The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the additional cost to his Department in the last year of appeal hearings at the First Tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) which were adjourned because the Department of Work and Pensions did not send a representative in the last 12 months.
Mike Penning
The information requested is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a bedroom which is currently unusable pending repairs by a social landlord is included by his Department in its assessment of whether a household under-occupying accommodation.
Justin Tomlinson
This is a matter between the claimant and the landlord and we would always advise claimants in this situation to contact their landlord in the first instance.
Some landlords may choose to reduce the rent whilst the bedroom is uninhabitable others may not. The reduction that applies for under-occupation depends on whether the rent has been reduced to reflect that the property temporarily has one less bedroom.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 33687, what new investment which is in line with the Collaborative TB Strategy for England has been made to deliver (a) TB awareness raising, (b) TB case finding and screening and (c) treatment for (i) homeless people and (ii) other under-served sectors of the population.
Jane Ellison
Public Health England has resourced a National Tuberculosis (TB) Office to support implementation of the Collaborative TB Strategy for England, including working with stakeholders on awareness raising and case finding and treatment. The National TB Office is also overseeing the work of a Task and Finish group, which is looking at how to tackle the needs of those with TB in under-served populations, including homeless people. The group will present their findings to the National TB Programme in the autumn. Currently, however, there is no new investment being specifically targeted at the homeless population.
NHS England has provided new investment, £10 million in 2015/16 and a further £10 million for 2016/17, to support latent TB infection testing and treatment which includes funding for TB awareness raising and TB case finding and treatment. The latter service is of particular relevance to the homeless population.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what checks his Department makes on PAYE real time information data before it is forwarded to the Department for Work and Pensions to calculate universal credit.
Mr David Gauke
Data validation rules are built in to stop obvious errors at the point of filing. In addition, there are matching rules built within the system to ensure that the information matches to the correct customer. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions continually monitor the quality of Real Time Information to understand errors. HMRC uses this information to support customer education and if appropriate develop system enhancements to prevent errors occurring.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what opportunities his Department offers to trainee soldiers aged under 18 to resit GCSEs as part of their elective personal development.
Mark Lancaster
Army junior entry training provides for educational opportunities up to the equivalent of AS level. The Army is ensuring that it remains aligned with ongoing changes in the state education sector and balancing these with the career development needs of its people and capability development requirements. All junior soldiers undertake a substantial education programme irrespective of their previous attainment and will progress in their functional skills, to be prepared better for employment whilst in service and beyond. In addition to its comprehensive provision of functional skills education, the Army is looking at the future provision of GCSE mathematics and English re-takes for those junior soldiers who narrowly miss the new Level 4 standard (currently A-C on the existing qualifications and credits framework), as well as other options to fulfil the academic potential of those already at the national GCSE standard.
Opportunities to resit full GCSE qualifications while in standard entry initial training for under 18s are limited as the programme is intensive. However, within their training programme individuals do undertake functional skills, a programme of learning in English, mathematics and information and communication technology at either Levels 1 or 2 as appropriate.
Following training, elective personal development opportunities are actively encouraged by the Army, including academic qualifications such as GCSEs, for which employer funding is available through the standard and enhanced learning credits schemes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals were employed at Director level in the European Commission in each year since 2010.
Mr David Lidington
Director level equivalent in the European Commission is classed as officials working at Administrator grade AD14 – AD15. According to statistics published by the European Commission, the numbers of British officials working at these levels in the European Commission since 2010 are as follows:
2010: 70
2011: 55
2012: 59
2013: 49
2014: 50
2015: 51
2016: 59
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department takes to vet directors of multi-academy trusts; and if she will make a statement.
Edward Timpson
Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) are responsible for appointing trustees with the right skills to deliver their functions effectively. Our model articles require MATs to ensure that both trustees and those serving on any local governing bodies at individual academies within the MAT have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. MATs’ Articles of Association also set out the circumstances by which someone is disqualified from being a trustee, including conviction of a criminal offence or bankruptcy. A trustee can be removed by the board under the Companies Act 2006.
Regional Schools Commissioners check that the trustees of a MAT have the necessary skills and expertise before the funding agreement of an academy or free school joining the MAT is signed. We may also conduct checks to make an assessment of a MAT trustee’s suitability, where deemed necessary. The Secretary of State can bar a person from taking part in the management of a MAT under the Education Act 2008.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Apprenticeship Levy on the (a) changes made by and (b) finances of employment businesses that supply temporary workers.
Nick Boles
An impact note on the apprenticeship levy is available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy/apprenticeship-levy.
The levy will apply to all employers in all sectors with a paybill above £3million with no exceptions.
The Government will support all employers in using the levy funds to invest in apprenticeships and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills is working with employers to create apprenticeships across all sectors.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce his planning decision on the proposed expansion of London City Airport.
Sajid Javid
My Department has published a target date for issuing this decision of 28 September. My Department aims to reach all planning decisions ahead of target dates where possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to review the tariffs imposed on cane sugar imports in the course of negotiations on exiting the EU; and if she will make a statement.
George Eustice
We are preparing for negotiations to exit the EU. As part of these preparations, we will consider future trading relationships with both the EU and internationally. Tariffs on agricultural commodities, such as the level of sugar tariffs, will be one element of this work.