Tag: Steve Reed

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of adults with autism are in full-time employment; and what steps his Department is taking to help adults on the autism spectrum into work.

Justin Tomlinson

Government does not collect data specifically on employment rates for people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC).

Estimates are available from the National Autistic Society (NAS), who suggest that 15% of working age people with autism are in full time employment.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is taking a number of steps to help adults on the autism spectrum into work, including:

• the development of an Autism/ Hidden Impairment Network across Jobcentre Plus;
• the expansion of the Access to Work Mental Health specialist advisory team to cover people with autism and associated hidden impairment conditions;
• work to implement autism specific opportunities on LMS, Jobcentre Plus’s IT system;
• the introduction of a Job-Shadowing Work Placement Initiative for young disabled people (65% of participants in the first tranche had autistic spectrum conditions)
• The formation of an Autism Taskforce involving disability organisations and disabled people.

DWP has worked in close partnership with the Hidden Impairment National Group (HING) to produce an ‘Uncovering Hidden Impairments’ toolkit, which helps employers to recruit and retain people with hidden impairment conditions.

DWP is fully committed to the Government’s Autism Strategy. The latest progress report on the Autism Strategy can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-report-on-strategy-for-adults-with-autism

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s weekly collection support scheme; whether that scheme is still in use; and how many local authorities were awarded funding through that scheme.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Department’s Weekly Collection Support Scheme has been a success. It has protected weekly collections of residual waste for 6 million households and demonstrated how councils with weekly collections can deliver cost-effective, convenient waste services for residents while seeing their recycling rates increase. Light-touch monitoring of the scheme has ensured councils are spending money on the projects set out in their bids, and has captured good practice. The 81 local authorities awarded funding through the scheme are expected to monitor and evaluate the performance of their projects and to volunteer to make that data publicly available.

While the scheme’s funding was allocated over the course of three years (2012-15), the scheme runs for five years and comes to an end in November 2017.

This Government continues to encourage councils to support the wishes of local people about regularity of bin collections and champions frequent and convenient waste collections which protect the environment and public health.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of Disclosure and Barring Service checks in London were completed within the 60-day maximum in the last 12 months.

Karen Bradley

85% of all Enhanced Disclosures for applicants with a London postcode were completed within 60 days in the last twelve months (May 2015 – April 2016).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will extend the Help to Buy scheme to enable first-time buyers to buy property off-plan in order to avoid being priced out by foreign investors.

Gavin Barwell

The Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme has enabled over 81,000 households to purchase a new-build home, to March 2016. The Government has committed a further £8.6 billion to the scheme, to provide up to 145,000 further homes by March 2021. Under London Help to Buy, which was launched in February 2016, equity loans of up to 40% are now supporting increasing numbers of first time home buyers.

Under the scheme, buyers can already make reservations up to 9 months before sale completion of a home. In practice, they can buy off-plan, before the property has actually been built. In line with usual industry practice, they can also take on a mortgage offer up to 6 months before completion.

Homes can only be purchased through Help to Buy for a primary residence: they can only be bought by persons who will live in the home. They cannot be bought by investors who live abroad and then leave homes empty or sub-let them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has spent any money on advertising the Northern Powerhouse policy since May 2015.

James Wharton

There has been no advertising spend by the Department for Communities and Local Government on the Northern Powerhouse policy since May 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the potential size of any gap in adult social care funding in 2020.

Mr Marcus Jones

The latest Spending Review sets out a sustainable basis for local authorities to discharge their functions. The Government outlined a £3.5 billion package of support to ensure councils are able to support some of their older and most vulnerable residents.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service were made by people living in London in the last 12 months.

Karen Bradley

The total number of certificates issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service to applicants with a London postcode in the year ending 31 May 2016 was 720,832.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many neonatal units meet the standard for overnight accommodation for parents as recommended in paragraph 3.11 of the Toolkit for High-Quality Neonatal Services, published by his Department in 2009.

Mr Philip Dunne

NHS England does not currently hold this level of information centrally, however it is being considered for collection in future.

Ensuring the very best and safest care for sick babies and their parents during what may be the most difficult time of their lives is absolutely essential.

This Government is absolutely committed to improving maternity and neonatal care which is why we have set out our intention to halve the number of neonatal deaths, stillbirths, maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2030 and have invested millions in training for staff, new safety equipment and facilities in hospitals for new families, as well as help to drive improvements in perinatal mental health.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times the Ministerial Committee for Syrian Refugees has met.

Richard Harrington

The Ministerial Committee for Syrian Refugees has met on three occasions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent on promotional material and publicity for (a) Community Clear Up Day in 2015 and (b) Clean for the Queen in 2016.

Mr Marcus Jones

In March 2015, communities across the country rolled up their sleeves and got behind a nationwide spring clean in order to spruce up our favourite public places. The Department for Communities and Local Government spearheaded this initiative and it was a success with several hundred clear-ups arranged by grassroots activists including community and faith groups, councils and parishes, and schools and sports teams.

The Department spent £5,000 on solid, consistent branding for Community Clear Up Day which was clearly government backed, making the campaign recognisable for key stakeholders and the public alike.

It also spent £5,000 on promoting Community Clear Up Day through Facebook. Having ownership of social media ensured the Department was able to engage with the public effectively, and be proactive and responsive when necessary in its social communications.

In March 2016, the Clean for the Queen campaign, spearheaded by Keep Britain Tidy and backed by organisations including the Women’s Institute, the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, was the biggest community-led clean-up the country has ever seen. Following the success of utilising Facebook for Community Clear Up Day, the Department for Communities and Local Government, in order to support the initiative, again spent £5,000 on this method of engaging with stakeholders and local communities.