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692656

registered interest
date	21/02/2017
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 Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to help people with long-term illness return to work.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	64843
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2017 answer text <p>We are committed to building a society that works for everyone, where success in life is no longer defined by birth or circumstance. A disability or health condition should not dictate the path a person is able to take in life – or in the workplace. What should count is a person’s talents and their determination and aspiration to succeed.</p><p> </p><p>The Government offers a wide suite of programmes and initiatives to support disabled people and people with a long term health condition to enter and return to work, including the Work Programme, Work Choice and Specialist Employability Support, which all provide specialist support for long-term unemployed people and disabled people.</p><p> </p><p>We also already provide support to employers to help them recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions: for example, the Disability Confident campaign, the Access to Work scheme and the Fit for Work service. But we recognise more can be done to further drive and support employer action.</p><p> </p><p>But we know there is still more to be done to ensure that we have a system that works for everyone and is better tailored to the needs of the individual. This is why the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health published ‘Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper’ in October 2016, which sets out the Government’s proposals for improving work and health outcomes for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.</p><p> </p><p>We held a public consultation on all proposals set out in the Green Paper between 31st October and 17th February, during which time we met with and heard from a wide range of stakeholders. We are now carefully evaluating all that we heard in this period as we consider next steps.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 01/03/2017 15:49:58 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

692069

registered interest
date	20/02/2017
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	Retirement
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assistance his Department provides to people over 55 to help them prepare for retirement.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	64581
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2017 answer text <p>The government provides free, impartial guidance, for people aged 50 and over, through Pension Wise, to help them make informed and confident decisions about how they use their defined contribution pension savings in retirement. It is available online, via the telephone and face to face.</p> answering member constituency Watford answering member printed Richard Harrington question first answered 23/02/2017 16:31:30 answering member 4068 label Biography information for Lord Harrington of Watford
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

652632

registered interest
date	06/12/2016
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	Farms: Death
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of farm-related deaths from (a) slurry, (b) machinery, (c) disease and (d) collapsing buildings in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	56383
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2016 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive publishes figures on farm-related deaths annually in a report ‘Fatal injuries in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Great Britain. These are available on the HSE website at <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/resources/fatal.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/resources/fatal.htm</a>. The published reports do not include deaths attributable to disease.</p><p> </p><p>Most diseases have a range of causes and so the scale of mortality attributed specifically to occupational causes such as exposures in farming has to be estimated based on epidemiological information. An exception is occupational alveolitis, an allergic lung disease for which annual deaths can be identified directly from national mortality statistics, and which are shown in the table below for the five most recent available years. Most of these deaths were due to a form of the disease called “Farmer’s lung” which is caused by inhalation of dust or spores arising from mouldy hay, grain and straw.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="6"><p><strong>Deaths due to Farmers lung and other occupational allergic alveolitis in Great Britain:</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>38</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>An indication of the current scale of annual cancer deaths attributed to past occupational exposures is provided by HSE commissioned research into the burden of occupational cancer. Using mortality data for year 2005, this research estimated that approximately 86 annual cancer deaths are attributable to past exposures to carcinogens in farming. Estimates are currently not available of how many annual Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) deaths are attributable to past occupational exposures in farming.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 14/12/2016 15:36:25 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

604956

registered interest
date	18/10/2016
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: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with officials in the Northern Ireland Executive on the introduction of universal credit in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	49111
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2016 answer text <p>We are in regular discussions with Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities teams. This includes sharing lessons learnt to support the introduction of Universal Credit. Officials from Northern Ireland also attend programme governance meetings, including the Programme Board.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 24/10/2016 15:43:11 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

576939

registered interest
date	06/09/2016
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 support his Department is providing to pensioners who depend on charities and families to pay household bills.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	45139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2016 answer text <p>This Government is committed to providing a secure and dignified retirement for those pensioners who would otherwise find themselves without an adequate income.</p><p>Pension Credit is an income-related benefit paid out of general taxation which targets help at the poorest pensioners. Pension Credit tops up a person’s other income to a standard minimum amount – currently £155.60 for a single person and £237.55 for a couple. Higher amounts may be available for those with a severe disability, caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The amount of Pension Credit a person receives depends on how much money they have coming in each week and how much they have saved or invested; regular payments from a charity or relative will generally not count towards this calculation.</p><p>People in receipt of Pension Credit may also qualify for other benefits (each with their own conditions of entitlement) such as Cold Weather Payments, Funeral Payments from the Social Fund and the Warm Home Discount Scheme. Other benefits such as Housing Benefit and help from the Local Council Tax Reduction scheme are available to Pension Credit recipients and to others who may qualify on the grounds of low income.</p><p>Pension Credit recipients are also exempt from certain health charges. Other benefits including Winter Fuel Payments, free prescriptions and concessionary travel are available on the grounds of age.</p> answering member constituency Watford answering member printed Richard Harrington question first answered 12/09/2016 14:54:38 answering member 4068 label Biography information for Lord Harrington of Watford
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

542304

registered interest
date	21/07/2016
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	State Retirement Pensions: Widowed 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 the Government has made of the potential effect of the single-tier state pension on the level of income of widows.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	43761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2016 answer text <p>Under the new State Pension over three million women stand to receive an average of £11 a week more State Pension by 2030.</p><p> </p><p>Around four percent of women reaching State Pension age in the first ten years following implementation will be affected by ending access to a derived basic pension while still married and/or when widowed. The proportion falls to two percent or less for succeeding cohorts. We are not able to provide an impact specifically on widows as the analysis does not separately identify the proportion of those who are affected only while married because they predecease their spouse.</p> answering member constituency Watford answering member printed Richard Harrington question first answered 08/09/2016 13:52:43 answering member 4068 label Biography information for Lord Harrington of Watford
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

539714

registered interest
date	18/07/2016
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	Fairgrounds: Accidents
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many accidents have occurred at funfairs and amusement parks in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	43042
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>The figures in the table below provide the number of (a) workers and (b) members of the public who have been reported to HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences 2013 (RIDDOR), as being injured in accidents at funfairs and amusement parks from 2012. Data collected prior to 2012 is not directly comparable due to changes in reporting and recording criteria.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1 - Injuries to workers and members of the public in funfairs and amusement parks</strong><sup>1</sup><strong> as reported to all enforcing authorities 2012/13 – 2014/15p</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year<sup>3</sup></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Public</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Workers­­<sup>2</sup></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>479</p></td><td><p>64</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>387</p></td><td><p>56</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15<sup>4</sup></p></td><td><p>489</p></td><td><p>51</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>1 Statistics are identified by Standard Industrial Classification 2007 (SIC 2007) class 9321 – Activities of amusement parks and theme parks</p><p>2 The term worker includes employees and self-employed persons combined</p><p>3 Due to changes in legislation, the criteria for reporting injuries to workers changed in April 2012 and again in October 2013. Therefore annual estimates of injuries to workers over this period are not directly comparable</p><p>4 HSE’s analysis of the data for injuries to members of the public at fairgrounds and theme parks in 2014/15 found that upwards of 75% of reported injuries did not meet the criteria for a RIDDOR reportable injury.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 26/07/2016 13:53:47 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

539715

registered interest
date	18/07/2016
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	Fairgrounds: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to prevent accidents at funfairs and amusement parks.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	43041
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2016 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a dedicated National Fairground Inspection Team (NFIT) which enforces health and safety law at fairgrounds and theme parks in Great Britain. The NFIT work plan for 2106/17 targets proactive inspection of fairground rides with known problems and other areas of higher risk.</p><p> </p><p>NFIT inspectors also investigate accidents and complaints. They have a range of options available to hold poor performers to account, including enforcement notices and prosecution for the most serious breaches of the law. Any lessons learned from these investigations are communicated to the industry.</p><p> </p><p>HSE is also working with national industry bodies, which collectively make up the Amusement Devices Safety Council, to maintain and where necessary, improve health and safety standards and practices across the industry. HSE is currently working with one of those bodies, the British Association Leisure Parks Piers and Attractions, on an initiative aimed at improving risk management at theme parks.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 22/07/2016 10:20:24 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

528959

registered interest
date	27/06/2016
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	Palliative Care: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that families of children with life-shortening conditions receive financial support in order to care for their children.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	41316
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2016 answer text <p>The benefits available to the parents of children with life shortening conditions will depend on the particular circumstances of their household. Extra support is available to those parents who have had to give up full-time work to care for a child with a health condition or disability through benefits such as Carer’s Allowance, Income Support and Universal Credit. Disability Living Allowance may also be payable for children with a health condition or disability as a contribution towards the extra costs they may incur.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 01/07/2016 13:24:08 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

523229

registered interest
date	06/06/2016
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: Older People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to help older women and men into work.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	39510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2016 answer text <p>DWP recognises and welcomes the valuable knowledge and skills that older workers bring to the work place. There are now more older people in employment than ever before, 9.6 million 50+ workers in the UK – an increase of over a million (1.3 million) over the last 5 years.</p><p> </p><p>As well as access to the full Jobcentre Plus offer of personalised support, we introduced Older Claimant Champions in Jobcentre Plus, and have run two yearlong trials from April 2015 to test how we support older people where age is a barrier to them finding work. The trials are being evaluated and initial results will be available in autumn 2016.</p><p> </p><p>The Government intends to publish a new, employer-led national strategy later this year, setting out the future direction of the Fuller Working Lives agenda.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 13/06/2016 15:30:48 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon