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1694498

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Domestic Visits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to which domestic destinations Ministers in his Department have attended overnight visits in each of the last three financial years.
tabling member constituency	Leicester South
tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
uin	17551
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals).</p><p> </p><p>But as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ travel at home or abroad.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 12/03/2024 11:36:51 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth

1694563

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the under-occupancy penalty during the preparation of the Spring Budget.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17656
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy applies to claims for housing support where the claimant is living in the social rented sector in a property that is considered to have more bedrooms than the household requires.</p><p> </p><p>The policy helps encourage mobility within the social rented sector to make better use of the existing social housing stock and strengthens work-incentives.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to abolish this policy and easements are available to support disabled people and carers, the families of disabled children, foster carers, parents who adopt, parents of service personnel and people who have suffered a bereavement. The deduction does not apply to pensioners in receipt of Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>For individuals who may require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) may be available. DHP payments are entirely at the discretion of the local authority and since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion to local authorities.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 12/03/2024 14:38:37 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694568

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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	Pension Funds
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 the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, published on 6 March 2024, if he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how a transferrable pension fund would work.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	17660
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government has recently concluded a call for evidence to understand the considerations, merits and impacts of a lifetime pension provider model.</p><p> </p><p>In his Spring Budget, the Chancellor confirmed our commitment to explore a Lifetime Provider model. My Officials will undertake further analysis and engagement with industry, employers and employees to better understand if this measure would improve outcomes for savers.</p><p> </p><p>I am happy to meet any member of Parliament to discuss this issue.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 12/03/2024 13:52:33 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1694628

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Defamation
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 paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.
tabling member constituency	Leicester West
tabling member printed	Liz Kendall
uin	17586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>We are unable to provide the information requested. As reflected in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code, ‘The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority’.</p><p> </p><p>The Law Officers’ Convention, reflected in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code, is a long-standing convention observed by successive governments. It exists to preserve the ability of ministers to seek the advice of the Law Officers and not to be disadvantaged by disclosing when they have done so, and what advice they received.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 12/03/2024 13:58:37 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4026 label Biography information for Liz Kendall

1694643

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the (a) Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service, (b) Enhanced Checking Service, (c) Risk Review Team, (d) Enhanced Review Teams, (e) Universal Credit advances claims decision risk model, (f) Common Risk Engine, (g) General Matching Service, (h) Fraud Referral and Intervention Management System (i) Targeted Case Review and (j) any other systems have been used as part of fraud surveillance in the benefits system in the last year.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	17601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2024 answer text <p>None of the teams or systems referenced carry out surveillance in the benefits system.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 14/03/2024 12:53:53 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1694644

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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	Artificial Intelligence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential for bias in the automated machine learning and decision-making systems used to audit.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	17602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2024 answer text <p>Please be assured that assessments of bias have been conducted for all IRIS machine learning models and the screening to date has not identified any areas of concern. The outcomes will be published in summer 2024 within DWP’s Annual Report and Accounts.</p><p> </p><p>The department always ensures appropriate safeguards are in place. There are detailed Data Protection Impact Assessments and Equality Analysis that accompany our machine learning models, and these are live documents that are kept updated. We also work closely with legal colleagues to ensure our use of machine learning is legal and proportionate. As an additional safeguard, all decisions on claims are made by DWP case workers based on all the facts and individual circumstances of the claim.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 17605 question first answered 14/03/2024 12:14:08 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1694645

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants referred by a DWP algorithm for case review as potentially containing fraud or error were (a) in receipt of disability benefit and (b) registered as disabled; and of these claims how many experienced benefits (i) stoppages and (ii) suspensions in the latest period for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	17603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2024 answer text <p>The department does not hold the information requested.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 14/03/2024 12:32:50 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1694646

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of cases in the targeted case review system were (a) discontinued and (b) endorsed on the grounds that they were likely to contain (i) fraud and (ii) error after being checked by a human reviewer in the most recent period for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	17604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2024 answer text <p>The TCR process is led by specialised agents to find incorrectness on claims and put it right. Prior to starting a claim review, agents will preview the claim to make sure it meets the criteria for selection. Claims selected for review are not endorsed on the grounds they are likely to contain fraud or error. It is only once a claim review is complete that an agent can determine the outcome. Performance for the financial year 22/23 is included in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023" target="_blank">DWP Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) Report</a>, available on GOV.UK. The ARA report for financial year 23/24 is expected to be published Summer 2024.</p><p> </p><p>We do not categorise claims as discontinued. A claim may be deselected for review if it does not meet the criteria.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 13/03/2024 15:01:46 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1694647

registered interest
date	07/03/2024
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: Fraud
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 Q27 of the oral evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee on 10 January 2024, HC 417, what biases there are in the (a) AI and (b) machine learning systems used by his Department to detect and prevent fraud in the benefit system; and how these biases have been used to identify fraud.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	17605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2024 answer text <p>Please be assured that assessments of bias have been conducted for all IRIS machine learning models and the screening to date has not identified any areas of concern. The outcomes will be published in summer 2024 within DWP’s Annual Report and Accounts.</p><p> </p><p>The department always ensures appropriate safeguards are in place. There are detailed Data Protection Impact Assessments and Equality Analysis that accompany our machine learning models, and these are live documents that are kept updated. We also work closely with legal colleagues to ensure our use of machine learning is legal and proportionate. As an additional safeguard, all decisions on claims are made by DWP case workers based on all the facts and individual circumstances of the claim.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 17602 question first answered 14/03/2024 12:14:08 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1694245

registered interest
date	06/03/2024
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Domestic Visits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many domestic overnight visits were undertaken by Ministers within his Department in each of the last three financial years; and what the cost to the public purse was of these visits.
tabling member constituency	Leicester South
tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
uin	17353
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals).</p><p> </p><p>But as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ travel at home or abroad.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 11/03/2024 15:47:39 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth