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1173143

registered interest
date	24/01/2020
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Equal Pay: Public Sector
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the gender pay gap in the public sector.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7658
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2020 answer text <p>We are working across government and with representative bodies to address the gender pay gap in different public sector workforces.</p><p>This includes supporting the Department of Health and Social Care and the independent review of the gender pay gap in medicine led by Dame Jane Dacre. We are also encouraging initiatives in other public sector workforces, including policing and different parts of the education sector.</p><p>To support all employers, we have published <a href="https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk/actions-to-close-the-gap" target="_blank">evidence-based guidance</a> on practical actions they can take to create more inclusive workplaces.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 29/01/2020 10:10:32 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1173145

registered interest
date	24/01/2020
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	Career Development: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support upward mobility for women in low wage jobs.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7659
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2020 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring that everyone – irrespective of their gender – is able to enter work, progress in work and realise financial security. We are proud that the female employment rate is at a record high. And we are looking to build on this by making Universal Credit better for lone parents (90% of whom are women), and exploring how we can support those in low-paid employment to increase their earnings through a programme of research and testing, looking into barriers to progression (for women in particular), and what works to tackle them.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 30/01/2020 16:03:59 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 3772 answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1173146

registered interest
date	24/01/2020
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Females: Managers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that more women are appointed to (a) leadership and (b) executive roles in companies.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7660
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government has commissioned and supports the business led, independent Hampton-Alexander Review which has a 33% target for women on boards and in senior leadership positions across the FTSE350 by close 2020.</p><p>The Government also supports the recently launched Leaders As Change Agents board which is working to increase diversity in critical decision-making roles.</p><p>Women hold a higher percentage of senior leadership positions than ever before. I am pleased to report the good news that the FTSE100 have achieved their 33% target ahead of schedule. The FTSE350 have 31.5% women on boards and 28.2% of women in executive positions and their direct reports.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 29/01/2020 17:56:31 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1172981

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Employment: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help women with disabilities into work.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7261
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people, regardless of gender, in work between 2017 and 2027.</p><p> </p><p>The Work and Health Programme is designed to help people, particularly people with disabilities, who need extra tailored support to find employment. The latest statistics for programme were published in November 2019, covering the period up to August 2019, and show that 29,300 women have started on the programme since it began to roll out across the country.</p><p> </p><p>The latest Access to Work statistics, published in August 2019 and covering the period up to March 2019, show that a record 22,030 women received support through the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>In December 2019 we launched the Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme. This is a new, voluntary, contracted employment provision designed to help disabled people, regardless of gender, who have complex needs or barriers and who want to work.</p><p> </p><p>According to a report published in December 2019 by the Office for national Statistics, in 2019, the disability employment gap was 31.7 percentage points for men and 25.0 percentage points for women. The employment rate has risen more rapidly for disabled women between 2013 and 2019, increasing by 10.5 percentage points, compared with a 9.0 percentage point increase for disabled men.</p><p> </p><p>The full report may be viewed here:</p><p><a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/bulletins/disabilityandemploymentuk/2019#sex" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/bulletins/disabilityandemploymentuk/2019#sex</a></p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 28/01/2020 17:59:17 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1172984

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage more employers to offer apprenticeships to people with disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7264
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>We are working to ensure that a Learning Difficulty or Disability (LDD) is not a barrier to people who want to realise the benefits that an apprenticeship offers or to employers who want to make a long-term investment in the skills they need to grow. We have seen increases in the proportion of apprenticeship starts by people declaring an LDD in recent years, rising to 12% of starts in 2018/19 from 11.2% in 2017/18 and 10.3% in 2016/17.</p><p>To ensure that employers are supported to create new apprenticeship opportunities, we provide targeted financial support directly to training providers to help remove barriers for people with a LDD. This includes paying £150 a month to providers for additional support. In specific circumstances, this amount can rise to a maximum of £19,000 per year where necessary. Providers and employers recruiting an apprentice aged 19 to 24 with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) receive an additional payment of £1000. We also pay 100% of the cost of training for small employers with fewer than 50 employees who take on apprentices who have an EHCP. Disabled apprentices may also receive help from Access to Work to pay for workplace adaptations, job coaches, transport, special equipment and other forms of support.</p><p>We are also prioritising sharing good practice. Our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network has grown to 75 members and brings together employers committed to improving diversity in their apprenticeship programmes, including for those with disabilities:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/apprenticeship-diversity-champions-network" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/apprenticeship-diversity-champions-network</a>.</p><p>We have integrated the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Confident campaign into the apprenticeship recruitment service. Therefore, the Disability Confident logo is displayed on apprenticeship vacancies for registered employers.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 28/01/2020 13:09:59 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1172985

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Flexible Working
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to encourage employers to offer flexible working to their employees.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7265
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>All employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer have the right to request Flexible Working.</p><p> </p><p>The Government wants to take this further and, subject to further consultation, we will look to introduce steps in an employment bill to make flexible working the default - unless employers have good reason not to.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also consulted on proposals for large employers (with over 250 employees) to publish their parental leave and pay and flexible working policies and to advertise jobs as open to flexible working.  We are considering next steps.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 28/01/2020 15:44:10 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1172989

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	State Retirement Pensions: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to offer additional support to women born in the 1950s who have had to stay in the workforce longer as a result of the increase in their pension age.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7268
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The number of older people in employment is at near-record high. There are now 10.6 million workers aged 50 and over, compared to 9.1 million five years ago. Employment level for women aged 50 and over is currently 5 million.</p><p> </p><p>To support women to remain and return to the labour market, the Government has removed the Default Retirement Age, meaning that most people can choose when to retire and extended the right to flexible working beyond carers, to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2017, the Government published our Fuller Working Lives strategy which set out the role employers, individuals and government can play in supporting older workers. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf</a></p><p>Additionally, we appointed a Business Champion for Older Workers to engage and influence employers on a practical and strategic level, promoting the benefits of an older workforce.</p><p> </p><p>Through the National Retraining Partnership, a partnership between Government, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress, Government is developing the National Retraining Scheme. The National Retraining Scheme will help prepare adults for future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, to help them retrain into better jobs.</p><p> </p><p>In February last year, DWP launched our online mid-life MOT page which encourages more active planning in the key areas of work, wellbeing and finances. <a href="https://www.yourpension.gov.uk/mid-life-mot/" target="_blank">https://www.yourpension.gov.uk/mid-life-mot/</a></p><p> </p><p>To support employers, Business in The Community have created MOT toolkits to support businesses. <a href="https://age.bitc.org.uk/tools-impact-stories/toolkits" target="_blank">https://age.bitc.org.uk/tools-impact-stories/toolkits</a></p><p> </p><p>For people who simply can’t work, our welfare system will continue to provide a strong safety net, as it does for people of all ages now. We will spend £55 billion [£55.4bn] this year (2019/20) on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. This is around 2.5% of GDP, and over 6% of government spending. As a share of GDP, the UK’s public spending is second highest in the G7, bar Germany [OECD 2015 data].</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/01/2020 17:05:54 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1173007

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
answering body	Women and Equalities
answering dept id	31
answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
hansard heading	Gender Recognition Act 2004
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	7280
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>Any changes to the Gender Recognition Act must be carefully considered. We are working with colleagues across Government to consider the appropriate next steps on reform. We will publish our response to the consultation once these have been agreed.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 28/01/2020 14:02:09 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1172099

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for maintained nursery schools.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	5514
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2020 answer text <p>The Department recognises that Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) are an important part of the early years sector and provide valuable services to disadvantaged children.</p><p>Last October we announced increases in hourly funding rates paid to local authorities for the early education entitlements for 2020-21.</p><p>In 2020-21, all local authorities will see an increase of 8p an hour to the hourly funding rates for the 2-year-old entitlement and an increase of 8p an hour for the vast majority of areas for the 3- and 4-year-old entitlement.</p><p>In addition to the hourly funding rates above, the Department invests approximately £60 million in ‘maintained nursery school supplementary funding’ each financial year, to allow local authorities to preserve MNS funding levels and last October we announced that this additional funding will continue at its current level for the whole of the 2020-21 financial year.</p><p>Details of funding paid to local authorities can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2020-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2020-2021</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department remains committed to funding for MNS in the longer term. Any reform to the way they are funded in the future will be accompanied by appropriate funding protections. The Department plans to spend more than £3.6 billion on early education in 2020-21.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/01/2020 17:20:11 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1172100

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Primary Education: Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to introduce free school meals for all primary schoolchildren.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	5515
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2020 answer text <p>This government is committed to ensuring that children are well nourished and develop healthy eating habits that stay with them for the rest of their lives. Healthy eating not only supports children’s health but also has an important contribution to make in ensuring children are able to concentrate and learn in schools, and therefore achieve their potential in life.</p><p>Under the benefits-based criteria, around 1.3 million of the most disadvantaged children are eligible for and claiming free school meals. Benefits-related free meals were extended to disadvantaged further education students in September 2014. A further 1.4 million infants receive a free nutritious meal under the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme.</p><p>We do not currently have plans to extend free school meals to all primary pupils. We believe in prioritising the policy so it is focused on children that are most in need. We will review the eligibility criteria for free school meals at the end of the roll-out of Universal Credit. We have increased access to free meals through the introduction of Universal Infant Free School Meals and Further Education Free Meals. Our amended free school meal criteria, introduced in April 2018 mean we expect more pupils to benefit from benefits-related free school meals in 2022, compared to the legacy system.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 23/01/2020 17:45:13 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi