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1178906

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Wind Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the names of the training providers in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales that offer courses in (i) basic safety training and (ii) basic technical training that are required for employment in the offshore wind industry.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	18380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p>It is a legal duty on all employers within the offshore wind industry to provide sufficient information, instruction and training to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of people in their employment and others who may be affected. It is a matter for each individual employer to decide on how that information, instruction and training is provided, commensurate to the risks. Therefore, HSE does not approve the industry training standards.</p><p> </p><p>HSE is aware of the Global Wind Organisation’s (GWO) training standards and that training providers are audited on a regular basis by the GWO to ensure that training is delivered to those standards. Further information can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.globalwindsafety.org/trainingproviders/findttraningprovider?d19e55cf_page=5" target="_blank">https://www.globalwindsafety.org/trainingproviders/findttraningprovider?d19e55cf_page=5</a>.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 27/02/2020 16:26:35 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1179002

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the value of deductions due to sanctions for benefit payments by parliamentary constituency in (a) the latest period for which figures are available and (b) 2019.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	18644
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Department has no plans to collate and publish this information.</p><p> </p><p>The latest available statistics on benefit sanctions are published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-to-october-2019-experimental" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-to-october-2019-experimental</a></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 02/03/2020 12:08:38 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1179130

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Wind Power: Safety
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 Health and Safety Executive has taken since 2016 to assess the compliance of (a) basic safety training and (b) basic technical training standards required by employers in the offshore wind industry with domestic health and safety regulations.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	18689
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p>In 2012, in response to the emergence of the offshore wind industry, HSE created a dedicated team to regulate the offshore renewable energy industry. In addition to carrying out planned inspection and investigation of injuries and incidents, HSE’s dedicated team has worked with a range of stakeholders to encourage the development of good standards for health and safety. This has included working with industry bodies including the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), G+ Global Offshore Wind Health and Safety Organisation (G+) and RenewableUK (RUK).</p><p> </p><p>In November 2015, HSE hosted an industry leaders’ event where a commitment was made by those organisations to further improve industry leadership, increase engagement across the supply chain, develop a common risk reduction programme for the industry and develop and deliver good practice. The industry created a steering group to ensure the effective delivery of improvement. In April 2018, HSE and the industry reviewed progress and were broadly satisfied that progress had been made with a desire to do more.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2012, one of HSE’s priorities has been worker competence to ensure that people work safely. Although HSE does not approve training standards, it has been involved in discussions about the GWO training standards for basic safety. HSE sees the benefit in industry minimum standards of training as it facilitates worker mobility, reduces unnecessary bureaucracy and costs without reducing health and safety standards. However, they make clear to industry that this should be supplemented with an individual training needs analysis to determine the additional training needs for specific tasks required to be carried out safely.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 27/02/2020 16:19:55 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1179131

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Wind Power: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of employees in the offshore wind industry that hold (a) basic safety training and (b) a basic technical training certification in line with the minimum safety training standards for the industry set by the Global Wind Organisation.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	18690
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p>It is a legal duty on all employers within the offshore wind industry to provide sufficient information, instruction and training to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of people in their employment and others who may be affected. It is a matter for each individual employer to decide on how that information, instruction and training is provided, commensurate with the risks. Therefore, HSE does not approve the industry training standards nor keep records of the numbers trained under any individual training scheme.</p><p /><p>At inspections and during investigations, HSE does make thorough inquiries to ensure that workers who go offshore have received basic safety training prior to going offshore and that this is refreshed on a regular basis. That basic safety training covers the following topics: Marine Safety; Work at Height and Escape and Evacuation; First Aid; Fire Awareness; and Manual Handling. In addition, HSE does make inquiries into ensuring job specific training is provided.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 27/02/2020 16:09:28 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1179142

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Offshore Industry: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with (a) ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport and (b) the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation on changes to the basic offshore safety induction and emergency training standard since the Civil Aviation Authority’s most recent recommendations on improving passenger safety and survivability in the helicopter transport sector of the offshore oil and gas industry.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	18701
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p>Offshore helicopter safety falls within the remit of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). There have been no recent discussions between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) on changes to the basic offshore safety induction training (BOSIET) syllabus with respect to helicopter transport. Although HSE has no direct influence on the content of OPITO training syllabuses (it is a matter for OPITO and the offshore Oil and Gas Industry), HSE actively engaged with OPITO/Oil &amp; Gas UK Ltd in September 2015 following the CAA’s decision to introduce the new Category A Emergency Breathing System (EBS) of a compressed-air underwater escape system for offshore helicopter transport.</p><p> </p><p>HSE had no direct involvement in the CAA decision. However, because this system uses compressed air as part of basic offshore survival training it is subject to the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (DAWR). These regulations require anyone diving as part of a work activity to pass a medical carried out by an HSE approved medical Examiner. However, this medical sets an unnecessarily high standard for the type of training undertaken. HSE worked out a balance between allowing realistic OPITO training and the risk of barotrauma to participants. Consequently, in 2015 HSE issued an Exemption Certificate from DAWR to allow training “in pool” to proceed to max depth of 1.5m, provided participants had been passed fit following an examination to a set standard by a registered medical practitioner. Following further consultation with industry, a new exemption certificate was issued in April 2017. This incorporated the medical requirements of the original certificate issued in 2015 for helicopter escape training but allowed for unrestricted medical certificate of fitness for offshore work to be acceptable for shallow water training. A further exemption was issued in 2018 to allow a similar provision for the acceptability of unrestricted medical certificates of fitness to work at sea. All exemptions followed consultation with the industry and allow for the required training to be undertaken whilst still providing a level of protection to those taking part.</p><p> </p><p>There is an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between HSE and the CAA that includes arrangements for the regulation of offshore helicopter transport. As part of this MoU, there are regular meetings held between HSE and CAA to discuss offshore helicopter safety-related issues.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 27/02/2020 16:53:50 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1179379

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Bereavement Support Payment: Cohabitation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to implement the ruling of the Supreme Court of 30 August 2018, [2018] UKSC 48, on extending bereavement support payments to unmarried couples.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	18775
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>We recognise that we currently have incompatible legislation on the statute books relating to Widowed Parent's Allowance. My department is currently working on possible options to remedy this. As previously stated there are complex issues we have needed to actively consider which takes time. We will report back to Parliament as soon as we have agreed approach.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 27/02/2020 14:39:12 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 8599 answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1179409

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 11 of the Government's response to the Work and Pensions Committee's Nineteenth Report of Session 2017–19, HC 955, what progress her Department has made on undertaking that evaluation; and whether that evaluation will assess the effectiveness of (a) conditionality and (b) sanctions for lone parents.
tabling member constituency	Ealing Central and Acton
tabling member printed	Dr Rupa Huq
uin	18787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Department will look to publish its evaluation in Spring 2020. The evaluation will assess the impact of Universal Credit sanctions on supporting claimants into work. The impact on lone parents will be assessed. The evaluation will not assess the effectiveness of conditionality.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 02/03/2020 12:04:31 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4511 label Biography information for Dr Rupa Huq

1179488

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Maternity Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2020 to Question 10295, on Maternity Allowance, on what date the service level agreement came into force; which parties are bound by that agreement; and whether she plans to revert to clearing claims for maternity allowance within 24 working days.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	18497
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>There is no formal Service Level Agreement in place; that term was used to describe the process by which the department considers a variety of factors to identify the most appropriate balance of resources to deliver a good level of customer service. Currently we work to a planning assumption of a maximum waiting time of 24 days, but our actual processing time is currently eight days.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 26/02/2020 12:39:08 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1179569

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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 she is taking to support parents that have (a) ongoing claims and (b) been waiting for payment of arrears for up to 10 years through the Child Maintenance Service (CMS); whether she plans to reduce the amount of time before the CMS seeks a court order for enforcement of payment of arrears; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing greater penalties for parents that avoid making payments in cases where there are substantial arrears.
tabling member constituency	Don Valley
tabling member printed	Nick Fletcher
uin	19064
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>Where paying parents fail to pay their maintenance on time and in full, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aim to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance using its range of enforcement powers.</p><p> </p><p>If all efforts to re-establish compliance have been exhausted and the paying parent is employed, the Service can deduct their maintenance and any arrears directly from their earnings. The CMS can also deduct directly from bank accounts as a lump sum or regular amount. We have a range of other strong enforcement powers, including the use of Enforcement Agents to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, disqualification from holding a UK passport or commitment to prison.</p><p> </p><p>The CMS is committed to using its wide ranging enforcement powers proportionally, and in the best interests of children and separated families, and must consider on a case by case basis whether taking action will secure more money for children.</p><p>Since 2018 we have introduced new collection and enforcement powers. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the new powers. At present we have no plans to further extend these powers.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 26/02/2020 13:04:05 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4832 label Biography information for Nick Fletcher

1178360

registered interest
date	13/02/2020
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: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will review the minimum income floor used to estimate earnings for universal credit claimants that are self-employed.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	1946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2020 answer text <p>The Department supports people to be self-employed when it is the right thing for them to do to be financially self-sufficient. Key to this is continuing to help claimants in, or considering, self-employment to progress to a level of sustained financial self-sufficiency that does not exclude the possibility of better paid work elsewhere. This ensures fairness to claimants, but also taxpayers who fund the welfare system.</p><p> </p><p>Work coaches offer tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can refer low-earning claimants to mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance providers and sign-post claimants to the other extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that it takes time for new businesses to grow and that even established businesses can experience difficulties. From September 2020, all self-employed Universal Credit claimants will be given the same 12 months’ exemption period to provide them with time and support needed to grow their businesses.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 24/02/2020 18:04:07 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray