Tag: Stephen Timms

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department first submitted the Universal Credit Strategic Outline Business Case to HM Treasury.

Esther McVey

The initial Universal Credit Strategic Outline Business Case was shared with HM Treasury in March 2011. Further iterations have been shared since, as is usual practice, and an updated draft of the overall Strategic Outline Business Case, covering the full life-time of the Programme up to 2023/24, was sent to HM Treasury in December 2013.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has approved the UC Strategic Outline Business Case plans for the remainder of this Parliament (2014-15) as per the ministerial announcement (5 December 2013, Official Report, column 65WS)—link to WMS:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131205/wmstext/131205m0001.htm#column_65ws

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his strategy for testing approaches to universal credit in-work conditionality includes testing employer involvement in the application of conditionality.

Esther McVey

There are no plans to test employer involvement in the application of conditionality.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what targets his Department has is place for processing customer claims for (a) income support, (b) jobseeker’s allowance, (c) employment and support allowance and (d) universal credit.

Esther McVey

The Department currently uses a suite of measures to track and manage the timeliness of processing for the range of benefits it administers. These measures are supported by business information systems and used to help manage and improve performance. Going forward, the Department plans to retain these measurements for working age benefits and is developing a processing time measure for Universal Credit along similar lines.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have been sanctioned in each month since October 2013.

Esther McVey

The information requested is not currently available.

The Department published its strategy for releasing official statistics on Universal Credit (UC) in September 2013 which can be found at :

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

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what dates and in what locations the universal credit in work pilots are due to start.

Esther McVey

We will launch the first in-work progression Randomised Controlled Trial in Universal Credit in April 2015, subject to securing the necessary piloting regulations.

The trial will initially start in 10 Universal Credit sites and extend to further sites in the North West later in 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of raising the participation age on the take up of apprenticeships by 16 to 19 year olds.

Nick Boles

The latest participation data shows there was an increase in the proportion of 16-18 year olds taking an apprenticeship in 2013/14. The proportion of 16 year olds – the first cohort affected by the raising of the participation age (RPA) – was unchanged. Participation data for 2014/15 is not yet available

There are a number of factors that may affect the take up of apprenticeships, and no assessment has been made of the distinct impact of the introduction of RPA.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what budget was set for the youth contract in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Esther McVey

Following the Youth Contract launch in 2012-13, the Department has set the following budgets:

12/13 – £260m

13/14 – £196.3m

14/15 – £183.8m

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of applying in work conditionality once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Esther McVey

No estimate of the cost of applying in work conditionality has been made as this will be determined using the findings of the in-work progression trials that are due to begin in April 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of raising the participation age on the level of youth unemployment.

Esther McVey

Raising the participation age was legislated for in 2008 with the aim of ensuring young people have the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in the workplace. The number of young people in work is increasing, up by over 100,000 in the last year and by over 125,000 since 2010. A higher participation age should help to cut youth unemployment in the short-term, as it means more young people are studying full-time, and in the longer term, by increasing the level of skills and qualifications of the workforce. Over the last year 16-17 year olds and 18-24 year olds have both seen significant falls in unemployment, with unemployment down both for those studying full-time and for those who have left full-time education. During 2014 overall youth unemployment recorded the largest annual fall on record and the youth claimant count has now fallen for 38 consecutive months.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on the youth contract in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

Esther McVey

The spend on Youth Contract since it was launched in April 2012 is as follows:

2012/13 – £85.8m

2013/14 – £210.3m