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1145280

registered interest
date	06/09/2019
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	Natural Gas: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 with the industry standard developed by the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	287911
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 08/10/2019 16:59:46 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143289

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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	Children: Day Care
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 (a) affordability and (b) adequacy of provision of childcare for parents subject to the benefit cap.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	284637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions has not undertaken a specific assessment of the affordability and adequacy of provision of childcare for parents subject to the benefit cap. As part of its evaluation of the benefit cap policy, we have commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to conduct a survey of capped households to assess the effects of the cap on claimants’ behaviours toward employment and the drivers behind different responses to the cap, which will include childcare availability and costs. We anticipate publishing the findings in the Autumn.</p><p> </p><p>The department recognises that high childcare costs can be a real barrier to parents taking up employment or increasing their working hours. To help overcome this, Universal Credit is more generous than legacy benefits in the support it provides towards childcare costs, with an increased level of support for childcare costs from 70% in legacy to up to 85% in Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, significant work has been undertaken within the department to raise awareness and understanding of the UC Childcare Offer amongst work coaches and work continues across Government to support take up of the different childcare offers, ensuring information is readily accessible for parents, providers and employers, including via digital channels. The Government now provides more support than ever before to help parents with the costs of childcare and will be spending a record amount of around £6 billion on childcare support in 2019-20.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 12:13:40 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143584

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Motor Vehicles: Insurance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the motor insurance industry on the cost of insurance for young people.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285013
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Treasury ministers and officials are in close contact with the insurance industry, and engage with the industry on a number of issues including pricing.</p><p> </p><p>Insurers make decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics.</p><p> </p><p>It is important that everyone has access to good insurance at the right price. The Government is determined that insurers treat customers fairly. The FCA sets the standards required of insurance firms in relation to their business to help ensure customers are treated in this manner.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 09/09/2019 11:31:42 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143585

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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: Support for Mortgage Interest
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 effect of the restriction on earned income for eligibility for support for mortgage interest under universal credit on the incentive to work.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285016
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The earned income rule for help with mortgage interest on Universal Credit ensures that owner occupier claimants have the right incentives to move into work and increase their hours of work over time where possible.</p><p>Universal Credit’s income taper, along with work allowances for qualifying claimants, ensure a strong work incentive is maintained. For certain owner occupiers, the withdrawal of support for mortgage interest means they qualify for the higher work allowance, and so they could earn up to £503 before there is any effect on their Universal Credit award.</p><p>My Department has made no formal assessment of the effect of the rule on work incentives.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/09/2019 09:40:59 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143586

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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, how many claimants of universal credit were (a) employed and (b) unemployed as at 15 August 2019.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285260
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The latest available information as at July 2019 on the number of people on Universal Credit by Employment Indicator is published and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/09/2019 09:35:52 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143587

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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 assessment she has made of the ability of universal credit claimants to access passported benefits.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>Claimants may currently be entitled to a number of other benefits because they are in receipt of Universal Credit. These are known as passported benefits, which include free school meals and free prescriptions. The eligibility criteria for each passported benefit remain the responsibility of the Departments and Devolved Administrations that own them.</p><p> </p><p>Government Departments and Devolved Administrations continue to work closely together to look at how to reduce the complexity of the current passported benefits system and put in place arrangements for Universal Credit, as it expands, that will continue to target available support at those who need it most.</p><p> </p><p>The Department currently signposts Universal Credit households to other financial support via their online account/payment statement, as well as on the GOV.UK website at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 06/09/2019 10:21:46 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143588

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment she has made of the rate of sanctions in areas where universal credit (a) has been and (b) has not been rolled out.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285261
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>No comparative assessment has been made between Universal Credit (UC) sanction rates and sanction rates for legacy benefits.</p><p> </p><p>There are differences between sanctions policy in UC and other benefits (such as Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)) which means that sanction rates across benefits are not directly comparable. For example, a JSA claimant would have their claim closed (rather than be sanctioned) if they failed to attend a meeting with their Work Coach, and did not make contact within five days. In UC, the same claimant would remain on the benefit and be referred for a sanction. If a sanction was applied, they would continue to receive the UC elements to which they remained entitled, such as those for housing or child costs. UC is designed to provide continuous support to claimants, ensuring that all payment does not cease while we investigate the reasons for loss of contact with a claimant.</p><p /><p>The Department publishes sanction rates quarterly for UC, JSA and Employment &amp; Support Allowance, the latest statistics can be found at the link below.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-to-april-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-to-april-2019</a></p><p> </p><p>The roll out of Universal Credit is now complete and is available in every Jobcentre across the country. By 2023, all existing legacy claimants will be moved to Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 06/09/2019 13:00:24 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143589

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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 recent discussions she has had with the Social Security Advisory Committee on the requirement for national advice organisations to receive explicit consent from a claimant to assist with their universal credit claims.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>The most recent discussions with SSAC took place on 12<sup>th</sup> July 2019 and 21<sup>st</sup> August 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is continuing to work with SSAC and third party organisations to understand how Universal Credit can support organisations who help our claimants.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 06/09/2019 13:32:05 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143590

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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	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 effect of the benefit cap on the income of families with more than two children.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In May 2019, 49,700 households had their Housing Benefit claim capped in Great Britain, of which 44,800 households had 2 or more dependent children. Claimants are exempt from the cap in Housing Benefit if they are entitled to Working Tax Credits. UC households are exempt if they have earnings of at least £569 per month. There are also exemptions for the most vulnerable groups such as severely disabled claimants and carers. In addition, households are exempt from the cap for 9 months (the grace period) if there is a previous consistent work history.</p><p>The average weekly cap amount for households with 2 or more dependent children deducted from the Housing Benefit award was £56 in May 2019, compared to an average cap amount of £55 for all capped households.</p><p>(Source: DWP Stat Xplore portal, ‘Benefit cap average amount by family type’ table)</p><p>In May 2019, 25,700 households had their Universal Credit claim capped in Great Britain, of which 89% (23,000) had dependent children. Statistics on the Universal Credit capped caseload, by number of dependent children in the household, will be published for the first time on the DWP Stat-Xplore portal during the w/c 9th September.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 14:36:41 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143591

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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	General Practitioners: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy ofwaiting times for GP appointments.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 09/09/2019 17:29:05 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield