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100291

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Minimum Wage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2014 to Question 209683 to the hon. Member for Stourbridge, what assessment he has made of the factors that resulted in there being no prosecutions for not paying the national minimum wage in each of the last two years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC undertake targeted enforcement on employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying NMW.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not do so, HMRC pursues recovery through the civil courts. HMRC‘s approach to tackling underpayment of NMW through the civil courts is the best way to ensure that money is paid back to the person underpaid and provides the most effective resolution for tax-payers. Criminal investigations may not result in arrears being paid to workers and are therefore reserved for the most serious cases.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 03/11/2014 15:32:50 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1005686

	registered interest
	date	12/11/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum
	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 total number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area in England, Scotland and Wales through the asylum dispersal programme in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	190457
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>The Home Office publishes quarterly figures on the number of asylum seek-ers housed in dispersed accommodation, including under Section 95, by lo-cal authority in the Immigration Statistics release, in table as_16q and 17q in volume 4 of the Asylum data tables. These are available at:<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017/list-of-tables#asylum" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017/list-of-tables#asylum</a></p><p>This does not include those asylum seekers who are accommodated with friends and family, and who are not in receipt of support.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 15/11/2018 16:23:56 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100854

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Care Workers: Minimum Wage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of or received evidence on the effect on care standards of non-payment of the national minimum wage in the social care sector.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211866
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department has not conducted any recent research on the effect of treatment of staff on standards of care and on the relationship between levels of pay and quality of social care services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the development of Caring for our Future white paper in 2011, the Department undertook extensive engagement with both service users and carers who highlighted a range of issues they felt needed addressing to ensure high quality care and support is available. In addressing this, the Department, working with the Sector Skills Council – Skills for Care – and other partners, has implemented a range of policies that has included setting out clear minimum training standards, recruiting more apprentices and supporting the transformation of the social work profession.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are a number of factors that determine the quality of care provided in the social care sector, including the way staff are treated. Pay is not the single most significant factor in delivering high quality services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is clear however that care providers must abide by the law with regards to payment of the national minimum wage and is taking steps to ensure this happens. The Department is liaising with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to name and shame any social care providers who do not comply with the national minimum wage legislation and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is continuing to carry out enforcement action in the social care sector and will investigate all complaints made by care workers that their employer is not paying them the national minimum wage. In addition, it is looking to ensure that the statutory guidance that will accompany the Care Act on commissioning and market shaping explicitly states local authorities should have evidence that contract terms, conditions and fee levels are appropriate to provide the agreed care packages with agreed quality of care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Norfolk answering member printed Norman Lamb question first answered 03/11/2014 16:37:18 answering member 1439 label Biography information for Norman Lamb
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1010259

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Air Pollution: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to which schemes and projects with the specific purpose of reducing children’s exposure to air pollution his Department has allocated funding to local authorities from the air quality grant in (a) 2018- 19, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2016-17 and (d) 2015-16; and how much such funding was allocated to each of those schemes and projects in each of those years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192868
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>Defra’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions affecting schools, businesses and residents. Local authorities have a duty to monitor and assess air quality and to take action to reduce pollution where these breach statutory limits, and are best placed to determine local priorities.</p><p>Defra awarded a total of £2.4million to local authorities in England from the 2017/18 air quality grant fund; £3.7million was awarded in 2016/17, and £0.5million in 2015/6. £3million has been allocated for 2018/19.</p><p>Whilst all measures which reduce air pollution will reduce children’s exposure to these harmful pollutants, some projects have elements that are specifically targeted at children. For example:</p><ul><li><p>In 2016-17, the London Borough of Islington were awarded £50,000 to run a local school focused awareness and engagement campaign through the air quality grant.</p></li><li><p>In 2017/18, Spelthorne Borough Council were given £145,188 to run an awareness campaign in schools across Surrey.</p></li></ul><p>Details of further funding from the Air Quality Grant Programme, including funding specifically directed at children can be found on the Air Quality Grant Programme webpage here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/air-quality-grant-programme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/air-quality-grant-programme</a>.</p><p>The Government has also put in place a £3.5billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions, which includes £495million for councils to improve air quality. We have consulted on our new world leading Clean Air Strategy, which includes new and ambitious goals, legislation, investment and policies which will help us to clean up our air faster and more effectively.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 27/11/2018 17:19:40 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1010286

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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 the average processing time for income-related employment support allowance claims where a claimant has a DS1500 medical condition report is.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192886
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The DS1500 is not a claim form and its use in providing evidential support for claims from people who are terminally ill claiming benefit is not obligatory.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 26/11/2018 11:54:41 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1010287

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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, for what reasons MPs offices have implicit consent arrangements for universal credit applications and advice services require explicit consent to support claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>On 13 March 2017 <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-03-13/HCWS528/" target="_blank">Written Statement - HCWS528</a> outlined the implicit consent arrangements for MPs.</p><p>Where explicit consent is needed it can be quickly given in different ways. For example, claimants only need to put a note in their journal to give consent; this is a far simpler and more straightforward process than in legacy systems. Once consent is given, advisers will work with the claimant’s representatives.</p><p>In our response to the Social Security Advisory Committee we agreed to explore options for improving the process of explicit consent in relation to Universal Credit in collaboration with the Committee to consider how current practices could be enhanced and to publish a report on our joint conclusions.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/11/2018 17:56:29 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1010298

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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	Mental Health Act 1983 Independent Review
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the independent review of the Mental Health Act on the rate of detentions under that Act in NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192893
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>The Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 will report before the end of the year. The Government will consider its findings and respond in due course. The Review will make recommendations to Government for how it should improve the Act, including on improving the protection of people’s rights and considering how detentions might be reduced, but it was not commissioned to have a direct influence on legislation or practice.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price grouped question UIN 192889 192890 192891 192894 192895 192945 193436 193437 question first answered 22/11/2018 17:39:51 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1010299

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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	Mental Health Act 1983
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will reform the Mental Health Act to better protect the rights of people with mental health needs.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192894
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>The Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 will report before the end of the year. The Government will consider its findings and respond in due course. The Review will make recommendations to Government for how it should improve the Act, including on improving the protection of people’s rights and considering how detentions might be reduced, but it was not commissioned to have a direct influence on legislation or practice.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price grouped question UIN 192889 192890 192891 192893 192895 192945 193436 193437 question first answered 22/11/2018 17:39:51 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1010300

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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	Mental Health Act 1983 Independent Review
	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 timetable for his Department to respond to the recommendations of the independent review of the Mental Health Act is.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192895
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>The Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 will report before the end of the year. The Government will consider its findings and respond in due course. The Review will make recommendations to Government for how it should improve the Act, including on improving the protection of people’s rights and considering how detentions might be reduced, but it was not commissioned to have a direct influence on legislation or practice.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price grouped question UIN 192889 192890 192891 192893 192894 192945 193436 193437 question first answered 22/11/2018 17:39:51 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1010312

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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, whether her Department seeks to recover remaining payments on an advance payment for universal credit from the estate of a deceased person.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192904
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Universal Credit (UC) advances are available to claimants as a form of budgeting support, allowing them to better manage their finances. In most cases an advance would be repaid through a series of monthly deductions from their ongoing UC entitlement. The claimant is able to select the amount of time over which they repay their advance, currently up to a maximum of 12 months.</p><p> </p><p>If an advance is not recovered from the associated benefit claim because the claim ends or there was no entitlement to that benefit, the outstanding balance is treated as if it were an overpayment and referred to the Department’s Debt Management team to arrange recovery.</p><p> </p><p>Where a debtor dies and leaves outstanding Social Security debt, the Department becomes a creditor of the estate and will then make a claim for these debts from the estate. Where it is established that there is no estate the outstanding balance is written off.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/11/2018 14:03:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham