@prefix rdf: . @prefix xsd: . @prefix dcterms: . @prefix skos: . @prefix rdfs: . @prefix api: . @prefix parl: . parl:answerText "

DCMS worked closely with Communities and Local Government, industry and other interested parties to design and implement in 2013 a significant and substantial package of planning relaxations in England. The changes support the roll out of fixed line high-speed broadband in protected areas*, and high-speed mobile broadband (4G) in protected and unprotected areas by removing the need to seek planning permission for specified developments. This year, joint working with Communities and Local Government has continued, together with house builders and communications providers, to develop an action plan to ensure that new developments have access to superfast broadband.

*(National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Site, Norfolk and Suffolk Broads and Conservation Areas but not Sites of Special Scientific Interest)

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "Wantage" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Edward Vaizey" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-10-30"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-10-30T11:24:19.2333313Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "29" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Department for Work and Pensions" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Work and Pensions" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Work and Pensions" ; parl:hansardHeading "Carer's Allowance" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to link an increase of the earnings threshold for carer's allowance to the rise in the National Minimum Wage." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Stockton North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alex Cunningham" ; parl:uin "211436" ; dcterms:date "2014-10-22"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Alex Cunningham" . parl:answerText "

The Department has not conducted any recent research on the effect of treatment of staff on standards of care and on the relationship between levels of pay and quality of social care services.

As part of the development of Caring for our Future white paper in 2011, the Department undertook extensive engagement with both service users and carers who highlighted range of issues they felt needed addressing to ensure high quality care and support is available. In addressing this, the Department, working with the Sector Skills Council - Skills for Care - and other partners, has implemented a range of policies that has included setting out clear minimum training standards, recruiting more apprentices and supporting the transformation of the social work profession.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "North Norfolk" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Norman Lamb" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-10-29"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-10-29T14:27:48.5399333Z"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot" . parl:answerText "

The UK has a highly competitive broadband market. Superfast broadband is currently available to 78% of UK premises, up from 45% in 2010. In addition to BT, KCom and Virgin Media, a growing number of both fixed and wireless providers are making infrastructure investments. In September 2012 the Government announced a package of measures to reduce the barriers to deployment of superfast broadband, reducing red tape and bureaucracy to enable communications providers to deploy competing networks. The Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy consultation invited industry to submit views on what more the Government might do to support infrastructure deployment. That consultation closed on 1 October and the Government is currently considering the responses received.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "Wantage" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Edward Vaizey" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-10-30"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-10-30T11:22:39.6784224Z"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Norman Lamb" . rdfs:label "Biography information for Jo Swinson" . skos:prefLabel "House of Commons" . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "10" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Department for Culture Media and Sport" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Culture, Media and Sport" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Culture, Media and Sport" ; parl:hansardHeading "Broadband" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will hold discussions with local authorities to encourage uptake of narrow trenching techniques in order to lower deployment costs for high-speed broadband connections and expedite its rollout to more homes and businesses." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Stockton North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alex Cunningham" ; parl:uin "211849" ; dcterms:date "2014-10-24"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "10" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Department for Culture Media and Sport" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Culture, Media and Sport" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Culture, Media and Sport" ; parl:hansardHeading "Broadband" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will co-operate with the Department for Communities and Local Government over potential actions to reduce the costs associated with planning regulations and other barriers in relation to the rollout of high-speed broadband." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Stockton North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alex Cunningham" ; parl:uin "211848" ; dcterms:date "2014-10-24"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "26" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Business, Innovation and Skills" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Business, Innovation and Skills" ; parl:hansardHeading "Social Services: Pay" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of HM Revenue and Customs launching pro-active investigations into the non-payment of the national minimum wage." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Stockton North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alex Cunningham" ; parl:uin "211865" ; dcterms:date "2014-10-24"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

The earnings threshold in Carer’s Allowance is regularly reviewed. It is designed to enable carers to maintain a link with the labour market and achieve greater financial independence. It is increased periodically, most recently from £100 to £102 on 20 May 2014.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "Forest of Dean" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Mark Harper" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-10-29"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-10-29T17:42:37.6084177Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

We encourage and support a range of innovative approaches in street works, particularly where these can lower the cost and speed up deployment of superfast broadband. The standards that street works reinstatements must meet are set out in the statutory code, the Specification of the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH). SROH sets out a range of deployment methods and approved materials that undertakers can use when carrying out street works, including narrow trenching and the use of foamed concrete as a reinstatement material.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "Wantage" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Mr Edward Vaizey" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-10-30"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-10-30T11:25:18.7706606Z"^^xsd:dateTime . rdfs:label "Biography information for Mr Mark Harper" . parl:answerText "

The Government has not undertaken a formal assessment of the merits of pro-active investigations but believes they are an important part of enforcement.

HMRC published findings from their targeted social care evaluation on 25 November 2013. Over the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013, HMRC had made enquiries into 224 employers in the social care sector. Of the cases completed by the end of September 2014, HMRC have found non-compliance in 108 (48%) of their enquiries, identifying £1,319,729 arrears of pay for 6,550 workers, with penalties issued with a total value of £146,931.

As part of this targeted enforcement activity, HMRC have collaborated with care sector representative bodies to improve understanding of compliance risks and design controls within payroll systems that prevent workers being underpaid the minimum wage.

The Department of Health has recently published statutory guidance for local authorities as part of the package of secondary legislation that accompanies the Care Act. The chapter of statutory guidance on commissioning and market shaping explicitly states that local authorities should have evidence that contract terms, conditions and fee levels will not compromise care providers’ ability to pay at least minimum wages. A copy of the guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-statutory-guidance-for-implementation

The Department of Health is asking all Local Authorities to sign up to the Social Care Commitment which incorporates a statement about employer compliance with minimum wage legislation. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has written out to all its members encouraging them to support the Commitment as a way of raising standards in adult social care.

We regularly update our Guidance on Gov.UK and we will continue to work with the sector to improve understanding and compliance.

Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should call the Pay & Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HM Revenue & Customs investigate all complaints.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "East Dunbartonshire" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Jo Swinson" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-11-03"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-11-03T11:47:07.1944946Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "10" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Department for Culture Media and Sport" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Culture, Media and Sport" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Culture, Media and Sport" ; parl:hansardHeading "Broadband" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage infrastructure-based competition across the market for high-speed broadband connections; and if he will make a statement." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Stockton North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alex Cunningham" ; parl:uin "211867" ; dcterms:date "2014-10-24"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answerText "

During the course of this year, officials from the Department of Health and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BiS) have formally met once for policy discussions on the issue of non-compliance of social care employers with National Minimum Wage legislation. I have also recently written to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Employment Relations (Jo Swinson) on this subject.

The new scheme making it easier to name and shame employers who do not comply with National Minimum Wage legislation came into effect from October 2013 and applies to investigations initiated after that date. HM Revenue and Customs leads on the conduct of investigations and makes recommendations to BiS Ministers on the issue of naming employers found to be in breach. The timing of any naming of social care providers is therefore dependent on the outcome of investigations, and will follow where appropriate.

" ; parl:answeringMember ; parl:answeringMemberConstituency "North Norfolk" ; parl:answeringMemberPrinted "Norman Lamb" ; parl:dateOfAnswer "2014-10-29"^^xsd:dateTime ; parl:isMinisterialCorrection false ; parl:questionFirstAnswered "2014-10-29T14:40:50.2442406Z"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "17" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Department of Health" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Health" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Health" ; parl:hansardHeading "Social Services: Pay" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings officials of his Department have had with officials of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the naming and shaming of social care providers who do not comply with National Minimum Wage legislation; and when he expects such social care providers to be named and shamed for such non-compliance." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Stockton North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alex Cunningham" ; parl:uin "211603" ; dcterms:date "2014-10-22"^^xsd:dateTime . parl:answer ; parl:answeringDeptId "17" ; parl:answeringDeptPrinted "Department of Health" ; parl:answeringDeptShortName "Health" ; parl:answeringDeptSortName "Health" ; parl:hansardHeading "Social Services" ; parl:houseId "1" ; parl:legislature ; parl:questionText "To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2014 to Question 209199, what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) considered on (i) the effect of treatment of staff on standards of care and (ii) the relationship between levels of pay and quality of social care services." ; parl:registeredInterest false ; parl:tablingMember ; parl:tablingMemberConstituency "Stockton North" ; parl:tablingMemberPrinted "Alex Cunningham" ; parl:uin "211548" ; dcterms:date "2014-10-22"^^xsd:dateTime . a api:ListEndpoint ; dcterms:hasPart ; api:definition . a api:Page ; "10"^^xsd:long ; "1"^^xsd:long ; "7"^^xsd:long ; dcterms:isPartOf ; api:definition ; api:extendedMetadataVersion ; api:items ( ) ; api:page "0"^^xsd:long ; .