Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

227496

registered interest
date	16/03/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether firefighters aged 55 who fail a fitness test will receive an unreduced pension; and whether he plans to bring in legislative proposals to make this a statutory right.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	227579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>It is not possible to introduce fitness regulations as part of the pension regulations in the absence of an agreed and universally applied national firefighter fitness standard in England. The statutory principles that we put in the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England came into force on 12 January 2015. To underpin these the National Employers have sought further discussion with the Fire Brigades Union in respect of additional guidance relating to the position already agreed in principle within the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services about the role fire authorities will take in supporting operational employees to maintain their fitness. In addition, the National Employers are looking to discuss with the unions, guidance on application of the factors set out in Pension Regulations for fire authority consideration in relation to Authority Initiated Early Retirement. Both approaches are expected to provide reassurance to operational employees that fire authorities will continue to treat their employees in a fair and consistent manner.</p><p>We will review the implementation of the National Framework principles in three years time and consider then whether further action is needed. In the meantime no firefighter will have to work beyond their current expected retirement date until 2022 at the earliest. Our expectation is that a firefighter of 55 or over who finds themselves in the situation of losing their fitness through no fault of their own, is unable to regain their fitness, and for whom there are no redeployment opportunities, should be offered an unreduced pension.</p><p>Where underlying medical reasons have been identified that restrict or prevent an individual from achieving the necessary fitness standards for undertaking their role as a firefighter, the individual should be referred to occupational health, and must receive the necessary support to facilitate a return to operational duties. The fire and rescue authority should also fully explore opportunities to enable the individual to remain in employment, including through reasonable adjustments and appropriate redeployment within the role, where it appears the medical condition prevents a return to operational duties. In those circumstances, where there are no such opportunities or suitable alternative employment is unavailable, then the fire and rescue authority will commence the formal assessment for ill-health retirement by referring the case to the Independent Qualified Medical Practitioner. Where it is determined that a firefighter is permanently unable to continue in their role as a firefighter they would become entitled to the immediate payment of a lower tier ill-health pension. In addition to this, they would also receive a higher tier ill-health enhancement if it was also determined that they could not undertake any regular employment. The definition of ill-health is wide, and includes both physical and mental conditions, including arthritis and post-traumatic stress syndrome. It is important to note that, where a firefighter is deemed eligible for medical retirement, the authority must pay the ill-health pension - there is no discretion.</p><p>Any firefighter will continue to be free to choose to retire from 55 onwards should they wish to, regardless of their fitness. In such circumstances, any benefits accrued in the 1992 and 2006 firefighters' pension schemes would be paid in full, while benefits earned in the 2015 scheme would be actuarially reduced by 21.8 per cent for a firefighter retiring on their birthday at 55, and reduced on a daily basis thereafter. The actuarial reduction of 21.8 per cent at age 55 compares very favourably with a reduction of over 40 per cent applied to firefighters at the same age in the 2006 scheme. The 2006 scheme also introduced a normal pension age of 60. Overall, our measures give firefighters one of the most generous pensions in the public sector and the strongest protections available for any public sector workforce on fitness and ageing.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 19/03/2015 13:06:16 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

227613

registered interest
date	16/03/2015
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	Jobcentre Plus: Food Banks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it mandatory for each Jobcentre Plus to put in place a Foodbank Signposting Service agreement.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	227612
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green, Roger Godsiff, <em>Official Report,</em> 17 March 2014<em>,</em> column 482W.</p><p>The answer can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140317/text/140317w0005.htm#14031744000263" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140317/text/140317w0005.htm#14031744000263</a></p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 19/03/2015 11:52:07 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

227175

registered interest
date	12/03/2015
answering body	House of Commons Commission
answering dept id	18
answering dept short name	House of Commons Commission
answering dept sort name	House of Commons Commission
hansard heading	Zero Hours Contracts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2015 to Question 225489, if the Commission will make it its policy to collect information from contractors operating on the parliamentary estate on how many of their workers are employed on a zero-hours contract.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	227405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2015 answer text <p>As I indicated in my answer, the House does not routinely collect this information from contractors operating on the parliamentary estate and has no plans to do so. The House is committed to offering guaranteed minimum hours contracts to all directly-employed staff on call-off (zero hours) contracts and has completed a process of offering guaranteed minimum hours contracts to all affected staff.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso question first answered 17/03/2015 12:54:48 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

226784

registered interest
date	11/03/2015
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	Incapacity Benefit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) original forecast of expenditure savings and (b) actual expenditure savings were from the reassessment of incapacity benefit claims since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	227145
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The original estimate of the economic impact of the reassessment of Incapacity Benefit claims from 2010 was a net saving of £1,000 million (net present value, 2009/10 prices) over the years 2009/10 to 2013/14.</p><p> </p><p>This figure was published by the previous Government on 29 March 2010 in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) Regulations 2010 (2010 No. 875), published at this address: <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/875/pdfs/uksiem_20100875_en.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/875/pdfs/uksiem_20100875_en.pdf</a>.)</p><p> </p><p>Actual savings from Incapacity Benefit reassessment are not available. Isolating the impact of any single policy change becomes increasingly uncertain as new policy beds into the benefits system, and becomes the norm.</p><p> </p><p>As Chris Grayling, when Minister for Employment, said to the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Incapacity Benefit reassessment is not a savings measure – it is not a financially based exercise, although clearly if we succeed it will save money – but is about identifying the people who have the potential to return to work, and helping them to do so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 18/03/2015 12:35:36 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper previous answer version 50580 answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

226806

registered interest
date	11/03/2015
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: Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2015 to Question 226635, how much of the £1 billion allocated to the Youth Contract has been spent to date.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	227315
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Total figures for the final year are still being finalised.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 16/03/2015 17:26:49 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

226089

registered interest
date	09/03/2015
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	Work Capability Assessment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are currently awaiting work capability assessments.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	226805
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2015 answer text <p>The latest available data, February 2015, shows that there were 477,985 people awaiting their Work Capability Assessment. This compares with 766,368 people waiting for an assessment in February 2014, a reduction of 37%.</p><p> </p><p>These figures do not include cases yet to be referred to the Health Assessment Advisory Service or cases referred where the claimant has yet to return the claimant questionnaire.</p><p> </p><p>Centre for Health and Disability Assessments plan on recruiting and retaining more high quality healthcare professionals which will lead to people being assessed quickly and further reduce waiting times.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 12/03/2015 11:54:29 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

225683

registered interest
date	06/03/2015
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: Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much expenditure has been allocated to the Youth Contract to date.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	226635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Youth Contract was allocated £1bn.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 11/03/2015 17:09:02 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

225106

registered interest
date	04/03/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Concentrix
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of HM Revenue and Customs' contract with Synnex-Concentrix UK; and whether the contract covers processing mandatory reconsideration of tax credit claims.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	226273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The value of the contract was estimated at between £55m - £75m at contract award. This includes processing mandatory reconsiderations of tax credits claims. Synnex-Concentrix UK Ltd is supported in its work by experienced HM Revenue and Customs staff and is further subject to stringent assurance checks.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>More details about the contract can be found at: <a href="https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=97910033" target="_blank">https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=97910033</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 23/03/2015 17:22:06 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

225108

registered interest
date	04/03/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) shortest, (b) average and (c) longest time taken to process a mandatory reconsideration for a tax credit claim is; and how many such mandatory reconsiderations are awaiting a decision.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	226307
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>I refer the Rt Hon Gentlemen to my previous answer provided on the 4 March 2015 to Question 225361</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-25/225361/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-25/225361/</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Annual statistics for the first year of operation are not yet available.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 23/03/2015 15:59:02 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

225175

registered interest
date	04/03/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Dogs: Smuggling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will implement the recommendations contained in the recent report by the Dogs Trust entitled The Puppy Smuggling Scandal.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	226356
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2015 answer text <p>We are taking action to tackle the illegal puppy trade focused on three areas.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Dogs Trust’s report highlights that responsibility for stopping the illegal movement of puppies begins in the country where they are born. The UK Chief Veterinary Officer wrote to the authorities in the countries highlighted in the report and follow up action has been taken. We will continue to alert the authorities in any Member State where we become aware of issues in relation to the operation of the pet travel scheme.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Secondly, we will maintain effective border controls. Every pet entering Great Britain is checked for compliance with the EU pet travel scheme and in 2014 checks were carried out on over 170,000 dogs, cats and ferrets. Stringent penalties are in place where people are found to be breaking the rules.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Thirdly, the illegal trade is driven by demand for cheap, pedigree puppies and we have published guidance on the steps pet owners can take to avoid buying an illegally imported pet: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/buying-a-cat-or-dog" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/buying-a-cat-or-dog</a>. We are also working with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group who have developed minimum standards for on-line pet advertisers which have led to the removal of over 130,000 problematic adverts in the last year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Dogs Trust has been invited to meet with the Minister for animal welfare to discuss their report ‘<em>The Puppy Smuggling Scandal’</em>.</p><p> </p><p><br></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 11/03/2015 17:13:13 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead