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1135077

registered interest
date	26/06/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Poverty
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Buscombe on 25 June (HL Deb, col 1003), whether they will now ask the National Audit Office to examine the feasibility of implementing the cumulative social impact assessment recommended by the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; and whether they will explain what they meant by their reservation concerning "unreasonable assumptions about income sharing" set out in paragraph 38 of the Comments by the State on the UN Special Rapporteur’s report.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16704
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>The Treasury regularly publishes detailed analysis on the cumulative impact of policy decisions on tax, welfare and public spending on households of different incomes. The government also carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing protected characteristics - including at Budgets and other fiscal events - in line with both its legal obligations and with its strong commitment to promoting fairness.</p><p>Our statement concerning income sharing reflects our reservations about producing cumulative analysis of the impact of tax and spending decisions on vulnerable groups beneath household level (for instance, by gender). This analysis often requires unreasonable assumptions about how income is shared within households. As independent experts at the Institute for Fiscal Studies have said, “because most people live in households with others, and we don't know how incomes are shared, it is very hard to look at effects separately for many men and women.”</p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 08/07/2019 13:51:40 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1135078

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 (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 25 June (HL16417), why the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019, which were laid on 14 January, have not yet been tabled for debate and affirmative resolution in the House of Lords.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16705
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>On 3 May 2019, the High Court handed down a judgment in relation to Universal Credit and the Severe Disability Premium (SDP). The judgment quashed the SDP related parts of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019. The Department is currently considering the options open to us and will respond in due course.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 09/07/2019 15:01:08 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1134313

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
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	Poverty
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Buscombe on 19 June (HL Deb, col 771), on what occasions the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights was "not keen to engage" with UK officials.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>Department for Work and Pensions officials liaised extensively with the Special Rapporteur’s office over the arrangements for his visit to the UK last November. From the outset, his staff were clear that Professor Alston’s priority was to secure meetings with UK Government Ministers.</p><p> </p><p>DWP proposed meetings and round tables with senior officials across the relevant departments so that topics, including health, housing and welfare benefits, could be explored in more detail. The scope and time available for these meetings was significantly curtailed as the Special Rapporteur’s office asked that meetings with parliamentary committees and other public bodies, for example the National Audit Office, be prioritised over meetings with UK Government officials.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 08/07/2019 13:50:34 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1134314

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the current (1) weekly rates of Child Benefit, and (2) monthly rates of Universal Credit standard allowances and child elements; and what would each of those rates have been had they not been frozen for the past four years.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>Work is the best route out of poverty and for people to be more financially independent. Our welfare reforms are part of the Government’s commitment to incentivise moves into work and progression in work, and to better support working families.</p><p>The Department completed an Impact Assessment titled ‘Welfare Reform and Work Bill: Impact Assessment of the Benefit rate freeze’ in July 2015 which included information surrounding the policy objectives and the intended effects. Benefits for the additional costs of disability, and for carers, are exempt from the benefit freeze.</p><p>Currently the weekly rate of Child Benefit is £20.70 for the eldest or only child and £13.70 for additional children.</p><p>Universal Credit is made up of a standard allowance and any additional amounts which apply to claimants with certain circumstances, such as dependent children. The current monthly rates for the requested Universal Credit components are shown in the tables below.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Standard allowance</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Single and under 25</p></td><td><p>£251.77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Single and over 25</p></td><td><p>£317.82</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>In a couple and both under 25</p></td><td><p>£395.20 (for both)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>In a couple and either are 25 or over</p></td><td><p>£498.89 (for both)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Child components</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>For the first child</p></td><td><p>£277.08 (born before 6 April 2017) £231.67 (born on or after 6 April 2017)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>For the second or other eligible children</p></td><td><p>£231.67</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>For a disabled or severely disabled child</p></td><td><p>£126.11 or £392.08</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>We are unable to determine what each of the rates would have been had they not been subject to a freeze, as the legacy system is not comparable with Universal Credit.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 08/07/2019 15:17:12 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1132638

registered interest
date	17/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	English Language: Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the integration benefits to communities particularly in terms of integration of allowing asylum seekers to have access to free English language classes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>Through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), asylum seekers aged 19 or over are currently eligible to receive funding after they have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer and while their claim is being considered by the Home Office or are in the care of the local authority. If they have failed in their claim but are in appeal or have been granted support under the Immigration and Asylum Act (1999), they can still receive funding.</p><p>Asylum seekers are not entitled to the same work-related benefits as those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection and therefore cannot access full funding for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses through the AEB. If they meet the criteria set out above, they will instead be co-funded 50% of the course cost. This is because not all those who make their own way to the UK to seek asylum will be found to be refugees and nearly all will have travelled through other safe countries to get to the UK. The government will continue to consider any new evidence put forward on this issue.</p><p>From the start of the 2019/20 academic year approximately 50% of the AEB will be devolved to 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and the Greater London Authority (GLA). The MCAs and GLA will be responsible for commissioning and funding AEB provision, including ESOL, for learners that are resident in their areas who meet basic eligibility criteria. The Education and Skills Funding Agency will be responsible for funding AEB learners that are resident in non-devolved areas.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 01/07/2019 11:40:55 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1132639

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	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to start the pilot of Universal Credit managed migration in July; if so, when in July; and what meetings they have held with stakeholders to discuss any such pilot.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>We plan to commence the Move to UC pilot when the necessary preparations are in place, subject to management checks of readiness. Preparations are proceeding to plan.</p><p>Stakeholder engagement has been and continues to be a vital part of the work we are doing on Universal Credit. Since last October we have been working closely with a diverse range of stakeholders to listen to their views and to better understand their concerns, to ensure the widest possible range of insights are played into the design of the process for moving claimants from legacy benefits onto Universal Credit.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 25/06/2019 13:40:22 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1132640

registered interest
date	17/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Breakfast Clubs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by of Lord Agnew of Oulton on 13 June (HL16098 and HL16099), whether they will answer the question put about (1) when a decision will be made on the future funding of the National School Breakfast Programme, and (2) what is the current annual cost of the programme to the public purse.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>Decisions about any funding beyond March 2020 will be taken as part of the upcoming Spending Review. Up to £26 million has been allocated to the National Schools Breakfast Programme over 2018-20.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 26/06/2019 15:57:40 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1132641

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	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 6 June (HL15922), whether the information provided about deductions in the Universal Credit statement includes information about how much debt is left to pay and the recovery rate being applied.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16419
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>This information is not currently included on a claimant’s Universal Credit statement.</p><p> </p><p>Under Universal Credit there is a structured and simplified approach to deductions from benefit. Claimants can view their Universal credit statement online to see how their award is calculated and a breakdown of what deductions are being made, supporting them to manage their financial obligations.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 01/07/2019 14:21:27 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1132642

registered interest
date	17/06/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	National Preventive Mechanism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 4 June (HL15680), what is their response to the recommendations on the National Preventive Mechanism, made in the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee against Torture following its most recent periodic review of the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16420
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government continues to comply with its obligations under the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, under which we established the independent National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in 2009.</p><p> </p><p>We note the recommendations made by the UN Committee Against Torture in relation to the NPM. We expect to provide a response on those issues as part of the next periodic report to the Committee Against Torture in May 2023.</p><p> </p><p>We will explore with the NPM how the issues raised by the Committee may be addressed. The department facilitates the laying in Parliament of the annual report of the NPM and acknowledges the helpful recommendations that it contains. The latest Written Ministerial Statement to this effect was laid before Parliament on 29 January 2019 (HLWS1249).</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 01/07/2019 16:53:13 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1130237

registered interest
date	05/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Breakfast Clubs: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will make a decision on funding for the National School Breakfast Programme.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL16098
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>The department is investing up to £26 million in a breakfast club programme, using funds from Soft Drinks Industry Levy revenues. This money will kick start or improve breakfast clubs in over 1,700 schools. The focus of these clubs has been to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country including the Department for Education’s opportunity areas to help make sure every child gets the best start in life.</p><p>A contract was awarded to Family Action in March 2018 and will run until March 2020. Family Action, in partnership with Magic Breakfast, have both been named as the leading charities responsible for running the breakfast club programme. Family Action are distributing the appropriate funding to participating schools who meet the eligibility criteria. Family Action has confirmed that they have reached their recruitment target of 1,775 schools.</p><p>We monitor management information from the programme on an ongoing basis and will also review the effectiveness of the programme fully once the programme concludes including the number of children attending. In March 2019, Family Action indicated that by the start of the summer term over 250,000 children would be benefiting from the programme.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL16099 HL16100 HL16102 question first answered 13/06/2019 16:59:47 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett