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1005997

	registered interest
	date	13/11/2018
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has received about the effect on vulnerable people and those with mental health conditions of joint claims for Universal Credit which are paid to one person in the family.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	190888
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>We recognise that the move to a single monthly household payment is a significant change and therefore for a minority of claimants, alternative payment arrangements can be provided to help them manage that change. These include: managed payment of the Universal Credit housing cost to landlords; making payments more frequently than monthly (e.g. twice monthly); and splitting the payment between partners within the household.</p><p> </p><p>Splitting payments between partners is normally considered to prevent hardship to a claimant and their family, for example if the Universal Credit claimant is not managing their financial affairs and cannot or will not budget for their own or their family’s basic day to day needs.</p><p> </p><p>We take seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for people by simplifying the benefits system. All claimants, including vulnerable claimants and those with mental health conditions, receive continuous tailored support managed through personal work coaches, who know each person’s case.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally we can offer Personal Budgeting Support which aims to prepare claimants for the financial changes Universal Credit brings. It provides transitional support to help them manage their monthly payments and prioritise essential bills, such as rent and utilities.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/11/2018 16:23:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1012288

	registered interest
	date	22/11/2018
	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	Parental Leave
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on shared parental leave.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	194638
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to being a good modern employer and to offering family friendly employment policies that support business needs. This includes encouraging Shared Parental Leave by providing contractual Shared Parental Pay, which exceeds statutory arrangements and reflects best employment practice.</p><p> </p><p>Using Shared Parental Leave and Shared Parental Pay, employees who are having a baby or adopting a child may be able to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay, if they meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p><p>For 26 of those weeks leave<strong>, </strong>if an employee meets the qualifying criteria, departmental Shared Parental Pay will be paid at full pay, less any weeks’ statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance or statutory adoption pay and leave already taken. The remaining 13 weeks will be paid at statutory rate for 13 weeks.</p><p> </p><p>Employees may be able to share the pay and leave in the first year after their child is born or placed with their family for adoption and use Shared Parental Leave to take leave in blocks separated by periods of work, or take it all in one go. Employees can also choose to be off work together or to stagger the leave and pay.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/11/2018 11:02:34 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

101499

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2014
	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	Older Workers
	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 take further steps to provide support to people who wish to work beyond pension age.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	212274
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>To help older people to stay in employment up to and beyond state pension age, the Government has abolished the default retirement age and extended the right to request flexible working. People over State Pension age continue to be exempt from paying employee National Insurance Contributions on any employment earnings.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has also given people more freedom in how they draw their pension pots to smooth the transition to retirement and increasing the options for combining employment and pension income.</p><p> </p><p>And from later this year Fit for Work will provide occupational health assessment and general advice for employees, employers and GPs to help individuals with a health condition to stay in or return to work.</p><p> </p><p>To promote wider cultural change in the perception of employing older workers and of working in later life, the Government has appointed Dr. Ros Altmann as a Business Champion for Older Workers.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 03/11/2014 15:44:03 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1027744

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2018
	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	Industrial Injuries
	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 support the reporting of workplace injuries.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	203433
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2019 answer text <p>The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) provides the national reporting framework necessary for the effective regulation of health and safety at work in Great Britain.</p><p> </p><p>The Regulations require employers and other people in control of work premises to report and keep records of:</p><p> </p><ul><li>work-related accidents which cause death;</li><li>work- related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries);</li><li>diagnosed cases of certain occupational diseases;</li><li>certain “dangerous occurrences” (incidents with the potential to cause harm).</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Regulations are made under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and reports are required to be made to the relevant enforcing authority.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier this year, the Regulations were subject to a post-implementation review and the report, published in October 2018, found that the Regulations remain “fit for purpose”.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 08/01/2019 17:20:31 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1050003

	registered interest
	date	29/01/2019
	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	Fairgrounds: Accidents
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many accidents have occurred at funfairs and amusement parks in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	213367
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2019 answer text <p>The figures in the table below provide the number of reported injuries in Great Britain to (a) workers and (b) members of the public, notified to HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences 2013 (RIDDOR), where the industry activity recorded for the incident is ‘Activities of amusement parks and theme parks’.</p><p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a dedicated National Fairground Inspection Team (NFIT) which enforces health and safety law at fairgrounds and theme parks in Great Britain. NFIT inspectors are located throughout GB and respond to accidents and incidents in their local area. They can also call on support from a range of Specialist Inspectors if necessary. The team also targets proactive inspection of fairground rides with known problems and other areas of higher risk; for the coming year’s inspection plan, 19/20, inflatable devices are identified within it as an area of work.</p><p> </p><p>Online guidance freely available from HSE website has recently been revised and the content of this made known to industry dutyholders via their trade bodies. Local Authority colleagues who also have powers to inspect such devices have been made aware of this information also.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Members of the Public</p></td><td><p>Workers</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>446</p></td><td><p>54</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>430</p></td><td><p>56</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>369</p></td><td><p>61</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The following points should be noted:</p><ol><li>Statistics are identified by Standard Industrial Classification 2007 (SIC 2007) class 9321 – Activities of amusement parks and theme parks.</li><li>The term worker includes employees and self-employed persons combined.</li><li>The details provided are for injuries reported under RIDDOR – a single accident may result in more than one injury and more than one report.</li><li>RIDDOR data needs to be interpreted with care because it is known that injuries to members of the public at fairgrounds and theme parks tend to be over-reported in some parts of the industry and under-reported in others. HSE’s analysis of the data for injuries to members of the public at fairgrounds and theme parks in 2014/15 found that upwards of 75% of reported injuries did not meet the criteria for a RIDDOR reportable injury.</li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 05/02/2019 17:44:31 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1091204

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have applied for universal credit; and how many of those claimants received an advance payment.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	234135
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2019 answer text <p>The latest available information on the number of Universal Credit claims is published and can be found at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: <a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>Internal data shows that for February 2019, around 60% of eligible new claims to Universal Credit Full Service received an advance payment. Subject to some fluctuation, this rate of advance take-up has been broadly consistent. This shows that claimants are being made aware of advances and are using it where they need this help.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 25/03/2019 14:59:48 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1123834

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2019
	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	Construction: Silicosis
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on trends in the number of people with Silicosis in the construction industry.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	249297
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>Silicosis, along with coal workers pneumoconiosis and asbestosis are the most common forms of pneumoconiosis which is a prescribed disease within the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) scheme. Pneumoconiosis cases not specifically identified as asbestosis or coal workers’ pneumoconiosis are mainly silicosis and the annual numbers of such cases newly assessed for IIDB over the last ten years are shown in the table below. Of these annual cases, those associated with the construction industry are also shown.</p><p> </p><p>The number of silicosis cases within the IIDB scheme is likely to be lower than the true incidence of this disease. This is because IIDB does not compensate anyone who is self-employed, and not all affected individuals apply to the scheme.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Annual new cases of pneumoconiosis not recorded as asbestosis or coal workers’ pneumoconiosis assessed for IIDB, 2008-2017</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>-</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2008</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>All cases</strong></p></td><td><p>85</p></td><td><p>80</p></td><td><p>60</p></td><td><p>50</p></td><td><p>40</p></td><td><p>45</p></td><td><p>55</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>500</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Cases associated with construction</strong></p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>130</p></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Note: values have been rounded to the nearest 5 to meet disclosure rules.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/05/2019 13:27:43 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1130974

	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	Retirement: Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of people over the age of 60 that have had to retire as a result of ill-health.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	262373
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department set out its strategy to see one million more disabled people in work by 2027 in the 2017 Command Paper “Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability”. A key element of this is action to help keep people (including older workers) with health conditions in work. We are already investing in testing new interventions to support people, including our Health-Led Trials, and the Government is working to ensure employers and key stakeholders across all sectors adopt and implement the core and enhanced mental health standards set out in <em>Thriving at Work: The Stevenson / Farmer review of mental health</em>.</p><p>To support older people falling out of labour market due to health conditions, the Government has extended the right to request flexible working for all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer. Access to flexible working practices, such as flexi-time, compressed hours and remote working, is key to helping older workers stay in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>We are also exploring further ways to reduce the number of people who leave work each year for health reasons and will consult on measures to encourage and support all employers to play their part. This consultation will also propose ways to improve access to occupational health.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Background</strong></p><p> </p><p>In February 2017 Government published an employer-led Strategy <em>Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach</em>, which sets out the importance of Fuller Working Lives for employers and individuals. It also sets out action Government is taking to support older workers to remain in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p><em>Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability</em> published in November 2017 set out an ambitious and comprehensive programme of action to support disabled people and people with long term physical and mental health conditions to get into and stay in work and progress in rewarding careers. This action spans the workplace, health and welfare settings.</p><p> </p><p>Since the launch of the publication, progress has been made in a number of areas including:</p><ul><li>Health Led Trials, the worlds largest trial of Individual Placement and Support, testing whether the internationally proven model to support people with severe mental health conditions to find sustained work can be as effective to those with different conditions.</li><li>More than doubled the number of Employment Advisors in IAPT services, ensuring that more people with mental health problems receive employment support to them get into or remain in work.</li><li>Undertaken a substantial package of activity within the health system itself, both to support healthcare professionals to have effective, appropriate, work conversations with their patients, and are exploring ways to reform the fit note.</li></ul> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/06/2019 16:10:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1133141

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	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 steps the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is taking to retrieve money owed by absent parents.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	266704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) replaced the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission in 2012 and brought significant reforms to the Child Maintenance system in Great Britain. Child Maintenance in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue, although they run a broadly similar scheme. Any questions should be directed to the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>We support separated parents to make their own family based arrangements wherever possible. This allows families to create flexible arrangements that work for their individual circumstances and, where parents are able to work together, this can be better for their children. Where this is not possible, the CMS offers an effective and efficient statutory scheme for those parents who really need it.</p><p> </p><p>Under the statutory scheme, where paying parents fail to pay on time and in full, we aim to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. Where compliance is not achieved we are committed to using our wide ranging enforcement powers proportionally, and in the best interests of children and separated families.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/06/2019 16:42:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1144599

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	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	Personal Income
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment she has made of the change in the level of household income with two people in employment in 2019 and 2009.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	286750
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Estimates for the net median equivalised weekly household income after housing costs of UK couples in employment where both are in work are presented below, for 2009/10 and 2017/2018 in both nominal and real terms (2017/18 prices).</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nominal terms</p></td><td><p>£560</p></td><td><p>£561</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>CPI-adjusted real terms</p></td><td><p>£470</p></td><td><p>£561</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures have been taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) survey tables from Stat-Xplore and are rounded to the nearest pound. Stat-Xplore data is publicly available at the link below:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/tableView/tableView.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/tableView/tableView.xhtml#</a></p><p>We do not have available data to 2019 and so have used the most recent data available which is to 2017/18.</p><p>Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that the reason there have not been higher increases in average incomes in working households is partly due to increases in employment over this period. They state that “falls in worklessness have brought relatively low-earning types of households (such as lone parents) into work”. A link to the report is available below:</p><p><a href="https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/WP201912.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/WP201912.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 11:00:07 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon