Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1126494

	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	Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of regional job centre closures on trends in the level of homelessness in those regions.
	tabling member constituency	Cambridge
	tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
	uin	254209
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>When closing or merging a Jobcentre, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) undertake an equality analysis as part of the detailed planning for service reconfiguration. This will include feedback from public consultation in those locations where this applied. Details of jobcentres that have closed and/or merged in the last two years can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-on-the-future-of-dwp-jobcentres" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-on-the-future-of-dwp-jobcentres</a></p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government publishes local authority data on homelessness applications quarterly.</p><p> </p><p>Reference should also be made to the response given on 9 February 2018 in the reply to PQ <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-02-05/126480/" target="_blank">126480</a>.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 22/05/2019 12:50:13 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1126573

	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Sick Leave
	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 officials in her 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 her Department; and what the cost was to her Department of officials taking sick leave over that period.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	254082
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department recognises its legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of our employees; this includes identifying and reducing workplace stressors. Our approach is a holistic one that utilises the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards for work related stress and follows key principles to help identify and reduce work place stressors.</p><p> </p><p>2,473 employees took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in the last 12 months which represents 3% of our paid staff. As a percentage, such absences equated to 10.7% of all Working Days Lost due to sickness absence. However, as the Department continues to pay salaries during sickness absence there is no direct financial cost.</p><p> </p><p>Our approach to absence is fair but robust with the emphasis on health promotion and absence prevention. The Department has a range of support from mental health toolkits, stress reduction plans plus tailored support for people who do go off sick or need support through our Employee Assistance Programme which includes counselling.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has 965 Mental Health First Aiders, who provide acute, short-term and structured support to individuals, provide reassurance and signpost colleagues to both DWP and external sources of support as appropriate. Mental Health First Aiders are also provided with continuous professional development and support for their own mental wellbeing.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/05/2019 16:17:12 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1126593

	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 243315, how many universal credit claimants in the central London broad rental market area are in receipt of the shared accommodation rate of the housing element of that benefit.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	254093
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>This information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/05/2019 12:35:53 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1126601

	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	Independent Case Examiner: Complaints
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the 158 complaints about the Independent Case Examiner in 2017-18 were on the length of time it took to investigate a complaint.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	254099
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Independent Case Examiner’s Office recorded 158 complaints about its service during the 2017/18 reporting year, of which 60 concerned delays in starting investigations and 6 concerned delays in concluding investigations.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/05/2019 16:04:17 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1126628

	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	State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 242790 on State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements, which non-EU countries have made requests for reciprocal social security agreements with the UK since 1992.
	tabling member constituency	Ribble Valley
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Evans
	uin	254152
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Requests for social security agreements may be raised in formal and informal meetings and correspondence at both ministerial and official level. The Department for Work and Pensions does not, as a matter of routine, maintain records of such requests.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 22/05/2019 16:24:57 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	474 label Biography information for Mr Nigel Evans

1126816

	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	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 assessment she has made of whether there is a need for transitional protection for mixed-age couples that will see eligibility for pension credit and housing benefit affected by transferring to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Preseli Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Stephen Crabb
	uin	254779
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The mixed age couples change will not apply to couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners on 14 May for as long as they remain entitled to either benefit. DWP wrote earlier this year to those mixed age couples already receiving Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners to ensure they know about the change and how they could be affected if their circumstances change on or after 15 May.</p><p> </p><p>Couples who would be eligible for the pension age benefits under the previous rules but have not claimed before 15 May will have up to 13 August to make a backdated claim to 14 May and we encourage them to do so.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 22/05/2019 15:54:25 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1554 label Biography information for Stephen Crabb

1126305

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Insolvency
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the basis for their estimate in the consultation by HMRC Protecting your taxes in insolvency, published on 26 February, that the reintroduction of preferential status for any Crown creditor would yield £185 million per annum in additional tax revenue.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL15665
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The estimate is the tax recovered from insolvencies that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) would not otherwise have collected before the policy was implemented. Adjustments were made for tax and payment timing.</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 22/05/2019 16:21:03 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

1126306

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Insolvency
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the proposals in the consultation by HMRC Protecting your taxes in insolvency, published on 26 February, to reintroduce preferential status for any Crown creditor takes into account lost Government revenue resulting from other taxpayers suffering additional bad debts due to the priority payment of HMRC, and any consequential loss to the economy resulting other taxpayers themselves becoming insolvent due to an increased burden of bad debt; and what assessment, if any, they have made of the impact of that change on lending.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL15666
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The ‘Protecting your taxes in insolvency’ proposals take into account lost government revenue resulting from other taxpayers suffering additional bad debts due to the priority payment of HMRC.</p><p> </p><p>Lending against fixed assets will not be impacted by this measure, but lending against floating assets will be impacted, as HMRC will move above secured creditors with floating charges in insolvencies.</p><p> </p><p>At Budget 2018, the independent OBR chose not to make any adjustments to their economic forecast in response to this measure.</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 22/05/2019 16:22:56 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

1126332

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Banking Hubs: Competition
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to update competition law to allow for shared banking hubs in areas where local bank branches have been closed.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL15692
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Branch closures can be difficult for the communities affected and the Government pays close attention to this issue. However, the decision to close a branch is a commercial one for a firm, and Government does not intervene in those decisions.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government is equally clear that as banking providers seek to respond to technological advances and changes in customer behaviour, they must also consider carefully the needs of those who still rely on their local bank branch. Since May 2017, the major high street banks have been signed up to the Access to Banking Standard, which commits them to work with customers and communities to minimise the impact of branch closures and put in place alternative banking services.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also supports the Post Office Banking Framework Agreement which enables 99% of the UK’s personal and 95% of the UK’s small business customers to withdraw money, deposit cash and cheques and check balances at any one of the Post Office’s network of 11,500 branches.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>While banks do have to comply with competition law, there is no specific regulation that prevents banks from sharing branches or other premises where their strategies align. The Government therefore has no plans to update competition law on this basis. Government does not intervene in these commercial decisions, but will continue to encourage banks to think creatively about how they can ensure that consumers can access a wide range of banking services on a sustainable basis. For example, NatWest, Lloyds Bank and Barclays are trialling shared business banking hubs in 6 locations across the UK in the coming weeks.</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 22/05/2019 16:37:43 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1126530

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Tax Yields
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the amount of tax revenue accrued was from UK small businesses in 2017-18.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	254129
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Total tax revenue accrued from micro and small sized businesses combined was estimated to be approximately £120 billion in 2016/17. An estimate for 2017/18 will not become available until Autumn 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The estimate given includes Self-Assessment Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance Contributions (NICs), Corporation Tax, VAT, and Pay As You Earn Income Tax and Class 1 NICs. The definition of micro and small sized businesses used is consistent with the EU definition where possible. HMRC works to collect tax due under UK law from all businesses, regardless of size, in the most cost effective way.</p><p> </p><p>The government has also taken a number of steps which benefit small businesses through the tax system. Since Budget 2016 the government has announced reductions to business rates worth more than £13bn over the next five years. NICs bills are also reduced by up to £3,000 for over one million employers, and the UK is also highly competitive, with the lowest overall corporation tax rate in the G20 at 19%. The rate is legislated to fall further to 17% in 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Central Devon answering member printed Mel Stride question first answered 22/05/2019 10:54:08 answering member 3935 label Biography information for Mel Stride
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis