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1148856

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2019
	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: Daily Mail and Metro Newspaper
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government Legal Service approved the Universal Credit Uncovered advertising campaign in the Metro and the Mail Online in May and June 2019.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	322
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2019 answer text <p>We are the biggest Government Department with a day to day operation on which around 22 million citizens depend. The Department has a responsibility to communicate policy and essential information to claimants and other key audiences.</p><p> </p><p>The Metro partnership was designed to increase understanding of Universal Credit and ensure people have the right factual information they need to make a claim and understand their potential entitlement.</p><p> </p><p>We went to great lengths to ensure the factual accuracy of the campaign through extensive consultation within the Department, including the Government Legal Department. We also consulted with the Advertising Standards Authority Copy Advice Team prior to the launch and continued to do so throughout the campaign lifetime.</p><p> </p><p>The letter of 31 July 2019 placed in the House of Commons Library disclosed the full cost of the Department’s partnership with Associated Newspapers. There were no advertising agencies, consultancy or additional costs associated with the campaign and detailed planning was taken forward by Departmental officials.</p><p> </p><p>We have already shared a copy of the memo of 2 May 2019 from the Director General of Universal Credit and Director of Communications to DWP staff with the Work and Pensions Select Committee but can also commit to placing a copy in the House of Commons Library.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 316 323 question first answered 17/10/2019 13:34:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1148850

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2019
	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: Metro Newspaper
	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 letter of 31 July 2019 from the Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance placed in the Library disclosing the cost of the Department’s partnership with Associated Newspapers, if she will provide (a) costs of the advertising consultancy and (b) all other costs incurred in the Universal Credit Uncovered advertising campaign which ran in May and June 2019 in The Metro and online.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	316
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2019 answer text <p>We are the biggest Government Department with a day to day operation on which around 22 million citizens depend. The Department has a responsibility to communicate policy and essential information to claimants and other key audiences.</p><p> </p><p>The Metro partnership was designed to increase understanding of Universal Credit and ensure people have the right factual information they need to make a claim and understand their potential entitlement.</p><p> </p><p>We went to great lengths to ensure the factual accuracy of the campaign through extensive consultation within the Department, including the Government Legal Department. We also consulted with the Advertising Standards Authority Copy Advice Team prior to the launch and continued to do so throughout the campaign lifetime.</p><p> </p><p>The letter of 31 July 2019 placed in the House of Commons Library disclosed the full cost of the Department’s partnership with Associated Newspapers. There were no advertising agencies, consultancy or additional costs associated with the campaign and detailed planning was taken forward by Departmental officials.</p><p> </p><p>We have already shared a copy of the memo of 2 May 2019 from the Director General of Universal Credit and Director of Communications to DWP staff with the Work and Pensions Select Committee but can also commit to placing a copy in the House of Commons Library.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 322 323 question first answered 17/10/2019 13:34:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1148857

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2019
	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: Daily Mail and Metro Newspaper
	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 place in the Library a copy of the memo of 2 May 2019 sent by her Department’s Director General of Universal Credit and Director of Communications to DWP staff setting out the purpose of the Universal Credit Uncovered advertising campaign in the Metro and Mail Online.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	323
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2019 answer text <p>We are the biggest Government Department with a day to day operation on which around 22 million citizens depend. The Department has a responsibility to communicate policy and essential information to claimants and other key audiences.</p><p> </p><p>The Metro partnership was designed to increase understanding of Universal Credit and ensure people have the right factual information they need to make a claim and understand their potential entitlement.</p><p> </p><p>We went to great lengths to ensure the factual accuracy of the campaign through extensive consultation within the Department, including the Government Legal Department. We also consulted with the Advertising Standards Authority Copy Advice Team prior to the launch and continued to do so throughout the campaign lifetime.</p><p> </p><p>The letter of 31 July 2019 placed in the House of Commons Library disclosed the full cost of the Department’s partnership with Associated Newspapers. There were no advertising agencies, consultancy or additional costs associated with the campaign and detailed planning was taken forward by Departmental officials.</p><p> </p><p>We have already shared a copy of the memo of 2 May 2019 from the Director General of Universal Credit and Director of Communications to DWP staff with the Work and Pensions Select Committee but can also commit to placing a copy in the House of Commons Library.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 316 322 question first answered 17/10/2019 13:34:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1146576

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Carbon Emissions: British Overseas Territories
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether her Department plans to include carbon emissions from UK Overseas Territories in its carbon accounting processes for the Paris Agreement.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	291441
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department is consulting with UK Overseas Territories as to whether they would like to have the UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement extended to them. For those UK Overseas Territories that so choose, the Department will work with them to ensure they are ready to implement the Paris Agreement and to regularly report to the Department on that implementation.</p><p> </p><p>Under the accounting and transparency rules for the Paris Agreement agreed at COP24 in December 2018, any UK Overseas Territories included in the geographic scope of UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement in future will also need to be included in the UK’s accounting for and regular reporting on emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.</p><p> </p><p>The UK was the first major economy in the world to legislate for a net zero target. The target is enshrined under the Climate Change Act 2008 which does not apply to UK Overseas Territories.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng grouped question UIN 291443 question first answered 01/10/2019 15:12:15 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1146578

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Carbon Emissions: British Overseas Territories
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if her Department will work with the UK Overseas Territories to reduce their carbon emissions as part of the UK’s (a) contribution towards the Paris Agreement and (b) Net Zero commitment.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	291443
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department is consulting with UK Overseas Territories as to whether they would like to have the UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement extended to them. For those UK Overseas Territories that so choose, the Department will work with them to ensure they are ready to implement the Paris Agreement and to regularly report to the Department on that implementation.</p><p> </p><p>Under the accounting and transparency rules for the Paris Agreement agreed at COP24 in December 2018, any UK Overseas Territories included in the geographic scope of UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement in future will also need to be included in the UK’s accounting for and regular reporting on emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.</p><p> </p><p>The UK was the first major economy in the world to legislate for a net zero target. The target is enshrined under the Climate Change Act 2008 which does not apply to UK Overseas Territories.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng grouped question UIN 291441 question first answered 01/10/2019 15:12:15 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145575

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	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	NHS: Capital Investment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many bids for capital spending (a) his Department, (b) NHS England and (c) NHS Improvement has (i) rejected and (ii) not responded to in each of the last five years; and what the total value was of the bids (A) rejected and (B) not responded to in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	290466
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/10/2019 answer text <p>The information requested on capital bids received by the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement for capital spending are not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p>There have been a multitude of capital funds in the last five years varying in value, complexity and outcome objective and NHS England and NHS Improvement are in on-going discussions with trusts about their capital needs and plans.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 290467 question first answered 02/10/2019 12:17:49 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145576

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	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	NHS: Capital Investment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average length of time was for (a) his Department, (b) NHS England and (c) NHS Improvement to respond to bids for capital spending in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	290467
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/10/2019 answer text <p>The information requested on capital bids received by the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement for capital spending are not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p>There have been a multitude of capital funds in the last five years varying in value, complexity and outcome objective and NHS England and NHS Improvement are in on-going discussions with trusts about their capital needs and plans.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 290466 question first answered 02/10/2019 12:17:49 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145570

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the legal basis is for her Department to ask claimants who are victims of third-party universal credit fraud to attend an interview under caution at a Jobcentre rather than provide a witness statement.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	290461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>The new process for advances and identification introduced on the 18 September 2019 mean that the level of UC advances fraud will be mitigated. Where an individual is a victim of fraud and received no money personally, no claim will be made against them. However, it is often not possible to ascertain the facts without an Interview Under Caution. The powers for an Interview Under Caution are under the Social Security Administration Act 1992, Part VI, governs this process and has been followed by successive governments of different political persuasions.</p><p> </p><p>DWP will ask, and allow the individual to have the opportunity to respond to any evidence in a voluntary Interview Under Caution.</p><p> </p><p>DWP follows the guidance laid down in the Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act 1996 and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Code C 2014) to afford the claimant all appropriate protection in law.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 08/10/2019 14:20:53 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 136305 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145571

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	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 oral contribution of the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work of 8 July 2019, Official Report, Column 321, if she will provide details of the successful third-party universal credit fraud prosecution.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	290462
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department is committed to the prevention, detection and investigation of benefit fraud. We take this issue very seriously and will continue to use appropriate penalties to deter this fraudulent behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>Turning to the specific case you reference, the defendant was convicted at a Magistrates court on 14 February 2019 for fraudulently obtaining £4,152.86 in Universal Credit Advances.</p><p> </p><p>This prosecution identified that the suspect had hijacked the identities of close family members in order to make fraudulent applications to Universal Credit, via the online application process, enabling fraudulent payments of Universal Credit and Universal Credit Advances.</p><p> </p><p>It was established that the defendant had also impersonated a friend and changed the payment destination of his friend’s Universal Credit payments.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 01/10/2019 15:13:01 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 136329 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145572

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	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 prevent cases of third-party universal credit fraud taking place during managed migration.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	290463
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department has raised awareness of this issue via a dedicated social media campaign, which reminds people of the importance of safeguarding their identity. The Department has also worked with social media sites to shut down pages that promote this type of fraud, with 121 pages closed to date.</p><p> </p><p>We remain committed to keeping all Universal Credit services and processes, including advance payments, under review, and are making improvements to address any vulnerability in the system. Improving verification and increasing the number of face to face interviews are potential options, but any changes will need to be carefully impacted to ensure there is no adverse effect on our ability to pay people the money they need to live on ahead of their Universal Credit claim.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit pilot is helping move the first cohort of people to Universal Credit. Minimising potential risks is a key part of our approach. Testing the system and our processes in this way ensures we will be able to deliver a secure service to those claimants who will move to Universal Credit from their legacy benefit claim as planned, by the end of 2023.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 01/10/2019 15:25:09 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 136332 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George