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1716061

registered interest
date	07/05/2024
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Transport: West Midlands
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided for transport projects in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	24933
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government has spent £8.4 billion on transport in the West Midlands region over the last three years, improving connectivity, shortening journey times, reducing congestion, and transporting people and goods.</p><p> </p><p>Figures are not available at the level of individual local authorities. However, in Coventry, recent Government investment includes;</p><ul><li>£27.5m Local Growth Fund towards the completed North South Rail &amp; Coventry Station Masterplan delivering improved capacity and accessibility at the station. Opened March '22.</li><li>West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) awarded £50m for Coventry to become the UK's first All Electric Bus City, with all buses – replaced with electric buses, plus charging infrastructure.</li></ul><p>Coventry also stands to benefit from allocations to West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) including</p><ul><li>An additional £2.5m for road surfacing as part of Network North.</li><li>£1.05bn City Regional Sustainable Transport (CRST) Settlement 5-year allocation.</li><li>£104m for 2022-25 to deliver bus improvements through their Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).</li><li>£30m (March 2022) Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) funding towards hydrogen buses and infrastructure across the region.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 15/05/2024 14:44:19 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1665337

registered interest
date	17/10/2023
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	Redundancy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support people who have been made redundant to (a) access training and skills support and (b) find suitable alternative employment in (i) Coventry North East constituency, (ii) Coventry, (iii) the West Midlands and (iv) England.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	202994
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2023 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to support anyone affected by redundancy with our Rapid Response Service offer. This is a service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy.</p><p> </p><p>This service is co-ordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team and is managed by Jobcentre Plus. Delivery partners include The National Careers Service, local training providers, Money Helper and the skills bodies in England.</p><p> </p><p>The Rapid Response Service offer is flexible and can include a range of options (see below) that can be pulled together into an appropriate support package. This package will be tailored to meet the needs of the employer, the individuals affected and the local community.</p><p> </p><p>The range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners may include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Connecting people to jobs in the labour market.</li><li>Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and how to apply for them.</li><li>Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour market).</li><li>What benefits they may get and how to claim.</li></ul> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 20/10/2023 13:52:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1665425

registered interest
date	17/10/2023
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	Long Term Unemployed People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) factors that contribute to long-term unemployment and (b) impact of long-term unemployment on (i) families, (ii) communities and (iii) the economy; and what steps his Department is taking to (A) reduce and (B) minimise the impacts of long-term unemployment.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	202999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2023 answer text <p>The UK employment support offer has several elements: a mixture of jobcentre support, national contracted provision and local contracted or grant-funded provision. The Restart scheme is nationally contracted provision for the long-term unemployed in England and Wales and sits alongside a variety of services that support jobseekers to find and progress in work.</p><p> </p><p>Restart supports those who have been out of work for nine months or more and may benefit from more intensive support than the core JCP offer. Restart seeks to address some of the acknowledged barriers that long-term unemployed people face which may include awareness of current job-seeking approaches, ongoing health conditions, perceptions around confidence or lack of relevant skills.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has previously published evidence on support for the long term unemployed. The Work Programme Impact Assessment, published in November 2020 and was used to inform the business case for Restart: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-work-programme-impact-assessment" target="_blank">The Work Programme: impact assessment - GOV.UK.</a></p><p> </p><p>As part of the Restart scheme for the long term unemployed, the department is carrying out a full evaluation to assess the impact of the programme on job outcomes, earnings, and intermediate outcomes such as improvements in confidence, well-being and job-searching skills. Evidence gathered is being fed back into service delivery and future policy development.</p><p> </p><p>From Restart’s launch to the end of April 2023, 450,000 people had started on the programme so far, with 150,000 of those achieving first earnings from employment, and 84,000 achieving a job outcome representing sustained employment.</p><p> </p><p>Additional support for 50+ long term unemployed (LTU) customers was announced in September 2022 as part of the Growth Plan. This will provide access to additional intensive support for long-term unemployed jobseekers in jobcentres across Great Britain.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the Government recognises the important role that childcare plays for parents seeking or trying to stay in work which is why this year’s Spring Budget saw generous additional financial support for parents on Universal Credit. These changes include a 47% rise in the monthly maximum amounts that parents can be reimbursed for their childcare costs - now £951 a month for families with one child and £1630 for families with two or more children. Importantly, additional financial help with upfront childcare costs is now also being made available for parents moving into work or increasing their hours, removing a crucial barrier for many.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/10/2023 16:53:10 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1661942

registered interest
date	19/09/2023
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: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides to older jobseekers in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England who are looking to (i) reskill or (ii) change careers.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	200455
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2023 answer text <p>The Department is delivering a comprehensive package of support to help older jobseekers return to work. In addition to the help in place for all Universal Credit claimants, eligible older jobseekers can access additional intensive, tailored support in the first nine months of their Universal Credit claim.</p><p>A network of dedicated 50PLUS Champions are in place in Jobcentre Plus districts across Great Britain, upskilling Work Coaches in supporting over 50s to return to work and engaging with employers to maximise opportunities for recruitment.</p><p>The Midlife MOT is delivered in West Midlands Jobcentres and across Great Britain, helping older workers to take stock of their finances, skills and health and an enhanced digital Midlife MOT provides access to financial, health and career guidance.</p><p>In Coventry North and across Coventry and the West Midlands our Jobcentre teams are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies and delivering a range of support including Sector Work Based Academy Programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days and job fairs.</p><p>The West Midlands team continue to work with local employers to deliver SWAPs in various sectors including security, education, warehousing, hospitality, construction and care. SWAP’s deliver short vocational training linked directly to vacancies with a particular employer or in a specific sector, helping customers to learn the skills and behaviours that employers in particular industries look for.</p><p>In Coventry, Jobcentre teams, along with National Careers Service and Coventry City Council hold monthly sessions through the Coventry Job Shop, offering information and application support for job vacancies, and SWAPs, and a recent job fair on 13 September saw over twenty local and national employers in attendance.</p><p>The team also work in partnership with local providers to deliver specific events for customers aged 50 and over, such as events targeted at the hospitality and education sectors and courses to improve digital skills.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/10/2023 16:25:28 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1602444

registered interest
date	08/03/2023
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	Unemployment: Coventry North East
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 a recent estimate of the (a) unemployment and (b) youth unemployment rates in Coventry North East constituency; if he will make an assessment of the factors that contribute to those rates being higher than the UK average; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce unemployment in Coventry North East constituency.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	161313
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>Coventry and surrounding Jobcentres are playing an essential role in promoting an active labour market and finding jobs. Coventry Jobcentre is also hosting monthly larger jobs fairs with around 15-20 organisations in attendance. Employers have been sourced from a variety of sectors.</p><p> </p><p>DWP colleagues work closely with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to deliver a collaborative approach in the region.</p><p> </p><p>Estimates of (a) unemployment and (b) youth unemployment in the year to September 2022 based on the Annual Population Survey are published and available <a href="https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p> </p><p>No specific assessment has been made of the factors underlying unemployment in Coventry North East.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 21/03/2023 13:58:59 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1470222

registered interest
date	14/06/2022
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 Credit: Coventry
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 June 2022 to Question 9898 on Pension Credit: Coventry, how many pensioners in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry are eligible for pension credit but do not claim it.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	17951
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2022 answer text <p>Estimates for the number of people eligible for Pension Credit are only available at the Great Britain level and are available in the “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up” publication which can be found on the statistics section of gov.uk. The latest publication relates to the financial year 2019 to 2020.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 20/06/2022 13:55:35 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1466520

registered interest
date	26/05/2022
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 Credit: Coventry
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 make an estimate of the number of pensioners in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry are eligible for pension credit but do not claim it; and what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that all pensioners in those areas receive their full entitlement to pension credit.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	9898
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2022 answer text <p>There are currently some 2,980 recipients of Pension Credit in Coventry North East and 7,390 Pension Credit recipients in Coventry.</p><p> </p><p>We have already undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up. Initial internal management information suggests that new claims for Pension Credit in the 12 months to December 2021 were around 30% higher compared to the 12 months to December 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier this year, we directly targeted over 11 million pensioners with information about Pension Credit and the additional support it can provide in the leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating notification.</p><p> </p><p>However, it is more important now than ever before that we ensure all eligible pensioners claim the vital financial help which Pension Credit provides. That’s why on 3 April we launched a new Pension Credit awareness campaign. We are promoting Pension Credit in a variety of ways, including on social media – with advertising targeted both at potential recipients as well as their friends and family and also in key locations for the elderly, such as post offices and GP waiting rooms.</p><p> </p><p>I have written to the editors of regional newspapers across England, Scotland and Wales calling on readers to check if they could be eligible and make a claim. This was done on repeat occasions in 2021. I have also written to all MPs, urging them to lend the campaign their support. MPs are well placed to promote Pension Credit to their older constituents and many already do so.</p><p> </p><p>On 6 June there will be a further roundtable meeting with some stakeholders, who have reach and expertise, to identify other practical initiatives to encourage eligible pensioners to claim.</p><p> </p><p>On 15 June, there will be another Pension Credit awareness media day of action with broadcasters, newspapers and other partners encouraged to reach out to pensioners to promote Pension Credit through their channels. We will also extend the campaign to include advertising in regional and national newspapers.  This event was a success in 2021.</p><p> </p><p>We know that one of the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholders working in the community. We will be producing and distributing leaflets and posters which can be used across local communities, and we will also be updating our digital toolkit with information and resources that any stakeholder can use to help promote Pension Credit.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 06/06/2022 15:26:33 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1420888

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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 Credit
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 increase pension credit take-up in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	120787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2022 answer text <p>The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February. These will cover the financial year 2019/20. Due to the sample size used to estimate Pension Credit take-up statistics, figures cannot be broken down to a constituency level.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit, encourage pensioners to check their eligibility, and to make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC and Age UK.</p><p> </p><p>Our initial internal management information suggests new claims for Pension Credit in the past twelve months to December 2021 were around 136,000, representing an increase of around 30% compared to the 12 months to December 2019 when they were around 105,000. It also suggests that we have been receiving consistently high volumes of claims over recent months, at around 3,300 per week.</p><p> </p><p>This management information has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but are provided here in the interests of transparency.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The impact of these claim volumes on numbers of successful awards and on Pension Credit take-up will take longer to establish given the usual cycle involved in producing those statistics</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 21/02/2022 13:19:08 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1362545

registered interest
date	22/10/2021
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	Pensioners: Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the numbers of pensioners living in poverty in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the levels of pensioner poverty in those areas; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the welfare system in helping to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty in those areas.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	61155
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2021 answer text <p>Since 2010, the Government has increased the full yearly value of the basic State Pension by over £2,050 in cash terms. The full basic State Pension in 2010 was £97.65 per week and is now £137.60 per week.</p><p> </p><p>There are now 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty (both before and after housing costs) than in 2009/10.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to action that helps to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty. For current pensioners, this includes the new State Pension and Pension Credit. For future pensioners, it also includes auto-enrolment into workplace pensions, which has transformed pension saving for millions of workers; and our 50 plus: choices agenda which aims to maximise the labour market opportunities for people to earn and save for longer.</p><p> </p><p>Information is not available at constituency or local authority level and It is not yet possible to produce a robust estimate of the impact of Covid-19 as is sought.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 27/10/2021 14:53:42 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1340034

registered interest
date	24/06/2021
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 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 pensioners in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England (i) receive the basic state pension, (ii) receive pension credit and (iii) are eligible for pension credit but do not claim it; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all pensioners receive their full entitlement to pension credit.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	21924
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government wants to make sure that all eligible pensioners claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled. DWP continues to use multiple ways to reach those who can claim. Amongst other things, on 16 June, DWP joined forces with Age UK, Len Goodman, Rustie Lee and the BBC to help reach those who may be reticent about claiming Pension Credit. The aim was to renew our efforts to raise awareness of Pension Credit, encouraging people to check their eligibility and make a claim.</p><p> </p><p>On 17 May, DWP Ministers hosted a roundtable event attended by a range of stakeholders who have an interest in pensioners’ financial wellbeing, to explore opportunities on getting information about Pension Credit to pensioners and their family members.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently updated our online toolkit which provides a range of ideas and support which stakeholders can use with their customers to encourage take-up of Pension Credit. Two new videos specifically target key messages aimed at pensioners as well as their family members and friends.</p><p> </p><p>Our Pension Credit pages on gov.uk have recently been updated, drawing attention to how Pension Credit can provide extra money as well as a range of other help for pensioners who get it. The online claim facility we introduced last year, further enables family, friends and organisations to help pensioners make a claim.</p><p> </p><p>This year, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain received messaging about Pension Credit with their annual State Pension up-rating letter which also highlighted that an award of Pension Credit can mean being eligible for other benefits such as Housing Benefit or a free over-75 TV licence.</p><p> </p><p>The number of pensioners in receipt of the basic State Pension, as well as the number of pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit, by Parliamentary Constituency, is published and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 29/06/2021 13:08:45 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher