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174488

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2015
	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	Winter Fuel Payment: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what basis the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Barthélemy, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna and New Caledonia are excluded from his calculations for the purposes of establishing the average mean winter temperature for France in connection with winter fuel payments.
	tabling member constituency	North Thanet
	tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
	uin	221255
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p> </p><p>The French Government and European Union law makes a distinction between the <em>pays et territoires d’outre-mer</em> (PTOM) and the <em>départements d’outre mer (DOMs). </em>The PTOM include Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Barthélémy, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna and New Caledonia. These territories benefit from association with the EU but community law does not generally apply. With the exception of Saint- Barthélémy they have their own social protection schemes and are legally and financially autonomous. UK Winter Fuel Payments are not paid to residents in the PTOMs.</p><p> </p><p>The French Government treats its DOMs as integral parts of the French State and they are subject to the application of EU social security co-ordination regulations. Winter Fuel Payments are payable to residents in the DOMs, however this will end from September 2015.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 22/01/2015 12:35:10 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

386815

	registered interest
	date	30/06/2015
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of work capability assessments have found the claimant to be fit for work in each year since 2008.
	tabling member constituency	Shipley
	tabling member printed	Philip Davies
	uin	4975
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The available information in respect of work capability assessments since 2008 is published, and can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-september-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-september-2014</a>.</p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 08/07/2015 08:53:38 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
	tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

391323

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2015
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies <i>Living Standards, Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2015;</i> and how they plan to respond to the findings that nearly 63 per cent of British children living in poverty are in working families.
	tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
	uin	HL1667
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The recent IFS report is positive about the Government’s new approach to tackling the root causes of poverty: they said that “focusing on a broad range of inputs into life chances and causes of poverty is sensible.” They also add that “family worklessness certainly is a sensible thing to track if one wants to reduce the prevalence of low living standards.”</p><p> </p><p>This Government knows that work remains the best route out of poverty. Research shows that around three-quarters of poor children in families that move into full employment exit poverty. We are committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn. Universal Credit, our investment in childcare and the introduction of the National Living Wage will all play an important part.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also recognises that improving skills and progression is the key to making work pay. That is why under this Government we intend to create three million more apprenticeships over the next five years, and to help people move on to better jobs by improving qualifications and providing additional support through Jobcentre Plus.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 30/07/2015 13:27:22 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

385336

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2015
	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	Social Security Benefits: Migrants
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 24 June (HL540), whether they plan to make such assessments in future; and if not, why not.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL819
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Although data regarding claimant nationality is not currently recorded on benefit payment systems, Universal Credit will record such data, when EEA nationals are able to claim. The Department has no plans to make specific assessments regarding Polish nationals when such data becomes available. However, we will continue to monitor EEA nationals’ access to benefits more generally.</p><p> </p><p>The Prime Minister has made clear that further steps are needed to reform welfare to reduce the incentives which have led to mass immigration from the EU.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 06/07/2015 11:59:13 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

349903

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2015
	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	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure planned changes to entitlements to housing benefit and local housing allowance do not adversely affect (a) young adults, (b) formerly looked after children, (c) pregnant women, (d) couples with children, (e) veterans and (f) disabled people.
	tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
	tabling member printed	Dr Paul Monaghan
	uin	2235
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Any changes to Housing Benefit policy will be subject to a full policy equality assessment to ascertain the impacts on protected groups and ensure compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/06/2015 11:50:33 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4383 label Biography information for Dr Paul Monaghan

226050

	registered interest
	date	09/03/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	High Speed 2 Line
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review his Department's decision not to provide legal aid to petitioners appearing before the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill Select Committee.
	tabling member constituency	Chesham and Amersham
	tabling member printed	Mrs Cheryl Gillan
	uin	226752
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Decisions about legal aid funding in civil cases are a matter for the Director of Legal Aid Casework and his staff at the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), which is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme. Ministers cannot intervene in decisions made about the grant of funding in individual cases.</p><p> </p><p>The LAA refused an application for funding from the High Speed 2 Action Alliance (“HS2AA”) in relation to the Bill procedure, as it did not meet the statutory criteria to receive public funding in respect of either means or exceptional funding. A review of the refusal of the application was sought and the LAA has upheld its decision.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 16/03/2015 13:00:16 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	18 label Biography information for Dame Cheryl Gillan

381128

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2015
	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	Discretionary Housing Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will increase the discretionary housing payments fund when the benefit cap is reduced to £23,000 per year; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	2538
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Details of the policy will be announced in due course.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/06/2015 14:16:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

175968

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Sentencing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of domestic violence have been imprisoned for contempt of court in the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
	tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
	uin	222123
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Domestic violence and abuse is a dreadful crime and has no place in our society. Tackling it has been one of this Government’s top priorities. We are determined to support victims in rebuilding their lives and reporting these crimes, and to make sure perpetrators are brought to justice. We have piloted and rolled out Clare's Law and domestic violence protection orders; extended the definition of domestic abuse to cover controlling behaviour and teenage relationships; run two successful campaigns to challenge perceptions of abuse; and placed Domestic Homicide Reviews on a statutory footing to make sure lessons are learned from individual tragedies. More recently we have added an amendment to the Serious Crime Bill at Commons Committee stage to create a new offence of domestic abuse.</p><p> </p><p>Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible separately to identify from this centrally held information how many people imprisoned for contempt of court have also been victims of a crime. This detailed information may be held on court records but is not reported centrally to the Ministry of Justice. As such, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 03/02/2015 17:50:01 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

173571

	registered interest
	date	14/01/2015
	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	Winter Fuel Payment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many recipients of the Winter Fuel Payment are higher rate taxpayers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
	uin	HL4131
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.</p><p> </p><p>Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue<sup>2</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.</p><p>The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.</p><p>The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.</p><p> </p><p>2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.</p><p>This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.</p><p>Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4132 HL4133 question first answered 26/01/2015 12:13:04 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

178591

	registered interest
	date	09/02/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Undocumented Workers: Sentencing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in each year since 2009 have received prison sentences for employing illegal immigrants.
	tabling member constituency	Delyn
	tabling member printed	Mr David Hanson
	uin	223879
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Employers have had a duty to prevent illegal working since 1997 by carrying out specified document checks on people before they employ them. Since 2008, this duty has been underpinned by a civil penalty scheme. In May 2014, this Government introduced measures making it simpler to check the immigration status of potential employees and at the same time doubled the maximum civil penalty to £20,000 for the employment of an illegal worker. The increased maximum civil penalty better reflects the harm caused by employing illegal workers, the costs to wider society and the unfair economic advantage derived from the activity.</p><p> </p><p>Where an employer knowingly employs an illegal worker the maximum penalty is two years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.</p><p> </p><p>The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody for offences related to employing illegal immigrants, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2013 can be viewed in the table</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="7">Offenders sentenced to immediate custody for offences related to employing illegal immigrants, England and Wales, 2009 to 2013 <sup>(1)(2)</sup></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Offence</td><td>Outcome</td><td>2009</td><td>2010</td><td>2011</td><td>2012</td><td>2013</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Employing a person aged 16 and above subject to immigration control<sup> (3)</sup></td><td>Sentenced</td><td>29</td><td>4</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>of which</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Immediate custody</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Employing a person knowing that they are an adult subject to immigration control <sup>(4)</sup></td><td>Sentenced</td><td>5</td><td>4</td><td>5</td><td>4</td><td>3</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>of which</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Immediate custody</td><td>1</td><td>.</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Employing accession state national subject to worker authorisation in accession period <sup>(5)</sup></td><td>Sentenced</td><td>.</td><td>1</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>of which</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Immediate custody</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td>.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>'-' = Nil</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="7">(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="7">(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="10">(3) An offence under Section 8 Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, amended Asylum and Immigration Act 2004</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="10">(4) An offence under S 21 Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="10">(5) Offence under R12(1)(b) and (6) Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2006</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Ref: PQ 223879</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Court proceedings data for 2014 are planned for publication in May 2015.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 24/02/2015 15:58:44 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson