget.