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938811

registered interest
date	11/07/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Interviews
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards they plan to put in place to ensure that any poor interpreting and poor interview practices do not adversely affect individual asylum claims.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9427
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2018 answer text <p>All asylum interviews are carried out by an impartial interviewing officer.</p><p>All interpreters engaged by the Home Office must demonstrate they have the required skills and qualifications. They are also bound by a “Code of Conduct” to ensure minimum standards for interpreting and behaviour. Home Office policy and guidance ensures that in the event of interpreters or interviews falling short of those standards, it would not adversely affect an individual’s asylum claim.</p><p>Interviewing Officers are encouraged to provide feedback on the performance of interpreters, using specifically designed monitoring forms. Interviews may also be monitored for training and security purposes. Increased use of technologies, such as interviewing by video conferencing facilities, are being trialled to increase efficiency and transform the asylum process. Currently the majority of interviews are conducted face to face.</p><p>We have recently introduced digital interviewing capability across the asylum casework operational as part of the wider Home Office digital transformation programme, which aims for the department to become ‘digital by default’. We are aiming to digitally record all asylum interviews and provide claimants and their legal representative with a digital recording of their interview in addition to a written transcript. Claimants who do not want their interview to be audio recorded and provide reasonable explanation for this will be exempt from the recording requirement.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 23/07/2018 12:49:25 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

938812

registered interest
date	11/07/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Interviews
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to audio-record all substantive asylum interviews.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9428
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2018 answer text <p>All asylum interviews are carried out by an impartial interviewing officer. All interpreters engaged by the Home Office must demonstrate they have the required skills and qualifications. They are also bound by a “Code of Conduct” to ensure minimum standards for interpreting and behaviour.</p><p>Home Office policy and guidance ensures that in the event of interpreters or interviews falling short of those standards, it would not adversely affect an individual’s asylum claim. Interviewing Officers are encouraged to provide feedback on the performance of interpreters, using specifically designed monitoring forms. Interviews may also be monitored for training and security purposes.</p><p>Increased use of technologies, such as interviewing by video conferencing facilities, are being trialled to increase efficiency and transform the asylum process. Currently the majority of interviews are conducted face to face.</p><p>We have recently introduced digital interviewing capability across the asylum casework operational as part of the wider Home Office digital transformation programme, which aims for the department to become ‘digital by default’. We are aiming to digitally record all asylum interviews and provide claimants and their legal representative with a digital recording of their interview in addition to a written transcript. Claimants who do not want their interview to be audio recorded and provide reasonable explanation for this will be exempt from the recording requirement.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 23/07/2018 12:50:01 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

938813

registered interest
date	11/07/2018
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	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the demand on the services of food banks, whether they plan to introduce any modifications and improvements to the administration of Universal Credit; and in particular whether they will reduce (1) the waiting time for first payments, and (2) the level of advance loan repayments.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9429
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2018 answer text <p>We continuously modify and improve Universal Credit in response to feedback, and have also implemented a number of further improvements.</p><p>This package of measures, which are set out below, not only addresses concerns raised around the first assessment period and the budgeting issues faced by some claimants at the start of their claim, but also supports the vast majority of claimants transitioning onto Universal Credit. They include:</p><ul><li>from 29 November 2017, all DWP Universal Credit phone lines are free and claimants will not be charged when they need to get help with their Universal Credit claim.</li></ul><ul><li>from 3 January, the repayment period of Universal Credit advances has been increased to 12 months and claimants can now get up to 100 per cent of their estimated monthly entitlement upfront. These advances are available to claimants interest-free. Earlier this month (July 2018), advances also became available to apply for online.</li></ul><ul><li>from 14 February, the seven-day waiting period that some claimants had at the start of their Universal Credit claim was removed; and,</li></ul><ul><li>from 11 April, we have provided an additional payment for claimants already receiving support towards their housing costs of two weeks of their Housing Benefit to support them as they transfer onto Universal Credit. Claimants will not be required to repay this money.</li></ul> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 24/07/2018 16:37:41 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

938814

registered interest
date	11/07/2018
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	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to increase Universal Credit payments in line with inflation; and what plans they have, if any, to make payments reflect more closely the Minimum Income Standard.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9430
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2018 answer text <p>The Department will be conducting the annual review of benefit and pension rates later this year, as required by the Social Security Administration Act 1992. This will include many Universal Credit rates, though it will exclude the standard allowance which has been frozen at 2015/16 levels until the end of 2019/20, by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting people who cannot work or have additional needs as a result of illness or disability and has consistently increased the carer amount, Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount and higher disabled child addition in line with inflation since the introduction of Universal Credit. Additionally, although work allowances, have not been increased each year they were raised in line with inflation for 2018/19.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 24/07/2018 16:38:21 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

938816

registered interest
date	11/07/2018
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review the benefits system focussing on training and support for staff, and cooperation with Citizens' Advice and credit unions, in order to prevent rent and utility arrears and defaults on Council Tax.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9432
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2018 answer text <p>DWP is committed to making sure that claimants have the right support available to them to help make and maintain a Universal Credit claim and manage their finances. The Department works with local authorities, Citizens Advice and other third sector providers to make sure that this support is in place.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Support provides Universal Credit claimants with additional help to use a computer to make or maintain their claim (Assisted Digital Support), help in managing their monthly Universal Credit payment and possible advice on their finances (Personal Budgeting Support).</p><p> </p><p>We also refer claimants to Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Service for more specialist debt advice and have also worked with the Money Advice Service to develop a Money Manager Tool. The Money Manager is designed for people on Universal Credit to make the most of their money, both when they are waiting for their first Universal Credit payment and when they are getting regular monthly payments, and is available online through the Money Advice Service.</p><p> </p><p>DWP is currently looking at how Universal Support operates and will examine feedback from providers and users before making decisions related to the future and shape of Universal Support.</p><p> </p><p>If people have problems managing their monthly payments, alternative payment arrangements (APAs) are available. These include direct payment of rent to landlords, more frequent-than-monthly Universal Credit payments, and splitting household payments in some cases. Work coaches make claimants aware of APAs. Information is also available through <a href="http://gov.uk" target="_blank">gov.uk</a>, the Universal Credit helpline and Universal Credit at Work and DWP always prioritise vulnerable claimants for APAs.</p><p> </p><p>All DWP staff delivering Universal Credit undergo comprehensive training, which includes information on Universal Support. This training includes support to recognise and help claimants with complex needs, and is delivered through a range of methods, which includes facilitator-led learning and skills practice.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 18/07/2018 14:24:41 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

938075

registered interest
date	10/07/2018
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	Social Rented Housing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities have produced 500 or more new homes for rent in the last ten years.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2018 answer text <p>500 or more additional dwellings were built for rent between 2007 - 08 and 2016 - 17 in 251 out of 326 local authorities. This includes social rent, affordable rent and intermediate rent.</p><p>More comprehensive statistics on additional affordable housing provided local authority and private registered providers (housing association) are published in the Department’s live tables (attached) at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply</a></p><p>Tables 1006C and 1006aC provide figures for ‘social rent’ and ‘affordable rent’ by local authority area respectively.</p> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth question first answered 18/07/2018 16:12:57 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth attachment 1 file name 180713 Copy of Live Table 1006 1009 - HL9380.xlsx title live table on affordable housing
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

938076

registered interest
date	10/07/2018
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: Construction
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many potential homes are included but not yet started under existing planning permissions; and what proportion of the total are on sites for 50 or more dwellings.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9381
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2018 answer text <p>On 30 June 2018, there were 748,000 homes with full planning permission, of which 431,000 were on projects which had started on site, and 317,000 had yet to start on site. Of these 748,000 homes, 86 per cent are on sites of 50 or more dwellings.</p><p><br></p> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth question first answered 24/07/2018 15:52:27 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

938077

registered interest
date	10/07/2018
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	Social Rented Housing: Construction
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what area of land in public ownership has been released for building social homes in each of the last three years.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9382
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2018 answer text <p>Decisions on affordable housing provision are taken at a local level according to local need. MHCLG does not currently hold data on the amount of social homes planned and built on land sold through the Public Land for Housing Programme.</p><p>However, Ordnance Survey has been commissioned to monitor the progress of sites sold through both the 2011-15 and 2015-20 Public Land for Housing Programmes and is gathering information on the planned number of affordable houses. This will be made available in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth question first answered 18/07/2018 16:11:26 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

934642

registered interest
date	04/07/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what responses they received to letters from the then Home Secretary to her counterparts in 2017 in France, Greece and Italy inviting referrals of eligible unaccompanied asylum-seeking children for transfer to the UK; how many referrals have been made since; and how many have been accepted.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2018 answer text <p>The previous Home Secretary received responses from each of the participating States and we have since been working with each of them at a Ministerial and official level to ensure safe transfer of unaccompanied children to the UK. We have received referrals from all participating States and the process is ongoing.</p><p>We remain fully committed to delivering our commitment to transfer the specified number of 480 children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and are working very closely with participating States, to deliver the scheme in line with their national laws. Over 220 children are already in the UK. We will not provide a running commentary on numbers and will publish the details once all children are in the UK.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 13/07/2018 11:55:50 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

934643

registered interest
date	04/07/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the willingness of families, churches and rotary groups to sponsor and care for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children when they announced in April 2017 that they UK would take 480 children from Europe.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2018 answer text <p>Under the Children Act 1989, and relevant legislation in the devolved nations, local authorities have a responsibility to look after children in need in their jurisdiction. In accordance with section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, we consulted with local authorities on their capacity to care for unaccompanied children before announcing the specified number of 480. This is in addition to the over 4,500 unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), already in local authority care in the UK. In light of this statutory duty, we have no plans to extend caring responsibilities for unaccompanied asylum seeking children in this way.</p><p>A scheme to allow community groups to directly sponsor a resettled refugee family was launched by the then Home Secretary and Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace on 19 July 2016. The Full Community Sponsorship scheme enables community groups including charities, faith groups, churches and businesses, to take on the role of supporting resettled refugees in the UK. A ‘Help Refugees in the UK’ webpage has also been developed on GOV.UK to make it easier for the public to support refugees in the UK and allow local authorities to focus support on the goods and services that refugees need.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 13/07/2018 12:26:41 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton