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758887

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2017
	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	Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will set up a dedicated telephone line for representatives from nominated charities to call on behalf of benefits claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	9528
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2017 answer text <p>DWP is committed to delivering a service that can meet a claimant’s or their authorised representative’s needs during the first call. Given the large number of services that the Department delivers, this service is delivered through calling one of a range of published numbers. This ensures that the claimant is routed to the part of the Department that can best answer their questions, and includes dealing with more complex issues as they arise.</p><p>As long as the charity has the authority to act on behalf of a claimant they are able to contact the correct part of the Department using the published numbers and receive the same level of service as all customers who contact the Department. We therefore have no plans to introduce a dedicated line for charities/external partners.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 13/09/2017 14:00:55 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

758882

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2017
	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	Social Security Benefits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is possible for all new claims for existing legacy benefits excluding universal credit to be processed through one single computer screen without needing to use more than one computer.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	9527
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2017 answer text <p>It is possible for all new claims for existing legacy benefits excluding universal credit to be processed through one single computer screen without needing to use more than one computer. DWP benefit processing agents normally only have one monitor and one PC each.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 14/09/2017 15:25:48 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

758883

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2017
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the series of trials in which his Department is testing the effectiveness of interventions to support those already in work to increase their earnings.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	9526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2017 answer text <p>Universal Credit provides us with the opportunity, for the first time, to support people on low incomes to progress in work, and we are developing the evidence base about what works with a series of trials.</p><p>Findings from trials delivered under the UK Futures programme with the UK Commission for Employment and Skills were published in August 2016, and we expect to publish the results of trials delivered by Timewise and GOALS later this year.</p><p>The in-work progression randomised control trial will run until 31 March 2018. We expect to publish the full evaluation report in summer 2018.</p><p>A suite of 6 pilots has recently been announced, funded jointly by DWP and local authorities which include initiatives to support progression. These include Cambridgeshire Combined Authority who aim to support progression in the health and care sector; and the West of England Combined Authority who will test an employment mentor model.</p><p>This is an ongoing commitment to building our evidence base. As the development of Universal Credit progresses, we are seeking to further expand our suite of trials, including looking at ways in which we can offer support through digital means.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 15/09/2017 12:14:01 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

758885

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2017
	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	Social Security Benefits: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made in reducing the time taken to process mandatory reconsiderations for personal independence payments and employment and support allowance; and at what level the target is set for the time taken to process such reconsiderations.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	9525
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2017 answer text <p>Since August 2017 we have been focussing on more proactive case management to reduce delays and speed up the clearance of mandatory reconsiderations for personal independence payment. A similar exercise for mandatory reconsiderations for employment and support allowance has started, looking at the entire journey from when the customer first challenges the Department’s decision, from which we expect to be able to identify opportunities to reduce delays in the current process and speed up clearance of mandatory reconsiderations.</p><p> </p><p>The median monthly clearance time for employment and support allowance mandatory reconsiderations in July 2017 was 13 days, 1 day less than in April 2017. However it is important that sufficient time is allowed for customers to provide any additional evidence that will help to support their case. Accordingly there is no target time for clearing mandatory reconsiderations – each is done without delay, but based on its merits.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 28/09/2017 15:08:28 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

348270

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Digital Technology: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to prevent the digital exclusion of people with sensory loss.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	946
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2015 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of access services for video-on-demand (VoD) services and will continue to monitor progress. If ATVOD's 2015 annual survey of VOD Services indicates that significant progress has not been made, then as stated in the Connectivity, Content and Consumers Paper (July 2013) we will consider legislation in 2016.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 12/06/2015 13:21:30 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

417611

	registered interest
	date	08/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Supply Teachers: Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many supply teachers are unable to pay into the Teacher's Pension Fund because their employers have not been granted Accepted Employer Status; and whether she has invited such employers to seek Accepted Employer Status.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	9361
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2015 answer text <p>Data on the number of supply teachers who are unable to pay into the Teacher's Pension Scheme (TPS) because they are contracted through private supply agencies is not collected. Teacher supply agencies are not eligible to be scheme employers in the TPS as they do not employ the teachers they supply. The employer/employee relationship is important because the employer is responsible for meeting a number of obligations, not least of which is to pay both member and employer contributions to the scheme.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 14/09/2015 16:14:44 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

758223

	registered interest
	date	06/09/2017
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Flour: Folic Acid
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the Government's policy is on the fortification of flour with folic acid.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	9208
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2017 answer text <p>The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has recently updated the evidence on folic acid in response to a request from Food Standards Scotland, and reiterated its support for mandatory folic acid fortification, provided that this is introduced alongside restrictions on voluntary fortification of foods with folic acid. Ministers are currently considering the issue of mandatory fortification of flour and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine grouped question UIN 8626 question first answered 13/09/2017 16:17:28 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

416325

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing Starts: Affordable Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the increase in affordable home starts between 2009-10 and 2013-14 was attributable to changing the definition of affordable from 70 to 80 per cent of local private rents.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	9037
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2015 answer text <p>Affordable rents were never defined as 70% of the local market rent. Affordable Rents were introduced in 2010, and with rents to be set at any level, up to 80 per cent, of market rents. Rent setting has to take into consideration local needs and the local market context. In London the average Affordable Rent is around 65 per cent of market rents.</p><p> </p><p>The Affordable Rent model allows us to reduce the level of grant required for each home from over £66,000 to an average of £24,500 per home. This enables us to deliver more homes for every pound of Government investment, so more people in housing need can have access to a good quality home with at a sub-market rent. Since April 2010, we have delivered 260,000 new affordable homes.</p><p> </p><p>The National Audit Office report on the <em>Financial viability of the social housing sector</em> concluded that the Affordable Rent model maximised benefits and the number of homes that could be delivered within the available grant funding.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 14/09/2015 13:59:54 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

443132

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Meters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with energy suppliers on the effect of pre-payment meter tariffs on low-income households' energy costs.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	902841
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2016 answer text <p>My Right Hon member, DECC Ministers and officials meet with energy companies on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.</p><p>The Government shares the CMA’s concerns that there is a lack of competitive tariffs for pre-payment customers, despite the recent increase in competition from independent suppliers.</p><p>The Government is committed to ensuring that the market works effectively for all consumers, including through implementing the final recommendations of the CMA following their investigation.</p><p>In the meantime, we will continue our focus on keeping bills down through promoting competition, making switching quicker and easier and providing direct help to the most vulnerable.</p> answering member constituency Hastings and Rye answering member printed Amber Rudd question first answered 07/01/2016 14:48:14 answering member 3983 label Biography information for Amber Rudd
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

732286

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2017
	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	Benefits Rules
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on rolling out the reformed welfare contract being piloted at Birkenhead Jobcentre Plus.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	882
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2017 answer text <p>This initiative brings together information from energy suppliers and is aimed at helping those who are vulnerable or facing difficulties in meeting energy costs.</p><p> </p><p>Birkenhead Jobcentre continues to offer the information leaflet, which details available support to claimants at appropriate stages of their benefit claim, when they meet with their Work Coach. The leaflet is also on display and available at various points within the Jobcentre. The information is made available to claimants across the full range of unemployment related benefits including Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We are not able to confirm precise numbers of leaflets offered and taken up; nor on numbers of claimants availing themselves of the support. We can say, however, that claimants give positive feedback to staff.</p><p> </p><p>Following this successful trial the leaflet will be distributed across the wider Jobcentre Plus network.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 03/07/2017 16:48:57 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead