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901456

registered interest
date	10/05/2018
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	Sign Language
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) registered sign language interpreters, and (2) sign language users, there are in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL7782
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>Currently there are 908 registered sign language interpreters, and 234 trainee interpreters.</p><p>It is estimated there are currently at least 24,000 people in the UK for whom British Sign Language (BSL) is their first language.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 22/05/2018 11:01:42 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

901457

registered interest
date	10/05/2018
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	Hearing Impairment: Telecommunications
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from (1) sign language users, and (2) organisations representing deaf people, concerning a free to access video relay service.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL7783
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2018 answer text <p>Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has received representations on access to a video relay service. This includes recent correspondence from Jim Fitzpatrick MP (Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Deafness) in relation to changing existing legislation to expand Ofcom’s remit to include the regulation of Captioned Telephone Relay and Video Relay Services.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 24/05/2018 11:11:00 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

901458

registered interest
date	10/05/2018
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	Hearing Impairment: Telecommunications
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the take up in Scotland of free to access video relay service for public services.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL7784
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>Contact Scotland was launched in 2016 for calls via video relay service to public sector bodies only. In 2017 the ability to call third sector organisations via video relay service was added.</p><p> </p><p>Contact Scotland will be able to provide further information and advise on take-up of the service and can be contacted either by calling 0141 419 0420 or emailing them at: <a href="mailto:info@contactscotland-bsl.org" target="_blank">info@contactscotland-bsl.org</a>.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to look at lessons from developments in Scotland to inform our thinking for England and Wales.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 22/05/2018 11:08:06 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

901459

registered interest
date	10/05/2018
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	Hearing Impairment: Telecommunications
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of providing a national free to access video relay service in England; and whether they are considering setting up such a service for public services.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL7785
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>Under the EU Universal Service Directive, Member States must ensure that access to, and affordability of, voice telephony for end-users with disabilities is equivalent to the level enjoyed by the majority of end-users.</p><p> </p><p>In the UK, the Directive is implemented through the Communications Act and the Universal Service Order. The Order requires Ofcom to ensure the provision of relay services (defined as providing facilities for the receipt and translation of voice messages into text and text into voice messages).</p><p> </p><p>The Government has not made any formal assessment of costs of providing a national free to access video relay service in England.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware of international comparisons with other countries, for example, Australia, Canada and the USA, where video relay service is provided for free to users and costs between £0.48 and £2.62 per citizen per year, plus state-level levies where relevant. There are a range of funding models, including general taxation and levies on communication providers.</p><p> </p><p>The Government's position is that a voluntary approach to video relay should be followed and not a mandatory approach funded by taxation or general levies.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 22/05/2018 11:11:16 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

872492

registered interest
date	26/03/2018
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Disability Aids
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timetable for the implementation of the duty on landlords to allow disabled tenants to make access improvements to the hallways, staircases and entrances of residential properties.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6666
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2018 answer text <p>The Government response to the Women and Equalities Select Committee report “<em>Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment</em>” published on 15 March 2018, made clear that “Government intends to commence Section 36, subject to Parliamentary passage of any regulations, should these prove necessary. Further work on identifying and assessing any additional burdens on local authorities is first required, after which an announcement on timing of the commencement will be made.”</p><p>The report can be found (attached) at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-and-the-built-environment-government-response-to-select-committee-report" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-and-the-built-environment-government-response-to-select-committee-report</a></p> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth question first answered 11/04/2018 15:32:33 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth attachment 1 file name 180411 Building for Equality HL6666.pdf title Building for Equality
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

868245

registered interest
date	20/03/2018
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: Care Homes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether severely disabled Personal Independence Payment claimants in residential homes under NHS Continuing Care are eligible for higher rate mobility to enable them to lease a mobility vehicle.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6517
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2018 answer text <p>Where someone is maintained free of charge while undergoing medical or other treatment as an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution (as defined) funded by the NHS, payment of (but not entitlement to) the daily living and mobility components of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) ceases after 28 days. This is on the basis that the NHS is responsible for the entirety of the person’s disability-related extra costs and to pay PIP in addition would be a duplication of public funds intended for the same purpose.</p><p> </p><p>NHS Continuing Healthcare funding in accommodation where medical or other treatment is being provided in the accommodation by a doctor or qualified nurse, or under their direct supervision, means that the accommodation is classified as a similar institution to a hospital.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 03/04/2018 15:56:55 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

845479

registered interest
date	20/02/2018
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	VAT
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why VAT is payable on the provision of British Sign Language interpreters for deaf people and people with hearing loss in full-time employment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL5679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2018 answer text VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the standard rate of twenty percent applies to most goods and services, including the supply of sign language interpreters and palantypists by VAT-registered suppliers. Exceptions to the standard rate are strictly limited under domestic and international law. However, VAT-registered employers are able to deduct VAT incurred on such services to the extent that they relate to VAT-able supplies. answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL5680 question first answered 06/03/2018 12:48:39 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

845480

registered interest
date	20/02/2018
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	VAT
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why VAT is payable on the provision of palantypists for deaf people and people with hearing loss in full time employment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL5680
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2018 answer text VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the standard rate of twenty percent applies to most goods and services, including the supply of sign language interpreters and palantypists by VAT-registered suppliers. Exceptions to the standard rate are strictly limited under domestic and international law. However, VAT-registered employers are able to deduct VAT incurred on such services to the extent that they relate to VAT-able supplies. answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL5679 question first answered 06/03/2018 12:48:39 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

830528

registered interest
date	25/01/2018
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Personal Independence Payment assessors who are asked by claimants what professional qualifications they hold are obliged to inform those claimants.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL5127
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2018 answer text <p>There is no requirement for Health Professionals to inform claimants of their qualifications when they first meet and introduce themselves. If asked about qualifications it would be at the Health Professional’s discretion whether or not to disclose this information.</p><p>All Health Professionals undertaking PIP assessments must be registered with the appropriate professional body such as the General Medical Council or Nursing and Midwifery Council and have at least 2 years post full-registration experience. Details of any Health Professional’s primary qualifications are publically available on the websites of the relevant governing body.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 08/02/2018 12:34:01 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

824031

registered interest
date	16/01/2018
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	Work Capability Assessment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on meeting their targets on work capability assessments for disabled people.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL4774
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decision makers have no targets that relate to the number of people placed in the Support Group, Work Related Activity Group or found fit for work following a work capability assessment.</p><p> </p><p>The current contractual agreement between the DWP and the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments contains numerous performance targets including throughput, claimant service and work capability assessment report quality, which also contain automatic financial remedies where there is service level failure. There are no targets specifying that certain numbers of people should be allowed or disallowed benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The contractual performance of Centre for Health and Disability Assessments is monitored closely by the DWP. Since Centre for Health and Disability Assessments took on the contract, we have halved work capability assessment waiting times, down from 32 weeks in August 2014 to 16 weeks in March 2017.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 23/01/2018 12:57:20 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester