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44613

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to ensure that information on the engagement activities of pension funds and other institutional investors with investee companies is made fully accessible.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL6270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6271 HL6272 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44614

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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
	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 case for large occupational defined contribution pension schemes to be active owners or stewards of their assets, in line with the definition of stewardship as outlined in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL6271
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6270 HL6272 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44615

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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
	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 case for large occupational defined benefit pension schemes to be active owners or stewards of their assets, in line with the definition of stewardship as highlighted in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL6272
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6270 HL6271 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

79154

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2014
	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	Pensions: Telephone Services
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average call waiting time in each of the last five years of the pensions helpline.
	tabling member printed	Lord Lipsey
	uin	HL1315
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Changes Bereavement</p></td><td><p>00:00:45</p></td><td><p>00:00:52</p></td><td><p>00:00:50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Changes (PC / SP)</p></td><td><p>00:00:55</p></td><td><p>00:01:01</p></td><td><p>00:01:00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>New Claims (PC / SP)</p></td><td><p>00:00:51</p></td><td><p>00:00:54</p></td><td><p>00:01:01</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Wait times are recorded from the point of entering a queue to successful connection to an agent.</p><p>All figures quoted relate to calls handled within DWP only, excluding calls routed to outsourcing partners.</p><p>Figures are presented by business year, spanning 1<sup>st</sup> April – 31<sup>st</sup> March. Figures for 2014/15 are complete to 30<sup>th</sup> June only.</p><p>No data is available prior to April 2012 as this metric was not included within data reported during previous periods and is no longer available in source data systems.</p><p>Data source: OPMIS</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 28/07/2014 13:14:34 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2492 label Biography information for Lord Lipsey

61530

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2014
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the decision by Atos Healthcare to end its contract early, whether that contract will now be made public.
	tabling member printed	Lord Morrow
	uin	HL299
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>A redacted copy of the Medical Services Contract between the Department for Work and Pensions and Atos Healthcare was placed in the House of Lords library on 14<sup>th</sup> September 2010.</p><p> </p><p>The Health Services Category Team are currently undertaking the necessary contractual action following the mutual Termination of the Medical Services Contract with Atos and an updated version of the contract will be placed in the library by 30<sup>th</sup> July 2014.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 19/06/2014 14:02:26 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	3795 label Biography information for Lord Morrow

47751

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what training on autism awareness is offered to career and employment advisers and to Jobcentre Plus staff; and what proportion of each have been trained.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Uddin
	uin	HL6699
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>All Jobcentre Plus staff have access to a comprehensive learning programme which includes a specific focus on taking consideration of individuals' personal circumstances. This training ensures staff are aware that disabilities and health conditions including autism can affect individuals in different ways.</p><p> </p><p>Specialist help can be provided by Disability Employment Advisers who have extensive additional courses appropriate to this specialist area. This training has been designed with input from Specialist DWP Work Psychologists to enable these advisers to support people with particular complex needs. This training includes case studies relating to autism.</p><p> </p><p>The Skills Funding Agency contracts to deliver the National Careers Service in England. All National Careers Service careers advisers are required to have a recognised careers guidance qualification. This will include training on how to respond to the needs of different customers. The Skills Funding Agency, which is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills, maintains the responsibility for ensuring that Careers Advisers are appropriately skilled and qualified.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 16/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	1827 label Biography information for Baroness Uddin

76638

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2014
	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	Pension Funds
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total value of United Kingdom pension funds.
	tabling member printed	Lord Empey
	uin	HL980
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>All information is published within the TPR Corporate Plan 2014-2017, on page 18.</p><p><a href="http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/corporate-plan-2014-2017.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/corporate-plan-2014-2017.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>This table shows the total assets held within pension funds governed by The Pensions Regulator (TPR), broken down by the four main types of private work-based pension products where TPR's powers apply.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 15/07/2014 12:34:43 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4216 label Biography information for Lord Empey

50224

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what provisions exist to safeguard monies identified by the Independent Living Fund (ILF) as needed to meet the critical and substantial need of recipients; and whether such funds will be ring-fenced by local authorities to ensure monies are used exclusively for continuation of care when the ILF ceases.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Uddin
	uin	HL6942
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>All the funding that would have been allocated to the ILF in 2015/16 to support its users from July 2015 onwards will be transferred to local authorities in England and to the devolved administrations in other parts of the UK. Local government social care funding is not ring-fenced, allowing local authorities the flexibility to manage their budgets locally in line with local needs and priorities. Local authorities have a statutory duty to assess and fund the eligible care needs of all disabled people, including former users of the Independent Living Fund. The Public Sector Equality Duty applies to local government in the same way as it does to central government.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	1827 label Biography information for Baroness Uddin

63772

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2014
	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	Personal Independence Payment
	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 implementation of the Personal Independence Payment; and whether they have any plans to re-examine the tender documents supplied by Atos in its bid for the contracts.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL556
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>As with all programmes of reform, we are continually monitoring and evaluating the implementation of personal independence payment. We have no plans to review the tender documents supplied by either of our assessment providers except in the normal course of business for contract reviews.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 01/07/2014 13:41:21 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47750

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that young people with autism are accurately assessed and supported into work; and whether they plan to ensure guaranteed access of such young people to trained careers and employment advisers.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Uddin
	uin	HL6698
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>DWP is committed to supporting disabled people to find a suitable, sustainable job in their local area, and delivers support through its network of advisers, including Disability Employment Advisers. All advisers in Jobcentres receive training enabling them to support people with disabilities, including those with autism. They help people identify and overcome their personal barriers to work rather than assessing disabled people purely according to their health condition. We ensure that anyone with autism and/or other hidden impairments can access the services of the Disability Employment Adviser and will continue to do so.</p><p> </p><p>Those customers with autism spectrum conditions who require greater support have access to specialist services including specialist provision or the support of Work Psychologist services via the Disability Employment Adviser.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the “Think Autism” review DWP has been involved in a number of stakeholder consultation events at which people with autism and other interested stakeholders were given the opportunity to put forward their views and opinions on how DWP could improve its services for people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions and associated Hidden Impairment Conditions.</p><p> </p><p>DWP is the Lead Department supporting the Disability Confident campaign. This is a positive action campaign launched by the Prime Minister to promote the skills, talents and abilities of disabled people, including those with autism, to the widest possible business community.</p><p> </p><p>Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual's needs.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 16/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	1827 label Biography information for Baroness Uddin