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1111209

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2019
	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	Flexible Support Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the overall levels of payment were from the Flexible Support Fund (a) in each region, and (b) on (i) childcare, (ii) training, (iii) clothing for work and (iv) other categories of activity in each of the last 24 months.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	243572
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables attached.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 14/05/2019 12:03:52 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma attachment 1 file name Flexible Support Fund Expenditure by Region.docx title Flexible Support Fund Expenditure by Region previous answer version 114103 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1124942

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2019
	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: Cancer
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that universal credit phone-line staff are adequately trained to understand the complex needs of claimants suffering with cancer.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	251218
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>All DWP staff delivering Universal Credit undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants, including those who have cancer and other serious health conditions. Colleagues receive on-going learning in their roles and have access to Universal Credit guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals.</p><p> </p><p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to ensuring that people who have cancer are treated with the upmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services. For instance, when a claimant is asked to attend a Work Capability Assessment, they are required to complete a UC50 questionnaire which incorporates a 'light touch' evidence gathering process for cancer patients; and makes clear that Clinical Nurse Specialists and consultants can provide information on the form.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 14/05/2019 13:32:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1125625

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Immigration
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place in the Library, a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between her Department and HMRC in relation to the EU Settlement Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	252531
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) regarding the EU Settlement Scheme have set out the information sharing arrangements between the Home Office and DWP, and separately, between the Home Office and HMRC. These are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-uk-tax-and-benefits-records-automated-check" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-uk-tax-and-benefits-records-automated-check</a>. Each department has direct arrangements with the Home Office, therefore there is no requirement for an MOU between DWP and HMRC.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 14/05/2019 09:43:32 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1125696

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2019
	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 much her Department has spent on advertising universal credit in the Metro newspaper to date; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	252567
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides services to around 22 million people, and has a responsibility to communicate policy and essential information to claimants and other key audiences, in a similar way to other government departments. The ‘Opening Up Work’ campaign aims to increase understanding of how Universal Credit removes barriers to work and aids career progression, and to provide information to help people make a claim.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has spent the amounts shown in the table below with the Metro newspaper.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial Year</p></td><td><p>Spend (£)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>20,918.16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>23,628.96</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Source:</strong> DWP internal accounts</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 14/05/2019 14:24:49 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1125422

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	English Language and Mathematics: GCSE
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to introduce Essential skills Maths and English for students with lower levels of attainment in respect of the GCSE curriculum.
	tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
	tabling member printed	David Simpson
	uin	251989
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The government recognises the importance of English and maths both in work and everyday life. In England, we want to ensure that pupils benefit from reformed GCSEs, which are the gold standard qualification at 16. The new GCSEs are better at equipping young people with the literacy and numeracy required for further study and employment.</p><p> </p><p>Students in England who leave school without a GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths have to continue studying these subjects.</p><p> </p><p>Post-16 students with prior attainment of a GCSE grade 2 or below have a choice of which qualification to study including GCSEs and functional skills qualifications. We are reforming functional skills qualifications to improve their rigour and relevance, as well as improving their recognition amongst employers.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 14/05/2019 09:37:05 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1123746

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Antibiotics: Drug Resistance
	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 effectiveness of their 2013–18 antimicrobial resistance strategy at addressing the problem of multi-resistant E. coli-like bacteria; what assessment they have made of recent trends in the number of multi-resistant E. coli-like bacteria in the UK; and what factors inform their view of the balance between efforts to reduce transmission and efforts to reduce the use of antibiotics.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
	uin	HL15384
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>While we can count many successes from our 2013-18 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy, resistance has continued to increase. In the United Kingdom we have seen a 35% increase in resistant blood stream infections in humans from 2013-17.</p><p>The number of bloodstream infections (BSIs) is increasing each year. Although the proportion of antibiotic resistant BSIs remain stable year to year, the burden on resistance increases. This is mostly due to increasing prevalence of E.coli bloodstream infections.</p><p>Estimates of the multi-resistant cases can be made, however not all the bacteria are tested against the same antibiotics, so a definitive number of cases cannot be given. The Public Health England Fingertips tool also has an indicator showing the rolling quarterly average proportion of E. coli blood specimens non-susceptible to at least three of the key antimicrobials (gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam, 3rd-generation cephalosporins or carbapenems). For England this is 5.5% with little fluctuation over time.</p><p>This is exactly why the UK’s five-year national action plan for AMR, published alongside the UK 20-year vision for AMR on 24 January 2019, includes a strengthened focus on infection prevention and control, renewing our commitment to halve levels of healthcare associated Gram-negative blood stream infections (mostly E.coli) by 2023-24. The plan also sets a world-first target to reduce the actual numbers of resistant infections, with the aim to reduce them by 10% by 2025.</p><p>We are working with the devolved health administrations to develop consistent methodologies for reporting the incidence and mortality of key antibiotic resistant infections and antimicrobial use to allow us to report progress on the ambitions of the AMR national action plan.</p><p>As reductions in inappropriate prescribing also reduces the risk of promoting the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, interventions to reduce antibiotic prescribing or transmission of the bacteria are complementary.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford question first answered 14/05/2019 16:29:42 answering member 4019 label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
	tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes

1123769

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	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	Eastman Kodak: Pensions Protection Fund
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for oversight of matters regarding the Pensions Protection Fund (PPF) and Kodak; and whether they plan to commission an independent review of the handling of Kodak by the PPF and the Pensions Regulator and the advice received by both.
	tabling member printed	Lord Myners
	uin	HL15407
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The Pension Protection Fund is a statutory public corporation led by its Board and accountable to Parliament through the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions.</p><p> </p><p>The original decision in the Kodak case, which provided savers with the potential to receive benefits above Pension Protection Fund levels, was finely balanced and carefully assessed with the benefit of the due diligence carried out for the trustees. Regulated Apportionment Arrangements, a restructuring mechanism which allows a financially troubled employer to detach itself from its liabilities in respect of a defined benefit scheme, are rare and The Pensions Regulator will only agree to them if stringent criteria are met, with entry into the Pension Protection Fund the expected outcome, and the Pension Protection Fund must not object to the Regulated Apportionment Arrangements. The Pensions Regulator published a section 89 regulatory intervention report in November 2014 describing in detail the considerations leading to the decision in this case.</p><p> </p><p>As a condition of approving the successor Kodak pension scheme in 2014, a memorandum of understanding was put in place giving The Pensions Regulator the power to closely monitor the progress of the scheme and if necessary trigger its wind up. This has allowed The Pensions Regulator, with the Pension Protection Fund, to remain actively involved in discussions about the scheme’s future. Due to underperformance of the underlying business it was concluded that the scheme would be unable to meet its long term funding requirements. Action has therefore been taken to bring the scheme into a Pension Protection Fund assessment period which commenced on the 25 March 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Specialist firms with extensive Pension Protection Fund experience have been brought in to manage the administration of the pension scheme and to oversee its efficient passage through the assessment process.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Kodak case is a significant claim, the Pension Protection Fund remains in a robust financial position. In its last reported accounts, the Pension Protection Fund had a £6.7 billion reserve and is currently on track to reach its funding objective. There has been no immediate impact on the Pension Protection Fund Levy arising from this case. The Pension Protection Fund aims to collect £500m in levy in 2019/20 which is £50m lower than it aimed to collect in 2018/19.</p><p> </p><p>The Pensions Regulator aims to learn from every major pensions restructuring case and has refined its approach to complex pension restructurings in light of the lessons learned in the Kodak case and successive cases. A letter was sent on the 17<sup>th</sup> October 2018 from Lesley Titcomb, the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Pensions Regulator, addressed to the Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Rt Hon Frank Field MP, summarising the lessons learnt in the Kodak case.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 14/05/2019 15:29:45 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

1124058

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Development Aid: Family Planning
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of UK Official Development Assistance to contraceptive and family planning services reaches clients free of charge at the point of delivery (1) bilaterally, (2) multilaterally through UN bodies, (3) through non-governmental organisations, and (4) in total.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL15440
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>Our family planning programmes are delivered in accordance with local government policies, and the financial model varies considerably from context to context. We do not currently collect the information requested as it would be difficult to do this comprehensively and reliably. The UK is working with others to encourage governments to adopt ambitious investment goals for Universal Health Coverage, including sexual reproductive health and rights. Through our work with partner countries, we promote financial protection and reductions in out of pocket health expenditure, to reduce the burden on poor people and families.</p><p> </p><p>Our new regional WISH programme with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is focused on reaching the very poor and reducing costs. Although some country programmes do charge for clients who can afford to pay, they employ a no-refusal policy to allow clients that are poor. Proceeds from these services are used to further access for the poorest and most marginalised.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 14/05/2019 16:15:46 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

1124407

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Developing Countries: Health Services
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that child survival and the proposal that 2020 be designated the Year of the Nurse and Midwife are on the agendas at all relevant meetings of (1) the United Nations, (2) the Commonwealth, (3) international health conferences and (4) international development conferences.
	tabling member printed	Lord Crisp
	uin	HL15456
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The UK is a strong advocate for the strengthening of health systems to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Child survival and investment in health workers such as nurses and midwives are central to UHC and therefore we promote these and related initiatives through our advocacy for UHC at all relevant international meetings.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 14/05/2019 16:14:35 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	tabling member	3783 label Biography information for Lord Crisp

1123738

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Thames House: Pedestrian Areas
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 April (HL1894), on what advice from the Security Service they concluded that there were national security grounds on which they refuse to answer questions about pedestrian access on Horseferry Road.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL15376
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The government regularly consults with the Security Service about the disclosure of information that relates to the Security Service. The longstanding policy of not commenting on matters relating to the intelligence agencies has been agreed to be appropriate in this case because the changes to the pedestrian access have been made for reasons of building security.</p><p>We cannot comment further on these reasons other than to say that the Security Service has taken all appropriate and reasonable steps to ensure the safety of pedestrians and any potential liability for negligence would be the same as with any public organisation. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament provides the means for the scrutiny of the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 14/05/2019 15:38:17 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra