We are aware that some claimants who are working may find it difficult to access our Jobcentre Plus Service due to their work commitments. We have recently started a pilot to test the demand for Jobcentre Plus Services on a Saturday. The pilot which is aimed at working claimants, including those who are self-employed, offers a limited range of services, usually via a pre-booked appointment.<\/p>
<\/p>
The pilot is being delivered in seven different Jobcentre Plus Offices, spread across the country and with different geographical and demographic features - for example large inner city (such as Poplar) small rural offices such as Wick and Todmorden, and urban such as Dudley, York.<\/p>
<\/p>
Additionally, we are in the early stages of testing the demand for appointments in the early evening, again to meet the needs of our employed and self-employed claimants.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-18T15:00:33.197Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-13", "_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, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2019 to Question 252105, whether all universal credit claimants who work during working hours and who have been required to have an interview to verify evidence have been able to arrange a date and time for that interview outside DWP working hours.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "264396"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132965", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132965/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
UK Visa & Immigration can confirm 23 countries do not have a UK Visa application and customers are advised to apply in an alternative location:<\/p>
Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Somalia, Swaziland and Togo<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-24T14:55:56.977Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Africa"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries in Africa do not have a UK visa application centre.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"}
], "uin" : "266256"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132966", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132966/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Opening times of Visa Application Centres are determined by volumes of applications. The vast majority of Visa Application Centres are open every working day with the exception of the following; Gambia, Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-24T15:00:08.667Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Africa"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries in Africa have a UK visa application centre which is not open each working day.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "266257"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132058", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132058/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The following organisations registered in the North East are involved in current active projects within the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund challenge Prospering from the Energy Revolution<\/em>:<\/p> As per its funding settlement with HM Treasury, BEIS has allocated its research and innovation Official Development Assistance budget to two discrete funds: the Newton Fund, and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).<\/p> <\/p> The Newton Fund has a total budget of £735 million (2014/15 \u2013 2020/21) and supports science and innovation collaborations with 17 partner countries. The fund aims to promote the economic development and social welfare of either the partner countries or, through working with the partner country, to address the wellbeing of communities.<\/p> <\/p> The GCRF is a funding stream that supports cutting edge research on global issues affecting developing countries. From 2016/17 to 2020/21, the GCRF will invest £1.5 billion in funding that harnesses the expertise of the UK\u2019s world-leading researchers.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4021", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Skidmore"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingswood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Skidmore"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-18T14:09:15Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Overseas Aid: Research"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how his Department has allocated its allocation of Official Development Assistance research and innovation funding.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"}
], "uin" : "264394"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132172", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132172/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " BEIS has two research and innovation Official Development Funds: the Newton Fund and Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The funds are distributed through the UK\u2019s main public bodies for the allocation of government research funds including UK Research and Innovation and the four National Academies.<\/p> <\/p> BEIS does not hold a record of the number of individuals supported across all funding bodies. However, since 2014, UK Research and Innovation (and its predecessor bodies) has supported over 2000 researchers based outside of the EU through Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund programmes.<\/p> <\/p> A Newton funded research collaboration between experts from Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Recife (Fiocruz) and the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research played a major role in Brazil\u2019s response to the Zika epidemic. The first in the world to focus on Zika virus epidemiology, the project informed policy and resulted in basic understanding of the virus, paving the way for more advanced research to take place.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4021", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Skidmore"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingswood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Skidmore"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-18T16:25:28.99Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Scientists: Migrant Workers"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many overseas scientists from outside the EU are funded by his Department through Official Development Assistance funding.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"}
], "uin" : "264395"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134082", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1134082/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " In October 2018 we launched a consultation to build our understanding of whether there are opportunities to further encourage new innovative methods and technologies in the utilities sectors to improve outcomes for consumers. This sought views on the barriers to innovation in the utilities sectors, and how we could improve the regulatory framework to further encourage innovation. We are analysing the responses to this consultation and plan to publish a response in due course.<\/p> <\/p> In June 2019 we announced measures in our White Paper on Regulation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to support regulators to enable innovation in their sectors, as part of our approach to increasing R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. We have invested in projects by both Ofcom and Ofgem to support innovation through the Regulators\u2019 Pioneer Fund.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4021", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Skidmore"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingswood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Skidmore"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-27T08:10:00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Research: Finance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) Ofcom, (b) Ofwat and (c) Ofgem on incentives for innovation and research and development in their sectors and how that relates to the 2.4 per cent GDP spend on R&D target.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"}
], "uin" : "268539"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1136880", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1136880/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The 2015 report by Economic Insight was considered during the 2015 Spending Review, and before more recent announcements related to the National Productivity Investment Fund, together with other evidence and analysis.<\/p> <\/p> The Government has a long term plan for Science, Research and Innovation. As a first step to reaching the 2.4% target, public R&D spending has been raised from around £9.5bn in 2016-17 to around £12.5bn in 2021-22. This is a total increase of £7bn over 5 years, and the biggest increase in public funding of R&D on record.<\/p> <\/p> Public spending in R&D for years beyond current budgets will be considered in the next Spending Review.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4021", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Skidmore"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingswood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Skidmore"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-09T14:53:08.857Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Research: Finance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what account he has taken of his Department's report entitled What is the relationship between public and private investment in science, research and innovation published in July 2015, in determining future funding for science.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"}
], "uin" : "273388"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138047", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138047/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "