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60641

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty either locally or nationally. The number of children in poverty is dependent on a number of factors which cannot be reliably predicted, including the median income.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does not believe it is possible to accurately project child poverty to 2020. Poverty projections are rarely accurate. For example, IFS projections in October 2011 suggested the number of children in relative poverty would fall by 100,000 in 2010/11, whereas in fact it fell by 300,000.</p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

64312

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p><strong> </strong>The COMAH Competent Authority (CA), comprising HSE and the environment agencies, is responsible for ensuring that oil refineries and fuel storage and distribution terminals meet new safety and environmental standards introduced in 2009 following the Buncefield fire and explosion. The standards were developed jointly by industry and the CA and published by the Process Safety Leadership Group (PSLG).</p><p> </p><p>Refineries were required to produce risk-based action plans to implement the PSLG safety standards at their existing fuel storage facilities. HSE led the assessment of these plans during 2011 and has been inspecting sites to ensure the planned improvements are made. The timings of upgrades to containment standards at refineries' existing fuel storage facilities is based on risk and will vary for each site. Agreed improvements are embedded in environment inspection plans for each site and followed up to ensure measures are implemented on time.</p><p> </p><p>The CA is working with refineries undergoing conversion to fuel storage and distribution terminals to ensure the PSLG standards are applied in full to their new facilities.</p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

64313

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p><strong> </strong>The COMAH Competent Authority (CA), comprising HSE and the environment agencies, is responsible for ensuring that oil refineries and fuel storage and distribution terminals meet new safety and environmental standards introduced in 2009 following the Buncefield fire and explosion. The standards were developed jointly by industry and the CA and published by the Process Safety Leadership Group (PSLG).</p><p> </p><p>Refineries were required to produce risk-based action plans to implement the PSLG safety standards at their existing fuel storage facilities. HSE led the assessment of these plans during 2011 and has been inspecting sites to ensure the planned improvements are made. The timings of upgrades to containment standards at refineries' existing fuel storage facilities is based on risk and will vary for each site. Agreed improvements are embedded in environment inspection plans for each site and followed up to ensure measures are implemented on time.</p><p> </p><p>The CA is working with refineries undergoing conversion to fuel storage and distribution terminals to ensure the PSLG standards are applied in full to their new facilities.</p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

90233

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Carers’ and disability benefits, and the additional State pension, must by statute be up-rated in line with prices. So the increase in those benefits over the last three years has reflected the increase in the Consumer Price Index.</p><p>The basic State pension has been increased with the triple lock (by the highest of average earnings, CPI or 2.5%), and the Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit has been up-rated in line with the cash increase in the basic State pension. In each of the last three years, this means that the Standard Minimum Guarantee has increased by more than the minimum requirement of the increase in average earnings. The resulting over-indexation of the Standard Minimum Guarantee has been funded through an increase in the savings credit threshold and the associated reduction in the Savings Credit maximum.</p><p>The table indicates the percentage increases in CPI; basic State Pension; average earnings; and the Standard Minimum Guarantee in each of the past three years.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>CPI</p></td><td><p>5.2%</p></td><td><p>2.2%</p></td><td><p>2.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Basic State pension</p></td><td><p>5.2%</p></td><td><p>2.5%</p></td><td><p>2.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Average earnings</p></td><td><p>2.8%</p></td><td><p>1.6%</p></td><td><p>1.2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee</p></td><td><p>3.9%</p></td><td><p>1.9%</p></td><td><p>2.0%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

61037

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>I have been asked to respond as this falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).</p><p> </p><p>Wood dust can cause non-reversible health problems including skin disorders, obstruction of the nose and rhinitis, asthma and nasal cancer. There are appropriate workplace controls and HSE provides comprehensive guidance for employers on these.</p><p> </p><p>Exposure to wood dust in workplaces is regulated by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) which require exposures to be reduced as far below the Workplace Exposure Limit as is reasonably practicable. Suitable control measures may include local exhaust ventilation, on-tool extraction systems and in some cases respiratory protective equipment. Workers will usually require health surveillance checks.</p><p> </p><p>HSE has recently commissioned a new study to update the evidence base for wood dust exposure and health effects in the UK construction and woodworking industries. The study will run over the next 2-3 years and is being undertaken by the Health and Safety Laboratory with support and assistance from industry.</p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

79450

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>I refer the Hon.Member to the written answer that the previous Minister for Disabled People gave on 14 July 2014, Official Report, column 589w, to the Hon. Member for East Lothian, Fiona O’Donnell.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>Previous answer:</strong></p><p> </p><p>Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will classify motor neurone disease as a terminal illness which qualifies for a fast-track assessment for welfare claims. [204826]</p><p> </p><p>Mike Penning: Claims to attendance allowance, disability living allowance, employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit and personal independence payment from people who are terminally ill, as defined in law, are fast tracked. Claimants are considered to be terminally ill if they have a progressive disease as a result of which they are not expected to live longer than six months. Motor neurone disease is considered to be a progressive disease.</p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

62168

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Since the Child Maintenance Service launched in December 2012 we have been talking to clients (via caseworkers and through our Child Maintenance Options service) about the planned introduction of charging, and letters to Child Maintenance Service clients have made reference to the charges.</p><p> </p><p>More widely we have engaged with stakeholders, partners, MP caseworkers and intermediaries to share information about the reforms to the child maintenance system.</p><p> </p><p>Ahead of existing Child Support Agency cases closing, a regional media trial is currently running in the Manchester area. The media activity includes digital, radio and press advertising to let parents know that the Child Support Agency is changing and to reassure them that they don't need to take any action until they receive a letter. We will evaluate the results of this media activity before confirming plans to run this campaign nationally later this year.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

60642

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Government has not made an assessment of the effect of welfare reforms on levels on child poverty. Given the large number of reforms and variables involved, the impact of welfare changes cannot be seen in isolation.</p><p>However, the guiding principles of all of this Government's welfare reforms are to get more people into work by making work pay.</p><p>A key component of the Welfare Reform is Universal Credit. Universal Credit is expected to improve work incentives by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work, and by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits when they increase their earnings.</p><p>We estimate this new reform will lift around 300,000 children out of poverty.</p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

62166

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with Glasgow City Council on the Glasgow Guarantee.</p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

57908

	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	house id	1
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Universal Credit Impact Assessment was published in December 2012, full details of the report can be found here</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/welfare-reform-act-2012-impact-assessments" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/welfare-reform-act-2012-impact-assessments</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson