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1131838

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Funerals: Costs
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 7 May 2019 to Question 249851, what steps her Department takes to (a) make funerals accessible to everyone and (b) co-ordinate actions between the various bodies listed to ensure they are making funerals accessible to everyone.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>The Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments provides a significant contribution towards funeral costs for claimants on qualifying benefits. It continues to meet the necessary costs of a cremation or burial and up to £700 towards other costs. In 2017-18 around 25,500 Funeral Expenses Payment awards were made. This amounted to £37.1 million of support for funeral costs. Interest-free Social Fund Budgeting Loans and Universal Credit Budgeting Advances are now also available to assist with funeral costs.</p><p> </p><p>The Department holds regular discussions with funeral providers and related organisations, including a Ministerial Roundtable on 18th June 2019 to discuss the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme and listen to views for suggested future improvements.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 21/06/2019 12:07:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131839

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have been offered a deferral period for advance repayments in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263675
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>This information is not centrally collated and could only be supplied at a disproportionate cost to the Department.</p><p> </p><p>The Department recognises that exceptional circumstances may occur to claimants that were not foreseen when a Universal Credit advance was taken out. Should claimants face unexpected financial hardship as a result of such changes, they can ask the Department for a deferral of the repayment of any advance they have taken out. The deferral periods are up to 3 months for a new claim, benefit transfer or change of circumstances advance and up to 6 months for a Budgeting advance.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 15:35:06 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123350 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131840

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants who have an existing advance have been offered an additional budgeting advance in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263676
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit new claim and benefit transfer advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due, ensuring no one has to be left without means of financial support. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. In the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the repayment period for these advances will be extended to 16 monthly instalments.</p><p> </p><p>A budgeting advance is available for one off unexpected financial events that the claimant is unable to meet and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments.</p><p> </p><p>The latest available data shows in the 12 months between March 2018 and February 2019 around 840,000 claims received a new claim or benefit transfer advance. In the same period 134,000 claims received budgeting advances, where for the previous assessment period prior to receiving a budgeting advance there was a repayment of a previous advance for that claim.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ol><li>Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.</li><li>Figures relate only to Universal Credit full service.</li><li>Figures do not relate to those who may have been repaying an advance from a previous claim.</li></ol> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 15:04:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123351 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131841

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	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 10 June to question 260538, what assistance is available for universal credit claimants who (a) are unable to repay their advance, (b) have already had their repayments deferred for three months, (c) are not eligible for benefit transfer or change of circumstance advances and (d) are still repaying a previous budgeting advance.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>A key part of the process for agreeing an advance payment on Universal Credit is ensuring that the claimant can afford to repay it. We will not make advances which encourage recipients to become over-indebted.</p><p> </p><p>The Department encourages all Universal Credit claimants to actively consider how best to manage their personal budget, with additional advice and support available from work coaches and case managers. When an advance payment is appropriate, claimants decide what percentage of their expected monthly award to apply for and over what period to repay it, up to a maximum of 12 monthly instalments.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department does not levy penalties on claimants who do not repay their advance within either a calendar 12 month from taking out the advance, nor where they do not repay the advance in 12 monthly instalments. Outstanding repayments are actively monitored and managed, ensuring we support claimants experiencing financial challenges whilst maintaining responsibility to the taxpayer for recovery.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 263678 question first answered 18/06/2019 15:32:14 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123353 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131842

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	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 10 June to Question 260540, what the consequences are for universal credit claimants who are unable to repay their advance within the agreed timescale.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>A key part of the process for agreeing an advance payment on Universal Credit is ensuring that the claimant can afford to repay it. We will not make advances which encourage recipients to become over-indebted.</p><p> </p><p>The Department encourages all Universal Credit claimants to actively consider how best to manage their personal budget, with additional advice and support available from work coaches and case managers. When an advance payment is appropriate, claimants decide what percentage of their expected monthly award to apply for and over what period to repay it, up to a maximum of 12 monthly instalments.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department does not levy penalties on claimants who do not repay their advance within either a calendar 12 month from taking out the advance, nor where they do not repay the advance in 12 monthly instalments. Outstanding repayments are actively monitored and managed, ensuring we support claimants experiencing financial challenges whilst maintaining responsibility to the taxpayer for recovery.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 263677 question first answered 18/06/2019 15:32:14 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123355 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131844

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	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 6 June to Question 258971, what information her Department holds on the proportion of universal credit claimants who have successfully applied for a reduction in their deduction in the most recent period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>As at 13th June 2019 the proportion of Universal Credit claimants with a benefit overpayment, who have successfully applied for a reduction in the rate at which they are repaying that overpayment, was 9.2%.</p><p> </p><p>The Department ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who have deductions from their benefit to repay overpayments. If a claimant is struggling they can contact the Department’s Debt Management Team to discuss lowering their repayment rate. Any adjustment to the rate of repayment will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant.</p><p> </p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was never intended for public release. It is not comparable to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department.</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 16:22:13 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123356 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131845

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Zero-hours Contracts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that people employed on zero-hours contracts are able to take advantage of employment rights which are gained after a period of qualifying service.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263680
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>An individual’s eligibility for statutory employment protections in the UK is determined by their employment status and not the type of work they do, or label given to the arrangement. Individuals who are on a zero hours contract, part-time contract, or any other type of flexible arrangement can still be eligible for the same statutory employment rights as any permanent, full-time individual if they are doing the same work.</p><p> </p><p>The latest figures show that the proportion of people on zero hours contracts remains small (2.6 per cent of the labour force). The number of people reporting being employed on a zero hours contract is 57,000 fewer than for a year earlier.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 20/06/2019 09:05:52 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131846

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Homophobia: Hate Crime
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has taken to reduce homophobic hate crime.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>In October 2018 the Government published Action Against Hate: the Government’s plan for tackling hate crime two years on.</p><p>The Action Plan includes a number of commitments that are addressing all forms of hate crime, including a review of hate crime legislation by the Law Commission which commenced earlier this year, a public awareness campaign which has run twice, and the current Online Harms White Paper consultation.</p><p>There are also a number of specific commitments addressing homophobic hate crime, which have been informed by the Government’s 2018 LGBT Ac-tion Plan. These include: the Crown Prosecution Service working with partners to improve the recording and monitoring of equalities data for LGBT victims of hate crime and reviewing and refreshing its LGBT Hate Crime Schools Pack; further Government Equalities Office funding for anti-bullying interventions in schools from March 2019 to March 2020; support from the Home Office to the police to improve training in responding to victims; multiple Home Office funded projects aimed at tackling homophobic hate crime; and continued engagement with LBGT stakeholders.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 21/06/2019 12:51:02 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131848

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Estate Agents: Licensing and Registration
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce (a) a registration and (b) a licensing scheme for estate agents; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>We have commissioned the Regulation of Property Agents working group, chaired by Lord Best, to consider and advise Government on a new regulatory approach to letting, managing and estate agents. The group is due to report in July 2019 and Government awaits their recommendations before determining next steps.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 19/06/2019 14:43:54 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131849

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Cancer: Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve NHS waiting times for cancer patients.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>The NHS Long Term Plan sets out plans to improve early cancer diagnosis, and a new ambition that, by 2028, the proportion of cancers diagnosed at stages one and two will rise from around half to three-quarters of cancer patients. This will be achieved through raising greater awareness of symptoms of cancer, accelerating access to diagnosis and treatment, maximising the number of cancers that are identified through screening, and harnessing new innovations in technology. A radical overhaul of the way diagnostic services are delivered will ensure that people can get their diagnosis more quickly, including the roll-out of new Rapid Diagnostic Centres across the country to upgrade and bring together the latest diagnostic equipment and expertise.</p><p> </p><p>The independent cancer taskforce recommended the introduction of a new faster diagnosis standard to ensure that people receive a life changing confirmation of whether or not they have cancer within 28 days. This proposed new standard is being considered as part of the clinical review of National Health Service access standards currently being undertaken by NHS England.</p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 19/06/2019 14:26:47 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe