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1177312

registered interest
date	10/02/2020
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	Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the February 2020 Joseph Rowntree Foundation report entitled UK Poverty 2019-2020 that 56 per cent of people living in poverty were also in a working household in 2018; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	14729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2020 answer text <p>There is clear evidence about the importance of work in tackling poverty now and in the future. For example, a child growing up in a home where all adults are working is around 5 times less likely to be in poverty than a child in a household where nobody works. The majority of people in in-work poverty either work solely part-time, are the single earner in a couple, or are full-time self-employed.</p><p>Delivering a sustainable long-term solution to poverty means building a strong economy and ensuring that the benefit system works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay. There are over 1 million fewer workless households compared with 2010, with around 730,000 fewer children in workless households, and over 3.8 million more people have entered work, averaging around 1,000 people a day. Around three-quarters of the growth in employment since 2010 has been in full-time work. Our unemployment rate is now less than half the Euro area average. Around three-quarters of the growth in employment since 2010 has been in full-time work, substantially reducing the risk of poverty.</p><p>Joseph Rowntree Foundation reported that Universal Credit is likely to help an extra 300,000 members of working families out of poverty.</p><p>Universal Credit is designed to help people move into work faster, stay in work longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings. It provides more financial help with childcare costs (eligible claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70% on the legacy system), a dedicated Work Coach, and removes the 16-hour ‘cliff edge<strong>’</strong> for those who are working. We are confident that, as UC reaches more working families, we will see more people working full-time and ultimately achieving independence from the State.</p><p>We will continue to reform the welfare system so that it promotes work as the most effective route out of poverty and is fairer towards those who receive it and the taxpayers who pay for it. We also want to identify opportunities to create a highly productive workforce, improving progression prospects for the lowest paid people so everyone has the right skills to meet the UK’s future demand. That is why we are delivering a significant programme of research and testing to build the evidence of how to overcome the obstacles that people face so that they can improve their earnings and career prospects.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 13/02/2020 18:04:47 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1143758

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Amazonia: Fires
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is giving to indigenous people in the Amazon affected by major forest fires; and what steps his Department is taking to discourage forest burning by logging and farming interests in Brazil.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	285148
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The increase in forest fires in the Amazon is a tragedy for all of us, but none more so than the indigenous people who call the Amazon their home. These fires are made more likely by deforestation, and that is why we have invested nearly £120 million of our international climate finance in projects to limit deforestation, support local and indigenous people, prevent forest fires and implement the Forest Code in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to work with Brazilian partners at federal and sub-national levels to help them protect the Amazon, and to support the transition to a low carbon economy. The first phase of Defra’s £24.9 million Low-carbon Agriculture programme, for example, completed in May this year. It reached over 18,500 beneficiaries in the Amazon and Atlantic forest biomes, avoided the clearance of 175,000 hectares of land, reduced carbon emissions by 52% and delivered a seven-fold increase in livestock productivity.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith question first answered 05/09/2019 16:06:03 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1141998

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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: Cancer
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the recent report by Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer - A costly diagnosis? Stories of the financial impact of cancer, if she will take steps to help mitigate the financial effect of a cancer diagnosis on patients and their families.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	282407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to ensuring that people who have cancer are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care when making a claim to Universal Credit. Overall we are spending £55 billion a year on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. That’s a record high and up £10 billion in real terms since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>For instance, in terms of the support we provide, the UC50 questionnaire incorporates a 'light touch' evidence gathering process for cancer patients, and makes clear that Clinical Nurse Specialists and consultants can provide information on the form, therefore making the claim and assessment process simpler for people with cancer. This ensures the Department can make accurate and timely payments of Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Staff delivering Universal Credit undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants, including those who have cancer and other serious health conditions. Colleagues receive on-going learning in their roles and have access to Universal Credit guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals.</p><p> </p><p>It is important to ensure those affected by cancer receive the most appropriate support and we have worked closely with many representative organisations to improve the WCA process for those affected. From January 2013, the categories of cancer treatments under which a claimant can be treated as having limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) have been expanded to include individuals who are awaiting, receiving, or recovering from treatment by way of chemotherapy irrespective of route, and radiotherapy. Although there is no automatic award, in these cases, there is a presumption that the claimant has LCWRA, subject to suitable evidence being provided by a professional such as a GP, oncologist or clinical nurse specialist.</p><p> </p><p>Work coaches personalise the support they provide for each claimant based on individual need and circumstance, including the offer of home visits or postal signing where appropriate. Local jobcentres have the flexibility to work alongside organisations to help meet the needs of their communities, helping our most vulnerable, at risk, claimants to access the support they need. We also work with organisations to produce guides on specific vulnerabilities.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/09/2019 15:35:21 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1010308

registered interest
date	19/11/2018
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	Maternity Services: Asylum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether pregnant asylum seekers with no leave to remain are charged different amounts for maternity services in different parts of the UK.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	192900
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>Asylum seekers and those failed asylum seekers supported by the Home Office under section 4(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or a local authority under section 21 or Part 1 (care and support) of the Care Act 2014 (Regulation 15(d) are exempt from charge under the Charging Regulations. Charges for overseas visitors and migrants are set in accordance with national tariff and rules as laid out in the published guidance: ‘Guidance on implementing the overseas visitor charging regulations’.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold data on the number of pregnant asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers who have been charged for maternity care for the years requested.</p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond grouped question UIN 192901 192902 192903 question first answered 22/11/2018 15:25:23 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1010310

registered interest
date	19/11/2018
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	Maternity Services: Asylum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse of invoicing pregnant asylum seekers with no leave to remain for maternity care in 2017-2018 was.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	192902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>Asylum seekers and those failed asylum seekers supported by the Home Office under section 4(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or a local authority under section 21 or Part 1 (care and support) of the Care Act 2014 (Regulation 15(d) are exempt from charge under the Charging Regulations. Charges for overseas visitors and migrants are set in accordance with national tariff and rules as laid out in the published guidance: ‘Guidance on implementing the overseas visitor charging regulations’.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold data on the number of pregnant asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers who have been charged for maternity care for the years requested.</p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond grouped question UIN 192900 192901 192903 question first answered 22/11/2018 15:25:23 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1010311

registered interest
date	19/11/2018
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	Maternity Services: Asylum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the proportion was of pregnant asylum seekers who paid in full their invoices for maternity care in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	192903
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>Asylum seekers and those failed asylum seekers supported by the Home Office under section 4(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or a local authority under section 21 or Part 1 (care and support) of the Care Act 2014 (Regulation 15(d) are exempt from charge under the Charging Regulations. Charges for overseas visitors and migrants are set in accordance with national tariff and rules as laid out in the published guidance: ‘Guidance on implementing the overseas visitor charging regulations’.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold data on the number of pregnant asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers who have been charged for maternity care for the years requested.</p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond grouped question UIN 192900 192901 192902 question first answered 22/11/2018 15:25:23 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

934287

registered interest
date	03/07/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Antarctic: Marine Protected Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will advocate the creation of the Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary at an international level.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	160369
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2018 answer text <p>The UK is already a leading advocate for the development and establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas across the Southern Ocean. The UK secured agreement for the first Southern Ocean Marine Protected Area (MPA) on the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf, which was designated by the international Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in 2009. We also strongly supported the Ross Sea region MPA, which was agreed in 2016. The UK is a co-proponent for MPA proposals in the Weddell Sea and in East Antarctica, both of which will be presented to the next CCAMLR meeting in October for adoption. Prior to this meeting, the Foreign Secretary will engage with key CCAMLR Members to seek their support. The UK is also playing a leading role in developing an MPA proposal for the Antarctic Peninsula.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 06/07/2018 14:01:05 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan previous answer version 68156 answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

874863

registered interest
date	29/03/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Free Movement of People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to allow non-musicians working in the music industry an exemption from restrictions on free movement after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	135164
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2018 answer text <p>The precise way in which the Government will control migration to the UK following exit from the EU is yet to be determined.</p><p>In July 2017, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the European Union and also on how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. The MAC’s call for evidence sought information on EU migrants’ skills, amongst other things, and this will be considered in their final report due in September 2018.</p><p>We will build a comprehensive picture of the needs and interests of all parts of the UK, taking account of the evidence from the MAC, and look to develop a system which works for all.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 16/04/2018 11:05:25 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

870188

registered interest
date	23/03/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that all employers with over 250 employees report their gender pay gap statistics by 4 April 2018.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	134058
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2018 answer text <p>We have written to all employers in scope of the gender pay gap reporting regulations that have not yet registered to report, on four separate occasions, ensuring they are aware of the requirement and urging them to report.</p><p>In recent weeks we have telephoned all organisations who have not yet registered on the gender pay gap website to ensure that they are on track to report.</p><p>We have also run an intensive social media campaign, and placed advertisements in national newspapers.</p><p>To date, more than 9,000 organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors have registered to report on the government portal, a clear indication that they are aware of their responsibility.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 03/04/2018 16:30:14 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

870189

registered interest
date	23/03/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Voluntary Work
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allocate funding for volunteering opportunities for people seeking asylum in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	134059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>Our policy is clear that we encourage asylum seekers to seek out volunteering activities, which can provide a valuable contribution to their local community and may help them to integrate into society if they qualify for protection. However, we have no plans to allocate funding for this.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 28/03/2018 14:22:51 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel