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1136718

registered interest
date	03/07/2019
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, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2019 to Question 269775, whether the practice of loansharks applying on behalf of an individual for a universal credit advance payment which is then issued as a loan to the individual is being investigated by her Department.
tabling member constituency	Leigh
tabling member printed	Jo Platt
uin	272943
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>Any exploitation of advance payments is not acceptable, and takes advantage of a process designed to support claimants during their first assessment period. We are seeking to identify the perpetrators and will take appropriate prosecution action.</p><p>The Department is committed to reducing fraud and works hard to identify perpetrators of fraud. We have a dedicated team of investigators working on this issue and we regularly raise awareness with our front line staff who understand the risks and raise concerns as appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/07/2019 16:58:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4673 label Biography information for Jo Platt

1134870

registered interest
date	26/06/2019
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	Universal Credit
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 25 June 2019 to Question 267343 on Universal Credit, if her Department will (a) investigate the practice of loansharks applying on behalf of an individual for a universal credit advance payment which is then issued as a loan to the individual and (b) review the application process for universal credit advance payments to tackle such practices.
tabling member constituency	Leigh
tabling member printed	Jo Platt
uin	269775
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department is committed to reducing fraud and error and considers information from a range of sources to progress our investigations. We work hard to identify perpetrators of fraud and ensure we take appropriate prosecution action.</p><p> </p><p>We routinely gather intelligence to assist our understanding of anyone seeking to abuse the safety net that Universal Credit offers. Any exploitation of advance payments is not acceptable, and we are seeking to identify the perpetrators and ensure we take appropriate prosecution action. We have a dedicated team of investigators working on this issue and we regularly raise awareness with our front line staff who understand the risks and raise concerns as appropriate through referrals to Fraud colleagues.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to keeping all Universal Credit services and processes, including advance payments, under review and will make improvements to address any vulnerabilities in the system. The protection of our most vulnerable claimants remains of paramount importance to us.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 03/07/2019 15:23:34 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 126277 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4673 label Biography information for Jo Platt

1133718

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
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	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 steps she is taking to prevent loansharks applying on behalf of an individual for a universal credit advance payment which is then issued as a loan to the individual.
tabling member constituency	Leigh
tabling member printed	Jo Platt
uin	267343
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department takes any suspicious or fraudulent activity very seriously, especially when it has the potential to impact our vulnerable claimants.</p><p> </p><p>We investigate any allegations of fraudulent activity quickly and look to establish the facts, communicating quickly with our staff and colleagues to ensure that awareness is raised. We also continuously work to improve our services and create more robust processes to help our claimants interact with us in an easier, yet secure way which protects the most vulnerable.</p><p> </p><p>We cannot provide details about current investigations, but we investigate promptly and will refer to the relevant authorities to seek prosecution where appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 25/06/2019 16:49:49 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4673 label Biography information for Jo Platt

786987

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	High Rise Flats: Fire Extinguishers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of retrofitting sprinkler systems to residential tower blocks.
tabling member constituency	Leigh
tabling member printed	Jo Platt
uin	112339
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>The cost of retrofitting sprinklers will depend on the individual characteristics of a building.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/11/2017 15:12:23 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4673 label Biography information for Jo Platt

786988

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Owner Occupation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support home ownership among people with poor or no credit history.
tabling member constituency	Leigh
tabling member printed	Jo Platt
uin	112340
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>The availability and pricing of mortgages is ultimately a decision for lenders, and the Government does not seek to directly intervene in these.</p><p>First time buyers can benefit from a tax-free Government bonus of up to £3,000 if they save with a Help to Buy:ISA. The bonus will represent 25 per cent of the amount saved, up to a maximum of £3,000 on £12,000 of savings. The bonus will be calculated and paid when you buy your first home, available on homes up to £250,000, or £450,000 in London.</p><p>In addition, the Government is supportive of efforts to help borrowers access credit, including mortgages. The Government will introduce new Open Banking standards from January 2018, allowing consumers to share data directly from their payment accounts in a secure way. This will enable quicker and more accurate credit reporting, allowing lenders to take other factors into account when assessing a borrower's creditworthiness, such as a history of meeting rent payments on time.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/11/2017 15:27:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4673 label Biography information for Jo Platt