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50210

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to deal with websites offering services to customers wishing to apply for a blue badge parking permit, and which are not associated with the Blue Badge Improvement Service.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6928
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>To obtain a Blue Badge in England applicants can apply directly via the Gov.UK website or to the relevant local authority. Successful applicants will be charged no more than £10.</p><p> </p><p>The Government's contractor, Northgate Public Services, has taken a number of positive steps to raise awareness about unauthorised websites. These include issuing a press release warning people about dubious websites, issuing a Bulletin to all local authorities so that they can warn residents, providing advice and awareness to charitable organisations representing disabled people, and ensuring staff at the national Blue Badge support helpline are able to advise the public accordingly.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

50211

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to close the employment gap for disabled people since the ending of the quota system in 1995; and how progress is being monitored.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6929
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The disability employment gap has reduced. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey data is used to measure the employment rate gap between working age disabled people and the total working age population.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to ensuring that all disabled people have the opportunities and support that they need to get a job and to remain in work. There is a range of provision to provide this support including the Work Programme, Access to Work and Work Choice programmes. Further, in December 2013, the Government published ‘the disability and health employment strategy: the discussion so far'.</p><p> </p><p>A new Health and Work Service (HWS) is being developed to provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GP's to help individuals with a health condition to stay in or return to work.The intention is to introduce the service by the end of 2014.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2013, The Prime Minister launched the Disability Confident Campaign to help increase employer confidence in recruiting and retaining disabled people as part of a diverse workforce, and to provide opportunities for employers and organisations to share learning and good practice.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

50212

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Jobcentre Plus: Training
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what training is provided on disability awareness to staff in Jobcentre Plus offices as part of the public sector equality duty; and what steps are being taken to ensure that awareness by staff of obligations under the duty is improving.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6930
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>DWP, in partnership with Civil Service Learning, provides a wide range of diversity and disability learning opportunities for staff.</p><p> </p><p>The ‘Equality and Diversity Essentials' package provides an overview of the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty and covers disability for customers and employees. The learning is targeted at all new employees as part of induction and as a refresher for other staff.</p><p> </p><p>DWP offers a follow up ‘Disability Awareness' course. This aims to build the confidence of managers to give effective support to disabled employees.</p><p> </p><p>DWP customer facing staff are trained in the skills required to support a range of claimants and to respect their individual needs. This approach ensures they are skilled to deal with a diverse set of circumstances, whilst treating everyone as individuals. Jobcentre Advisers, in particular, have access to a comprehensive training programme which focuses on raising awareness of the individual's personal circumstances, including disabilities, and also recognises that those circumstances can affect individuals in different ways.</p><p> </p><p>The Department regularly participates in external benchmarking activity to measure and improve performance for disabled staff, customers and service users. 2013 results showed a significant improvement in performance from 2012.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

50213

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as part of the requirement to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, accessible toilets at Jobcentre Plus offices are available for the use of claimants with disabilities.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6931
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Where there is a medical need, our policy is to allow claimants to use toilet facilities in our Jobcentres, subject to constraints in certain locations caused by the layout of the building and keeping people safe. We consider that this policy complies with the requirement under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

50214

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that accessible toilets for disabled people in buildings other than private dwellings comply with published national standards.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6932
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>In buildings other than dwellings, Part M of the Building Regulations requires that reasonable provision is made for accessible toilets where relevant types of building work are undertaken. Statutory guidance on how that can be achieved is contained in <em>Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings)</em>. The building control body is responsible for ensuring that relevant building work complies with this requirement.</p><p> </p><p>Provisions in the Equality Act 2010 require employers and those providing a service to the public or carrying out a public function to make a “reasonable adjustment”, so that disabled people are not placed at a “substantial disadvantage” compared to non-disabled people. Ultimately, only a court can decide what is “reasonable” in any particular case. However, Part 4 of the Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010, prescribes circumstances in which it is not reasonable for such a body to remove or alter a physical feature which was provided in or in connection with a building to assist with access to the building or the use of facilities and which satisfy the relevant design standard. The Schedule to these Regulations provides details of how to determine whether the design standard is satisfied, and refers to design considerations and provisions in Approved Document M.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

50215

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many car parking companies which are members of the British Parking Association have been refused access to keeper data by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency since the introduction of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6933
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>29 members of the British Parking Association have been suspended from having access to vehicle keeper data since the introduction of the Act in 2012.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

50216

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to increase the tax-free allowance given to individuals who rent out a room in their property.
tabling member printed	Baroness Scott of Needham Market
uin	HL6934
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>The Government currently has no plans to increase the threshold for rent a room relief.</p><p> </p><p>As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, and any decisions on changes will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	2542 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Needham Market

50217

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider that Brunei's proposal to introduce Sharia law executions violates the human rights principles of the Commonwealth Charter; and what representations they have made to Brunei about the matter.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

50219

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what sea defences are currently in place in East Sussex; and what defences in that region are at present in the planning stages.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL6937
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>There are sea defences, including many shingle beaches, along the Sussex coastline and some of these defences are backed by sea walls. There are also concrete defences at the foot of cliffs between Brighton and Newhaven. Full details of the sea defences can be found in the Shoreline Management Plans for ‘South Foreland to Beachy Head' and ‘Beachy Head to Selsey Bill' on the Gov.uk website at:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shoreline-management-plans-smps/shoreline-management-plans-smps" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shoreline-management-plans-smps/shoreline-management-plans-smps</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Work is ongoing to repair “soft defences” (beaches and shingle structures) which were affected by the storms during the past winter. Lewes District Council is planning to initiate a Newhaven to Brighton Marina Strategy, which will consider options for the currently undefended section of the chalk cliffs at Peacehaven. The Environment Agency and local councils have an ongoing programme to maintain, and in some cases improve, their defences. Investment in improvements over recent years means that work planned in the next few years is principally oriented to maintaining existing defences.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

50220

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the status of the application for funding for extending sea berms and defences in Fairlight, East Sussex.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL6938
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Rother District Council has applied to the Environment Agency for funding for a study in 2015/2016, and a subsequent scheme in 2016/2017, under the Coast Protection Act 1949. The project is called ‘Fairlight Coast Protection Works phase 3'. The bid is being considered by the Environment Agency alongside other potential projects in England as part of a six year programme of flood and coastal erosion risk management works.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton