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1130233

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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	Occupational Money Purchase Schemes
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 5 June (HL15876), whether they intend to legislate to introduce collective defined contribution schemes by the end of 2019.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hain
	uin	HL16094
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Noble Lord to my previous responses. The Government will bring forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 19/06/2019 15:47:35 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	567 label Biography information for Lord Hain

1130254

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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	Arcadia Group: Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review (1) decisions taken by the trustees of the Arcadia Group Pension Scheme which may have contributed to an aggregate deficit of liabilities over assets of some £700 million, (2) the oversight of the Arcadia Scheme by the Pensions Regulator, and (3) the Pensions Regulator's use of its powers in relation to the Arcadia Scheme.
	tabling member printed	Lord Myners
	uin	HL16115
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government cannot intervene with the decisions taken by trustees of pension schemes.</p><p> </p><p>The Pensions Regulator is an independent body, and as such the Government cannot comment on any cases dealt with by the Regulator. Due to this, the Government does not have plans to review the oversight exercised over the Arcadia scheme, or the use of powers in relation to the scheme.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 19/06/2019 15:46:29 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

1130843

	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	Arcadia Group: Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Pensions Regulator has allowed the owners of Arcadia Group to phase their contribution to address that company’s pension deficit over a period of time instead of a single up-front payment; whether the Pensions Regulator is using financial advisers to determine whether Arcadia’s business plan will eventually cover the deficit; and if so, who are those advisers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Myners
	uin	HL16210
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The pensions framework established by Parliament in the Pensions Act 2004 sets out that ongoing employers may address the funding of their scheme deficits over a reasonable period of time. This responsibility falls on the company rather than its owners, other than where The Pensions Regulator has used its anti-avoidance powers. This approach of spreading funding of deficits was established to balance the needs of schemes with those of their sponsoring employers.</p><p> </p><p>The Arcadia trustees and the Arcadia group took an approach which was similar to many other schemes and employers in establishing recovery plans to address their schemes’ deficits over a number of years. In response to a request to vary those recovery plan payments, made in conjunction with the Arcadia Group’s Company Voluntary Arrangements proposals, The Pensions Regulator, working alongside the trustees and the Pension Protection Fund, has negotiated robustly to secure an enhanced package of support for the pension schemes in connection with a successful Company Voluntary Arrangement, worth significantly more than would be received if the Company Voluntary Arrangement is not successful and Arcadia Group Ltd becomes insolvent. This represents appropriate protection, in challenging circumstances, and is equitable in the context of the wider Company Voluntary Arrangements process.</p><p> </p><p>In assessing the turnaround plan presented by Arcadia, The Pensions Regulator has been informed by the analysis carried out by professional advisers to the trustees. The Pensions Regulator has considerable expertise in restructuring situations and this includes people in its regulatory teams with a background working in big chartered accountancy firms and restructuring operations in banks.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 24/06/2019 11:44:23 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

1131049

	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Complaints
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints submitted to his Department by (a) hon. Members and (b) people in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	tabling member printed	Justin Madders
	uin	262405
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not available in the format requested and doing so could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has a two tier complaints process which considers formal complaints about our service and can be found on Gov.uk</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect data about the parliamentary constituency for complaints received from members of the public. Numbers of complaints can be found at</p><p>(<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/complaints-about-the-department-for-work-and-pensions" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/complaints-about-the-department-for-work-and-pensions</a>)</p><p> </p><p>The number of complaints about DWP benefits from April 2018 to March 2019, where the Department’s management information indicated that there was an honourable Member interest, are as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Tier 1 (Resolution)</p></td><td><p>6,310</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tier 2 (Review)</p></td><td><p>51</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures include complaints escalated across 2018/2019.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 21/06/2019 13:43:18 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1131245

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	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: Repayments
	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 19 June 2019 to Question 260559 on universal credit, what assessment she has made of the average length of time taken to repay in full advance payments made under universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	263065
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <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> </p><p>Claimants have the ability to make the decision for themselves on the time period for repayment. Most claimants (around 85%) choose to repay their advance over a 12-month period, with others repaying in a shorter timeframe.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. From October 2019 we are reducing the maximum rate of deductions to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 19/06/2019 17:00:48 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123347 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1131288

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions
	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 on advertising in the last 12 months; and what proportion of that spend was on advertising for universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
	uin	263149
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>We are the biggest Government Department providing support on a daily basis to around 22 million citizens. We have a responsibility to raise awareness of the benefits people may be entitled to and ensure they have the information they need when it comes to making a claim.</p><p> </p><p>The Department also has a responsibility to ensure claimants do not miss out on their full entitlements and to encourage people to make their claim as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>We use advertising to communicate to our claimants. Total advertising spend across the Department in the 12 months from April 2018 to March 2019 was £17,351,663 of which the Universal Credit Opening Up Work campaign accounted for £4,600,209. We can commit to publishing an update 2019/20 advertising spend at the end of July.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 19/06/2019 16:52:56 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds

1131370

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	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, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) increased data sharing with social landlords and (b) other enhancements of the Trusted Partner Status programme with housing associations.
	tabling member constituency	Walsall North
	tabling member printed	Eddie Hughes
	uin	263247
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department is continuing to consider how they can develop its Trusted Partner Status programme. This requires careful consideration and evaluation surrounding how we manage data security, whilst realising the advantages that data sharing with partner organisations brings to our claimants.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders to design any future processes.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 19/06/2019 16:38:17 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4635 label Biography information for Eddie Hughes

1131388

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Empty Property
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the name and location of the land and buildings owned by her Department that is (a) sitting empty and (b) in the process of being sold or disposed of; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	263036
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>In 2017 the Office of Government Property published the Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Land, providing detailed guidance on how to plan for and execute land disposals.</p><p> </p><p>This guide mandates that departmental land holdings must be registered on the e-PIMs central record system. Land holdings deemed surplus are recorded on the Register of Surplus Land for at least 40 days for other government departments to express an interest.</p><p> </p><p>Homes England and Department for Education/LocatEd are given a higher allowance of 50 days to express an interest if the site could be developed for housing or a free school.</p><p> </p><p>After the 50-day period surplus land holdings are recorded <a href="https://www.gov.uk/find-government-property" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 19/06/2019 16:45:15 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1131476

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	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	Arcadia Group: Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Pensions Regulator (1) regarded an additional payment into the Arcadia Pension Fund to be an adequate contribution to the deficit, and (2) supported the Company Voluntary Arrangements proposed by Sir Philip and Lady Green; and if so, why.
	tabling member printed	Lord Myners
	uin	HL16270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The best support for a defined benefit pension scheme is an ongoing trading employer. Working with the shareholders, pension trustees and Pension Protection Fund, The Pensions Regulator were pleased to be able to agree a £310m package of support last week that would provide greater certainty for the Arcadia pension schemes. This comprises security to the value of £210m, together with the £100m in cash from Lady Green. The Pensions Regulator remain satisfied that the arrangement is the right one for members and the Pension Protection Fund in challenging circumstances and is equitable in the context of the wider Company Voluntary Arrangements process.</p><p> </p><p>The Pension Regulator’s goal is to protect the interests of members of the Arcadia schemes as far as possible in these difficult circumstances. A successful outcome will mean ongoing Deficit repair contributions payments from the company, enabling the schemes to become fully funded in due course. Had the Company Voluntary Arrangement votes failed, or if the Company Voluntary Arrangements are successfully challenged, the position of the pension schemes would be/will be much less certain. Deficit repair contributions from Arcadia Group Limited, initially £25m per annum (paid in equal monthly instalments) and escalating in subsequent years, would cease. The amount recovered by the pension schemes would be significantly less in an uncontrolled insolvency than under the terms of the Company Voluntary Arrangement. On this basis The Pensions Regulator supported the Company Voluntary Arrangement.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 24/06/2019 14:30:41 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

1131637

	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	State Retirement Pensions: Females
	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 on advertising the state pension age increase for women.
	tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
	tabling member printed	Martyn Day
	uin	263828
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold a detailed record of the cost of advertising changes to men and women’s State Pension age since the passage of the Pensions Act 1995. The Department has previously provided information to the House of Commons in a multitude of ways that clearly demonstrate the extensive steps the Department of Social Security and then the Department for Work and Pensions, took to communicate State Pension age changes at a significant cost to those departments.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 20/06/2019 14:00:55 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day