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1130982

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the effect of universal credit on the level of rent arrears owed to Scottish local authorities; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	262433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made an assessment of this nature.</p><p> </p><p>Caution should be exercised when considering any assessment of arrears derived from local authority level data which seeks to compare the legacy and Universal Credit welfare systems. This is because they do not compare groups with the same characteristics; typically, the legacy benefit group have been on benefits for some time, where the arrears may be under long-term management. The Universal Credit group, on the other hand, are often new to benefits, and are likely to have experienced a change in their circumstances – for example, a debt-creating event like losing a job or separation. Any arrears for this group will not have been under management and had time to clear.</p><p> </p><p>The initial analytical work we have carried out with a housing provider suggests that many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears, that their arrears tend to increase prior to making a claim for Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear arrears over time. We are currently extending this analysis to include a number of other housing providers. It will be published when completed. Furthermore, according to latest figures in November 2018 about 8 per cent of social rented households were on Universal Credit; therefore, it is difficult to see how a national trend can be attributed to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We have, however, responded to concerns in this area by putting a number of safeguards in place, such as 100% advances repayable over 12 months, increasing to 16 months in October 2021; a two-week Transition to Universal Credit Housing Payment; a new Help to Claim service to assist people to make their claim more easily; and Managed Payment to Landlord Arrangements, which allow for payments direct to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments, is unlikely to pay their rent or is in rent arrears equivalent to two months.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, in Scotland, the Department delivers Universal Credit Scottish choices on behalf of the Scottish Government, providing the option of Universal Credit being paid twice a month rather than monthly, and having Universal Credit housing element being paid directly to landlords.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 18/06/2019 15:28:46 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1134471

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
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: Veterans
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 universal credit on armed forces veterans.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	269108
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department has put in place special arrangements under the Armed Forces Covenant to support veterans and to take account of their needs and circumstances, such as ensuring War Disablement Pensions and guaranteed income payments made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are not taken into account in the assessment of Universal Credit entitlement.</p><p>Universal Credit is a tailored service and it is important that we support those claimants, including veterans, who may find the application process for Universal Credit challenging. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people to make their Universal Credit claim. This service is available online, over the phone and face-to-face, so that claimants can access support in the way that is most suitable for them.</p><p>Every Jobcentre Plus District has an Armed Forces Champion who ensures that any concerns and issues raised which affect Service Personnel and their families are integrated within the wider work of Jobcentre Plus. These Armed Forces Champions ensure that Work Coaches and other DWP staff can effectively support serving personnel, service leavers, veterans and their families.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 03/07/2019 11:24:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1134036

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
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	NHS: Drugs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the availablity of (a) critical and (b) short shelf-life medicines in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	268516
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government fully understands that maintaining access to all medicines and medical products, including critical medicines and short shelf-life products, is vitally important to millions of people in this country. Ensuring unhindered supply of these products remains the Government’s top priority.</p><p> </p><p>As in preparation for 29 March and 12 April, our ‘no deal’ EU Exit contingency plans for 31 October will cover the NHS, social care and the independent sector and covers all medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, supplies for clinical trials, vaccines and countermeasures, and organs and tissues for transplants.</p><p>The Department has continued to work closely with the Devolved Administrations, industry trade bodies and suppliers, the NHS and other key stakeholders. Prior to 29 March, the Department analysed the supply chains of 12,300 medicines, close to half a million product lines of medical devices and clinical consumables, vaccines used in national and local programmes, and essential non-clinical goods on which the health and care system relies. These analyses and assessments have been updated where necessary and will continue to be refined while a ‘no deal’ EU Exit remains a possibility. This work has informed our plans.</p><p>We are asking suppliers to analyse their supply chains and to make alternative plans if they anticipate disruption, including rerouting to alternative ports or using airfreight where necessary. Our contingency measures aim to support industry-led measures and, where required, act as a ‘last resort’ to be used only when a supplier’s alternative arrangements encounter difficulties, to ensure uninterrupted supply.</p><p>In the case of medicines that cannot be stockpiled because, for example, they have short shelf-lives, such as medical radioisotopes, we are working closely with suppliers to make alternative arrangements using airfreight.</p><p>Further details can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/medicines-and-medical-products-supply-government-updates-no-deal-brexit-plans</a></p><p>While we never give guarantees, we are confident that, if everyone – including suppliers, freight companies, international partners and the health and care system – does what they need to do, the supply of medicines and medical products should be uninterrupted in the event of a no-deal EU Exit.</p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond question first answered 02/07/2019 11:33:39 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1134462

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
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	Alcoholic Drinks: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the introduction of minimum unit pricing of alcohol in Scotland on the level of alcohol consumption in Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	269105
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>No assessment has been made. NHS Scotland publishes annual reports on the impact of the Scottish Government’s alcohol strategy, a core element of which is minimum unit pricing. However, the Scottish Government will not publish its statutory report on the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) until five years post-implementation of the legislation, in 2023. The Government shall monitor the impact of MUP as robust evidence emerges.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 03/07/2019 13:24:47 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1133886

registered interest
date	21/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Climate Change: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to promote learning about climate change in schools.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	267768
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Topics related to climate change are included in both the science and geography curricula and qualifications. Primary school science pupils are taught about how weather changes across the four seasons, and look at how environments can change as a result of human actions.</p><p>In secondary school, science pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. This is expanded on in GCSE science where pupils will consider the evidence for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change. As part of GCSE geography pupils will look at the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards.</p><p>In 2017, the Department also introduced a new environmental science A level. This will enable students to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 28/06/2019 14:05:44 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1130989

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
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	Fraud: Scotland
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 steps his Department is taking to improve public awareness of scams in Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	262437
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>Responsibility and funding to provide consumer advice, education and advocacy was devolved to the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 2016. The Scottish Government fund Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) and Advice Direct Scotland (ADS) to deliver. BEIS remains responsible for funding the delivery of national and cross-border enforcement in Scotland through Trading Standards Scotland (TSS).</p><p> </p><p>CAS and TSS are currently working together to deliver the annual Scams Awareness campaign in Scotland which runs from 10<sup>th</sup> to 23<sup>rd</sup> June to raise awareness, educate consumers and encourage the reporting of scams. TSS also worked with Policy Scotland, local Trading Standards and Neighbourhood Watch on the “Shut out Scammers” campaign in April this year to tackle doorstep crime and bogus callers.</p><p> </p><p>Much of the work undertaken by TSS is targeted at preventing scams; tackling rogue traders; and bringing the perpetrators to justice.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 17/06/2019 07:40:44 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1130985

registered interest
date	10/06/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Cash Dispensing: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve free access to cash in Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	262435
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains important to the day-to-day lives of many people and small businesses in Scotland and across the UK.</p><p>The UK has one of the most extensive free-to-use ATM networks in the world; around 80% of the ATM network in Scotland is free and there are now around 700 more free ATMs in Scotland compared to 2015. From January 2018 to March 2019, there were no publicly accessible Protected ATMs in Scotland that closed which did not have alternative free access to cash via another source, such as a Post Office.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Government is engaging, and will continue to engage, with the regulators and industry on this important topic. In 2015, the Government established the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users. As a result, the PSR is closely monitoring developments within ATM provision, and has used its powers to ensure LINK meets its commitment on maintaining the broad geographical spread of free-to-use ATMs.</p><p> </p><p>To support this, LINK has introduced premiums through its Financial Inclusion programme to boost interchange fees, helping protect ATMs in remote, rural and deprived locations.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 18/06/2019 13:02:36 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1133897

registered interest
date	21/06/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Consumers: Expenditure
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the change in the level of consumer spending in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	267769
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces both quarterly and annual estimates of household final consumption expenditure (HHFCE).</p><p> </p><p>Household consumption grew by 1.8% in 2018, supported by a strong labour market which has seen the unemployment rate at its lowest since 1975, and regular wages outstripping inflation for over a year. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast consumption to grow in every year of their forecast.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 01/07/2019 15:30:37 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1133900

registered interest
date	21/06/2019
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	Personal Savings: Older People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to encourage people to save for their retirement.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	267770
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment has reversed the decline in workplace pension saving. Latest figures show that over 10 million workers have been automatically enrolled into workplace pension by more than 1.5 million employers. In 2018, eligible employees saved a total of £90.4 billion into their workplace pensions.</p><p>In 2018, 87% of all eligible workers in Great Britain were members of a workplace pension scheme, this is a 32 percentage point increase compared with 2012, when automatic enrolment was introduced. The greatest increases have been among those who have historically had least access to workplace pensions, such as women, younger people and lower earners. In 2018, workplace pension participation levels increased to 85% for eligible male and female workers in the private sector; this represented a 45 percentage point increase among eligible women compared to 2012. For eligible 22-29-year-old workers in the private sector workplace pension participation increased to 84% – up from 24% in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>With record numbers of people saving for retirement, it’s more important than ever that people understand their pensions and prepare for financial security in later life.</p><p> </p><p>Government is committed to facilitating industry to make pension dashboards a reality and that is why we will compel pension schemes to make consumers data available to them via dashboards, when parliamentary time allows.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 01/07/2019 15:47:49 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1133880

registered interest
date	21/06/2019
answering body	Department for International Trade
answering dept id	202
answering dept short name	International Trade
answering dept sort name	International Trade
hansard heading	Arms Trade: Export Controls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) legal and (b) regulatory framework for UK arms exports.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	267767
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>The UK’s regulatory framework for export controls is set out in the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, which provide a thorough risk assessment process for reaching licensing decisions. The Court of Appeal judgment of 20 June does not undermine the UK’s overall framework for export controls as set out in the Consolidated Criteria. These Criteria have stood the test of time and are shared by EU Member States. The Court’s judgment is about how decisions were made in relation to one element of one of those Criteria in a specific context.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 27/06/2019 11:40:13 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney