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1149483

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2019
	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	Age: Discrimination
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to tackle ageism in the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Cheltenham
	tabling member printed	Alex Chalk
	uin	735
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>The Equality Act 2010, provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment and makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee or a job applicant because of their age, unless the employer can justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.</p><p> </p><p>To tackle ageism in the workplace, Business in the Community have produced a toolkit which provides guidance and support to employers in getting started with age inclusion in the workplace and includes a three-step process based on Look, Listen, Act. <a href="https://age.bitc.org.uk/all-resources/toolkits/getting-started-age-look-listen-act-toolkit-will-guide-and-support-getting" target="_blank">https://age.bitc.org.uk/all-resources/toolkits/getting-started-age-look-listen-act-toolkit-will-guide-and-support-getting</a></p><p> </p><p>More widely, Government is taking steps to ensure that older workers are supported to remain in or return to the labour market, the Government has removed the Default Retirement Age meaning most people can choose when to retire, and extended the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2017, the UK Government published “Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach” to set out the role employers, individuals and Government can play in supporting fuller working lives.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also appointed Andy Briggs as Business Champion for Older Workers to spearhead the Government’s work to support employers to retain, retrain and recruit older workers. Andy Briggs and the Business In The Community Age at Work leadership team actively promote the benefits of older workers to employers across England.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/10/2019 09:10:22 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk

1167460

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2019
	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	Average Earnings
	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 year-on-year trends in the level of average weekly earnings in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	7644
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2019 answer text <p>Statistics on average weekly earnings growth are published by the independent Office for National Statistics.</p><p> </p><p>In August 2010, real (total) pay fell by 0.5%. In August 2019 the real (total) pay growth was 1.9% - an increase in the rate of real wage growth of 2.4 percentage points.</p><p> </p><p>The highest real (total) pay growth, between Aug 10 – Aug 19, was in Aug 15 (2.6%).</p><p> </p><p>Under the Triple Lock the basic State Pension and the full rate of the new State Pension will be raised the highest of: the rise in prices, the rise in earnings or 2.5%. The relevant measure for earnings is the year-on-year change in Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) from May to July published by the ONS in October, standing at 3.9%</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Growth in nominal average weekly total pay</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2010</p></td><td><p>1.8 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2011</p></td><td><p>2.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2012</p></td><td><p>1.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2013</p></td><td><p>0.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2014</p></td><td><p>0.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2015</p></td><td><p>3.0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2016</p></td><td><p>2.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2017</p></td><td><p>2.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2018</p></td><td><p>2.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2019</p></td><td><p>3.8%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p /> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 05/11/2019 16:45:26 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1143303

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Breastfeeding
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of (a) bringing forward legislative proposals to protect breastfeeding mothers at work and (b) reducing the promotion of breast-milk substitutes in order to improve infant feeding in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	284678
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In response to bringing forward legislative proposals to protect breastfeeding mothers at work, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not proposing to introduce legislative changes to protect breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. Breastfeeding mothers are already protected under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (the Workplace Regulations)</p><p> </p><p>The Workplace Regulations require employers to provide suitable rest facilities for breastfeeding mothers. Employers are also recommended to provide a private, healthy and safe environment for nursing mothers to express and store milk. Comprehensive online guidance on how employers can meet their legal requirements can be found at <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hse.gov.uk%2Fmothers%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cparlybranch.pqs%40beis.gov.uk%7Cd6523640efd34bf2d8b408d730890091%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C637031237282951465&amp;sdata=cXmk3wvgYbAn72K18nJzCp2gVC%2BeKxtuVzyxlCXCEYM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/</a></p><p> </p><p>Research commissioned and published in 2016 by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy found that almost all employers said they understood their legal responsibility to ensure a safe working environment for mothers returning from maternity leave. Often where difficulties arose in terms of health and safety, it was due to poor communication and a lack of ongoing discussion between managers and new and expectant mothers. HSE has published guidance which emphasises the importance of this to help address any issues or concerns. It can be found at <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hse.gov.uk%2Fpubns%2Findg373.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cparlybranch.pqs%40beis.gov.uk%7Cd6523640efd34bf2d8b408d730890091%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C637031237282951465&amp;sdata=D063NUU8RU2o6UPt9j8P6j2%2ByaRGSuXeqLa%2F6faxvwE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg373.pdf</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>On reducing the promotion of breast-milk substitutes, there is strict legislation currently in place in the form of the EU Directive (2006/141/EC) which regulates the composition, labelling and marketing of infant formulae and follow-on formulae. The Directive reflects scientific advice on the essential composition of infant formulae and follow-on formulae and discussions at an international level in the Codex Alimentarius forum. This Directive is implemented in England by the Infant Formula and Follow on Formula (England) Regulations 2007 and similar legislation applies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Directive also gives effect to the principles and aims of the 1981 World Health Organisation (WHO) Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes by regulating labelling and restricting advertising and presentation of infant so as not to discourage breastfeeding.</p><p> </p><p>The new Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 will apply from 22nd February 2020; as a member state, the UK Government was fully involved and committed to the introduction of the new regime within the EU. In the event of EU Exit prior to 22 February 2020, the intention is therefore to make UK-wide legislation to mirror the delegated legislation as closely as possible, and to progress with implementation of the provisions.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 12:55:53 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1141443

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2019
	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	Child Maintenance Service
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has collected through the Child Maintenance Service's (a) four per cent and (b) twenty per cent collection fees under Collect and Pay in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	281113
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>Income received through the Child Maintenance Service collection charges from 2014/15 through to 2017/18 is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>£m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£m</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>20%</p></td><td><p>1.649</p></td><td><p>5.573</p></td><td><p>10.494</p></td><td><p>16.878</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>RP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td><td><p>0.325</p></td><td><p>1.086</p></td><td><p>2.026</p></td><td><p>3.241</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>The 2018/19 Child Maintenance Service Annual Report and Accounts have not been audited yet so we are unable to include figures from this period in PQ responses.</p><p>Income received is used to offset the administration cost of the Child Maintenance Group.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/09/2019 13:24:44 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1141444

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2019
	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	Child Maintenance Service
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much revenue her Department has collected through the Child Maintenance Service's £20 application fee in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	281114
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>Income received from the Child Maintenance Service £20 Application fee from 2014/15 through to 2017/18 is as follows:</p><p> </p><p>2014/15 £0.828m</p><p>2015/16 £1.692m</p><p>2016/17 £1.799m</p><p>2017/18 £1.520m</p><p> </p><p>The 2018/19 Child Maintenance Service Annual Report and Accounts have not been audited yet so we are unable to include figures from this period in PQ responses.</p><p>Income received is used to offset the administration cost of the Child Maintenance Group.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/09/2019 12:58:50 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1147937

	registered interest
	date	02/10/2019
	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	Child Maintenance Service
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service holds data on the number of active cases managed by that service by Parliamentary constituency.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	293506
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>Figures on number of active cases managed by the Child Maintenance Service broken down by Parliamentary constituency are intended for future publication.</p><p> </p><p>The Department currently publishes figures which show geographical breakdowns to Local Authority level of the main figures from the Child Maintenance Service statistics to June 2019.</p><p> </p><p>These can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-june-2019-experimental" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-june-2019-experimental</a></p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/10/2019 15:03:05 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1143289

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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, what assessment she has made of the (a) affordability and (b) adequacy of provision of childcare for parents subject to the benefit cap.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	284637
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions has not undertaken a specific assessment of the affordability and adequacy of provision of childcare for parents subject to the benefit cap. As part of its evaluation of the benefit cap policy, we have commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to conduct a survey of capped households to assess the effects of the cap on claimants’ behaviours toward employment and the drivers behind different responses to the cap, which will include childcare availability and costs. We anticipate publishing the findings in the Autumn.</p><p> </p><p>The department recognises that high childcare costs can be a real barrier to parents taking up employment or increasing their working hours. To help overcome this, Universal Credit is more generous than legacy benefits in the support it provides towards childcare costs, with an increased level of support for childcare costs from 70% in legacy to up to 85% in Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, significant work has been undertaken within the department to raise awareness and understanding of the UC Childcare Offer amongst work coaches and work continues across Government to support take up of the different childcare offers, ensuring information is readily accessible for parents, providers and employers, including via digital channels. The Government now provides more support than ever before to help parents with the costs of childcare and will be spending a record amount of around £6 billion on childcare support in 2019-20.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 12:13:40 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1148171

	registered interest
	date	03/10/2019
	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 the Scottish Government has requested that her Department administer the new Scottish child payment and; and what estimate she has made of the cost of administering that payment.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	294146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>The Scottish Child Payment will be administered by Social Security Scotland. The Department will assist the Scottish Government where this is feasible. The cost of administration will fall to the Scottish Government.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/10/2019 09:07:07 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1142674

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many enforcement actions the HMRC and Child Maintenance Group liaison group has conducted since January 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Glenrothes
	tabling member printed	Peter Grant
	uin	284156
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department is currently working with HMRC to identify opportunities for closer working on a range of enforcement activities, as part of the implementation of the DWP’s child maintenance compliance and arrears strategy.</p><p>Alongside this work the Department’s Financial Investigations Unit continues to conduct investigations into child maintenance matters. Between January and March 2019 the CMS’s Financial Investigations Unit launched 530 complex earnings investigations and 20 criminal investigations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 05/09/2019 11:29:36 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4466 label Biography information for Peter Grant

1142697

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department issues to (a) non-resident parents and (b) parents with care on changes to their child maintenance calculations when their case transfers from the Child Support Agency to the Child Maintenance Service.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	284195
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Ahead of closure Child Support Agency send customers a series of letters advising about their case closing and what they can do should they want child maintenance payments to continue. This advice includes making an advance application to the Child Maintenance Service, t o ensure there are no breaks in child maintenance.</p><p> </p><p>When the Child Support Agency case is closed, we write to non-resident parent during the stage where we are confirming the arrears position, to remind them of the amount we have worked out they owe. We advise them to contact us if they have any other relevant information which would impact this. A letter is then sent to receiving parent advising we have confirmed their balance of child maintenance. Where child maintenance is owed, we ask if the balance is correct and if they want their arrears written off or managed by Child Maintenance Service. Parents are provided with contact details to discuss their case, at all points.</p><p> </p><p>In cases where the arrears are moved to Child Maintenance Service, a letter is sent to both parties confirming their Child Support Agency case is fully closed. We also advise the unpaid child maintenance is now being managed by Child Maintenance Service. This provides the parent with the new telephone number they will need if they wish to contact Child Maintenance Service.</p><p> </p><p>Where there is a new Child Maintenance Service case, which was previously a Child Support Agency case, the calculation can change. This is because it is a fresh start under the new service, with new rules and data.</p><p> </p><p>At the outset of a Child Maintenance Service case, we issue an indicative calculation letter to the parents. This explains the new calculation, including the information used in the calculation. This provides opportunity for the non-resident parent to provide any further information that would impact the calculation. Following this we issue an initial calculation letter which confirms the calculation and the details used.</p><p> </p><p>Parents are advised they have the opportunity, throughout the application process and the life of the case as well as at annual review stage, to challenge the information used and request change.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 13:21:58 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows