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1126618

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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, what changes have been made to the burden of proof required to prove eligibility for welfare support for (a) EU nationals and (b) non-EU nationals following the introduction of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	254247
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>No changes have been made to the burden of proof required to demonstrate eligibility for Universal Credit. In 2015, amendments to Universal Credit regulations brought the eligibility criteria to access Universal Credit more closely into line with EU regulations. The Department publishes Advice for Decision Makers on gov.uk, which is updated periodically.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/05/2019 16:48:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 119071 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1126815

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Novartis: North East Lincolnshire
	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 support people affected by the potential closure of the Novartis plant in North East Lincolnshire.
	tabling member constituency	Great Grimsby
	tabling member printed	Melanie Onn
	uin	254841
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>DWP offer a Rapid Response Service (RRS). This is a redundancy service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with the prospect of redundancy. It is coordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) and is managed by Jobcentre Plus. Each Jobcentre Plus district deploy resources according to the situation and the requirements of the workforce. This service is available to be deployed in Grimsby and surrounding area should Novartis require support from Jobcentre Plus. The RRS is delivered in partnership with a range of national and local partners, including National Careers Service and local service providers.</p><p> </p><p>The range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners may include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Information advice and guidance.</li><li>Connecting people to jobs in the labour market.</li><li>Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and<br> how to apply for them.</li><li>Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour<br> market).</li><li>Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised<br> certification that will improve employability.</li><li>Help to overcome barriers to attending training or securing a job or <br> self-employment such as child care costs, necessary tools, work clothes, travel<br> costs etc.</li><li>On-site presentations to those affected.</li><li>Jobs Fairs and Job Clubs where appropriate.</li></ul> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/05/2019 16:58:43 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 119072 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4464 label Biography information for Melanie Onn

1127116

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2019
	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, what estimate her Department has made of the effect of the 5-week wait for the first payment of universal credit on (a) a claimant’s level of (i) debt and (ii) rent arrears and (b) the finances of disabled claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	uin	255340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>No one has to wait 5 weeks for their first payment of Universal Credit. Advances are available from the first day of a valid claim, if required, to support claimants.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/05/2019 15:59:56 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1127119

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2019
	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 many and what proportion of universal credit payments have been subject to a deduction as a result of a claimant’s historic debt to (a) her Department and (b) HM Treasury in the latest month for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	uin	255341
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Internal Management information shows that in April 2019, 280,000 payments of Universal Credit (UC) had a deduction applied to repay a non UC debt owed to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and 340,000 payments of UC had a deduction applied to repay a Tax Credit debt (these figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000). Some payments of UC may have had a deduction for both a non UC debt and a Tax Credit debt. These claimants would appear in both totals, therefore the figures cannot be summed.</p><p> </p><p>In line with the deductions policy in UC, for both types of debt, the deductions would not usually exceed the maximum amounts, which are set out legislation. Only in cases where last resort deductions are applied can these rates be exceeded. DWP ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who have deductions from their benefit to repay overpayments. If a claimant is struggling they can contact DWP’s Debt Management to discuss lowering their repayment rate.</p><p> </p><p>It is also worth noting that it is not possible to provide this as a proportion at April 2019, as the latest UC caseload data is only available as of 14 February 19. However, for context, as of 14 February 19, 1.4m households received payments of UC.</p><p> </p><p>N.B. This data on deductions has been sourced from internal management information. It should therefore not be compared to any other similar data subsequently released by the DWP.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/05/2019 15:53:23 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1126963

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Construction: Trading Standards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) rogue and (b) incompetent builders in the construction industry; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce that number.
	tabling member constituency	Morecambe and Lunesdale
	tabling member printed	David Morris
	uin	254822
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made an estimate of the number of rogue and incompetent builders in the construction sector. However, the Government has endorsed the TrustMark scheme to reduce the number of rogue and incompetent builders; and to identify local traders who have undergone independent checks for both trade competence and good trading practice. This scheme gives consumers increased confidence and ability to choose registered businesses including builders who adhere to and maintain high standards.</p><p> </p><p>TrustMark is actively involved with Trading Standards to provide further protection to consumers affected by rogue builders. Where a company has committed a criminal breach of consumer law, Trading Standards can prosecute in the criminal court and the court can impose a fine or imprisonment for a serious offence.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 21/05/2019 16:48:00 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson previous answer version 119033 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487
	tabling member	4135 label Biography information for David Morris

1126035

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Former Ministers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department has paid to hon. Members under section 4 of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 since 13 July 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	tabling member printed	Justin Madders
	uin	253605
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Any such payments are published in the department’s audited annual accounts which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports</a>.</p><p>The department’s 2018-19 annual accounts are currently due to be laid before Parliament before the summer recess.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 21/05/2019 15:49:58 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1126131

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Brexit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in his Department who were transferred or seconded to work (a) in other departments or (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU, have since returned to his Department.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	253460
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Following the extension to Article 50, 82 members of staff who had been working on preparations for the UK leaving the European Union at other government departments have now returned to the Department for Education.</p><p>The department constantly reviews its capabilities and allocation of resources in order to effectively deliver the government’s agenda. Internal transfers and loans are agreed locally, so the department does not hold this information centrally.</p><p>The Civil Service is focused on delivering the government’s most pressing priorities, so it is only sensible that we make use of the resources and expertise that are available. This includes departments sharing staff and working together on joint projects.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 21/05/2019 15:47:37 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126565

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Department for Education: Sick Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months; what proportion that leave was of total sick leave taken in his Department; and what the cost was to his Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254074
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The number of employees in the department who were absent for stress-related reasons from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019 was 119, which represented 1.84% of the total workforce and 11.26% of the overall sickness absence.</p><p>The estimated cost of this sickness absence is £3,456,595 (based on a calculation of total working days lost multiplied by the daily rate of the department’s median salary).</p><p> </p><p>The department is committed to the health and wellbeing of all our employees, including helping them to manage stress in the workplace. There is a range of guidance and services in place to support the department’s employees such as Mental Health First Aiders, Employee Assistance Programmes and Fair Treatment Ambassadors.</p><p> </p><p>Sickness absence data for the Civil Service from 1999 to the first quarter of 2018 is published on GOV.UK and available at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 21/05/2019 16:06:04 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1127153

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Further Education: GCSE
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students in further education colleges have been required to take (a) English and (b) mathematics GCSEs because of the requirement that all 16 to 18 year old students who have not yet achieved a grade 4 while at secondary school resit these exams in each of the last six years; and how many of those students achieved a pass at grade 4 or the equivalent required standard.
	tabling member constituency	Harborough
	tabling member printed	Neil O'Brien
	uin	255399
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>From August 2014, students who left key stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4/C or above (or equivalent) in English and/or maths were required to continue studying these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. From the following year, students starting a new study programme with a GCSE grade 3/D (or equivalent) in English and/or maths had to enrol on GCSE courses only. From August 2019, students starting a new or continuing an existing study programme with a GCSE grade 2 (or equivalent) or below can study towards a pass in Functional Skills Level 2 or they can still study towards a GCSE grade 4 to 9. Those with a grade 3 (or equivalent) must still study GCSE only. Providers have the freedom to decide if and when students are ready to re-enter for an examination.</p><p> </p><p>For years up until 2014/15 the Department published statistics on the achievement in English and maths by students who had not achieved GCSE A*-C 2 years previously (i.e. the 2014/15 estimates were based on those at end of key stage 4 in 2012/13). From 2015/16, figures are based on students at the end of their 16-18 study (up to 3 years of study)<a href="https://educationgovuk.sharepoint.com/sites/cd/c/WorkplaceDocuments/Written%20PQ%20Team/Written%20PQ%20-%202017-19%20drafts/255399%20QC%20200519.docx#_ftn1" target="_blank"><sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup></a>. This means that figures for 2014/15 and earlier are not directly comparable to those for later years.</p><p> </p><p>The tables attached show the number of students in further education colleges, in England, from 2012/13 to 2017/18 who did not achieve a grade 4/C or equivalent in English or maths at key stage 4 and how many of them went on to achieve a grade 4/C or better (or equivalent).</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://educationgovuk.sharepoint.com/sites/cd/c/WorkplaceDocuments/Written%20PQ%20Team/Written%20PQ%20-%202017-19%20drafts/255399%20QC%20200519.docx#_ftnref1" target="_blank">[1]</a> Available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years</a>. For 2012/13 to 2014/15, scroll down to the ‘level 1 and 2 attainment’ section and open the link for each year. In the national tables, you require tables 2 and 4. For 2015/16 to 2017/18, open the revised publication at the top of the page for 2016, 2017 or 2018 and then open the ‘English and maths tables’. Institution type breakdowns are available in table 14a and 14b.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 21/05/2019 16:55:22 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton attachment 1 file name 255399_table.doc title 255399_table
	tabling member	4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien

1126803

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Students: Loans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money has been repaid to the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
	tabling member printed	David Simpson
	uin	254787
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Statistics covering student loans, debt and repayment are published annually by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The statistics are published separately for each government administration. Information on repayments by financial year can be found in table 1 of each of the publications:</p><p><a href="https://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment.aspx" target="_blank">https://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment.aspx</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The next release in the student loans, debt and repayment series is confirmed for 13 June 2019, which will include repayment statistics for the financial year 2018-19.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 21/05/2019 16:30:13 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson