Tag: Stephen Timms

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-05.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice his Department provides to employers on how to respond when advised by an employee that the Department for Work and Pensions has determined that their universal credit award has been affected by that employer’s incorrect PAYE real time information submission.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions continually monitor the quality of Real Time Information. Where a claimant disputes the earnings details used in the Universal Credit calculation, in the first instance the employer will work with the employee to understand the cause of the discrepancy and put it right. If HMRC need to be involved then they will contact the employer to identify the cause of the error and, if appropriate, arrange for the returns to be corrected, as well as working with the employer to ensure errors do not re-occur.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals have been on the staff of the European Commission in each year since 2010.

Mr David Lidington

Whilst the European Commission provides staffing numbers by nationality they do not break them down between permanent and temporary agents. In total the numbers of UK nationals employed by the European Commission in each year since 2010 is:

April 2010: 1284
April 2011: 1162
April 2012: 1134
April 2013: 1079
April 2014: 1053
April 2015: 1008

The latest figure available is for Feb 2016 and is 982.

UK representation has been falling across EU institutions as UK officials retire and are not replaced by the same number of new UK entrants. The Government is committed to reversing this picture, recognising that this will require a sustained effort. The EU Staffing Unit, established in April 2013, promotes EU careers across the UK and supports candidates through the application process. It has increased secondments in positions of strategic importance to the UK. The European Fast Stream within the Civil Service has also been re-launched

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2016 to Question 38408, what the budget of the European Fast Stream was in each year since 2010.

Matthew Hancock

The European Fast Stream was re-established in 2010 with the dual aim of increasing UK representation in the EU institutions, as well as building EU capability. It has been managed centrally by Civil Service Resourcing since 2014. The budget for the European Fast Stream for each year since 2010 is set out below:

Financial Year	Budget
2010/11	£713,000
2011/12	£713,000
2012/13	£756,000
2013/14	£821,000
2014/15	£771,000
2015/16	£795,000

This is the specific EFS budget, it does not include the employment costs for individuals which are met by central charging to departments who are hosting fast streamers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to reduce the gap in apprenticeship completion rates for people who are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

Nick Boles

We want to increase the quantity and quality of all apprenticeships, including for people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

Our far-reaching reforms are improving the quality of all apprenticeships. We have insisted that they must all be paid jobs with substantial training, develop transferable skills and have a minimum 12 months’ duration. The Institute for Apprenticeships is being created to ensure the quality of apprenticeship standards in England.

Information on apprenticeship completion rates is published in the National Achievement Rate Tables: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/sfa-national-achievement-rates-tables-2014-to-2015

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether anyone over 25 who is participating in an apprenticeship is entitled to the National Living Wage.

Margot James

Apprentices aged 25 and over who have completed the first year of an apprenticeship must be paid at least the National Living Wage, currently set at £7.20.

More information on the National Living Wage is available here – https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of apprentices who are of an ethnic minority.

Robert Halfon

In 2014/15, 10.6% of those starting an apprenticeship had a BAME background.

The Government is committed to increasing the proportion of apprentices from a BAME background by 20% by 2020.

We want to increase the quality and quantity of all apprenticeships, including for those from a black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) background.

We have taken action through our current marketing campaign, ‘Get in Go Far’ to ensure that there is clear representation from BAME apprentices. Research undertaken prior to the campaign ensured that it could reach a diverse audience. In addition, we have established a network of employer Diversity Champions, who are committed to sharing good practice and raising awareness of apprenticeships amongst employers.

Research has been commissioned to explore potential barriers that BAME applicants for apprenticeships face so that we can provide support to improve the rates of success for this group. We have started detailed analysis of apprenticeship data to identify areas of under-representation and areas of potential for growth. We are currently developing options to take forward.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what date he expects the full roll-out of universal credit to be completed.

Damian Hinds

The next stages of the delivery of Universal Credit were set out by the Work and Pensions Secretary in a Written Statement to Parliament on 20 July which can be found at:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2016-07-20/HLWS98/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the announcement made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 10 October 2016 that the Government plans to provide training in basic digital skills for adults, what funding her Department has allocated for that purpose; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Halfon

Through a new statutory duty, the Digital Economy Bill will enable the Secretary of State to ensure that, in England, an adult aged 19 or over, who is considered to lack basic digital skills and is studying for a relevant publicly funded digital skills qualification, will not be charged for that training. The costs will be met by the existing Adult Education Budget. The Adult Education Budget is £1.5 billion in 2016-17, with indicative projections remaining at this level up to 2019-20.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2015 to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey to Question 9852, by when his Department will be able to form a reliable estimate of the number of disability living allowance recipients who are Motability users who will not qualify for the enhanced rate of the personal independence payment mobility component.

Justin Tomlinson

We expect to be able to form a reliable estimate once a significant proportion of working-age Disability Living Allowance recipients have been reassessed for the Personal Independence Payment. Over 1.75 million claimants require reassessing; as of July 2015 circa 186,900 had been reassessed.

As referenced in our previous reply of 16 September 2015, DWP will continue to pay DLA for four weeks after the decision not to pay PIP enhanced mobility component is made. The Motability charity has confirmed that claimants can keep their car for up to three weeks after DLA payments end. This means that claimants will retain their car for up to nearly two months even though they are not entitled to PIP enhanced mobility component.

In addition, the Department has worked closely with Motability to ensure that those claimants who no longer meet the criteria for the Motability Scheme are supported through the transitional period. For most of these claimants who entered into their first lease agreement with Motability before January 2013, Motability will provide transitional support of £2,000. This will enable many claimants to continue to meet their mobility needs by purchasing a used car. For claimants who entered into their first lease agreement with the scheme after January 2013 and up to December 2013, Motability will supply transitional support of £1,000 to assist with mobility costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Trussell Trust on the placement of Jobcentre Plus advisers in foodbanks.

Priti Patel

Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches already undertake outreach work every day in local communities. Work Coaches recently began offering back-to-back support in the Lalley Centre in Manchester. Early feedback has been positive. We will reflect on this, and consider if there is potential for expansion