Tag: Stephen Timms

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the loss of local authorities’ access to housing benefit claim data on their ability to target services and support tenants effectively; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson

Local authorities are the data owners of Housing Benefit data. DWP shares customer data with local authorities in order for them to assess claims more effectively and quickly and to help them to keep claims right. We have contingency arrangements in place, should those interfaces fail.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her policy that local stakeholders will be able to express views on proposals to require a school to convert to academy status.

Edward Timpson

Since launching our proposals in the White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere, the Government has listened to feedback from all stakeholders with an interest in the proposals, and will continue to do so.

Under the Academies Act 2010, governing bodies of schools who wish to convert to academy status must consult formally about their plans with anyone who has an interest in the school. This will include staff members and parents, but should also involve pupils and the wider local community. Where a school is failing or otherwise eligible for intervention there is no requirement to consult, but the proposed sponsor of the new academy is under a duty to communicate their plans to improve the school to parents.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what dates the Regional School Commissioners Strategy Forum has met.

Edward Timpson

The minutes and agendas of the Regional School Commissioners (RSC) Strategy Forum are for internal use and are not published.

The RSCs meet monthly for the RSC Strategy Forum. The dates on which these meetings have taken place are as follows:

RSC Strategy forum dates

16/09/2014

14/10/2014

11/11/2014

16/12/2014

06/01/2015

10/02/2015

10/03/2015

02/04/2015

21/04/2015

14/05/2015

23/06/2015

14/07/2015

18/08/2015

09/09/2015

06/10/2015

11/11/2015

09/12/2015

13/01/2016

10/02/2016

09/03/2016

06/04/2016

04/05/2016

08/06/2016

06/07/2016

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which multi academy trusts have taken on new academies in the 2016-17 financial year to date.

Edward Timpson

A list of academies that have opened this financial year together with their trust information is attached and available through the department’s Edubase site at: http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml

Regional Schools Commissioners take very seriously all decisions to allow a trust to take on additional schools.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications from maintained schools to convert to academy status were (a) approved and (b) declined by each regional schools commissioner in 2015.

Edward Timpson

The table below shows the total number of applications received in 2015 from Local Authority maintained schools and how many of these were subsequently approved or declined. The information is split by the RSC region in which the schools are located. Please note that the decision to approve or decline may in some instances have been made by ministers.

RSC region	Total number of applications received in 2015	Number of applications received in 2015 that were approved	Number of applications received in 2015 that were declined
East Midlands & Humber	59	43	3
Lancashire & West Yorkshire	42	35	1
North	63	49	0
North East London & East	55	55	0
North West London & South Central	55	52	0
South London & South East	56	49	1
South West	90	74	0
West Midlands	113	100	1
Total	533	457	6

A small number of applications received in 2015 have been withdrawn or not yet decided.

The data is correct as at 1 July 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with how many local authorities his Department has worked to improve budgeting advice for universal credit claimants.

Damian Hinds

Universal Credit has introduced Personal Budgeting Support to provide budgeting and money advice to claimants as part of Universal Support provisions. We have engaged with all 380 local authorities in delivering this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-10-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to help reduce long-term unemployment.

Damian Hinds

The number of people in employment is increasing and the latest figures show that the employment rate has remained at the record high of 74.5%. There are more people in work than ever before (31.81 million) – up 106,000 on the quarter and 560,000 on the year.

The number of long term unemployment is 443,000 – the lowest level since 2008.

Universal Credit, the Work Programme and the Jobcentre Plus Offer, is reforming the welfare system to improve incentives and provide more effective support to those without work.

Work Coaches have the flexibility to offer all claimants a comprehensive menu of help which includes skills provision and job search support. All claimants who are long term unemployed can access the tailored, back to work support on offer from the Work Programme, which provides support for those who are more at risk of long-term unemployment.

An Employment and Health Related Service is being launched in 2017. The Work and Health Programme is a new programme that will harness the expertise of private, public, voluntary and community sector providers to deliver sustained work for disabled people, disadvantaged groups and the long term unemployed.

There is also to be a new Youth Obligation from April 2017. From day 1 of their claim, young people will participate in an intensive support regime equipping them with vital skills to not only find a job, but build capability to sustain work. After six months they will be expected to apply for an appropriate apprenticeship, a traineeship, gain work skills or go on a mandatory work placement to give them the opportunities they need to get on in work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria he will use to decide whether to extend the placement of jobcentre advisers in food banks beyond the current pilot.

Priti Patel

Jobcentre Work Coaches undertake outreach work every day in local communities, and have recently been helping people with back-to-work support and advice at the Lalley Centre in Manchester. Early feedback has been very positive. We will reflect on this and see if there is potential for extending engagement where there is local need and Jobcentre Plus are invited to do so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Lancet Commission on liver disease, published in November 2014.

Jane Ellison

NHS England is responsible for the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes for people with liver disease. It is adopting a broad strategy to reduce premature mortality, including mortality from liver disease, and is working jointly with stakeholders to make sure that patients with liver disease are supported. In addition, Public Health England is working with stakeholders to develop a liver disease framework and is also working closely with the Lancet Commission.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) advisers and (b) managers were interviewed during the course of the investigation which led to the dismissal of two advisers at Plaistow Jobcentre in May 2014.

Priti Patel

Allegations of misuse of the Flexible Support Fund at Plaistow Jobcentre were investigated fully by the Department’s professionally trained investigators. It is not appropriate for the Secretary of State to disclose detailed information about internal investigations as providing this information would risk individuals being identified.