Tag: Wayne David

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that every property has an Energy Performance Certificate by 2020.

James Wharton

An Energy Performance Certificate must be made available whenever a building is sold, rented out or constructed. There are currently no plans to introduce a requirement for every property to have an Energy Performance Certificate, since this would introduce an unnecessary additional burden on building owners and landlords.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations she has made to energy companies to ensure they pass on reductions in the wholesale price of gas and electricity to the consumer.

Andrea Leadsom

DECC ministers and officials meet with energy companies on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.

The government expects suppliers to make sure any reductions in the costs of supplying energy are passed to consumers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with the utility companies on contributions to the cost of Energy Performance Certificates.

James Wharton

This Department has not had any discussions with utility companies about contributing to the cost of Energy Performance Certificates.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what security checks her Department carries out on refugees from Syria who are admitted to the UK.

Mr John Hayes

The Syrian nationals admitted to the UK under the UNHCR Resettlement Programme are some of the most vulnerable displaced people and they are taken directly from the region.

We take security extremely seriously in cases referred to us for resettlement, working closely with the UNHCR who have their own robust identification processes in place. When refugees arrive in the UK they have been through a thorough two-stage vetting process to ensure we know who is entering the country. This includes the taking of biometric data, documentation verification and interviews. Potential resettlement cases are screened and considered by the Home Office for suitability for entry to the UK: we retain the right to reject individuals on security, war crimes or other grounds. For reasons of national security, we cannot provide further information on the details of the screening process itself.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what insurance cover her Department and police forces make available for special constables who are injured on duty and require long-term compensation for loss of earnings.

Mike Penning

In order to ensure that special constables have legal protection, the Home Office provides legal assistance cover currently through Arc Legal Assistance. This is available to all special constables, free of charge, and includes personal injury cover including financial compensation for damages. It also includes cover for legal advice as well as representation at criminal proceedings.

The Government recognise the importance of police welfare. In October 2014 we allocated £10 million to help support emergency services personnel and volunteers, focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support for those who need it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department carries out of the needs of Syrian refugees who are admitted to the UK to ensure they receive the support they need.

Richard Harrington

The UNHCR identifies refugees for potential resettlement under the Syrian VPR scheme using their vulnerability criteria. Once our security processes have been completed, a full medical assessment is conducted by the International Organisation for Migration in the host country. Local Authorities are provided with case details of all referrals so they can consider whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure appropriate care and integration of refugees.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department has set to ensure that people who carry out personal independence payment assessments for Capita are fully qualified medically.

Justin Tomlinson

All Health Professionals (HPs) undertaking assessments on behalf of DWP must be registered practitioners who have also met requirements around training, experience and competence.

Approval to work as an HP must be conferred by the DWP Chief Medical Adviser on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

For the delivery of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, they must be an occupational therapist, level 1 nurse, physiotherapist, paramedic or doctor. They must also be fully registered and have at least two years’ post full-registration experience.

In addition to their profession, the Department recognises the importance of ensuring that individuals also have sufficient experience, skills and training to carry out their duties and PIP providers are required to ensure that the HPs carrying out assessments have knowledge of the clinical aspects and likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments. This means that all HPs receive comprehensive training in disability analysis which includes a functional evaluation as to how medical conditions and the long-term medical treatment of those conditions affect an individual’s ability to perform day-to-day activities. Prior to carrying out an assessment the HP routinely refreshes their knowledge of any condition with which they are not fully familiar.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 2.149 of the Spending Review, where he expects job cuts in his Department; and how many such jobs he expects to be cut.

Dominic Raab

The Secretary of State for Justice has set out his vision for a one nation justice system, with swift and certain justice in a reformed courts system and transformed prisons that become places of rehabilitation, not just incarceration. Those on the frontline will be empowered to make the right decisions for those who use their services.

This means a smaller and smarter Whitehall department with less bureaucracy, including savings which do not impact on staff numbers, such as changes to our estate, our major contracts and better use of technology.

We also expect to reduce headquarters and administrative headcount and costs over the course of the parliament. This will include reduced reliance on contractors and contingent labour and fewer staff based in expensive London premises.

Final decisions on the scale of staff reductions have not yet been reached.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 1.143 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what the evidential basis is for the statement that whiplash claims cost the country £2 billion per year.

Dominic Raab

The government received and analysed data from numerous sources when formulating the announcement in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. The quoted figures were arrived at by combining published industry estimates along with data from government and other sources.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many whiplash claims there have been in each of the last five years.

Dominic Raab

Government data is compiled by the Compensation Recovery Unit at the Department for Work and Pensions. The figures for the number of whiplash claims are shown in the table below:

Year	Total Motor PI Claims	Total Whiplash (including claims for neck and back)
2010/11	790,000	740,000
2011/12	830,000	760,000
2012/13	820,000	750,000
2013/14	770,000	700,000
2014/15	760,000	690,000

The Government remains concerned about the number of claims and the impact they have on motor insurance premiums. Despite an overall decrease since 2011/12, claims volumes are still at historically high levels, being some 50% higher than in 2006. In his Autumn Statement the Chancellor therefore announced tough new measures to control costs and reduce the number of unnecessary whiplash claims made.