Tag: Roger Godsiff

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward proposals to make apprentices who earn below earning thresholds eligible for statutory sick pay.

Mike Penning

There is no intention to increase the financial burden on business and extend the qualifying rules for Statutory Sick Pay to bring apprentices earning below the lower earnings level into eligibility. An apprentice earning below the lower earnings limit will, in line with other employees on a low income, continue to have access to Employment and Support Allowance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken in response to the recent violence in the Central African Republic.

Mark Simmonds

The UK is working closely with international partners to ensure an effective and co-ordinated international response to the current humanitarian and security crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR). The UK will continue to work with the AU and UN to ensure the effectiveness of the AU mission as well as the effective deployment of a UN Peacekeeping Operation. The UK has also provided airlifts to help with deployment of the EU security mission (EUFOR); has provided a planning officer to the Operational Headquarters; and is providing a share of EUFOR’s common costs as well as engaging with EU Partners on EUFOR’s approach and rules of engagement. We remain the second largest provider of humanitarian aid, having given £23 million since the crisis began. I last discussed with interim President Catherine Samba-Panza on 23 May.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will increase the minimum rate of pay for apprentices from £2.68 per hour to £2.96 per hour.

Jenny Willott

This Government is fully committed to the National Minimum Wage set by the independent Low Pay Commission at a level that maximises the wages of the low paid without damaging their employment prospects by setting it too high.

We ask the Low Pay Commission to consider the evidence and recommend the National Minimum Wage rates, to achieve this.

This Government has accepted an above inflation increase in the NMW including an increase in the apprentice rate from £2.68 to £2.73. The increase will come into effect on 1 October 2014 and will provide low paid workers with the biggest cash increase in their pay packets since 2008.

The Low Pay Commission has judged that a higher increase in the minimum wage would risk damaging employment prospects for the lowest paid.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to check all lorries containing live animals for export at UK ports.

George Eustice

The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) takes a risk based approach to vehicle inspection in relation to exports of livestock for slaughter. The Government has no plans to change this approach.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has given to the tribunals service of how many appeals will be brought by universal credit claimants in each of the next five years.

Esther McVey

We announced our plans for the implementation of Universal Credit on 5 December, and these were set out in a written ministerial statement Official Report 5 Dec 2013, Column 65WS. The WMS can be found here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131205/wmstext/131205m0001.htm#13120551000006

Official statistics on Universal Credit were most recently published on 14th May and can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics

Our estimates of the number of appeals will depend on the details of the migration schedule which will be determined in due course.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Capita have been given additional funding to deal with backlogs of personal independence payments assessments.

Mike Penning

1)The information is commercial in confidence.

2) The Department regularly meets with both Assessment Providers to discuss performance. Failure to meet contractual obligations will result in the Department applying service credits (financial remedies) in line with the contract.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 14 May 2014, Official Report, column 635W, on schools: land, in what circumstances he (a) would and (b) would not exercise his powers to protect public land when an academy closes entirely.

Mr Edward Timpson

My Rt hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may need to make a determination in order to protect the public investment in the land where the land ceases, or will cease, to be used for an academy. The Secretary of State will consider a range of factors, including:

1. the degree of public investment in the land and the degree of any enhancement to the value attributable to that investment;

2. the degree of private investment in the land and the degree of any enhancement to the value attributable to that investment;

3. the length of time that the land has been in public use;

4. the value of the land at the date of determination.

Additional protections for school playing fields would continue to apply, as set out in published guidance, which is available at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.