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1132397

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Employment: Mental Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to strengthen protections for mental health at work under health and safety legislation.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Sir George Howarth
	uin	265450
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>In October 2017, the Prime Minister welcomed and accepted the recommendations of the <em>Thriving at Work: The Stevenson / Farmer review of mental health</em> <em>and employers</em>. This recognised that employers should develop a comprehensive approach to managing mental health that includes implementing activity on preventing mental ill health caused by work, promoting good mental health in the workplace and supporting individuals who experience poor mental health. Actions to implement this comprehensive approach are described within the mental health standards developed by the reviewers and accepted by Government.</p><p> </p><p>Existing duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 contribute by requiring employers to put in place measures to prevent causes of work-related mental ill health. Specifically, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to undertake a risk assessment and act on that assessment by removing or putting in place reasonable steps to control the causes of work-related mental ill health. Additionally, under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, employers have a responsibility to consider the mental health needs of their staff as part of their ‘first aid needs assessment’ and decide on what support is necessary. This assessment enables employers to put in place measures that will directly respond to their employee needs and allows businesses flexibility where those needs may change. Supporting individuals in distress until professional help arrives is an important feature of any first aid event regardless of its nature. It is a key component in the first aid syllabus contained in the regulations and meets the NHS recommended approach for assisting an individual who is experiencing a mental health crisis.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Government is committed to working with key stakeholders, public, private and voluntary sectors to ensure that employers of all sizes implement the mental health standards, comply with their legal duties and realise the benefit of healthy inclusive workplaces.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:32:11 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1132544

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Historic Buildings: Health Hazards
	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 protections introduced in Germany and Austria for workers renovating or demolishing buildings against the risk of breathing in historical man-made mineral fibres which are now considered to pose a serious risk to health, what steps she is taking to introduce similar protections for UK workers.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	265555
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of the guidelines that have been produced in Germany and Austria, advising companies on the measures they should take to protect workers against risks of breathing in historic man-made mineral fibres (MMMFs).</p><p>In Great Britain there is a statutory framework in place to protect workers who may be exposed to any hazardous substance, such as MMMFs, regardless of how that exposure occurs. This framework includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of people affected by their work activities.</p><p> </p><p>The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), places specific duties on employers and implements several EU Directives on worker protection, ensuring our standards meet those required of all EU Member States. COSHH requires employers to carry out a risk assessment to establish the hazards associated with the tasks and processes they are undertaking and put in place suitable arrangements to either prevent or control those risks. Such a risk assessment would need to be carried out for workers renovating or demolishing buildings to enable suitable controls to be put in place for any hazardous substances that may be present or that may be produced, including MMMFs. HSE provides guidance, to help businesses comply with their legal duties.</p><p> </p><p>The regulatory framework, supported by guidance, is sufficient to control occupational exposure to MMMFs.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:39:07 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1132556

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment: County Durham
	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 reduce the 12-week waiting time for a mandatory reconsideration for personal independence payments in County Durham.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	265491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>We always aim to make the right decision as early as we can. The MR process was introduced as an opportunity to review the original decision and consider any additional evidence provided by the claimant since the original decision was made.</p><p>There has been an increase in outstanding PIP MR clearance times in recent months. Measures to reduce the number of outstanding MRs include:</p><ul><li>Age profiles of outstanding work are managed at a national level to ensure that cases which have been outstanding for longest are actioned first.</li><li>Resource levels dedicated to the clearance of MRs have been regularly reviewed with significant recruitment, training and redeployment undertaken to support reduced clearance times.</li></ul><p>MR is a key element of the decision making process for both the Department and claimants, and whilst ensuring they make quality decisions, decision makers work hard to clear applications without delay. Gathering the right evidence is critical at the MR stage if decisions are not to go to appeal; and we are reviewing our processes to not only obtain this, but to do so whilst continuing to make decisions timeously.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:29:40 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1132577

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants awarded personal independence payment under the special rules for terminal illness made an advanced new claim towards the end of their existing award in each of the last five years; and how many of those claimants had motor neurone disease.
	tabling member constituency	Mansfield
	tabling member printed	Ben Bradley
	uin	265610
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:41:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4663 label Biography information for Ben Bradley

1132253

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2019
	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	Employment: Mental Health
	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 implement the six core standards for workplaces as set out in the Government’s thriving at work report; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Sir George Howarth
	uin	264730
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>In November 2017, the joint DWP/DHSC Work and Health Unit (WHU) published Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability setting out our response to Thriving at Work and WHU is now overseeing progress across 40 recommendations. The Civil Service is committed to being a leading employer and implementing the core and enhanced mental health standards to deliver lasting cultural change. All main government departments have benchmarked themselves against the mental health standards to identify best practice and areas requiring further action, and every Civil Service Permanent Secretary now has a performance objective directly related to implementing the standards and Civil Service Wellbeing Confident Leaders training is being rolled out to senior leaders.</p><p> </p><p>One of the review’s recommendations was about transparency as a significant opportunity to encourage cultural change around mental health. We have worked with partners, including employers, to develop a framework to support organisations to record and voluntarily report information on disability and mental health in the workplace. This framework was published on 22<sup>nd</sup> November 2018 and is aimed at large employers with 250 or more employees. The WHU is an active member of the Thriving at Work Leadership Council consisting of a range of business and public sector representatives, and leading trade associations. The council is an employer led group that will continue to meet throughout 2019 with the primary objectives to champion the mental health standards and explore innovative solutions to further drive their implementation and adoption. Individual members committed to promoting the standards through their networks and to create sector champions.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:17:50 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1131672

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2019
	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 her Department is taking to provide additional payments for claimants of universal credit who previously received additional support through the Severe Disability Premium; and what steps her Department is taking to notify former Severe Disability Premium claimants of their entitlement to additional support.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	263658
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>Since the introduction of The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (SDP Gateway) Amendment Regulations 2019, which came into force on 16th January 2019, claimants who are entitled, or have been within the last month, to an award of an existing benefit that includes Severe Disability Premium (SDP) have not been required to move to Universal Credit; even if they have experienced a relevant change in their circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019, which are currently before Parliament, make provision for SDP transitional payments for those eligible claimants who have already moved to UC and for moving existing legacy claimants onto Universal Credit and implementing transitional protection.</p><p> </p><p>On Friday 3 May 2019, the High Court handed down a judgment in relation to Universal Credit and the SDP. The judgment quashed the SDP related parts of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019. The Department is pleased that the court recognises that it is for Ministers to determine the appropriate transitional arrangements for moving claimants on to Universal Credit, and we are currently considering the options open to us and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/06/2019 13:37:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1131847

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2019
	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	Access to Work Programme: Voluntary Work
	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 Access to Work to people working on a voluntary basis.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	263749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>Access to Work supports people who have a health condition or a disability to move into and sustain paid employment. The current scheme does not support unpaid or voluntary work.</p><p> </p><p>However, we recognise the importance of voluntary work and the benefits this can provide in securing paid employment. Access to Work does assist people who have a health condition or a disability to take up voluntary pre-employment opportunities, such as Work Experience and Work Trials, which may lead to paid employment.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/06/2019 13:32:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly