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100291

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Minimum Wage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2014 to Question 209683 to the hon. Member for Stourbridge, what assessment he has made of the factors that resulted in there being no prosecutions for not paying the national minimum wage in each of the last two years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC undertake targeted enforcement on employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying NMW.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not do so, HMRC pursues recovery through the civil courts. HMRC‘s approach to tackling underpayment of NMW through the civil courts is the best way to ensure that money is paid back to the person underpaid and provides the most effective resolution for tax-payers. Criminal investigations may not result in arrears being paid to workers and are therefore reserved for the most serious cases.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 03/11/2014 15:32:50 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100317

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	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	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to link an increase of the earnings threshold for carer's allowance to the rise in the National Minimum Wage.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211436
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>The earnings threshold in Carer’s Allowance is regularly reviewed. It is designed to enable carers to maintain a link with the labour market and achieve greater financial independence. It is increased periodically, most recently from £100 to £102 on 20 May 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 29/10/2014 17:42:37 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100351

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Armed Forces: Young People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter dated 1 August 2014 from the Secretary of State for Defence to the Defence Committee, published in that Committee's Seventh Special Report of Session 2014-15, HC 387, Appendix B, if he will place in the Library a copy of the full analysis undertaken by the Adjutant General into the cost effectiveness of recruiting under-18's
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211635
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The document requested is being reviewed. Once the review is complete, it will be placed in the Library of the House.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Canterbury answering member printed Mr Julian Brazier question first answered 28/10/2014 16:39:44 answering member 77 label Biography information for Sir Julian Brazier
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100360

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Armed Forces: Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2014 to Question 210122, what costs (a) have been and (b) will be incurred by her Department for the (i) design and (ii) editing of the British Armed Forces Learning Resource 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211549
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education has not incurred any costs for the design or editing of the British Armed Forces Learning Resource 2014.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 28/10/2014 17:24:30 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100407

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2014 to Question 209199, what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) considered on (i) the effect of treatment of staff on standards of care and (ii) the relationship between levels of pay and quality of social care services.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211548
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department has not conducted any recent research on the effect of treatment of staff on standards of care and on the relationship between levels of pay and quality of social care services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the development of Caring for our Future white paper in 2011, the Department undertook extensive engagement with both service users and carers who highlighted range of issues they felt needed addressing to ensure high quality care and support is available. In addressing this, the Department, working with the Sector Skills Council - Skills for Care - and other partners, has implemented a range of policies that has included setting out clear minimum training standards, recruiting more apprentices and supporting the transformation of the social work profession.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 29/10/2014 14:27:48 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100420

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Social Services: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings officials of his Department have had with officials of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the naming and shaming of social care providers who do not comply with National Minimum Wage legislation; and when he expects such social care providers to be named and shamed for such non-compliance.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211603
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>During the course of this year, officials from the Department of Health and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BiS) have formally met once for policy discussions on the issue of non-compliance of social care employers with National Minimum Wage legislation. I have also recently written to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Employment Relations (Jo Swinson) on this subject.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The new scheme making it easier to name and shame employers who do not comply with National Minimum Wage legislation came into effect from October 2013 and applies to investigations initiated after that date. HM Revenue and Customs leads on the conduct of investigations and makes recommendations to BiS Ministers on the issue of naming employers found to be in breach. The timing of any naming of social care providers is therefore dependent on the outcome of investigations, and will follow where appropriate.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 29/10/2014 14:40:50 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1005686

	registered interest
	date	12/11/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the total number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area in England, Scotland and Wales through the asylum dispersal programme in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	190457
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>The Home Office publishes quarterly figures on the number of asylum seek-ers housed in dispersed accommodation, including under Section 95, by lo-cal authority in the Immigration Statistics release, in table as_16q and 17q in volume 4 of the Asylum data tables. These are available at:<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017/list-of-tables#asylum" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017/list-of-tables#asylum</a></p><p>This does not include those asylum seekers who are accommodated with friends and family, and who are not in receipt of support.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 15/11/2018 16:23:56 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100843

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Social Services: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of HM Revenue and Customs launching pro-active investigations into the non-payment of the national minimum wage.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211865
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has not undertaken a formal assessment of the merits of pro-active investigations but believes they are an important part of enforcement.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC published findings from their targeted social care evaluation on 25 November 2013. Over the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013, HMRC had made enquiries into 224 employers in the social care sector. Of the cases completed by the end of September 2014, HMRC have found non-compliance in 108 (48%) of their enquiries, identifying £1,319,729 arrears of pay for 6,550 workers, with penalties issued with a total value of £146,931.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of this targeted enforcement activity, HMRC have collaborated with care sector representative bodies to improve understanding of compliance risks and design controls within payroll systems that prevent workers being underpaid the minimum wage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department of Health has recently published statutory guidance for local authorities as part of the package of secondary legislation that accompanies the Care Act. The chapter of statutory guidance on commissioning and market shaping explicitly states that local authorities should have evidence that contract terms, conditions and fee levels will not compromise care providers’ ability to pay at least minimum wages. A copy of the guidance can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-statutory-guidance-for-implementation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-statutory-guidance-for-implementation</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department of Health is asking all Local Authorities to sign up to the Social Care Commitment which incorporates a statement about employer compliance with minimum wage legislation. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has written out to all its members encouraging them to support the Commitment as a way of raising standards in adult social care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We regularly update our Guidance on Gov.UK and we will continue to work with the sector to improve understanding and compliance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should call the Pay &amp; Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HM Revenue &amp; Customs investigate all complaints.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 03/11/2014 11:47:07 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100854

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Care Workers: Minimum Wage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of or received evidence on the effect on care standards of non-payment of the national minimum wage in the social care sector.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211866
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department has not conducted any recent research on the effect of treatment of staff on standards of care and on the relationship between levels of pay and quality of social care services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the development of Caring for our Future white paper in 2011, the Department undertook extensive engagement with both service users and carers who highlighted a range of issues they felt needed addressing to ensure high quality care and support is available. In addressing this, the Department, working with the Sector Skills Council – Skills for Care – and other partners, has implemented a range of policies that has included setting out clear minimum training standards, recruiting more apprentices and supporting the transformation of the social work profession.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are a number of factors that determine the quality of care provided in the social care sector, including the way staff are treated. Pay is not the single most significant factor in delivering high quality services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is clear however that care providers must abide by the law with regards to payment of the national minimum wage and is taking steps to ensure this happens. The Department is liaising with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to name and shame any social care providers who do not comply with the national minimum wage legislation and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is continuing to carry out enforcement action in the social care sector and will investigate all complaints made by care workers that their employer is not paying them the national minimum wage. In addition, it is looking to ensure that the statutory guidance that will accompany the Care Act on commissioning and market shaping explicitly states local authorities should have evidence that contract terms, conditions and fee levels are appropriate to provide the agreed care packages with agreed quality of care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 03/11/2014 16:37:18 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100861

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Broadband
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage infrastructure-based competition across the market for high-speed broadband connections; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211867
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>The UK has a highly competitive broadband market. Superfast broadband is currently available to 78% of UK premises, up from 45% in 2010. In addition to BT, KCom and Virgin Media, a growing number of both fixed and wireless providers are making infrastructure investments. In September 2012 the Government announced a package of measures to reduce the barriers to deployment of superfast broadband, reducing red tape and bureaucracy to enable communications providers to deploy competing networks. The Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy consultation invited industry to submit views on what more the Government might do to support infrastructure deployment. That consultation closed on 1 October and the Government is currently considering the responses received.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 30/10/2014 11:22:39 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham