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1027741

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2018
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of imposing sanctions on disabled claimants of universal credit on (a) the subsequent time they spend in receipt of benefit and (b) the likelihood of those claimants subsequently entering and remaining in employment.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	203221
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made an assessment of the effect of imposing sanctions on disabled Universal Credit claimants. In our response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee Report on Benefit Sanctions (Nineteenth Report of Session 2017-19), the Department committed to evaluating the effectiveness of reforms to welfare conditionality and sanctions. The Department will focus its evaluation on whether the sanctions regime within Universal Credit is effective at supporting claimants to search for work.</p><p> </p><p>Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. Latest data, published on 19 February 2019 in the Benefit Sanction Statistics, shows that in November 2018, 2.8% of people subject to conditionality on Universal Credit had a deduction taken from their benefit award as a result of a sanction.</p><p> </p><p>When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/03/2019 14:28:39 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma previous answer version 94108 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1037783

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2019
	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: Disqualification
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the number of hardship payment awards to sanctioned claimants of universal credit was in each conditionality category for (a) live and (b) full service claimants in each month since August 2015.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	206209
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The information requested by each conditionality group is not readily available for Universal Credit Full and Live Service claimants and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p>Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p><p>However, the information that is readily available is displayed in the table below. This shows the number of Universal Credit Full Service sanction decisions which were followed by a Recoverable Hardship Payment during 2017 and 2018.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Sanction decision month</p></td><td><p>Number of UC Full Service sanction decisions which were followed by a Recoverable Hardship Payment<sup>1</sup></p></td><td><p>Number of people on Universal Credit<sup>2</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-17</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>437,751</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb-17</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>458,742</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar-17</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>481,592</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr-17</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>504,748</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May-17</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>513,481</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun-17</p></td><td><p>300</p></td><td><p>527,535</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jul-17</p></td><td><p>300</p></td><td><p>551,088</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug-17</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>574,802</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-17</p></td><td><p>300</p></td><td><p>601,921</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct-17</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>623,565</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov-17</p></td><td><p>300</p></td><td><p>650,145</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec-17</p></td><td><p>200</p></td><td><p>692,039</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-18</p></td><td><p>600</p></td><td><p>717,523</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb-18</p></td><td><p>500</p></td><td><p>762,909</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar-18</p></td><td><p>500</p></td><td><p>801,401</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr-18</p></td><td><p>700</p></td><td><p>856,280</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May-18</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>902,317</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun-18</p></td><td><p>1100</p></td><td><p>961,643</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jul-18</p></td><td><p>2200</p></td><td><p>1,019,181</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug-18</p></td><td><p>2400</p></td><td><p>1,093,073</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><ol><li>The information provided in the provided table is based on preliminary analysis of internal management information and may be subject to future revision. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. Subsequently, figures in the table that are 0 are less than 50.</li><li>The number of people on Universal Credit is published on Stat-Xplore. (<a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a>)</li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/03/2019 14:09:07 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma previous answer version 94873 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1046103

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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 her speech entitled, Universal Credit: personal welfare, delivered on 11 January 2019, how many recipients of universal credit where the woman is the payee are recorded as lead carers in relation to their claimant commitment.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	211354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 211355 question first answered 20/03/2019 13:51:47 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma previous answer version 97891 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1046104

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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 referenced to her speech entitled Universal Credit: personal welfare delivered on 11 January 2019, how many recipients of universal credit where payments go to the woman’s bank account are in paid work.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	211355
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 211354 question first answered 20/03/2019 13:51:47 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma previous answer version 97892 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1056815

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2019
	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, how many and what proportion of universal credit claims had a deduction applied in the most recent month for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	218206
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Under Universal Credit there is a co-ordinated approach to deductions from benefit, which simplifies the current complex arrangements.</p><p> </p><p>The aim of the deductions policy in Universal Credit is to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their gas, electricity and water cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services.</p><p> </p><p>Work has been done to increase awareness of advances and access to them for claimants, and to support this, new guidance has been issued to staff.</p><p> </p><p>This guidance makes it clear that claimants should be made aware of advances, made aware of their maximum entitlement and informed that their entitlement will be adjusted over the relevant recovery period to take this into account. This increased awareness has resulted in around 60% of eligible new claims to Universal Credit receiving an advance in October 2018, providing further financial support until their first payment.</p><p> </p><p>Of all eligible claims* to Universal Credit Full Service due a payment in October 2018, 53% (532,000 claims) had a deduction to their standard allowance.</p><p> </p><p>Of these 532,000 claims with a deduction:</p><p>a) 53% (284,000 claims) had deductions up to 20% of the Standard Allowance (28% of all eligible claims).</p><p>b) 21% (113,000 claims) had deductions between 21% and 30% of the Standard Allowance (11% of all eligible claims).</p><p>c) 24% (129,000 claims) had deductions between 31% and 40% of their Standard Allowance (13% of all eligible claims).</p><p>d) 1% (6,000 claims) had deductions above 40% of their Standard Allowance (0.6% of all eligible claims).</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>*Eligible claimants are claimants that have satisfied all the requirements of claiming Universal Credit; they have provided the necessary evidence, signed their claimant commitment and are eligible and have recieved their first payment.</p><p>These figures do not include sanctions or fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.</p><p>Claim numbers may not match official statistics caseloads due to small methodological differences.</p><p>Claim numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 218207 question first answered 20/03/2019 13:42:59 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1056819

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2019
	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, how many and what proportion of universal credit claims that had a deduction applied had (a) up to 20 per cent, (b) between 21 and 30 per cent, (c) between 31 and 40 per cent and (d) more than 41 per cent deducted in the latest period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	218207
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Under Universal Credit there is a co-ordinated approach to deductions from benefit, which simplifies the current complex arrangements.</p><p> </p><p>The aim of the deductions policy in Universal Credit is to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their gas, electricity and water cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services.</p><p> </p><p>Work has been done to increase awareness of advances and access to them for claimants, and to support this, new guidance has been issued to staff.</p><p> </p><p>This guidance makes it clear that claimants should be made aware of advances, made aware of their maximum entitlement and informed that their entitlement will be adjusted over the relevant recovery period to take this into account. This increased awareness has resulted in around 60% of eligible new claims to Universal Credit receiving an advance in October 2018, providing further financial support until their first payment.</p><p> </p><p>Of all eligible claims* to Universal Credit Full Service due a payment in October 2018, 53% (532,000 claims) had a deduction to their standard allowance.</p><p> </p><p>Of these 532,000 claims with a deduction:</p><p>a) 53% (284,000 claims) had deductions up to 20% of the Standard Allowance (28% of all eligible claims).</p><p>b) 21% (113,000 claims) had deductions between 21% and 30% of the Standard Allowance (11% of all eligible claims).</p><p>c) 24% (129,000 claims) had deductions between 31% and 40% of their Standard Allowance (13% of all eligible claims).</p><p>d) 1% (6,000 claims) had deductions above 40% of their Standard Allowance (0.6% of all eligible claims).</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>*Eligible claimants are claimants that have satisfied all the requirements of claiming Universal Credit; they have provided the necessary evidence, signed their claimant commitment and are eligible and have recieved their first payment.</p><p>These figures do not include sanctions or fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.</p><p>Claim numbers may not match official statistics caseloads due to small methodological differences.</p><p>Claim numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 218206 question first answered 20/03/2019 13:42:59 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1077317

	registered interest
	date	25/02/2019
	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	Citizens' Assemblies
	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 progress he has made on the implementation of the Innovation in Democracy Programme; and what the timeframe is for the announcement of the successful local authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	uin	225397
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The Innovation in Democracy Programme is an important part of the Civil Society Strategy announced last year. The successful pilot locations will be announced in due course.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 228562 question first answered 20/03/2019 09:49:11 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1082118

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2019
	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	Citizens' Assemblies
	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 progress has been made on the Innovation in Democracy Programme; and what the timescale is for announcing the successful local authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	uin	228562
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The Innovation in Democracy Programme is an important part of the Civil Society Strategy announced last year. The successful pilot locations will be announced in due course.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 225397 question first answered 20/03/2019 09:49:11 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1083406

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there has been a underspend of the apprenticeship levies in each of the last three years; if so, by how much; and what consideration they have give to allowing any such underspends to be allocated to training schemes for the upgrade of skills.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
	uin	HL14289
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand-led. Employers choose the type, quantity and level of apprenticeships that they offer in order to meet their current and future skills needs.</p><p>Employers pay the apprenticeship levy to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Employers in England can then set up accounts on the apprenticeship service, allowing them to direct funds to cover the costs of training and assessment for their apprentices. Employers who pay the levy have up to 24 months to spend their levy funds in their accounts. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all of the funds in their accounts, but they are able to do this if they wish.</p><p>There is a difference between what employers see in their levy accounts and the department’s annual apprenticeship budget set by Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT). Levy accounts include up to 24 months of levy funds. The department’s annual apprenticeship budget must fund the whole apprenticeship programme, including apprenticeships with smaller employers who do not pay the levy and apprenticeships that started before the levy was introduced.</p><p>In total, in the 2017-18 financial year, the department spent £1.6 billion (of a £2 billion budget) to fulfil employers’ demand for apprenticeships. Lower than anticipated demand from employers led to an underspend of approximately £400 million. HMT made available a portion of the department's 2017-18 underspend, including the underspend from apprenticeships, for programmes in future financial years. We will publish the expenditure from this financial year in our 2018-19 annual report and accounts after the end of this financial year.</p><p>A review of the levy is underway in order to consider, amongst other points, how it can be used most effectively.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 20/03/2019 17:57:43 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

1083407

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing the funding available for agricultural courses where they contain significant STEM elements.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
	uin	HL14290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The government already provides funding via the Office for Students to support subjects where the costs of teaching exceed the income that providers receive through tuition fees. This includes agricultural courses with elements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Current rates of high-cost funding are included in the ‘Office for Students: Guide to funding 2018-19’, attached.</p><p>Future funding for higher education will be announced in the forthcoming Spending Review following the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, which is currently underway.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 20/03/2019 17:55:02 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name HL14290_OfS_Guide_to_Funding_2018_to_2019.pdf title HL14290_OfS_Guide_to_Funding_2018_2019
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford