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178300

registered interest
date	06/02/2015
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Automation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect on digital employment of trends towards increasing automation in that sector.
tabling member constituency	Rhondda
tabling member printed	Chris Bryant
uin	223738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2015 answer text <p>Over the last 10 years the ICT sector has grown over two and a half times as fast as the whole economy. In 2013, it contributed £113bn (7.5%) to the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and supported 1.3 million jobs in the UK. Over the next decade, employment in the digital sector is projected to grow significantly faster than employment in other sectors of the economy, while sustained growth is expected in the number of IT specialists employed across the economy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Evidence shows that digital technologies will transform the economy by bringing about efficiency improvements with resulting increases in productivity. This will impact on the composition of the labour market. It is difficult to reliably quantify this impact and estimates vary widely. International studies suggest that whilst demand for certain occupations may be reduced by robotics and automation, many more jobs would be created. For example, a recent study by the International Federation of Robotics estimates that there would be a net gain of jobs as a result of introducing robotics in industry.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK labour market is renowned for its flexibility and is well-placed to respond to structural changes. In order to maximise the opportunities presented by digital technologies, the Government is committed to ensuring that individuals are equipped with the digital skills needed for current and future job roles.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are working in partnership with industry to ensure that our education and training systems are providing the right digital skills. We have reformed the computing curriculum to ensure every young person is prepared for an increasingly digital world and reforms to apprenticeships are enabling employers to set standards that meet their needs. In November, we announced a pilot of short courses, which are accredited by business and provide up-to-date digital skills. In December, the Prime Minister announced a National College for Digital Skills, which will drive up standards in Further Education (FE), and ensure the FE system prepares individuals for the future workforce.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey grouped question UIN 223739 question first answered 25/02/2015 15:09:13 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	1446 label Biography information for Sir Chris Bryant

178301

registered interest
date	06/02/2015
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Automation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the proportion of existing (a) jobs and (b) lower-paid and lower-skilled jobs that may be lost in the next 20 years as a result of digitisation and robotics.
tabling member constituency	Rhondda
tabling member printed	Chris Bryant
uin	223739
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2015 answer text <p>Over the last 10 years the ICT sector has grown over two and a half times as fast as the whole economy. In 2013, it contributed £113bn (7.5%) to the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and supported 1.3 million jobs in the UK. Over the next decade, employment in the digital sector is projected to grow significantly faster than employment in other sectors of the economy, while sustained growth is expected in the number of IT specialists employed across the economy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Evidence shows that digital technologies will transform the economy by bringing about efficiency improvements with resulting increases in productivity. This will impact on the composition of the labour market. It is difficult to reliably quantify this impact and estimates vary widely. International studies suggest that whilst demand for certain occupations may be reduced by robotics and automation, many more jobs would be created. For example, a recent study by the International Federation of Robotics estimates that there would be a net gain of jobs as a result of introducing robotics in industry.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK labour market is renowned for its flexibility and is well-placed to respond to structural changes. In order to maximise the opportunities presented by digital technologies, the Government is committed to ensuring that individuals are equipped with the digital skills needed for current and future job roles.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are working in partnership with industry to ensure that our education and training systems are providing the right digital skills. We have reformed the computing curriculum to ensure every young person is prepared for an increasingly digital world and reforms to apprenticeships are enabling employers to set standards that meet their needs. In November, we announced a pilot of short courses, which are accredited by business and provide up-to-date digital skills. In December, the Prime Minister announced a National College for Digital Skills, which will drive up standards in Further Education (FE), and ensure the FE system prepares individuals for the future workforce.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey grouped question UIN 223738 question first answered 25/02/2015 15:09:13 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	1446 label Biography information for Sir Chris Bryant

178065

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Employment Tribunals Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost was of each case heard by an employment tribunal in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Meg Munn
uin	223678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2015 answer text <p>Employment tribunal cases can vary in nature and complexity and some can last over more than one year, particularly where collective disputes are involved. Claims in employment tribunals can be classified into either single or multiple claims. Multiple claims are where two or more people bring proceedings arising out of the same facts, usually against a common employer. Where claims are grouped as multiples, they are processed administratively and managed judicially together. We call these groups of claims ‘multiple claims cases’. One multiple claim case would therefore involve two or more claims. Claims can be disposed of in a variety of ways, including being rejected either because they are out of time, or have no reasonable chance of success. A minority of cases are disposed of at a full hearing.</p><p>There are therefore many ways the term an employment tribunal case can be interpreted. The costs directly attributable to each claim / case are not collected, as current systems do not allow us to link staff, judicial and other costs to claims / cases. As a result, it is not possible to provide average costs per case over the last three years on a comparable basis.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 17/03/2015 16:44:05 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	1448 label Biography information for Meg Munn

178089

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
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
hansard heading	Council Tax Reduction Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to ensure that billing authorities pass on in full to local councils council tax support funding which his Department earmarked for those councils.
tabling member constituency	Mid Dorset and North Poole
tabling member printed	Annette Brooke
uin	223570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>My Department has provided £3.3 billion to local authorities in respect of local council tax support schemes in both 2013-14 and 2014-15 and the same amount will be provided in 2015-16.</p><p> </p><p>For the first year of local council tax support only, the Government set out an indicative amount of £40,450,000 attributable to parish and town councils in England. Latest statistics show that 95 per cent of this indicative amount was passed down in 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398765/Revised_RO1314_Supplementary_Tables_-_Final.xlsx" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398765/Revised_RO1314_Supplementary_Tables_-_Final.xlsx</a></p><p> </p><p>As schemes are designed and implemented by billing authorities, it is not for Government to calculate on an ongoing basis the appropriate level of funding parishes required. However I have previously written to the small number of authorities which in 2014-15 had no intention to pass on any of the funding to express concern. I also wrote to all billing authorities on 19 February 2015 reminding them of the Government’s clear expectation that they should pass down funding to eligible parishes in 2015-16 and have placed a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.</p><p> </p><p>Every sector of local government should be doing their bit to keep council tax down for hard-working people. Although the referendum principle does not apply to town and parish councils in 2015-16, we continue to keep this option under active consideration. The Government has given new rights for taxpayers to approve or veto excessive council tax rises set by principal local authorities. If necessary, we are prepared to extend this to town and parish councils in the future if there is evidence of unreasonable hikes being imposed on taxpayers without their consent.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 223571 question first answered 23/02/2015 17:45:59 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 44039 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	1431 label Biography information for Annette Brooke

178090

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
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
hansard heading	Council Tax Reduction Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to ensure that parish councils will be fully compensated for effects arising from the implementation of localised council tax support schemes.
tabling member constituency	Mid Dorset and North Poole
tabling member printed	Annette Brooke
uin	223571
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>My Department has provided £3.3 billion to local authorities in respect of local council tax support schemes in both 2013-14 and 2014-15 and the same amount will be provided in 2015-16.</p><p> </p><p>For the first year of local council tax support only, the Government set out an indicative amount of £40,450,000 attributable to parish and town councils in England. Latest statistics show that 95 per cent of this indicative amount was passed down in 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398765/Revised_RO1314_Supplementary_Tables_-_Final.xlsx" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398765/Revised_RO1314_Supplementary_Tables_-_Final.xlsx</a></p><p> </p><p>As schemes are designed and implemented by billing authorities, it is not for Government to calculate on an ongoing basis the appropriate level of funding parishes required. However I have previously written to the small number of authorities which in 2014-15 had no intention to pass on any of the funding to express concern. I also wrote to all billing authorities on 19 February 2015 reminding them of the Government’s clear expectation that they should pass down funding to eligible parishes in 2015-16 and have placed a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.</p><p> </p><p>Every sector of local government should be doing their bit to keep council tax down for hard-working people. Although the referendum principle does not apply to town and parish councils in 2015-16, we continue to keep this option under active consideration. The Government has given new rights for taxpayers to approve or veto excessive council tax rises set by principal local authorities. If necessary, we are prepared to extend this to town and parish councils in the future if there is evidence of unreasonable hikes being imposed on taxpayers without their consent.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 223570 question first answered 23/02/2015 17:45:59 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 44040 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	1431 label Biography information for Annette Brooke

175882

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total sum of administrative penalties applied to tax credit claimants following overpayments in each of the past four years.
tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
uin	HL4462
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>The following table outlines the sum of penalties applied to tax credits claimants in each of the past four years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Penalties applied in period</p></td><td><p>Sum of civil penalties applied</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>£28,181,587.50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>£13,128,383.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>£4,599,135.86</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>£1,196,988.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>An integral part of the tax credits error and fraud strategy was to ensure that claimants who negligently or deliberately sought to mislead HMRC about their circumstances would be dealt with appropriately. This led to a review of the penalty regime, which resulted in a large scale levying of penalties. This was consistent with the principles contained in the Welfare Reform Act 2012, in particular with the approach to issue tougher penalties for the most serious offences.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 09/03/2015 17:56:12 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow