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1135705

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Pension Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that those who are entitled to claim (1) pension credit, and (2) a TV licence from June 2020, but currently do not, take up those benefits.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16798
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC. The implementation of the licence fee and the concession from June 2020 is a matter for the BBC and TV Licensing, which are independent of Government.</p><p> </p><p>However, we expect the BBC to put in place robust plans to support those who might be affected. The BBC has said it will write to all over 75 TV licence holders advising them of how the new policy will work and when they need to act.</p><p> </p><p>Irrespective of this, the Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to and the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential claimants; including information on gov.uk, in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Potential claimants can use the Pension Credit calculator to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234.</p><p> </p><p>One of the best ways to reach eligible claimants is through trusted stakeholder working in the community and we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up.</p><p> </p><p>The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Most recently we have provided to relevant stakeholders a fact sheet about Pension Credit and the changes introduced on 15 May for mixed age couples to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 15/07/2019 16:38:11 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1133785

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts: Loneliness
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as part of their loneliness strategy, with the Arts Council to promote the role that arts and culture can play in addressing loneliness and to promote examples of best practice in reducing social isolation.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16536
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>In 2018’s Loneliness Strategy, Arts Council England (ACE) and DCMS committed to ensuring arts and culture are included in the development of social prescribing and we and ACE are working with DHSC and NHS England to ensure that the cultural sector is well represented in this work. ACE and DCMS are members the Social Prescribing Taskforce, and are working with NHS England and others.</p><p> </p><p>ACE also continue to promote best practice for the role that arts and culture has in improving people’s wellbeing through case studies and programmes such as Celebrating Age, and Creative People and Places. The Celebrating Age programme has funded 32 projects that seek to increase engagement of older people with the arts, some of which focus specifically on tackling isolation. Likewise, the Creative People and Places programme also includes projects that incorporate these issues. Research from the programmes , and individual projects, is regularly published.</p><p> </p><p>ACE recently partnered with the APPG for Arts, Health and Wellbeing and others to support the Southbank Centre's Creative Health conference in June, which highlighted the role arts and culture can play in wellbeing, including in tackling social isolation. he Southbank Centre - one of ACE’s largest National Portfolio Organisations - announced its intention to address loneliness as part of their health and wellbeing programming.</p><p> </p><p>ACE also seeks to address loneliness through its investment in libraries and library-based projects. These initiatives bring people together through reading, promote learning new skills, and encourage participation in clubs, among several others.</p><p> </p><p>To continue to promote best practice to tackle loneliness and social isolation, ACE continue to participate in the APPG on Arts, Health and Wellbeing, and now sit on the APPG for Loneliness; and has proposed the convening of a joint session between these two groups.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 02/07/2019 15:30:37 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1133786

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts: Loneliness
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as part of their loneliness strategy, with Arts Council England to use the new loneliness measure across relevant projects and programmes.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16537
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Arts Council England (ACE) has been in close contact with DCMS through the development of the Loneliness Strategy, including the development of the new loneliness measure; and has incorporated the measure into current thinking for the evaluation of relevant future programmes that may emerge, as the organisation finalises its new ten-year strategy (due to be launched in 2020).</p><p> </p><p>This is further informed by ACE’s participation in the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Conceptual Review of Loneliness, and also links to recent work, led by HOME Manchester, on how the creative and cultural sectors respond to the need to evidence the social impact of their activities.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 02/07/2019 15:31:05 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1133787

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Loneliness
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as part of their loneliness strategy, with (1) the set up and running of masterclasses, and  (2) measuring the impact of library services in reducing loneliness.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16538
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Libraries Taskforce ran masterclasses on measuring impact in August 2018 and on conducting evaluations in March 2019. These focussed on ways of measuring the impact of library services on its users including in reducing loneliness. The intention was to equip local library services with the ability to measure activities and impacts within their own communities.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 02/07/2019 15:31:25 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1133788

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Loneliness
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, as part of their loneliness strategy, to lead cross-Government work on tackling loneliness.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16539
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Ministerial group on loneliness chaired by the Minister for Sport and Civil Society continues to oversee the delivery of the 60 commitments in the loneliness strategy alongside considering further opportunities to tackle loneliness across Government. Departments are providing officials to resource a cross-government team to lead the loneliness work. Government will include an update on progress in its first annual report on tackling loneliness, which we expect to be published later in 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 02/07/2019 15:31:38 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1132623

registered interest
date	17/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Television Licences: Older People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place for the BBC to receive information about those in receipt of Pension Credit; and whether they are satisfied that any such measures comply with the General Data Protection Regulation.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16401
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The BBC is responsible for the cost and the administration of the over 75 licence fee concession from June 2020, including data protection compliance.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The BBC proposes to operate a self-verification model for the over 75 licence fee concession from June 2020, with those who consider themselves eligible responsible for sharing evidence of their entitlement directly with the BBC.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>However, any necessary changes should be as easy to understand as possible and we look forward to hearing more about the detailed plans for communicating and implementing this change from the BBC.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 28/06/2019 13:19:28 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1132624

registered interest
date	17/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Television Licences: Older People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish details of the agreement reached with the BBC about the TV licence fee arrangements for those who are 75 or over, in particular how the agreement will be enforced.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16402
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The decision on the future of the free TV licence fee concession is entirely a matter for the BBC. In the 2015 funding settlement, we agreed that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020. The agreement became part of the Digital Economy Act 2017, discussed and passed by the House, and enshrined in the new Royal Charter in 2017. Both the Act and the Royal Charter are already in the public domain.</p><p> </p><p>The BBC conducted an extensive public consultation with over 190,000 responses, before coming to a view that only those aged 75 and above and in receipt of pension credit will continue to receive a free television licence.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State expressed disappointment with the BBC for taking the most narrowly focused reform option despite receiving its highest ever level of licence fee funding. We have asked the BBC to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.</p><p> </p><p>Enforcement of the licence fee is also a matter for the BBC. But we have asked the BBC to consider among its measures of support for vulnerable groups, those which might alleviate concerns around enforcement among the over 75s.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 28/06/2019 13:45:35 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1132625

registered interest
date	17/06/2019
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Television Licences: Older People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to enforce the proposed new licence fee arrangement for those aged 75 or over, in the event of non-payment.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16403
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The decision on the future of the free TV licence fee concession is entirely a matter for the BBC. In the 2015 funding settlement, we agreed that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020. The agreement became part of the Digital Economy Act 2017, discussed and passed by the House, and enshrined in the new Royal Charter in 2017. Both the Act and the Royal Charter are already in the public domain.</p><p> </p><p>The BBC conducted an extensive public consultation with over 190,000 responses, before coming to a view that only those aged 75 and above and in receipt of pension credit will continue to receive a free television licence.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State expressed disappointment with the BBC for taking the most narrowly focused reform option despite receiving its highest ever level of licence fee funding. We have asked the BBC to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.</p><p> </p><p>Enforcement of the licence fee is also a matter for the BBC. But we have asked the BBC to consider among its measures of support for vulnerable groups, those which might alleviate concerns around enforcement among the over 75s.</p> answering member printed Lord Ashton of Hyde question first answered 28/06/2019 13:46:54 answering member 4247 label Biography information for Lord Ashton of Hyde
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1132309

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
answering dept id	204
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
hansard heading	House of Lords: Bullying
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how many complaints regarding bullying and harassment have been received since the report by the Committee on Privileges and Conduct Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme: Changes to the Code of Conduct, published on 4 April, was agreed by the House on 30 April.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL16378
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>On 30 April the House agreed to changes to the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Lords that incorporated the Parliamentary Behaviour Code, which sets out the standards of behaviour expected of everyone who works within the Parliamentary Estate, and introduced provisions to deal explicitly with behaviour that constitutes bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct. Since then, there have been fewer than ten complaints of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct made against members of the House of Lords under the Code. To protect the confidentiality of those reporting complaints, and in line with Parliament’s publication policy for statistics under the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, the exact numbers are only provided where they are ten or more.</p> answering member printed Lord McFall of Alcluith question first answered 27/06/2019 11:38:38 answering member 4148 label Biography information for Lord McFall of Alcluith
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

1127419

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
answering dept id	204
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
hansard heading	POST
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what was the cost of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology in each of the last five financial years for which data are available.
tabling member printed	Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
uin	HL15830
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The cost of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology is shared by the House of Commons and the House of Lords on a 70:30 ratio. The cost to the House of Lords in each of the last five financial years is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Cost</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>£151,910</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>£172,934</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>£176,145</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>£170,345</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>£189,342</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord McFall of Alcluith question first answered 04/06/2019 15:15:05 answering member 4148 label Biography information for Lord McFall of Alcluith
tabling member	579 label Biography information for Lord Foulkes of Cumnock