{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-ddpCreated=2019-03-04T22%3A55%3A49.387Z&houseId=1&answeringDeptId=29", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?max-ddpCreated=2019-03-04T22%3A55%3A49.387Z&houseId=1&answeringDeptId=29", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-ddpCreated=2019-03-04T22%3A55%3A49.387Z&houseId=1&answeringDeptId=29&_metadata=all", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=0&max-ddpCreated=2019-03-04T22%3A55%3A49.387Z&houseId=1&answeringDeptId=29", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-ddpCreated=2019-03-04T22%3A55%3A49.387Z&houseId=1&answeringDeptId=29", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?max-ddpCreated=2019-03-04T22%3A55%3A49.387Z&houseId=1&answeringDeptId=29", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1081721", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1081721/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The latest available data, covering Oct-Dec 2018, shows the rate of economic inactivity being 20.9% \u2013 a record low. This rate has fallen since 2010 for every region and country of the UK. These statistics are for the 16-64 age group, which is the Office for National Statistics\u2019 headline rate for economic inactivity.<\/p>
<\/p>
The ONS does not publish statistics on economic inactivity split by socioeconomic group.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-12T16:36:57.933Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Unemployment"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken any recent assessment on trends in the level of economic inactivity in socio-economic groups.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4370", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jess Phillips"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Yardley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jess Phillips"} ], "uin" : "228060"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1081728", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1081728/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Marriage and civil partnerships are legal contracts that are associated with certain rights, including inheritance, recognition in the tax system and entitlement to certain benefits.<\/p>
<\/p>
A key principle of the National Insurance system is that all rights to benefits derived from another person\u2019s contributions, such as bereavement benefits, are based on the concept of legal marriage or civil partnership.<\/p>
<\/p>
Under Scottish law, in certain circumstances, a person can be classed as married by cohabitation with habit and repute. Marriage by habit and repute was abolished for new relationships in 2006 by the Family Law (Scotland) Act. Marriages deemed to have been constituted prior to the 4 May 2006 are still recognised as such for benefit purposes.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4105", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Tomlinson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Swindon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Justin Tomlinson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-07T10:38:56.807Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bereavement Support Payment"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department does not pay bereavement support to widows and widowers where tacit consent to marriage with their former partner was not given but where the material circumstances of their relationship were the same as those of a married couple.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4440", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Marion Fellows"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Motherwell and Wishaw"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Marion Fellows"} ], "uin" : "228066"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1081732", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1081732/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Universal Credit awards are assessed and paid on a monthly basis. There is, therefore, no annual entitlement, as many claimants\u2019 circumstances change from month to month.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-12T16:34:36.193Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of whether universal credit claimants paid weekly, fortnightly or on a four-weekly basis for part-time work may receive a lower annual benefit than those who are paid on a last day of the month-basis for the same number of hours worked.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4605", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Bill Grant"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Bill Grant"} ], "uin" : "228068"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079341", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079341/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Official Statistics, published by the Office for National Statistics and based on the Annual Population Survey, do not provide reliable estimates at this geography, due to the sample size being too small.<\/p>
However, using the Labour Force Survey, the Office for National Statistics estimate the level of unemployment in the North West was 143,000 in the quarter to December 2018. The data shows:<\/p>
Using the Annual Population Survey, the Office for National Statistics estimate constituency level employment rates at a 95% confidence level between a lower and upper bound. As can be seen in the table below, a reliable trend cannot be identified at this geography, due to the sample size being too small.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-07T16:30:06.963Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Employment: Ribble Valley"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the employment rate in the Ribble Valley constituency was in each year since 2016.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nigel Evans"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ribble Valley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Nigel Evans"} ], "uin" : "227048"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079344", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079344/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Landlords are required by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to maintain their gas installations in a safe condition and to arrange annual safety checks, by Gas Safe registered engineers, of any appliances and flues that they provide for their tenants\u2019 use.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) takes action against landlords who fail to meet this duty in line with the domestic gas events and enforcement advice (http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/400-499/440_30.htm<\/a>) and HSE\u2019s enforcement policy statement and enforcement management model (http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcement.htm<\/a>) which is proportionate, targeted, consistent, transparent and accountable.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4071", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Newton"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Truro and Falmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sarah Newton"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-07T12:38:57.32Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Private Rented Housing: Natural Gas"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the number of private landlords who do not conduct annual gas safety inspections; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/411", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Huddersfield"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Barry Sheerman"}
], "uin" : "227044"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079381", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079381/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Over the course of 2018/19, across the Department we increased our resources by 4,209 FTE to manage all demands including LEAP exercises. This included the recruitment of an additional 400 staff, on a fixed term appointment basis, directly to support the ESA underpayment exercise. The remainder of the 1,200 staff were deployed onto the exercise as a result of reducing demand on ESA and JSA benefits. This approach has meant that we have not had to stop or deprioritise other customer activity in order to complete this review.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4071", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Newton"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Truro and Falmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sarah Newton"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-05T10:58:03.42Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Employment and Support Allowance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to her Written Statement of 21 February 2019 on Employment and Support Allowance, Official Report HCWS 1348, which work streams the 1,200 staff working on underpayment cases have been taken from; and how many of those staff have been (a) moved from other areas of her Department and (ii) newly recruited.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4676", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Marsha De Cordova"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Battersea"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Marsha De Cordova"}
], "uin" : "227168"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079382", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079382/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The information is not available.<\/p> <\/p> DWP are engaging with a number of authorities, including those responsible for Council Tax, to raise awareness of the ESA underpayment exercise and the potential issues arising from it. This will help them to assess possible impacts on these areas.<\/p> <\/p> As part of the ESA underpayment exercise we will inform local authorities Housing Benefit departments of new awards of income-related ESA as part of our business as usual procedures. As Housing Benefit is available to contributory only ESA claimants, those on low incomes could still receive full Housing Benefit if assessed by their Local Authority as entitled.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4071", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Newton"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Truro and Falmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sarah Newton"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-05T14:53:22.553Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Employment and Support Allowance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people who went into (a) rent arrears and (b) council tax arrears following the underpayment of their employment and support allowance; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4676", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Marsha De Cordova"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Battersea"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Marsha De Cordova"}
], "uin" : "227169"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079383", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079383/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department regularly reviews both the numbers of people working in Universal Credit service centres and their performance to ensure we have the right number of people available to manage claimants Universal Credit claims. Services and staff training is assessed, both in real time to meet any short term peaks in demand and also reviewed for longer term improvements to ensure the service continues to meet customer service expectation.<\/p> <\/p> Our priority is to give all employees, including those delivering Universal Credit, the necessary resources, including manageable workloads, so that they can carry out their roles successfully.<\/p> <\/p> The size of a Case Manager\u2019s caseload is dependent on a number of factors, including the complexity of the caseload and experience of the case manager.<\/p> <\/p> All staff on fixed-term contracts are employed on the basis of agreed full or part time hours. No staff are employed on zero-hour contracts.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharma"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-05T17:53:37.63Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of staffing levels in universal credit centres; and what proportion of fixed-term staff working in universal credit centres are on (a) permanent contracts and (b) zero-hour contracts.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4463", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Stephens"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow South West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chris Stephens"}
], "uin" : "227130"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079440", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1079440/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Official statistics on the take-up of income related benefits, including Pension Credit, can be found in the \u2018Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2016 to 2017\u2019 publication which can be found here:<\/p> <\/p>