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1642442

	registered interest
	date	25/05/2023
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	British Sign Language Act 2022
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress she has made on implementing the British Sign Language Act 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	905242
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>The British Sign Language Act includes a duty on the DWP Secretary of State to publish a report on the use of British Sign Language in public communications by ministerial departments.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The first reporting period was completed on the 30th of April this year and the report is due to be published in Summer.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In addition, DWP has established a dual language board of BSL users to inform HMG on BSL matters.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 07/06/2023 14:02:37 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1151481

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2019
	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
	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 the report by the Resolution Foundation entitled A fraying net, what steps the Government is taking to (a) reform and strengthen the social security safety net for young adults and (b) ensure that parents under the age of 25 do not lose out financially when moving from the previous benefit system to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	3702
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to providing targeted support for young people. We aim to ensure that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work. To support this, the Department delivers the Youth Obligation Support Programme, Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools and the recently introduced Mentoring Circles for young people.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is designed to replicate the world of work through the introduction of a range of measures such as monthly assessment periods. Setting a clear benefit rate for claimants under the age of 25 reflects the lower wages that younger workers typically receive. This is intended to maintain the incentive for younger people to find work.</p><p> </p><p>The lower rates for younger claimants who are under the age of 25 years reflects the fact that they are more likely to live in someone else's household and have lower living costs and lower earnings expectations. It also reinforces the stronger work incentives that Universal Credit creates for this age group. Universal Credit also includes separate elements to provide support for housing costs, children and childcare costs and support for disabled people and carers.</p><p> </p><p>Those who naturally migrate to Universal Credit will do so because they will have had a significant change in their circumstances which previously would have led to a new claim to another existing benefit. In these situations, it has always been the case that the assessment of their new benefit will be based on their new circumstances and under the rules of their new benefit without regard to their previous entitlement. As their circumstances will have changed it is not possible to make a meaningful comparison between their previous entitlement to their existing benefit and their new entitlement to Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 28/10/2019 14:05:46 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1150436

	registered interest
	date	17/10/2019
	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: 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 the final report from the Young people's future health inquiry entitled A healthy foundation for the future published in October 2019, what steps the Government is taking to establish a job market that offers young people secure and rewarding work.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	1603
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting young people into work. We aim to ensure that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work.</p><p> </p><p>The DWP Youth Obligation Support Programme is currently delivered to young people aged 18-21 making a new claim to Universal Credit. We provide additional tailored support to enable young people to achieve their goals.</p><p> </p><p>In January 2019 we announced the extension of the Mentoring Circles initiative from the ethnic minority community to all young people who could benefit from such support. Mentoring circles support 16-24 year olds by giving them an opportunity to build on their employability skills. By facilitating an interaction with employers this initiative helps to provide young job seekers with access to and interaction with role models in the workplace.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/10/2019 16:13:57 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1147164

	registered interest
	date	30/09/2019
	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	Jobcentre Plus: Interpreters and Sign Language
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the proportion of Job Centre Plus offices that have (a) British Sign Language and (b) language interpreters.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	292140
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>Under the Equality Act 2010, DWP must make suitable provision to communicate with claimants who do not speak English or Welsh (for people residing in Wales), or who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.</p><p> </p><p>It is DWP policy to use an interpreter when we need to communicate with a claimant who:</p><ul><li>cannot communicate adequately in English (or, in Wales, Welsh);</li><li>has complex needs and, or may need additional support; and</li><li>cannot provide their own interpreter.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Since the 1<sup>st</sup> January 2018 Thebigword has provided Foreign Language and British Sign Language (BSL) services for the DWP staff and customers. All Jobcentres are able to access the service provided by Thebigword.</p><p> </p><p>The services available for BSL are face to face interpreting and Video Relay Service. The services available for foreign language interpreters are face to face interpreting, telephone interpreting and written translations.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/10/2019 13:58:19 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1146198

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	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: Older Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase access to employment for people aged over 50.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	290977
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2019 answer text <p>Employment for older people is at a record high. There are now 10.6 million workers aged 50 and over, compared to 9.1 million five years ago.</p><p> </p><p>We have already removed the Default Retirement Age, meaning that most people can choose when to retire and we have extended the right to flexible working beyond carers, to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017, Government published our Fuller Working Lives strategy which set out the role employers, individuals and government can play in supporting older workers. Additionally, we appointed a Business Champion for Older Workers to engage and influence employers on a practical and strategic level, promoting the benefits of an older workforce.</p><p> </p><p>Through the National Retraining Partnership, a partnership between Government, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress, Government is developing the National Retraining Scheme. The National Retraining Scheme will help prepare adults for future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, to help them retrain into better jobs.</p><p> </p><p>In February this year, we launched our online mid-life MOT page which encourages more active planning in the key areas of work, wellbeing and finances. Business in the Community have created MOT toolkits to enable employers to deliver an MOT.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 30/09/2019 15:05:18 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1143096

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: EU Nationals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of non-UK EU citizens being refused universal credit in the last six months.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	284491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Eligibility for Universal Credit depends on a person’s immigration status in the UK. In line with EU law, EEA nationals must be exercising a legal right to reside, such as worker or self-employed status, and be habitually resident in the UK to be eligible for income-related benefits. EEA nationals may now apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to protect their entitlement to access UK benefits and public services.</p><p>The Department is committed to monitoring its policies, regularly reviewing and analysing the relevant data. The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 13:20:42 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1141717

	registered interest
	date	24/07/2019
	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	Industrial Health and Safety: Noise
	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 the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, what steps she is taking to ensure that employers protect employees' hearing.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	281642
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s policy on ensuring that employers protect their employees’ hearing is well established. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for occupational health and safety legislation which includes the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. The Regulations impose duties which, depending on the level of risk, require employers to:</p><p> </p><ul><li>take action to reduce exposure to noise and ensure the legal limits on noise exposure are not exceeded;</li><li>ensure that equipment is properly maintained and used;</li><li>provide employees with personal hearing protection where it’s appropriate;</li><li>provide information, instruction and training;</li><li>carry out health surveillance.</li></ul><p> </p><p>HSE focuses its activities on industries where there are high numbers of workers who are exposed and/or where there is evidence of a high incidence rate of noise induced hearing loss. It does this through a range of approaches and interventions, specifically:</p><p> </p><ul><li>securing effective risk management and control through a variety of interventions with businesses including inspections, investigations of incidents and concerns raised by workers and others;</li><li>leading and engaging those who undertake or influence health and safety;</li><li>the provision of comprehensive guidance;</li><li>ensuring that the regulatory framework remains effective.</li></ul> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/09/2019 12:31:20 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1141469

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2019
	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	Sunscreens: Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require employers to provide sun cream for employees that predominantly work outdoors.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	280954
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for regulating health and safety risks arising from work activities and has no plans to introduce additional legislation to require employers to provide sun cream to their employees.</p><p> </p><p>HSE provides specific advice aimed at employers and employees on preventing health risks due to exposure to the sun at <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg337.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg337.pdf</a> and <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg147.pdf" target="_blank">www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg147.pdf</a>. This includes following the “APC approach” (Avoid, Protect, Check) which can help to reduce the chances of developing skin cancer, whether work related or not.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/09/2019 12:15:54 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1129282

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Football: Sportsgrounds
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to prevent the loss of council-owned football pitches in order to support grass roots football.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	259059
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises how important it is that local communities have access to good sporting facilities. That is why in partnership with the FA and the Premier League we are investing more money than ever before, through the Football Foundation charity, to significantly improve the access and quality of community football facilities across the country. This year a combined £70million will go to this important area. To inform and direct future investment, new local football facility plans are being produced for every local authority in England. The plans will be in place by 2020 and will identify local priorities where investment in grassroots facilities is needed the most.</p><p> </p><p>Sport England also has a role in protecting sport pitches as a statutory consultee in the planning system. Sport England objects to all applications unless the developer can prove it will improve or safeguard sports provision. For the period between April 2016 and March 2017, 93% (1,102 out of 1,187) planning applications affecting playing fields resulted in improved or protected sports provision.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 10/06/2019 15:20:29 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1127880

	registered interest
	date	21/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Sports Competitors: Periods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is adequate support for sportswomen dealing with the effect of periods.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	256955
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Periods should never be a taboo subject. Women and girls should never feel embarrassed to speak out about their menstrual cycle and how it affects their performance.</p><p> </p><p>We have a responsibility to break down barriers for women and ensure that coaches and sporting organisations are able to help female athletes reach their full potential. I welcome the work that the English Institute of Sport are doing through their SMARTHer campaign to open up conversations amongst athletes, coaches and staff in high performance sport around athletes’ menstrual cycles in order to improve support. Sport England are also supporting the new government taskforce to tackle period poverty, primarily around actions to tackle the stigma and taboos relating to women in sport (and particularly their impact on teenage participation in physical activity in schools).</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 23/05/2019 14:49:30 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly