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765165

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2017
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Public Sector: Procurement
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2017 to Question 7608, on Public Sector: Procurement, how many service users waived their right to anonymity in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	105509
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2017 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">Checking tax compliance is the responsibility of the contracting authority. This information is not held centrally. </del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In the 12 months from 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017, 59 users of the Mystery</ins><br /><ins class="ministerial">Shopper service waived their right to anonymity.</ins></p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 11/10/2017 12:37:44 question first ministerially corrected 12/10/2017 14:09:19 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes previous answer version 13716 answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

765617

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2017
	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, why the Child Maintenance Service allows non-resident parents £2,500 of unearned income that is not factored into payment plans; and whether he plans to review this policy.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	106137
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2017 answer text <p>Calculation of a child maintenance liability is based on gross income information provided directly to the Child Maintenance Service by HMRC. <del class="ministerial">Individuals are required to declare unearned income not taxed at source which does not exceed £2500 a year to HMRC, which already enables HMRC to include it in the income information they provide.</del> Unearned income exceeding £2500 a year is dealt with by HMRC through tax self-assessment <del class="ministerial">and is picked up in a child maintenance calculation through an unearned income variation. We have no plans to review this.</del><ins class="ministerial">The treatment of unearned income for child maintenance purposes is aligned with this for administrative efficiency. We are inviting views on the future treatment of &quot;income&quot; within the recently published Compliance and Arrears Strategy consultation.</ins></p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 12/10/2017 13:56:00 question first ministerially corrected 01/02/2018 17:10:55 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse previous answer version 14051 answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

765833

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2017
	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	Jobcentres: Sheffield
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the cost-benefit analysis of Eastern Avenue Jobcentre closure.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	106233
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>We are not <del class="ministerial">yet</del> in a position to share any figures due to commercial confidentiality pending completion of legal processes. We expect to make savings by merging offices through reduced running costs and making best use of both office space available and taxpayer’s money.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 16/10/2017 11:44:29 question first ministerially corrected 17/10/2017 11:52:20 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds previous answer version 14508 answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

767593

	registered interest
	date	09/10/2017
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Catering: Migrant Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that chefs and catering staff are able to travel to the UK from the EU and take up job opportunities.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	106790
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">Data on UK Visas and Immigration temporary and permanent migration activities including In-Country Work In Progress Casework, and Percentage of Temporary and Permanent Migration in-country visa applications for each Route, processed within Service Standards, is published on the .GOV.UK website. The relevant Routes are ‘Spouse/Partner’ and ‘HR/Complex Case’ as indicated on worksheet InC_01 and InC_01a.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data</a></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The relevant tables are also attached to this answer.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><a href="http://qna.files.parliament.uk/qna-attachments/710413/original/Copy%20of%202014%20Temporary%20Migration%20Data%20Appendix%20One.xlsx" target="_blank">2014 figures</a> (Excel SpreadSheet, 29.66 KB)</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><a href="http://qna.files.parliament.uk/qna-attachments/710413/original/Copy%20of%202015%20Temporary%20Migration%20Data%20Appendix%20Two.xlsx" target="_blank">2015 figures</a> (Excel SpreadSheet, 38.02 KB)</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><a href="http://qna.files.parliament.uk/qna-attachments/710413/original/Copy%20of%202016%20Temporary%20Migration%20Data%20Appendix%20Three.xlsx" target="_blank">2016 figures</a> (Excel SpreadSheet, 40.81 KB)</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Until the UK leaves the EU, EU citizens continue to have the same rights to live and work in the UK, as was the case before Article 50 was triggered.</ins></p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 16/10/2017 15:43:28 question first ministerially corrected 16/10/2017 21:11:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 14928 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

768892

	registered interest
	date	11/10/2017
	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: Finance
	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 discussions she has had with (a) campaigners and (b) sports governance bodies on making sports governance bodies that (i) are or (ii) recently have been in receipt of public funds subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
	tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
	uin	107218
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p><ins class="ministerial">The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has had no such discussions. National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) are not public bodies, and as such are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. NGBs are typically independent, self-appointed organisations that govern their sports through the common consent of their sport. Transparency is an important principal of good governance, and is reflected in our Code for Sport Governance, with which all bodies in receipt of UK Sport or Sport England funding must now demonstrate compliance. </ins></p><p><del class="ministerial">The cross-Government sport strategy ‘Sporting Future’ set out our intention to encourage as many people and groups to enjoy sport as participants, spectators and in the workforce, including the LGBT community. It also includes a number of other actions to ensure that all under-represented groups can take part in sport and wider physical activity through a focus on local delivery, and working with people through volunteering, coaching and the sporting workforce. Our aim is to increase diversity among sporting organisations and help the sport sector to be more inclusive and welcoming to all.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Government continues to work with Sport England and National Governing Bodies of sport, alongside organisations including Pride Sports, Stonewall, and Kick it Out on a number of anti-homophobia initiatives aimed at encouraging inclusion. In March, Sport England commissioned Pride Sports to produce a second in depth report on barriers to LGBT participation. This research on volunteering, provision and attitudes and behaviours has been completed, and Sport England is currently considering what actions they will take based on the findings.</del></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chatham and Aylesford answering member printed Tracey Crouch question first answered 16/10/2017 15:53:50 question first ministerially corrected 16/10/2017 21:11:27 answering member 3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch previous answer version 14960 answering member constituency Chatham and Aylesford answering member printed Tracey Crouch answering member 3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch
	tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

732501

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2017
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Fire Extinguishers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new schools have been built (a) with and (b) without a sprinkler system fitted in each year since 2010-11.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	1093
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2017 answer text <p>All schools must comply with strict building and fire safety regulations. It has always been the case that where a fire risk assessment required for any new building recommends sprinklers are installed to keep children safe, they must be fitted.</p><p>As not all new schools are commissioned by the Department for Education we do not hold data on the number of all new schools that have been built with or without sprinklers installed.</p><p>The Department holds information on schools managed centrally by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, under the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP). Of the 260 schools in phase one of the PSBP, 7<ins class="ministerial">4</ins><del class="ministerial">5</del> schools include sprinkler systems. As schools under phase two of the PSBP are still in the early design stage, it is not yet clear which may require sprinklers at this time.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">The number of schools in phase one with sprinklers installed had previously been reported as 75. However, further analysis of the data has confirmed that a joint project between two primary schools in Wiltshire had inadvertently been counted as two schools, when they should only have been counted once. Therefore, we can confirm that the correct number of schools fitted with sprinklers, under phase one of PSBP, is 74</ins></p><p>Until recently, schools developed under the Free Schools programme were managed by the individual Free School proposer groups, via their appointed building contractors. Due to this, the Department does not hold information on the number of Free School buildings with and without sprinklers installed.</p><p>All schools must have robust safety plans to follow in the event of a fire and have very strong safety features. This includes the fact that they are not occupied overnight and are generally low rise with multiple exit routes.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 05/07/2017 16:20:35 question first ministerially corrected 04/10/2017 11:07:35 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 2132 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

746445

	registered interest
	date	28/06/2017
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Vaughan Primary School: Insulation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will investigate whether the cladding installed as part of works on a new building at Vaughan Primary School in Harrow has been tested to ensure it is not combustible; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	1662
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2017 answer text <p>The Vaughan Primary School, Harrow, has been delivered by the ESFA through the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP). We have completed checks of schools delivered through this programme and confirm that the cladding on this school is not Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).</p><p> </p><p>The Department is undertaking an analysis of all school buildings, seeking information from all bodies responsible for schools, to identify those where external cladding has been used (and its type) for schools with four storeys or more. This exercise will cover school buildings of all ages, whether they have been funded through DfE central programmes or not.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All schools must comply with strict building and fire safety regulations. It has always been the case that where a fire risk assessment required for any new building recommends sprinklers are installed to keep children safe, they must be fitted.</p><p>The Department holds information on PSBP schools as these are managed centrally by the ESFA. Of the 260 schools in phase one of the PSBP, 7<ins class="ministerial">4</ins><del class="ministerial">5</del> schools include sprinkler systems. As schools under phase two of the PSBP are still in the early design stage, it is not yet clear which may require sprinklers at this time.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">The number of schools in phase one with sprinklers installed had previously been reported as 75. However, further analysis of the data has confirmed that a joint project between two primary schools in Wiltshire had inadvertently been counted as two schools, when they should only have been counted once. Therefore, we can confirm that the correct number of schools fitted with sprinklers, under phase one of PSBP, is 74.</ins></p><p> </p><p>Until recently, schools developed under the Free Schools programme were managed by the individual Free School proposer groups, via their appointed building contractors. Due to this, the Department does not hold information on the number of Free School buildings with and without sprinklers installed.</p><p>All schools must have robust safety plans to follow in the event of a fire and have very strong safety features in case a fire breaks out. This includes the fact that they are not occupied overnight and are generally low rise with multiple exit routes.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 05/07/2017 16:01:25 question first ministerially corrected 04/10/2017 11:07:16 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 2057 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

746750

	registered interest
	date	29/06/2017
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Criminal Injuries Compensation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many claims have been rejected by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, by the reason for refusal, in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
	tabling member printed	Kate Green
	uin	1962
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2017 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) received 533 complaints about their service in the financial year 2015-16. This represents 1.3% of CICA’s live caseload. 49% of complaints were closed within 10 days.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Where complaints took longer to close this was due to the number of enquiries required to fully investigate the complaint. In other cases, CICA were asked by the complainer not to close the complaint until a final decision was issued on the claim. The average time CICA took to deal with those complaints was 23.75 days.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The most common complaint received by CICA related to delays in finalising claims. CICA aims to make compensation payments as quickly as possible, however, they have a duty to the taxpayer to fully investigate claims to make sure that the applicant gets the level of compensation they deserve.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The 10 most common reasons for complaining about CICA’s service in 2015/16 were:</del></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>Reason given for complaint</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>Percentage of overall complaints</strong></del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Delays</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">68.95%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Lack of updates on case progression</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">11.33%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Claim handling</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">9.77%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Failure to respond to letters</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">4.10%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Applicant provided with conflicting information</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">2.93%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Failure to provide timescales</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">1.76%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Failure to return phone calls</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">0.59%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Errors when recording telephone application information</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">0.20%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Impolite staff member</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">0.20%</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">Poor customer service</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">0.20%</del></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The total number of complaints the CICA received in each of the last five years, including those cases (a) escalated to stage 2 and (b) progressed to stage 3, are as follows:</del></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>Year</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>Complaints received</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>Escalated to Stage 2</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>Escalated to Stage 3</strong></del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">2016-17</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">1122</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">120</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">7</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">2015-16</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">533</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">39</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">6</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">2014-15</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">491</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">26</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">9</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">2013-14</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">204</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">8</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">1</del></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial">2012-13</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">284</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">10</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">5</del></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Over half of complaints received in 2016/17 were from paid representatives. A significant portion of these were from firms of solicitors who lodged block complaints for their CICA caseload with a view to influencing the speed of the decision making process.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">During the course of 2016/17 the CICA revised their operating model and increased staff numbers following an extensive recruitment exercise. They have also recently introduced measures that develop and streamline digital processes, which have reduced the claim processing time by 30 days. The new online service, which will be introduced later this financial year, will allow applicants and their representatives to view the progress of their case online. It is expected that these measures will reduce the time taken to finalise claims and lead to a reduction in complaints.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) publishes data about the reasons claims are rejected in its annual reports at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=criminal-injuries-compensation-authority&amp;publication_type=corporate-reports" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=criminal-injuries-compensation-authority&amp;publication_type=corporate-reports</a></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The figures published in the annual reports show the number of times each rejection reason was used. For some applications there may have been more than one reason for rejection. This means that the total number of reasons for rejection is higher than the actual number of claims refused. The accurate total of rejected claims for the years specified is as follows:</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Financial year</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Rejected cases</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">2012/13</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">24,411</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">2013/14</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">23,803</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">2014/15</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">20,066</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">2015/16</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">15,243</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">2016/17</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">12,411</ins></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Information about the time CICA has taken to reach decisions on claims over the past few years can also be found in its annual reports (see link above).</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The number of full time equivalent staff employed in CICA as at 31 March 2017 was 291.2. The table below shows the number of staff CICA has employed in managerial positions over the past 5 years:</ins></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Date</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Band D (first line manager) to Senior Civil Service (SCS)</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Band B (senior manager) to SCS only</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">March 2017</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">156 (plus 2 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">24</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">March 2016</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">112 (plus 7 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">16</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">March 2015</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">132 (plus 14 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">24 (plus 1 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">March 2014</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">136 (plus 15 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">24 (plus 5 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">March 2013</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">145 (plus 19 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">24 (plus 9 on temporary promotion)</ins></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><ins class="ministerial">Complaints in CICA are registered by two staff within the Corporate Services team and then allocated to the relevant team to deal with the complaint in line with CICA’s complaints process. CICA teams have staff members assigned to the role of complaints champion in addition to their day to day duties. The number of complaints champions fluctuates depending on demand and staff movement. Complaints champions are responsible for handling complaints and team managers oversee the complaints process in each of their respective areas. This group regularly meets to look at improvements to our complaints handling processes. CICA does not have a record of the number of complaint champions for the last five years due to the fluctuating nature of this work. </ins></p> answering member constituency Bracknell answering member printed Dr Phillip Lee question first answered 06/07/2017 10:43:33 question first ministerially corrected 06/07/2017 14:21:18 answering member 3921 label Biography information for Dr Phillip Lee previous answer version 2253 answering member constituency Bracknell answering member printed Dr Phillip Lee answering member 3921 label Biography information for Dr Phillip Lee
	tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

747512

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2017
	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 steps he is taking to collect child maintenance arrears, by category of collectability.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	2606
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2017 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The department publishes an annual estimate of child maintenance arrears in the Client Funds Account that sets out the three categories of collectability.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>1. Likely to be collected:</strong> Debt which meets criteria indicating that the Department has a good chance of collecting it. The criteria are:</del></p><ul><li><del class="ministerial">At least one payment made against the outstanding arrears in the six months prior to the reporting date.</del></li><li><del class="ministerial">At least one payment made in excess of the scheduled amount</del></li></ul><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>2. Potentially collectable:</strong> Debt which meets criteria indicating that the Department has a reasonable chance of collecting it. The criteria are:</del></p><ul><li><del class="ministerial">The existence of a payment schedule at any point during the six months prior to the reporting date, even though no payments were received in the period.</del></li><li><del class="ministerial">For recent arrears, i.e. aged three months or less, the receipt of at least one payment against those arrears after the reporting date.</del></li><li><del class="ministerial">Debt on cases where enforcement action such as deduction directly from the non-resident parent’s bank account, or forcing the sale of their property is likely to be successful.</del></li></ul><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>3. Uncollectable:</strong> All remaining debt which does not meet the criteria for either of the other categories.</del></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong><ins class="ministerial"> <p><ins class="ministerial">The Department aims to ensure parents fulfil their obligation to make financial provision for their children and that maintenance is paid accurately and on time. Our priority, as outlined in our published Arrears and Compliance Strategy is to collect on-going maintenance and arrears in cases where there is still a child who stands to benefit.</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">Child maintenance arrears are categorised in the Client Fund Account according to the likelihood of them being collected. We consider action on all cases that fall into the collectable and potentially collectable categories of debt. Where we are unable to take enforcement action, for example where we cannot trace the non-resident parent, cases will fall into the uncollectable category and will be reviewed as resources allow.</ins></p></ins></strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 06/07/2017 09:26:53 question first ministerially corrected 06/07/2017 10:03:54 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage previous answer version 2227 answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

748297

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2017
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Bus Services: Combined Authorities
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to relax or amend the regulations relating to the introduction of bus franchising by non-mayoral combined authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
	tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
	uin	2774
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2017 answer text <p>The Bus Services Act 2017 <del class="ministerial">permits combined</del> <ins class="ministerial">provides</ins> mayoral <ins class="ministerial">combined</ins> authorities <ins class="ministerial">with access to</ins> <del class="ministerial">to apply for</del> new franchising powers. Other authorities can also apply for franchising powers with approval from the Secretary of State, subject to the necessary regulations having been made under the new section 123A(4) of Part 2 of the Transport Act 2000. No such regulations have yet been made.</p><p>The Government wants to see better local bus services for passengers across the country and will assist any local authority seeking to use the powers available to them under the Bus Services Act 2017 to secure improvements. We would also encourage authorities to work closely with local bus operators and passenger representatives to determine how to use the Act’s new powers to serve their local communities better.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 10/07/2017 14:56:47 question first ministerially corrected 13/07/2017 14:49:45 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman previous answer version 2923 answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson