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49784

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracted staff there are carrying out functions for his Department who are paid less than the Living Wage by (a) occupation, (b) location and (c) contractor.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	197971
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>DWP have discussed with contractors the payment of the London Living Wage. Telereal Trillium have worked with us so that from April 2014 all of their London based staff were paid at least the level of the living wage. Discussions are continuing with our other major contractor, Cofely.</p><p> </p><p>We intend to have the same negotiations regarding staff based across the regions where the situation is currently:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>REGION</p></td><td><p>NUMBER OF STAFF</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Scotland</p></td><td><p>539</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North East</p></td><td><p>309</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>885</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorks &amp; Humber</p></td><td><p>529</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands</p></td><td><p>255</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>770</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Of England</p></td><td><p>252</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wales</p></td><td><p>279</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South East</p></td><td><p>366</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>307</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>TOTAL</p></td><td><p>4,493</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>It is not possible to provide further breakdown of these figures as this information is commercially sensitive.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning previous answer version 9759 answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

57880

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2014
	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	Personal Independence Payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects Mr Andrew Cottrell of Prenton, to undergo his medical examination as part of his application for the personal independence payment.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	199007
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department cannot respond to the House of Commons with regards to a specific case.</p><p> </p><p>I will write to the hon. Gentleman.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 09/06/2014 14:00:50 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50102

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on the Universal Jobmatch programme between (a) April and September 2012, (b) October 2012 and March 2013, (c) April and September 2013, (d) October 2013 and March 2014 and (e) April and September 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	198055
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Programme expenditure for Universal Jobmatch over the period April 12 to September 14 includes contractual costs as well as internal costs. Any reporting therefore risks being in breach of commercial in confidence agreement.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50098

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of (a) directly employed staff and (b) contracted staff in HM Revenue and Customs are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	198151
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p>99.81% of HMRC's staff are paid above the living wage.</p><p> </p><p>HM Treasury fully complies with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EU" target="_blank">EU</a> procurement directives and awards contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer. Nevertheless, we have encouraged contractors to commit to paying a living wage and expect all employers to pay at least the national minimum wage.</p><p>The Government supports businesses that choose to pay the Living Wage however the Government's main policy on wages is the National Minimum Wage, which has continued to protect the relative wages of the low paid. This is independently set by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Pay_Commission" target="_blank">Low Pay Commission</a> at a level that maximises their wages without reducing employment prospect. It is for workers and employers to decide the level of wages above the minimum wage based on current circumstances. This includes the Government as a procurer and an employer. Over 95%, around 20 million employees earn above the minimum wage and the <a title="The term &quot;majority&quot; is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government..." href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/glossary/?gl=37" target="_blank">majority</a> of public sector workers currently earn above the Living Wage.</p><p> </p><p>Under the Data Protection Act we are unable to provide a full table breaking down the proportion of staff in each constituency being paid below the Living Wage.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 195542 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50101

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the performance of the School Food Plan in increasing healthy breakfast provision in more deprived areas; and how much had been spent on this programme by April 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	198049
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>As part of the school food plan, Magic Breakfast started work in March 2014 to set up breakfast clubs in schools where over 35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals and where there is currently no breakfast provision.</p><p>We are currently tendering for a contract to evaluate the effectiveness of the breakfast clubs. The successful bidder will be announced shortly.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50097

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 1WS, on higher education (student support), what estimate he has made of how many prospective students will no longer be eligible for the disabled students' allowance once the changes set out in the statement are introduced; and what steps he plans to take to support those prospective students.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	198137
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p>Disabled students will continue to receive support through a combination of disabled students' allowances (DSAs) and reasonable adjustments made by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Each student's needs are unique. Some will receive more support through reasonable adjustments than previously experienced. Written guidance will be available.</p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to make an accurate estimate of how many prospective students will no longer be eligible for DSAs as many students receive more than one type of support.</p><p> </p><p>Current DSA recipients and disabled students applying for DSAs in 2014/15 will not be affected by these changes in 2015/16.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50100

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in which local authorities 30 per cent or more pupils entitled to free school meals are not claiming them; and what steps he is taking to improve the take-up of free school meals.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	198051
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education routinely collects information on pupils who are both eligible for and claiming free school meals. This information is published in the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2013' Statistical First Release[1]. Identifying pupils who are eligible for but not claiming free school meals is more difficult.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has published a research paper – ‘Pupils not claiming free school meals: 2013'[2] – which presents estimates of the numbers and proportions of pupils who are entitled to receive free school meals but are not claiming. The paper compares registration rates for children aged between four and 15 and highlights regions and local authorities where under-registration rates are high. A table showing under registration rates by local authority can be found in the annex.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has developed a free school meals Eligibility Checking System (ECS). The ECS enables local authorities to check very quickly and determine whether a parent can claim free school meals by linking benefits information from DWP, HMRC and the Home Office. It represents a significant achievement in reducing bureaucracy and cost for local authorities and encouraging more parents to sign up their children for a free school lunch. The ECS has been extended to allow parents to check their own eligibility, and to apply online, for free school meals. The new system reduces the time, stigma and bureaucracy previously associated with applications for free school meals.</p><p> </p><p>Resources are also available from the Children's Food Trust to help schools increase take-up of free school meals.[3]</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1]<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013</a>.<br>[2] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-not-claiming-free-school-meals-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-not-claiming-free-school-meals-2013</a>.</p><p>[3]<a href="http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/schools/resources/free-school-meals-matter-toolkit" target="_blank">http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/schools/resources/free-school-meals-matter-toolkit</a></p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50096

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has allocated to the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme for the 2014-15 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	198030
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p>The Department has allocated a budget of £40 million to fund the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme for the 2014-15 financial year.</p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50099

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which local authorities have withdrawn from the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme to date.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	198050
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p>The Department is not aware of any local authorities withdrawing from the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme to date.</p> answering member constituency Central Suffolk and North Ipswich answering member printed Dr Daniel Poulter question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

49783

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to protect consumers from fraud and other doorstep crimes.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	197891
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes doorstep crime very seriously and the issue has been identified as a top priority by the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP) which brings together enforcement, consumer education, and advocacy partners to identify, prioritise and coordinate collective action to tackle the issues causing greatest harm to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>Both the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), which are funded by BIS, are putting resources into tackling doorstep crime and Trading Standards Officers across the country are cracking down on these fraudsters. In Lincolnshire for example, Trading Standards has teamed up with the Police and Community Lincs to raise awareness of doorstep crime amongst professionals caring for the elderly, including awareness of bogus callers, rogue traders, distraction burglary, and scam mail. To date 330 health and social care professionals who work regularly with 4,300 elderly and vulnerable people have been trained in how to spot potential victims and how to intervene at an early stage of a scam.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Doorstep Crime will also be the focus on this year's National Consumer Week in November 2014, when CPP Partners and the Government will work together to in raise consumer awareness of how to spot a bogus salesperson and where to report it.</p><p> </p><p>We are also hitting the perpetrators of fraud hard. A recent operation involving Trading Standards companies across the country and 20 police forces brought down a trio of fraudsters targeting vulnerable caravan park residents across the country. This resulted in 6 years of custodial sentences being handed down and the recovery of £20,000 in cash.</p><p> </p><p>We encourage anyone who believes that they have been the victim of doorstep crime or fraud to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 08454 040506.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead