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43187

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the additional cost to small businesses of abolishing the percentage threshold scheme for recovering statutory sick pay.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	192168
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department for Work and Pensions has published an impact assessment outlining the abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme (PTS) and introduction of the new provision of health assessments and occupational health advice available at the following link: </p><p>&lt;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2014/9780111108468/impacts" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2014/9780111108468/impacts</a>&gt;</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

43188

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on alternative models of compensating small businesses for sickness absence after the abolition of the percentage threshold scheme for recovering statutory sick pay.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	192167
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Government believes that reinvesting savings from the abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme to establish the Health and Work Service is the most effective means of targeting public funds to tackle sickness absence. The Health and Work Service will reduce the length of sickness absence and offers a more proactive approach to sickness absence management. Small businesses are least likely to have access to occupational health services, and will benefit from having access to occupational health assessments and advice through the Health and Work Service.</p><p> </p><p>We have considered an alternative approach along the lines of restricting access to a reimbursement scheme to employers with fewer than five employees. However, this was discounted because it resulted in additional burdens on employers and additional Statutory Sick Pay reimbursement costs for the state<em>.</em></p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

43190

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on the ability of small businesses to manage sickness absence of abolishing the Percentage Threshold Scheme for recovering statutory sick pay.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	192158
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p><p>The SSP Percentage Threshold Scheme compensates employers with high levels of sickness absence but an independent review of sickness absence[1] found it does nothing to tackle the causes of absence. As a result, the Government accepted a recommendation in the Review to abolish the Percentage Threshold Scheme. The Government also accepted a recommendation to establish a Service (now known as the Health and Work Service) to offer specialist occupational health assessment and advice to employers, employees and GPs. The Service is designed to reduce the costs of sickness absence for employers by addressing the obstacles preventing a return to work, and supporting employees back to work as quickly as appropriate. It will be funded from the savings made from the abolition of the PTS and will provide a more proactive way to manage sickness absence. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Small businesses are least likely to have access to occupational health services, and will benefit from having access to occupational health assessments and advice through the HWS.</p><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] Black, C. and Frost, D (2011) <em>Health at work - and independent review of sickness absence.</em></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

43216

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on the ability of older and disabled workers to find work as a result of the abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme for recovering statutory sick pay.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	192157
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p>The Statutory Sick Pay Percentage Threshold Scheme is not linked to finding work, rather it compensates employers with high levels of sickness absence. An independent review of sickness absence[1] found that this scheme does nothing to tackle the causes of absence. As a result, the Government accepted a recommendation in the review to abolish the Percentage Threshold Scheme. The Government also accepted a recommendation to establish a Service (now known as the Health and Work Service) to offer specialist occupational health assessment and advice to employers, employees and GPs. The Service is designed to reduce the costs of sickness absence for employers by addressing the issues preventing a return to work, and supporting employees back to work as quickly as appropriate. </p><p> </p><p>We consider that the creation of the Health and Work Service, funded by the abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme, will enable sickness absence to be better managed and improve the employment prospects of all employees, including older and disabled workers.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>[1] Black, C. and Frost, D (2011) Health at work - and independent review of sickness absen</p><br /> <p /> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

43060

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Statement of 13 March 2014 by the Minister for Schools, Official Report, columns 427-42, on school funding, whether any of the funding announced will generate a Barnett consequential.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
	tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
	uin	192042
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p>The Government has agreed to provide £350 million in 2015-16 to the least fairly-funded local authorities in England. We are able to achieve this without any local authority receiving a cut to its per-pupil schools budget.</p><p>The Department for Education intends to find the majority of the £350 million from within its existing protected schools budget as determined at the Spending Round in June 2013, with additional money from the Treasury as required. Any funding provided by the Treasury will be agreed by the end of 2014 and will attract Barnett consequentials in the normal way.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

42983

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept id	58
	answering dept short name	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept sort name	Deputy Prime Minister
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether his Department's funding of £3.6 million to improve electoral registration will be given to local authorities which have not used local government databases to improve electoral registration in the individual electoral registration dry run.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	192118
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>All Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have received funding, based on their levels of under-registration, to support local activities to maximise registration, as part of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration. EROs are best placed to decide how to improve the completeness and accuracy of their registers.</p><p> </p><p>Performance Standard one of the Electoral Commission's framework encourages EROs to use local data sources to build understanding of local challenges and to identify potential new electors. The Electoral Commission monitors and reports on the performance of EROs against the performance standards. All EROs met performance standard one in 2012 and the Commission will report on the 2013 performance shortly. </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

42986

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept id	58
	answering dept short name	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept sort name	Deputy Prime Minister
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the funding to improve electoral registration engagement; and when he plans to report to Parliament on the effectiveness of this initiative.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	192117
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Funding has been provided to all 363 local authorities and valuation joint boards in Great Britain and five national organisations to support the costs of activities to maximise registration. </p><p> </p><p>They have been provided with guidance to support them in evaluating the success of activity delivered through this funding. Cabinet Office officials will continue to work closely with funding recipients to monitor and measure the outcomes. </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

42988

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept id	58
	answering dept short name	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept sort name	Deputy Prime Minister
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if his Department's funding to improve registration will be given to local authorities that are spending (a) more than and (b) less than the average on voter registration.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	192179
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>All Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have received funding, based on their levels of under-registration, to help with the costs of local activities to maximise registration, as part of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration. </p><p> </p><p>Funding allocations were based on the number of non-registered people, comparing the size of the register to the 16+ population. An element was based on the number of 16-18 year olds to encourage activity in schools to register attainers. </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

43152

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept id	58
	answering dept short name	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept sort name	Deputy Prime Minister
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he has taken to restrict access to departmental meetings by lobbyists since 2011.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	191955
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Details of meetings held by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK. That transparency will be further extended by the recently enacted Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, Part 1 of which will require consultant lobbyists that meet with Ministers and senior officials to declare their clients on a publicly available register.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

43036

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept id	58
	answering dept short name	Deputy Prime Minister
	answering dept sort name	Deputy Prime Minister
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will introduce legislative proposals to provide that the heirs of people who disclaim hereditary peerages cannot claim any hereditary right to membership of the House of Lords; and if he will publish details of how many people entitled to hereditary peerages have renounced their titles where their oldest eligible son has subsequently claimed the title on their death.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	191910
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government's proposals introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2012 included plans to end hereditary peerages altogether.The Government has no further specific plans to legislate in this area. Currently anyone in this position has every right to disclaim the title should they so wish. </p><p> </p><p>Eighteen people have disclaimed their titles since the passage of the 1963 Peerage Act, the first being the late Tony Benn. Of those disclaimed peerages, seven have subsequently been claimed by the entitled heir. </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sheffield, Hallam answering member printed Mr Nick Clegg question first answered 20/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1563 label Biography information for Mr Nick Clegg
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead