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1166820

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2019
	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	Affordable Housing: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the affordability of the housing market in Scotland for families in receipt of benefits.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	6486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The Secretary of State is required to make an annual assessment of LHA rates, which will be completed by the end of 2019.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The proportion of Scottish private market rents that are at or below the LHA rate, by room entitlement, is set out below. This is based on rent officer data and the 2019/20 LHA rates published here <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-housing-allowance-lha-rates-applicable-from-april-2019-to-march-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-housing-allowance-lha-rates-applicable-from-april-2019-to-march-2020</a>.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Shared room</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">1 bedroom</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">2 bedroom</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">3 bedroom</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">4+ bedroom</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">14%</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">22%</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">17%</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">18%</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">17%</ins></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/11/2019 16:57:02 question first ministerially corrected 05/11/2019 17:42:41 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 4444 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1134462

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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	Alcoholic Drinks: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the introduction of minimum unit pricing of alcohol in Scotland on the level of alcohol consumption in Scotland.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	269105
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>No assessment has been made. NHS Scotland publishes annual reports on the impact of the Scottish Government’s alcohol strategy, a core element of which is minimum unit pricing. However, the Scottish Government will not publish its statutory report on the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) until five years post-implementation of the legislation, in 2023. The Government shall monitor the impact of MUP as robust evidence emerges.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency South Ribble answering member printed Seema Kennedy question first answered 03/07/2019 13:24:47 answering member 4455 label Biography information for Seema Kennedy
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1134463

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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	Energy: Prices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's price cap for standard variable tariffs on trends in the level of the average household energy bill.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	269106
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The price cap protects customers on standard variable and default tariffs from excessive charging. Ofgem estimates that the price cap saves the average customer £75-£100 each year, compared to what they would be paying without the price cap, and a total of £1 billion each year. Non-capped tariffs continue to be competitive, with Ofgem calculating the difference between the most expensive and the cheapest tariff in the market at £381 in May 2019.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 01/07/2019 14:08:13 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1134467

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways: Crime
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has held with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) British Transport Police on tackling crime on Scotland's railways.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	269107
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>Policing is a devolved matter and policing in Scotland is therefore devolved to the Scottish Government. I am not aware of any recent discussions involving the Secretary of State for Transport.</p><p> </p><p>The policing of the railway in Scotland is delivered by the British Transport Police (BTP) who work closely with train operating companies and the Scottish Government.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 01/07/2019 15:48:57 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1134471

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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: Veterans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of universal credit on armed forces veterans.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	269108
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department has put in place special arrangements under the Armed Forces Covenant to support veterans and to take account of their needs and circumstances, such as ensuring War Disablement Pensions and guaranteed income payments made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are not taken into account in the assessment of Universal Credit entitlement.</p><p>Universal Credit is a tailored service and it is important that we support those claimants, including veterans, who may find the application process for Universal Credit challenging. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people to make their Universal Credit claim. This service is available online, over the phone and face-to-face, so that claimants can access support in the way that is most suitable for them.</p><p>Every Jobcentre Plus District has an Armed Forces Champion who ensures that any concerns and issues raised which affect Service Personnel and their families are integrated within the wider work of Jobcentre Plus. These Armed Forces Champions ensure that Work Coaches and other DWP staff can effectively support serving personnel, service leavers, veterans and their families.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 03/07/2019 11:24:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1138910

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration: EU Nationals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the accessibility of the EU Exit: ID document check android app for applicants.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	277254
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so. The ‘EU Exit: Identity Document Check’ app is an optional aspect of the service which allows applicants to prove their identity remotely using their biometric identity document and an android smartphone device.</p><p>The app requires applicants to complete four quick steps – to take a photo of their identity document photo page, read the chip, complete a liveness check and take a photo of themselves using the device camera. The app process can be completed by the applicant alone, or with support from a third party, for example the applicant can choose to take the photo themselves using the front facing camera, or have a third party take the photo using the back camera.</p><p>So far, the app has undergone two separate accessibility audits, the first prior to the beta test phase and the second during the testing phase. The app development team have implemented recommendations from both audits, for example enabling users to utilise accessibility tools native to their device. User Research is ongoing, including with users with specific accessibility needs and those at the lower end of the digital inclusion scale.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 18/07/2019 17:04:52 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1138912

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	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	Statutory Sick Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase access to statutory sick pay for low-paid workers.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	277255
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>On Monday 15th July, the Government launched its consultation: `Health is everyone’s business: proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss.’ The consultation invites views on a range of matters including extending Statutory Sick Pay to the lowest paid. It closes on 7 October 2019 and can be found here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/health-is-everyones-business-proposals-to-reduce-ill-health-related-job-loss" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/health-is-everyones-business-proposals-to-reduce-ill-health-related-job-loss</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/07/2019 16:06:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1138914

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Universities: Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the level of financial support available to university students.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	277256
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>Living costs support increased by 10.3% for students on the lowest incomes in the 2016-17 academic year compared to the previous system, with further inflationary increases for each year since then. The government has announced a 2.8% increase in maximum loans for living costs for the 2019-20 academic year starting in August.</p><p>An announcement on financial support for academic year 2020-21 will be made in due course.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 22/07/2019 10:01:23 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1138916

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of suitable homes for the elderly.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	277257
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>This Government recognises that providing more homes for older people is vital to support an ageing population. Offering older people a better choice of accommodation can help enable them to live independently for longer and help reduce costs to the social care and health systems. The proposals set out in the White Paper, “Fixing our broken housing market”, underline our commitment to do more to provide the homes we need for all in our society</p><p><br> In the White Paper we acknowledged that older and disabled peoples’ housing needs was an issue that needed to be addressed. We have strengthened the revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, and on 26 June 2019 we published new guidance to help councils to put these policies in place. This makes it clear that authorities should set clear policies to address the housing needs of groups with particular needs such as older and disabled people. This guidance also sets out the range of options these should consider, from housing with improved accessibility through to more specialised options.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 22/07/2019 13:42:53 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1138917

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	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	Industrial Accidents: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of recorded workplace deaths in Scotland in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	277258
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>Notifications of workplace fatal injuries to workers are made under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The table below provides the number of fatal injuries to workers in Scotland reported under RIDDOR over the last 3 years.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Fatal injuries to workers in Scotland 2016/17 – 2018/19</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of fatal injuries to workers</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>29*</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>*Data for 2018/19 is provisional.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There has been an increase of 12 deaths between 2017/18 and 2018/19 in Scotland, mostly due to an increase in deaths in the Agriculture, forestry and fishing sector (from 3 in 2017/18 to 13 in 2018/19, though 2017/18 was a particularly low year for fatalities in the Agriculture, forestry and fishing sector in Scotland).</p><p> </p><p>Numbers from one-year to the next are subject to natural variation. The increase seen in the number of workplace deaths in Scotland in 2018/19 are within bounds of natural variation.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/07/2019 14:23:16 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney