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
tabling member	label

Search

1083635

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2019
	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 the process is for her Department when it considers an application for an advance payment for universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	229666
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>If a claimant meets the conditions for an advance we aim to make the payment within 72 hours. However, an advance can be paid on the same day the claimant applies if they or their household would suffer genuine hardship if they had to wait 72 hours for the payment.</p><p>Applications for a Universal Credit advance payment can be made in person, by telephone or online depending on the claimant’s circumstances. Depending on the type of advance payment application, we will consider whether the claimant satisfies the eligibility conditions for receiving the advance. If the claimant is eligible we will agree the amount of the advance and the period over which the advance will be recovered from their future Universal Credit payments. The outcome of the application is explained to the claimant and their online journal updated.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 22/05/2019 13:37:44 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132229

	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: Self-employed
	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 are categorised as self-employed in (a) Arfon, (b) Wales and (c) the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	264732
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department plans to publish statistics on Universal Credit and self-employment, including claimant numbers, in the future. The Government’s commitment remains to helping self-employed claimants with viable businesses to thrive, while protecting public funds.</p><p>We provide tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can also sign-post claimants to the extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we will be extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p>The Department has also extended mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance mentors to Universal Credit claimants with earnings below their Minimum Income Floor, to help them to develop a plan to grow their earnings.</p><p /> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 13:38:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1133352

	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free television licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Arfon constituency and (b) Gwynedd local authority area and (c) Wales in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	266832
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Arfon constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.56</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) Gwynedd local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£1.41</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(c) Wales</strong></p></td><td><p>£34.11</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 26/06/2019 16:14:54 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1133372

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Energy: VAT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government's definition is of battery storage in respect of the planned increase in VAT on energy-saving materials from five per cent to 20 per cent in October 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	266840
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Under UK VAT law, battery storage systems are not defined as energy saving materials and are subject to VAT at 20 per cent.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 24/06/2019 15:47:59 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1134037

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason his Department decided to charge visa applicants £5.48 for email inquiries.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	268417
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The £5.48 email charge is levied to fund the UKVI contact centre commercial contract as the UK government believes it is right that those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs of it. This email charge includes the initial e-mail enquiry plus any follow-up e-mails to and from the contact centre relating to the same enquiry.</p><p>The international charge (£5.48 per email enquiry) was introduced on 1st June 2017 as part of the UKVI Contact Centre operations contract awarded to SITEL UK Ltd</p><p>Those who use the services are predominantly from outside the UK. Our web site <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a> is the main source of information and advice and is free of charge.</p><p>Further details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and International) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 02/07/2019 15:52:38 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1134038

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money in cash terms his Department raised from levying a £5.48 charge on email visa enquiries in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	268418
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and International) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 02/07/2019 15:53:36 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1134039

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money in cash terms his Department raised from levying an additional £1.37 per minute on top of the standard network charge on telephone visa enquiries in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	268419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and Interna-tional) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 02/07/2019 15:54:34 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1134040

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visa or settlement applicants paid for the priority service in 2018; and how many of those applicants received a response within one working day.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	268420
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Home Office published information on in-country applications performance is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-may-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-may-2019</a></p><p>The Home Office does not publish information on the out of country Priority and Super Priority visa service. Published information on the international visa operation is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-may-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-may-2019</a></p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 02/07/2019 15:32:10 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1134041

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	VFS Global
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the criteria his Department use to assess the performance of VFS Global in handling visa and settlement applications.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	268421
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>In line with the Government’s commitment to transparency, it is the Home Office’s intention to publish details of the Service Levels (Schedule 7 of the contract) relating to the Next Generation Visa (NGOV) Services contract delivered by VFS Global using Contracts Finder (part of gov.uk). These Service Levels set out the criteria Home Office uses to assess the performance of VFS Global in handling visa and settlement applications. Regrettably, the Home Office is currently experiencing technical issues and is not able to publish contract information using Contracts Finder.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 02/07/2019 15:26:17 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1134042

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	VFS Global
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish his Department’s most recent assessment of VFS Global’s performance in meeting targets in relation to their handling of visa and settlement applications.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	268422
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Home Office do not publish VFS’s global performance in meeting targets in relation to their handling of visa and settlement applications.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 02/07/2019 16:56:06 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams