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1202389

registered interest
date	10/06/2020
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the additional £63 million funding for the Welfare Assistance Fund announced at Prime Minister’s Questions on 10 June 2020 is being funded; when it will become available; and for how long that funding will be made available.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	57984
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>To support those people who are facing severe financial difficulties during this crisis, the Government has announced further funding of £63 million to be given to and disbursed by local authorities in England. This will ensure that the most vulnerable families can afford food and other essentials. This funding will sit alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the Government is providing through the benefits system to protect the most vulnerable throughout this crisis.</p><p>The additional £63 million will be for local authorities to spend at their discretion and at the pace which suits the needs of their community. The money will be distributed through a Section 31 grant. Funding arrangements will be finalised shortly. Most local authorities already operate these schemes and understand the legal context within which they operate, including entitlement for those with no recourse to public funds.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 57985 57987 57988 question first answered 15/06/2020 14:21:53 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1202391

registered interest
date	10/06/2020
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the additional £63 million funding for the Welfare Assistance Fund announced at Prime Minister’s Questions on 10 June 2020 will be made available to local authorities in Scotland; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	57985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>To support those people who are facing severe financial difficulties during this crisis, the Government has announced further funding of £63 million to be given to and disbursed by local authorities in England. This will ensure that the most vulnerable families can afford food and other essentials. This funding will sit alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the Government is providing through the benefits system to protect the most vulnerable throughout this crisis.</p><p>The additional £63 million will be for local authorities to spend at their discretion and at the pace which suits the needs of their community. The money will be distributed through a Section 31 grant. Funding arrangements will be finalised shortly. Most local authorities already operate these schemes and understand the legal context within which they operate, including entitlement for those with no recourse to public funds.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 57984 57987 57988 question first answered 15/06/2020 14:21:53 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1202393

registered interest
date	10/06/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Members: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to the letter of 13 May 2020 from the hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts, reference NG12034.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	57986
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>The Honourable Member’s correspondence was transferred from Number 10 to HM Treasury on 18 May. The Treasury responded via email on 11 June.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 15/06/2020 14:02:31 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1202394

registered interest
date	10/06/2020
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the announcement by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2020 of a £63 million welfare assistance fund in response to the covid-19 outbreak, how her Department plans to distribute that fund among local authorities; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	57987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>To support those people who are facing severe financial difficulties during this crisis, the Government has announced further funding of £63 million to be given to and disbursed by local authorities in England. This will ensure that the most vulnerable families can afford food and other essentials. This funding will sit alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the Government is providing through the benefits system to protect the most vulnerable throughout this crisis.</p><p>The additional £63 million will be for local authorities to spend at their discretion and at the pace which suits the needs of their community. The money will be distributed through a Section 31 grant. Funding arrangements will be finalised shortly. Most local authorities already operate these schemes and understand the legal context within which they operate, including entitlement for those with no recourse to public funds.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 57984 57985 57988 question first answered 15/06/2020 14:21:53 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1202395

registered interest
date	10/06/2020
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes: Migrants
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the announcement by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2020 of a £63 million welfare assistance fund in response to the covid-19 outbreak, whether people who have no recourse to public funds will be eligible for that fund in each local authority; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	57988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2020 answer text <p>To support those people who are facing severe financial difficulties during this crisis, the Government has announced further funding of £63 million to be given to and disbursed by local authorities in England. This will ensure that the most vulnerable families can afford food and other essentials. This funding will sit alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the Government is providing through the benefits system to protect the most vulnerable throughout this crisis.</p><p>The additional £63 million will be for local authorities to spend at their discretion and at the pace which suits the needs of their community. The money will be distributed through a Section 31 grant. Funding arrangements will be finalised shortly. Most local authorities already operate these schemes and understand the legal context within which they operate, including entitlement for those with no recourse to public funds.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 57984 57985 57987 question first answered 15/06/2020 14:21:53 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1201330

registered interest
date	08/06/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Istanbul Convention
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Home Office, when the Government plans to ratify the 2012 Istanbul Convention on violence against women and girls.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	56004
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and we have always been clear on our commitment to ratify the Istanbul Convention.</p><p> </p><p>The Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017 requires Ministers to publish annual reports on their progress towards being able to ratify the Convention. The most recent report was published on 31 October 2019 and is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/843509/CCS0919132732-001_Istanbul_Convention_2019_Report_Option_A_Web_Accessible.pdf</p><p> </p><p>Legislation needs to pass before we can ratify the Convention, so at this stage we cannot be sure what the timeframe for ratification will be. When this is clear we will set out a timeframe for ratification. The Domestic Abuse Bill had its Second Reading on 28 April and has now begun Committee stage for detailed scrutiny by MPs. Part 6 of the Bill includes provisions for the purposes of Article 44 of the Convention, which requires that criminal courts in the UK have extraterritorial jurisdiction over certain violent and sexual offences. Additionally, the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill currently before the Northern Ireland Assembly provides for a new domestic abuse offence which would criminalise psychological violence in Northern Ireland, as required by Article 33 of the Convention. That Bill also takes extraterritorial jurisdiction in respect of the new offence and so, together with the provisions of Part 6 of the Domestic Abuse Bill, will ensure that the law in Northern Ireland meets the requirements of Article 44.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 11/06/2020 07:47:54 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1196393

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Financial Services: Codes of Practice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the pause in the Financial Conduct Authority's consultation on Guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers on (a) people living with cancer and (b) other vulnerable consumers; and what steps he is taking to support those people.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	48468
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to doing whatever it takes to get our nation through this crisis and that includes supporting the most vulnerable in our society. To this end, the Government continues to work closely with financial services regulators as part of the economic response.</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has introduced measures supporting consumers in financial difficulty at this time, and requires firms to prioritise vulnerable consumers, including those with poor health.</p><p> </p><p>In response, firms across the financial services sector have announced a range of measures to support vulnerable customers and the Government is working with the FCA to ensure there is continued support. For example, many firms have methods for trusted third-parties to access cash for vulnerable/self-isolating people, as well as setting up dedicated phone lines to support them.</p><p> </p><p>Since the COVID-19 crisis has developed, the Government has also worked closely with the FCA on the introduction of payment deferral periods to provide support to consumers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the FCA consulted on draft guidance on the fair treatment of vulnerable consumers in July 2019, which may be useful to firms at this time. This guidance focuses on firms’ considering and meeting the needs of vulnerable customers and embedding this thinking in their culture, practices, and processes throughout the whole consumer journey, from product design to customer service. The second consultation in March was postponed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The FCA are currently developing their understanding of how COVID-19 is impacting vulnerable consumers and how it should influence their policy approach. As part of this they are considering how and when to restart the vulnerability guidance consultation.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 02/06/2020 06:53:39 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1196394

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Charities
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on charities of extending the length of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	48469
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>On 12 May the Government announced a major extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which will continue to the end of October, including more flexibility and employer contributions from August as people return to work. This will provide clarity for the coming months for all businesses, including charities. The flexibilities introduced will allow businesses and charities to move out of the scheme in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. The Government has announced a £750 million support package for charities. £360m will be allocated directly to charities providing essential services and supporting vulnerable people. £310m will support smaller, local charities including through grants distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund. £60m will be allocated to the Devolved Administrations through the Barnett formula. The Government pledged to match whatever the public donated to the BBC Big Night In fundraiser on 23 April, with a minimum of £20m going to the National Emergencies Trust.</p> answering member constituency Saffron Walden answering member printed Kemi Badenoch question first answered 22/05/2020 08:54:31 answering member 4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1196516

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
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	Work Capability Assessments: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is her policy that (a) referrals to Work Capability Assessments continue during the covid-19 outbreak and (b) staff are processing those referrals as normal.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	48470
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>From 17 March 2020 we suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits for three months to protect vulnerable people (and assessment centre staff) from unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19. The Department continues to refer new claims for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to our provider, CHDA. If it is not possible to complete an assessment based on the paper evidence, a WCA will be conducted, where possible, over the telephone.</p><p> </p><p>We also announced that from 24 March 2020 we were suspending all new referrals for reviews and reassessments across disability benefits. However, where a claimant has reported a deterioration in their condition, we will refer them for a reassessment. Where possible we will also continue to process cases that have already been referred to our assessment provider.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/06/2020 14:26:20 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1196517

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
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	Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus
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 ensure the adequate performance of her Department's benefit processing systems as a result of increased demands during the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will publish data on (a) processing times and (b) payment timeliness in each benefit category since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	48471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>DWP has redeployed over 8,000 staff on to critical frontline work, streamlined processes and increased the capacity of our IT systems to enable the Department to stand up to unprecedented levels of demand.</p><p> </p><p>We do hold data on benefit processing times, and publish an annual view in the Annual Report and Accounts, which is published here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019" target="_blank"><strong>Annual Report and Accounts</strong></a>. We also publish data on key benefits such as Universal Credit payment timeliness, which is published here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-29-april-2013-to-12-march-2020" target="_blank"><strong>Universal Credit 2013-2020</strong></a> and on PIP processing times which is published here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/search/all?keywords=PIP%20statistics&amp;order=relevance" target="_blank"><strong>PIP Statistics</strong></a></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 02/06/2020 12:39:41 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray