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1132544

	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	Historic Buildings: Health Hazards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the protections introduced in Germany and Austria for workers renovating or demolishing buildings against the risk of breathing in historical man-made mineral fibres which are now considered to pose a serious risk to health, what steps she is taking to introduce similar protections for UK workers.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	265555
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of the guidelines that have been produced in Germany and Austria, advising companies on the measures they should take to protect workers against risks of breathing in historic man-made mineral fibres (MMMFs).</p><p>In Great Britain there is a statutory framework in place to protect workers who may be exposed to any hazardous substance, such as MMMFs, regardless of how that exposure occurs. This framework includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of people affected by their work activities.</p><p> </p><p>The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), places specific duties on employers and implements several EU Directives on worker protection, ensuring our standards meet those required of all EU Member States. COSHH requires employers to carry out a risk assessment to establish the hazards associated with the tasks and processes they are undertaking and put in place suitable arrangements to either prevent or control those risks. Such a risk assessment would need to be carried out for workers renovating or demolishing buildings to enable suitable controls to be put in place for any hazardous substances that may be present or that may be produced, including MMMFs. HSE provides guidance, to help businesses comply with their legal duties.</p><p> </p><p>The regulatory framework, supported by guidance, is sufficient to control occupational exposure to MMMFs.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:39:07 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1132257

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2019
	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 much her Department has spent from the public purse on defending legal cases in relation to people formerly in receipt of severe disability premium that have transferred to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	uin	264775
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>As at 14<sup>th</sup> June 2019, the Department has spent £131,399.50 on legal costs defending and appealing the cases in relation to people formerly in receipt of Severe Disability premium that have transferred to Universal Credit, broken down as follows<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>The Department has spent £91,528.68 on legal costs defending and appealing the case of <em>TP and AR v SSWP.</em> The Department has spent £39,870.82 on legal costs defending and appealing the case of <em>TP, AR and SXC v SSWP.</em> These figures include Government Legal Department litigation fees, counsel’s fees and other disbursements, as well as VAT where payable. This does not include payment of any costs paid or which may be owed to the claimants’ solicitors.</p><p> </p><p>Time spent by Government advisory lawyers is not recorded in a manner that allows it to be attributed to individual cases. Time spent by policy officials supporting lawyers is not recorded.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 264776 question first answered 19/06/2019 16:04:58 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1132258

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2019
	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 much her Department has spent to date on legal costs in the case of R (TP AR & SXC) v SSWP & Anor [2019] EWHC 1116 (QB) involving payments to former recipients of Severe Disability Premium who have transferred to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	uin	264776
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>As at 14<sup>th</sup> June 2019, the Department has spent £131,399.50 on legal costs defending and appealing the cases in relation to people formerly in receipt of Severe Disability premium that have transferred to Universal Credit, broken down as follows<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>The Department has spent £91,528.68 on legal costs defending and appealing the case of <em>TP and AR v SSWP.</em> The Department has spent £39,870.82 on legal costs defending and appealing the case of <em>TP, AR and SXC v SSWP.</em> These figures include Government Legal Department litigation fees, counsel’s fees and other disbursements, as well as VAT where payable. This does not include payment of any costs paid or which may be owed to the claimants’ solicitors.</p><p> </p><p>Time spent by Government advisory lawyers is not recorded in a manner that allows it to be attributed to individual cases. Time spent by policy officials supporting lawyers is not recorded.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 264775 question first answered 19/06/2019 16:04:58 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1134078

	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	Employment: Disability and Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employers have signed up to the Government’s voluntary reporting framework on disability, mental health and wellbeing since it was launched in November 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Walsall North
	tabling member printed	Eddie Hughes
	uin	268535
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The voluntary reporting framework was developed by the Government in partnership with employers and expert partners to support organisations to record and voluntarily report information on disability, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. This approach recognises the potential power of transparency, both for employees within organisations and for external audiences. The Government continues to work with employers (including the Civil Service and the NHS) and expert partners to encourage sign up, but there is no requirement for them to notify the Government of how they are using it.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/07/2019 15:45:24 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4635 label Biography information for Eddie Hughes

1133383

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	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 estimate she has made of the amount of funding allocated to incapacity benefit as a proportion of (a) GDP and (b) the GDP average of OECD member states, excluding the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	266847
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>According to latest OECD data, the UK spent 1.85% of its GDP to support disabled people and those with health conditions. The OECD average is 1.93%.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>UK</p></td><td><p>OECD Average (including UK)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total (share of GDP)</p></td><td><p>1.85%</p></td><td><p>1.93%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: <a href="https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG" target="_blank">https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG</a>, OECD 2015 data (latest data point).</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:39:07 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1134604

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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	Employment: Mental Illness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of people with long-term mental ill health who are in paid employment.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	268983
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>An estimated 47% of people with a long-term mental health condition were in employment in 2018-19.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>Estimates are derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) for the year April 2018 to March 2019. The APS is a variant on the Labour Force Survey produced by the Office for National Statistics. Survey estimates may be subject sampling errors and reporting errors.</li><li>Estimates relate to people living in the UK aged 16-64 years.</li><li>Employment is defined according to National Statistics definitions, as used in the ONS’s monthly <em>Labour Market Overview</em> release, in line with internationally-agreed (ILO) guidelines.</li><li>A long-term health condition is defined as a physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last 12 months or more, in line with Government Statistical Service (GSS) Harmonised Principles. This includes those who are disabled (who report that their condition or illness reduces their ability to carry out day-to-day activities) and those who are not disabled.</li><li>Mental health conditions are defined as any condition reported by survey respondents under the categories “depression, bad nerves or anxiety” or “mental illness, phobias, panics or other nervous disorders”. People who report a long-term health condition but do not specify the type are excluded from this analysis.</li></ol> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 01/07/2019 13:29:37 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1134605

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of claimants of employment support allowance that have a mental illness as their primary impairment.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	268984
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>However, information on the number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants by high level medical conditions, including Mental and Behavioural disorders, is published here:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available 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 North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/07/2019 16:30:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1134606

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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	Unemployment: Mental Illness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people with long-term mental health conditions that have become unemployed in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	268985
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>An estimate of the number of people with a long-term mental health condition who leave employment each year, regardless of whether they became unemployed, is available from the 2017 report <em>Thriving at Work: a review of mental health and employers</em>, an independent review of mental health and employers by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer. This report estimated that there were around 300,000 such moves in the year 2016-17 in the UK</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>This estimate was based on quarterly estimates from the two-wave longitudinal Labour Force Survey (LFS) between Q2 2016 and Q2 2017.</li><li>Each individual in the data is measured at two snapshot interviews, one quarter apart. The estimate identifies people who were in employment in the first interview, but not in employment in the second interview. The data does not capture any movements before or after this quarterly period, or any short-term moves that may have been reversed between the two snapshot interviews. It should however give a broad measure of the degree of ‘churn’.</li><li>The estimate does not capture the reason each individual left employment, which may or may not have been related to their health condition.</li><li>The annual estimate may double-count an individual if they have left employment twice in the same year.</li><li>As this analysis is based on longitudinal survey data, the precision and accuracy of the estimate can be affected by response errors, sampling errors and attrition bias.</li><li>The estimate covers people who reported the same health condition in both quarters, and remained in the 16-64 age group.</li><li>Employment is defined according to National Statistics definitions, as used in the ONS’s monthly <em>Labour Market Overview</em> release, in line with internationally-agreed (ILO) guidelines.</li><li>A long-term health condition is defined as a physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last 12 months or more, in line with Government Statistical Service (GSS) Harmonised Principles. This includes those who are disabled (who report that their condition or illness reduces their ability to carry out day-to-day activities) and those who are not disabled.</li><li>Mental health conditions are defined as any condition reported by survey respondents under the categories “depression, bad nerves or anxiety” or “mental illness, phobias, panics or other nervous disorders”. People who report a long-term health condition but do not specify the type are excluded from this analysis.</li></ol><p> </p><p>Further details are available from the report at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thriving-at-work-a-review-of-mental-health-and-employers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thriving-at-work-a-review-of-mental-health-and-employers</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/07/2019 16:55:05 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1132959

	registered interest
	date	18/06/2019
	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	Fertilisers: Safety
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to advise farmers on safety measures when spreading fertiliser.
	tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
	tabling member printed	David Simpson
	uin	266250
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the regulation of health and safety standards on Great Britain’s farms. Fertiliser is typically spread with machinery which is mounted or trailed behind tractors and powered by the tractor’s power take-off (PTO) drive shaft. HSE has published guidance on how to safely use machinery of this type, this includes safe use of tractors, safe use of work equipment, machinery maintenance and working on slopes, all of which is available from the HSE website at <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm</a> .</p><p>HSE also works with the farming industry through the Farm Safety Partnerships to promote vehicle and machinery safety messages, including those relevant to fertiliser spreading.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:57:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1130974

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	Retirement: Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of people over the age of 60 that have had to retire as a result of ill-health.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	262373
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department set out its strategy to see one million more disabled people in work by 2027 in the 2017 Command Paper “Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability”. A key element of this is action to help keep people (including older workers) with health conditions in work. We are already investing in testing new interventions to support people, including our Health-Led Trials, and the Government is working to ensure employers and key stakeholders across all sectors adopt and implement the core and enhanced mental health standards set out in <em>Thriving at Work: The Stevenson / Farmer review of mental health</em>.</p><p>To support older people falling out of labour market due to health conditions, the Government has extended the right to request flexible working for all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer. Access to flexible working practices, such as flexi-time, compressed hours and remote working, is key to helping older workers stay in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>We are also exploring further ways to reduce the number of people who leave work each year for health reasons and will consult on measures to encourage and support all employers to play their part. This consultation will also propose ways to improve access to occupational health.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Background</strong></p><p> </p><p>In February 2017 Government published an employer-led Strategy <em>Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach</em>, which sets out the importance of Fuller Working Lives for employers and individuals. It also sets out action Government is taking to support older workers to remain in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p><em>Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability</em> published in November 2017 set out an ambitious and comprehensive programme of action to support disabled people and people with long term physical and mental health conditions to get into and stay in work and progress in rewarding careers. This action spans the workplace, health and welfare settings.</p><p> </p><p>Since the launch of the publication, progress has been made in a number of areas including:</p><ul><li>Health Led Trials, the worlds largest trial of Individual Placement and Support, testing whether the internationally proven model to support people with severe mental health conditions to find sustained work can be as effective to those with different conditions.</li><li>More than doubled the number of Employment Advisors in IAPT services, ensuring that more people with mental health problems receive employment support to them get into or remain in work.</li><li>Undertaken a substantial package of activity within the health system itself, both to support healthcare professionals to have effective, appropriate, work conversations with their patients, and are exploring ways to reform the fit note.</li></ul> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/06/2019 16:10:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon