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1130843

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Arcadia Group: Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Pensions Regulator has allowed the owners of Arcadia Group to phase their contribution to address that company’s pension deficit over a period of time instead of a single up-front payment; whether the Pensions Regulator is using financial advisers to determine whether Arcadia’s business plan will eventually cover the deficit; and if so, who are those advisers.
tabling member printed	Lord Myners
uin	HL16210
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The pensions framework established by Parliament in the Pensions Act 2004 sets out that ongoing employers may address the funding of their scheme deficits over a reasonable period of time. This responsibility falls on the company rather than its owners, other than where The Pensions Regulator has used its anti-avoidance powers. This approach of spreading funding of deficits was established to balance the needs of schemes with those of their sponsoring employers.</p><p> </p><p>The Arcadia trustees and the Arcadia group took an approach which was similar to many other schemes and employers in establishing recovery plans to address their schemes’ deficits over a number of years. In response to a request to vary those recovery plan payments, made in conjunction with the Arcadia Group’s Company Voluntary Arrangements proposals, The Pensions Regulator, working alongside the trustees and the Pension Protection Fund, has negotiated robustly to secure an enhanced package of support for the pension schemes in connection with a successful Company Voluntary Arrangement, worth significantly more than would be received if the Company Voluntary Arrangement is not successful and Arcadia Group Ltd becomes insolvent. This represents appropriate protection, in challenging circumstances, and is equitable in the context of the wider Company Voluntary Arrangements process.</p><p> </p><p>In assessing the turnaround plan presented by Arcadia, The Pensions Regulator has been informed by the analysis carried out by professional advisers to the trustees. The Pensions Regulator has considerable expertise in restructuring situations and this includes people in its regulatory teams with a background working in big chartered accountancy firms and restructuring operations in banks.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 24/06/2019 11:44:23 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

1130873

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Employment Schemes: Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to sections five and six of the evaluation of the Young and Successful programme, published by Groundwork Greater Nottingham in 2018, if she will take steps to ensure that young people furthest from the labour market are not adversely affected by payment by results requirements of employability programmes.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	262407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>The department offers a whole range of support of employment provision, of which contracted provision is one element. There is insufficient evidence from previous programmes, to show young people furthest from the labour market are adversely affected by payment by results requirements of employment programmes. For example, the extensive independently run Work Programme evaluation (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/425081/rr892.pdf) suggested that there was not a significant amount of variation in the level of support received and in general most participants were happy with the support they received. Published statistics suggest that job outcome rates were similar by age, indicating diverse groups of people can benefit from this provision.</p><p>Helping young people who are furthest from the labour market is a priority and the department has a variety of support to which we refer young people. 18 to 21 year olds who are in the all work requirements group take part in the Youth Obligation Support Programme which is now in every Jobcentre in Great Britain. Working with young people the Jobcentre can assess the particular need of the young person and then refer them to the most appropriate place. For example, sector-based work academies last for up to 6 weeks and have elements of work experience, short training and a guaranteed interview for a real apprenticeship or other job. Those further from the labour market may benefit from a traineeship which can last for up to 6 months and includes a focus on helping the young person reach level 2 in English and Maths.</p><p> </p><p>The department continues to gain learning from previous programmes and evaluations to ensure it designs tailored provision, such as the new Work and Health Programme, that has minimum support levels for all customers and deliver improved outcomes to the customer and the department.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/06/2019 15:25:14 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1130913

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 5 June 2018, on Personal Independence Payments, HCWS733, if she will provide an update on the progress of the pilot to introduce video recordings of personal independence payment assessments.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	262247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer provided for Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2Clords&amp;uin=259304" target="_blank">259304</a>.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 13/06/2019 14:29:42 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1130933

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the process is through which eligibility for child maintenance payments is verified.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	262338
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>In order to make a child maintenance assessment the Child Maintenance Service must identify a receiving parent, a paying parent and at least one qualifying child.</p><p> </p><p>It is not necessary for a person to be receiving Child Benefit for them to be treated as a receiving parent. However, entitlement to Child Benefit is based on an overall care test which is broadly similar to the Child Maintenance policy on day to day care. Payment of Child Benefit is therefore a very good indicator of who should be treated as the receiving parent. Where Child Benefit is not in payment, the Service will request additional evidence from both parents.</p><p> </p><p>For child maintenance purposes, a child must be under 20 years of age and in full time non-advanced education or approved training, and eligible for Child Benefit. They also need to be habitually resident in the UK and usually living in the same household as the receiving parent.</p><p> </p><p>Child Benefit may stay in payment for a period after a child under 20 ceases education or training until a 'terminal date' is reached. Child Benefit will remain payable from the date education or training ceased up to and including the week that includes the first terminal date.</p><p> </p><p>Both paying and receiving parents have a responsibility to inform the Child Maintenance Service of any change in circumstances. If parents inform the Service that a qualifying child has left education, the Child Maintenance Service will seek to verify this and update the maintenance calculation accordingly.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 262340 question first answered 13/06/2019 12:02:47 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

1130935

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what safeguards her Department have put in place to ensure that the system for child maintenance payments is not open to abuse by people who have left full time education.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	262340
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>In order to make a child maintenance assessment the Child Maintenance Service must identify a receiving parent, a paying parent and at least one qualifying child.</p><p> </p><p>It is not necessary for a person to be receiving Child Benefit for them to be treated as a receiving parent. However, entitlement to Child Benefit is based on an overall care test which is broadly similar to the Child Maintenance policy on day to day care. Payment of Child Benefit is therefore a very good indicator of who should be treated as the receiving parent. Where Child Benefit is not in payment, the Service will request additional evidence from both parents.</p><p> </p><p>For child maintenance purposes, a child must be under 20 years of age and in full time non-advanced education or approved training, and eligible for Child Benefit. They also need to be habitually resident in the UK and usually living in the same household as the receiving parent.</p><p> </p><p>Child Benefit may stay in payment for a period after a child under 20 ceases education or training until a 'terminal date' is reached. Child Benefit will remain payable from the date education or training ceased up to and including the week that includes the first terminal date.</p><p> </p><p>Both paying and receiving parents have a responsibility to inform the Child Maintenance Service of any change in circumstances. If parents inform the Service that a qualifying child has left education, the Child Maintenance Service will seek to verify this and update the maintenance calculation accordingly.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 262338 question first answered 13/06/2019 12:02:47 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

1130974

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Retirement: Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of people over the age of 60 that have had to retire as a result of ill-health.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	262373
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department set out its strategy to see one million more disabled people in work by 2027 in the 2017 Command Paper “Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability”. A key element of this is action to help keep people (including older workers) with health conditions in work. We are already investing in testing new interventions to support people, including our Health-Led Trials, and the Government is working to ensure employers and key stakeholders across all sectors adopt and implement the core and enhanced mental health standards set out in <em>Thriving at Work: The Stevenson / Farmer review of mental health</em>.</p><p>To support older people falling out of labour market due to health conditions, the Government has extended the right to request flexible working for all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer. Access to flexible working practices, such as flexi-time, compressed hours and remote working, is key to helping older workers stay in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>We are also exploring further ways to reduce the number of people who leave work each year for health reasons and will consult on measures to encourage and support all employers to play their part. This consultation will also propose ways to improve access to occupational health.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Background</strong></p><p> </p><p>In February 2017 Government published an employer-led Strategy <em>Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach</em>, which sets out the importance of Fuller Working Lives for employers and individuals. It also sets out action Government is taking to support older workers to remain in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p><em>Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability</em> published in November 2017 set out an ambitious and comprehensive programme of action to support disabled people and people with long term physical and mental health conditions to get into and stay in work and progress in rewarding careers. This action spans the workplace, health and welfare settings.</p><p> </p><p>Since the launch of the publication, progress has been made in a number of areas including:</p><ul><li>Health Led Trials, the worlds largest trial of Individual Placement and Support, testing whether the internationally proven model to support people with severe mental health conditions to find sustained work can be as effective to those with different conditions.</li><li>More than doubled the number of Employment Advisors in IAPT services, ensuring that more people with mental health problems receive employment support to them get into or remain in work.</li><li>Undertaken a substantial package of activity within the health system itself, both to support healthcare professionals to have effective, appropriate, work conversations with their patients, and are exploring ways to reform the fit note.</li></ul> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/06/2019 16:10:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1130982

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Universal Credit: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the effect of universal credit on the level of rent arrears owed to Scottish local authorities; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	262433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made an assessment of this nature.</p><p> </p><p>Caution should be exercised when considering any assessment of arrears derived from local authority level data which seeks to compare the legacy and Universal Credit welfare systems. This is because they do not compare groups with the same characteristics; typically, the legacy benefit group have been on benefits for some time, where the arrears may be under long-term management. The Universal Credit group, on the other hand, are often new to benefits, and are likely to have experienced a change in their circumstances – for example, a debt-creating event like losing a job or separation. Any arrears for this group will not have been under management and had time to clear.</p><p> </p><p>The initial analytical work we have carried out with a housing provider suggests that many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears, that their arrears tend to increase prior to making a claim for Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear arrears over time. We are currently extending this analysis to include a number of other housing providers. It will be published when completed. Furthermore, according to latest figures in November 2018 about 8 per cent of social rented households were on Universal Credit; therefore, it is difficult to see how a national trend can be attributed to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We have, however, responded to concerns in this area by putting a number of safeguards in place, such as 100% advances repayable over 12 months, increasing to 16 months in October 2021; a two-week Transition to Universal Credit Housing Payment; a new Help to Claim service to assist people to make their claim more easily; and Managed Payment to Landlord Arrangements, which allow for payments direct to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments, is unlikely to pay their rent or is in rent arrears equivalent to two months.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, in Scotland, the Department delivers Universal Credit Scottish choices on behalf of the Scottish Government, providing the option of Universal Credit being paid twice a month rather than monthly, and having Universal Credit housing element being paid directly to landlords.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 18/06/2019 15:28:46 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1130991

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people whose personal independence payment has (a) increased, (b) decreased, (c) reduced to zero and (d) stayed the same as a result of an appeal decision in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	262439
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 13/06/2019 12:24:10 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1131000

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2019 to Question 260085 on Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers, for what reason her Department does not routinely publish the number of alleged breaches of the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct by her Department's Special Advisers.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	262446
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>In line with standard departmental practice, we are mindful of our data protection obligations when considering what information should be part of our publication scheme.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 13/06/2019 11:53:26 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1131002

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Farms: Industrial Health and Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to provide advice to farmers on the potential dangers of mixing slurry.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	262227
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the regulation of health and safety standards on Great Britain’s farms and has published guidance to farmers on the risks associated with managing slurry on farms at <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais9.pdf" target="_blank">www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais9.pdf</a>. HSE has also worked with the farming industry’s Farm Safety Partnership to highlight how the dangers of mixing slurry can be managed. Information is available on the National Farmers Union website at <a href="https://www.nfuonline.com/farm-safety-think-slurry-v10/" target="_blank">https://www.nfuonline.com/farm-safety-think-slurry-v10/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Research has been carried out by HSE to inform practical control strategies. The findings will inform future revisions of the guidance and will be shared with the farming industry through the Farm Safety Partnerships.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 13/06/2019 11:59:20 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew