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870218

registered interest
date	23/03/2018
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 assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending implicit consent to universal credit to ensure that authorised third parties can assist claimants to make and manage their claim.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	134082
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>The online digital account, which is fundamental to the design of the full service, allows claimants access to all their personal, medical, financial and other data. As a result, the claimant ‘holds the key’ to that account at all times.</p><p> </p><p>Running a system of implied consent means that the risk of disclosure of this material to third parties is heightened beyond an acceptable level under existing data protection rules, and might also undermine other security features we have built into the system through personal accreditation.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants can now provide explicit consent by making an entry in their journal. Continuing to operate an implicit consent system is no longer necessary, and can no longer be justified.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/03/2018 12:38:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

870219

registered interest
date	23/03/2018
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, if she will assess the potential merits of requiring an entry to be made in the journals of universal credit claimants' journals to confirm (a) the date on which payments made under Alternative Payment Arrangements are made to the landlord, (b) the amount paid and (c) the assessment period it represents.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	134083
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>There are no plans to assess the potential merits of entering information about alternative payment arrangements into claimants’ journals. The Universal Credit statement is the appropriate mechanism for detailing these payments. The journal is primarily used to support work search activity.</p><p>Where housing costs are paid direct to a claimant’s landlord, the amount paid is shown on the claimant’s statement. The date of the payment and the assessment period to which it relates are also shown on the claimant’s statement.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/03/2018 13:36:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

870220

registered interest
date	23/03/2018
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 the types of reasons are to date that have prompted a natural migration to universal credit from legacy benefits.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	134084
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>The Universal Credit system does not automatically record claimants’ reasons for naturally migrating to Universal Credit. To provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants naturally migrating from existing benefits to Universal Credit do so because they have had a significant change in their circumstances that would previously have triggered a new claim to an existing benefit or tax credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/03/2018 12:41:55 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

870221

registered interest
date	23/03/2018
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 the difference in weekly benefit income is for a claimant who is migrated to universal credit from an employment and support allowance claim which entitles them to Severe Disability Premium.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	134085
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>For legacy benefit claimants in receipt of Severe Disability Premium, any difference in entitlement under Universal Credit depends on the claimant’s individual circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants currently only move from existing benefits to Universal Credit through natural migration when they experience a significant change in their circumstances that triggers a new claim to benefit. Their entitlement is then calculated on the rules of their new benefit.</p><p> </p><p>When we start to move legacy claimants to Universal Credit from 2019 as part of the managed migration process, they will receive transitional protection if their overall Universal Credit entitlement would be less than under the old system, provided that their circumstances remain the same.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/03/2018 13:42:05 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

869333

registered interest
date	22/03/2018
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	Social Security Benefits: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the length of time assessors of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments have at initial assessment compared with the length of time afforded to tribunal panels.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	133847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>Healthcare Professionals are encouraged to take as much time as they need during an assessment to fully understand the impact of a claimant’s condition on their everyday life. In order to provide an assessment report that is medically justified and accurate, a Health Professional must undertake extensive questioning to establish how the claimant is impacted by their condition. Depending on the health condition or impairment, assessments may also include a physical examination, sight, hearing and any other tests deemed relevant. This is a comprehensive functional assessment which is tailored to the individual needs of the claimant and as such, there are no time limits set on the duration.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 28/03/2018 16:09:33 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

868412

registered interest
date	21/03/2018
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Empty Property
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has plans to requisition empty (a) flats and (b) houses that have been used for (i) speculation and (ii) money laundering purposes to help reduce street homelessness.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	133632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>The Government currently has no plans to requisition empty homes that have been used for speculation or money laundering for this specific purpose.</p><p>We are continuing to support local authorities to encourage efficient use of our existing stock, making best use of homes that are long-term empty to increase the supply of housing. At Autumn Budget, we announced proposals to strengthen the powers available to local authorities to tackle empty homes. Local authorities will be able to charge a 100 per cent council tax premium (currently 50 per cent) to homes that have been empty for more than two years.</p><p>This Government is also committed to preventing and reducing homelessness in England. That is why we are aiming to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027. We are investing over £1.2 billion to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in England by 2020. This includes a £100 million programme for low-cost move on accommodation to enable people leaving hostels and refuges to make a sustainable recovery from a homelessness crisis into independent living.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 28/03/2018 13:03:50 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

868423

registered interest
date	21/03/2018
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	Social Security Benefits: Appeals
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 mandatory reconsiderations upheld the initial decision on (a) personal independence payments and (b) employment support allowance claims in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	133643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>The number of Personal Independent Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MRs) cleared, by decision type, can be found in the official published statistics: “Data tables: Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to January 2017”. The relevant data can be found in Table 7b.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-january-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-january-2018</a></p><p> </p><p>The number of MRs for Employment Support Allowance (ESA), by decision type, can be found in the official published statistics: “ESA: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments including mandatory reconsiderations and appeals: March 2018”. The relevant data can be found in Table 14.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2018</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 28/03/2018 15:54:48 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

868426

registered interest
date	21/03/2018
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for people who qualify for free NHS prescriptions to produce proof of their eligibility when collecting those medicines.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	133646
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>The Government does not plan to make such an assessment. For many of the exemptions that apply to prescription charges, there is no requirement for people to prove their entitlement, for example because they qualify on grounds of age, or because primary legislation requires the free supply of the medicines they have been prescribed, such as medicines for the treatment of sexual diseases. For other cohorts of people who are exempt, for example by being in receipt of a qualifying benefit, there are already requirements in place for patients to provide proof of their eligibility, set out in the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015 (the Charges Regulations).</p><p> </p><p>The Charges Regulations provide that those aged under 16 or 60 and over are not required to provide further evidence of entitlement when their date of birth is printed on the prescription form. The Regulations also provide for no charge to be made or recovered from prisoners, detainees, people being treated for a sexually transmitted infection, people who have been prescribed free of charge contraceptives, people who have been prescribed drugs in circumstances where there is considered to be a public health risk, people who are obtaining pharmaceutical services from a chemist on presentation of a prescription form which was provided or issued in Northern Ireland and people who are requesting the repair or replacement of a damaged appliance. None of these circumstances require the patient to prove that they do not have to pay.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine question first answered 28/03/2018 10:49:18 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

867381

registered interest
date	20/03/2018
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	Employment and Support Allowance
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 ensure that claimants who are moved on to universal credit when employment and support allowance is withdrawn after an assessment and who subsequently get that decision overturned on appeal can claim employment and support allowance at their previous rate.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	133356
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>Claimants whose health condition remains unchanged and who move from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit, following a fit for work decision that is subsequently overturned, will have their Universal Credit assessed on the basis of having limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity.</p><p> </p><p>In these circumstances claimants will also be paid any arrears of Employment and Support Allowance that are due up until their claim for Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/03/2018 14:17:21 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

861106

registered interest
date	13/03/2018
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Wind Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government’s policy is on onshore wind farming; and what plans he has to encourage growth in that sector when implementing the Industrial Strategy.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	132255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>The Government’s policy is clear on onshore wind farming: that we do not believe that new large scale onshore wind power is right for England but in other areas where there is public support it can be developed. Further deployment in this sector is expected, supported by existing Government schemes such as the Contracts for Difference (CfD), and Feed In Tariff (FIT) which will aid delivery of cheap, clean and reliable energy in line with the aims of the Industrial Strategy.</p><p>The Government has also secured state aid approval to classify remote island wind as a separate technology in Group 2 of the CFD scheme. The Clean Growth Strategy announced that we would provide up to £557m in total of annual funding for future CFD auctions. We have consulted on how the Government could support the development of onshore wind projects on remote islands, where they benefit local communities, and are currently considering the responses we have received.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 28/03/2018 14:26:46 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead