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1139355

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Forms
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to simplify the forms used to claim benefits.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	277676
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring its claim forms are as simple and easy to use as possible. We have simplified over 180 forms in the last six months by making changes to the layout, style, wording and accessibility. We carry out usability testing on new and revised forms with claimants.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:10:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139814

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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: Domestic Abuse
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department collects on needs of claimants of universal credit that are survivors of domestic abuse.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	278515
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department is sensitive to the fact that it can be difficult for any victim of domestic abuse to come forward and disclose this. Universal Credit claimants are assigned to a single Work Coach, with whom they can build a trusting relationship. All of our work coaches have received mandatory training, developed with input from domestic abuse charities in order to help them recognise the signs of abuse. If it becomes apparent that a claimant has been, or is a victim of domestic abuse, as soon as they feel able to disclose this personal and sensitive information, a discussion should take place about their circumstances to enable their work coach to tailor the support they provide to their needs. This includes signposting the claimant to expert organisations. Almost all Jobcentres have private rooms available so that individuals can discuss these sensitive issues in private.</p><p> </p><p>With the permission of the claimant, their Work Coach is able to record the information they disclose, in a free text format, through the use of pinned notes, which supports staff in identifying and managing relevant experiences and circumstances of individual claimants.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:31:20 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1139815

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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: Domestic Abuse
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on the development of universal credit management systems to enable the collation of the number of domestic violence easements.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	278516
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>We are continuing to develop our approach to capture accurate, aggregate data on vulnerable claimants, including those who are victims of domestic and economic abuse. This work is ongoing and has been prioritised for the current Universal Credit development phase. This involves us meeting with claimants and expert users such as third parties and Work Coaches to see how people will respond to being asked about their circumstance and support they may require. We are also working on how we can use the Claimant Commitment to capture information about when easements have been applied for claimants.</p><p> </p><p>We are also implementing other improvements across our service for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and in response to one of the Joint Committee’s recommendations on the Domestic Abuse Bill, we have committed to review and evaluate the effectiveness of a new feature to encourage payments of UC to the main carer and the introduction of domestic abuse specialists in every Jobcentre.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:53:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1139874

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Unemployment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect of the price of commuting on unemployment.
	tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
	tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
	uin	278511
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect of the price of commuting on unemployment.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 15:54:20 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1140235

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2019
	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	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing upfront financial support for childcare to parents claiming universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
	tabling member printed	Stephen Twigg
	uin	278894
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit (UC) is paid in a single monthly amount directly into people’s bank accounts, giving them control over their own money and making the move into work easier.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting parents with moving into work and, as part of this, we increased the level of support for childcare costs from 70 per cent in legacy benefits to up to 85 per cent in UC. The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare. UC claimants can utilise both the free childcare entitlement and UC childcare costs in conjunction with each other for relevant hours. This offer means that reasonable childcare costs should not form a barrier to work.</p><p> </p><p>We have made other changes to ease the burden on claimants and encourage work. We recognise that upfront childcare costs or deposits may prevent a claimant from starting work so Jobcentres can now use the Flexible Support Fund to support the transition into work. When parents have good reason for late reporting of their childcare costs, the Department is piloting a more flexible approach for reimbursing these costs.</p><p> </p><p>Since February 2018, Universal Credit claimants have been able to upload digital copies of their childcare cost receipts or invoices through their online Universal Credit account.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:17:08 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	167 label Biography information for Stephen Twigg

1140519

	registered interest
	date	19/07/2019
	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 her Department has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the statement in the press release by Save the Children on 3 July 2019, that 30,000 families on universal credit face paying up to £800 in childcare costs this summer.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
	tabling member printed	Stephen Twigg
	uin	279359
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department listens to a range of stakeholders and considers recommendations, such as those from Save the Children’s recent report, that may improve support for our claimants. We have already improved Universal Credit’s (UC) childcare support; for example, our Work Coaches are already providing increased support through the Flexible Support Fund to help eligible claimants who need help with paying upfront childcare costs, as well as allowing greater flexibility in when claimants can report their childcare costs.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As UC is paid as a single monthly amount directly into people’s bank accounts, it helps families have control over their own budget and making the move into work easier. However, we recognise that childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to both obtain and maintain employment and we are committed to removing barriers that prevent parents moving into work.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants are able to claim up to 85% of their childcare costs on UC, compared to 70% on the legacy system. This can be worth up to £13,000 a year for families with two children. The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare and, during 2019/20, a record amount of £6 billion is being spent on childcare support overall. This offer means that reasonable childcare costs should not form a barrier to work.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We are aware of the difficulty that some claimants might have in paying childcare costs over the summer holidays and our work coaches are able to discuss this with them and explain and promote both the UC childcare offer and the wider government childcare offer. In addition to this, budgeting advances are available for eligible claimants that can be used to cover the cost of paying additional upfront childcare cost or a deposit that might be needed during the school holidays.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:10:11 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	167 label Biography information for Stephen Twigg

1139096

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	answering body	Department for International Trade
	answering dept id	202
	answering dept short name	International Trade
	answering dept sort name	International Trade
	hansard heading	Trade Agreements
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of a shortage of experienced UK trade negotiators during the Brexit process.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL17181
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The number of negotiators required is dependent on how many trade agreements are ongoing at any given time and will involve teams of differing sizes, with expertise relevant to the specific chapters of sectors. The Department for International Trade has reviewed its resource requirements and continue to do so to ensure that it is sufficiently staffed. Since the Department was created its Trade Policy Group (TPG) has grown to approximately 700 people at the end of June 2019, bringing together trade policy, country specialists and experts on trade policy issues.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 23/07/2019 17:00:16 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1129384

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of the HPV vaccine at sexual health clinics.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	259224
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend the Minister for Women and Equalities has frequent discussions with cabinet colleagues on a range of equalities matters.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Health and Social Care lead on policy relating to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is that there may be considerable benefit in offering the HPV to other individuals who have a similar risk profile to that of the men who have sex with men (MSM) population attending Specialist Sexual Health Services and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics. This wider range includes some MSM aged over 45 years, sex workers, HIV positive women, and HIV positive men.</p><p> </p><p>Clinicians are able to offer vaccinations outside of the national programme using individual clinical judgement, and HPV vaccination could therefore be considered for such individuals on a case-by-case basis.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 23/07/2019 11:36:03 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1130013

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Transgender People: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether people under the age of 18 can transition gender through routes other than under the Gender Recognition Act 2004.
	tabling member constituency	Monmouth
	tabling member printed	David T. C. Davies
	uin	260601
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The only method of legally changing gender is through the process set out in the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This involves applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate, which can then be used to obtain a new birth certificate. This process is only open to those aged 18 and over.</p><p> </p><p>Medical transition is governed by the NHS, and surgery is not available to those under the age of 18. Cross-sex hormones can only be prescribed under strict clinical supervison from the age of 16.</p><p> </p><p>Social transition, such as changing the name you are known by, and the pronouns you use, can be done by anyone at any age, and is often subject to a discussion between a child and their parents if it happens before age 18.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 23/07/2019 11:37:40 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	1545 label Biography information for David T C Davies

1131375

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Equal Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Equality and Human Rights Commission assesses the accuracy of the gender pay gap figures filed by employers for the 2018-19 reporting year.
	tabling member constituency	Brent Central
	tabling member printed	Dawn Butler
	uin	263102
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>It is an employer’s legal responsibility to ensure that they report on time and that their figures are accurate. The vast majority of the over 10,000 organisations that reported this year have reported their data on time.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) undertook an investigation into 100 employers suspected of publishing inaccurate gender pay gap figures for the 2017/18 reporting year. The EHRC now intends to carry out the same action on employers’ suspected of publishing inaccurate data for the 2018/19 reporting year and will take enforcement action where appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 23/07/2019 11:29:28 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	1489 label Biography information for Dawn Butler