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1058635

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	Whether her Department has plans to redesign the reassessment process for benefit recipients with severe mental or physical disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	909127
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>We are committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly and accurately, and helping people to access the right support. We made a clear commitment in <em>Improving Lives</em>: <em>The Future of Work, Health and Disability</em> to reform the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and recognise the importance of getting this right. We are therefore testing new approaches to build the evidence base for what works, and working with external stakeholders to inform future changes to the WCA.</p><p> </p><p>Over the last year we have introduced new guidance into Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC), as well as updated guidance for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to improve the service we provide for those with the most severe/lifelong conditions. For ESA/UC since September 2017 we have switched off routine reassessments for those who meet the Severe Conditions criteria, and since August 2018, those receiving the highest level of support in PIP, whose needs are unlikely to change or may get worse, will now receive an ongoing award with a light touch review at the ten year point.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/02/2019 17:02:14 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1058636

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) accuracy and (b) efficiency of contracted-out health assessments for (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) personal independence payment.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	909128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring claimants receive high quality assessments. Providers are closely monitored against a range of measures including through independent audit to improve accuracy and decision making. We are seeing continuous improvement in PIP assessment quality and recent data shows both PIP providers meeting quality expectations. We continually look to improve the efficiency of the assessment process by working closely with health assessment providers and the disabled people the Department supports.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/02/2019 16:37:48 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1058637

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Pensioners: Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of pensioner poverty; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	909129
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>This Government has seen the absolute poverty rate for pensioners fall to record lows, with over 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty before housing costs. Rates of material deprivation for pensioners are also at record lows.</p><p>We have reduced pensioner poverty close to historically low levels, lifting the incomes of millions of older people. Since 2009/10, material deprivation for pensioners has fallen from 10 per cent to 7 per cent in 2016/17 and since 2010 there are 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty, a record low.</p><p>The Government is committed to action that helps to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty. In 2018/19 we will spend £121.5 billion on benefits for pensioners, including £97 billion on the State Pension for this year.</p><p>The Government has also committed to up-rating the basic State Pension by the highest of the growth in earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent - the 'triple lock' guarantee. This will mean that the full basic State Pension will be around £1450 per year higher in 2018/19 than in 2010. The Government has committed to the triple lock for the remainder of this Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 11/02/2019 17:58:24 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1055793

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Overseas Trade
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether he plans to incorporate living income as defined by the Living Income Community of Practice into the Government’s business and human rights policies; and what steps he will take to incorporate fair prices into his policies to deliver improved human rights in supply chains.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	217634
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for International Development (DFID) is a long-term supporter of the ISEAL Alliance, the umbrella organisation for standards systems such as Fairtrade and one of the founding members of the Living Income Community of Practice. We support efforts that work towards a living income in global supply chains.</p><p> </p><p>The UK was the first country to produce a National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, demonstrating a high level of commitment that will feed into any future trade policy. We are committed to upholding the UK’s values, including around labour standards, and will consider the full range of mechanisms available in the design of future trade and investment agreements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 14/02/2019 16:15:33 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1056635

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Fraud: Telephones
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to protect consumers from telephone fraud.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	218347
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government takes telephone fraud very seriously and continues to in-troduce measures to tackle the problem. Ofcom has introduced new rules on Calling Line Identification (CLI) data, which should help telephone call recipient’s make more informed decisions about whether to accept a call, and to report problem calls to regulators and law enforcement agencies more effectively.</p><p>The rules, which came into effect in October 2018, mean that Communications Providers are now required, where technically feasible and economically viable, to provide CLI facilities and turn them on by default. Under these rules, Communications Providers must also ensure that, where technically feasible, the CLI Data that is provided with a call includes a valid, dialable, telephone number which uniquely identifies the caller. They must also now take reasonable steps to identify and block calls on which invalid or non-dialable CLI is provided.</p><p>Separately, the Joint Fraud Taskforce (a coalition between government, industry, law enforcement and the third sector) is leading an ambitious programme of work to prevent fraud. This includes broadening its engagement with the telecommunications sector, to collectively address the vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit to commit their crimes.</p> answering member constituency Wyre and Preston North answering member printed Mr Ben Wallace question first answered 20/02/2019 16:17:04 answering member 1539 label Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1056636

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
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	Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
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 is taking steps to exempt people with diagnosed long-term mental health illnesses from prescription charges.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	218348
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department has no current plans to amend the list of medical conditions that provide exemption from National Health Service prescription charges, as extensive arrangements are in place to ensure that people, including those with mental health illnesses, can access affordable prescriptions.</p> answering member constituency Winchester answering member printed Steve Brine question first answered 15/02/2019 11:11:14 answering member 4067 label Biography information for Steve Brine
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1056637

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
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	Fuels: 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, if he will make an assessment of trends in the level of fuel prices in different areas of the country.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	218349
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government does not collect official statistics on regional fuel prices.</p> answering member constituency Devizes answering member printed Claire Perry question first answered 14/02/2019 09:52:34 answering member 3974 label Biography information for Claire Perry
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1056638

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care: Care Leavers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will (a) ensure that the Staying Put programme is adequately (i) costed and (ii) funded and (b) bring forward a national minimum allowance for that programme to cover the cost of looking after a young person.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	218350
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>Since its introduction in May 2014, the Department for Education has provided over £90 million in funding to local authorities to implement Staying Put; and has committed to provide a further £23.77 million in 2019/20. Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the outcome of the next Spending Review.</p><p>The government does not believe that introducing a national minimum allowance is the right way forward. Unlike children in foster care, young people in Staying Put arrangements are adults, and may be in work, or claiming benefits. These financial sources can be used to contribute to the cost of providing the Staying Put arrangement, in a similar way that young people who are still living at home with their parents may contribute to the costs of running the household.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 14/02/2019 12:54:00 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1056639

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Railways: Energy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the rising cost of energy on the rail industry.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	218351
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>We have not made an assessment of the effect of the rising cost of energy in the rail industry.</p><p>For information, fuel costs made up 3% of franchised train operator expenditure in 2017/18, the same proportion as in 2016/17. For additional information on income and expenditure in the rail industry please view the UK Rail Industry Financials, published by the Office of Rail and Road at the link below:</p><p><a href="http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/40351/uk-rail-industry-financial-information-2017-18.pdf" target="_blank">http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/40351/uk-rail-industry-financial-information-2017-18.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 14/02/2019 15:29:50 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1056640

registered interest
date	07/02/2019
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	Bereavement Counselling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for the future roll-out of the National Bereavement Care Pathway; and whether he plans to expand that roll-out.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	218352
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>All bereaved parents, following baby loss, should be offered the same high standard of care and support in an appropriate environment. The Government committed full funding of over £100,000 for the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity (Sands) to continue the roll-out of the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) in 2018/19. This builds upon £50,000 of start-up funding.</p><p> </p><p>This funding has enabled Sands to actively support 32 NHS trusts and foundation trusts to implement the NBCP over the past two years. An evaluation of Wave 1 implementation found that 94% of parents who received bereavement care in the period the NBCP was used felt that all staff could provide a consistently high level of care and 98% felt they were treated with respect. We would encourage all services caring for parents who experience baby loss to adopt the NBCP. Care providers can access all of the NBCP standards, pathway materials and training resources via the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.nbcpathway.org.uk" target="_blank">http://www.nbcpathway.org.uk</a></p><p> </p><p>The Department’s Business Planning process takes place annually. Expenditure, including any awards made through grant funding, cannot be confirmed until the Business Planning process has been concluded and budgets for the relevant financial year approved.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price question first answered 14/02/2019 12:20:42 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith