Widowed Parents\u2019 Allowance (WPA) is one of DWP bereavement benefits and provides financial support to bereaved parents eligible to Child Benefit on behalf of their child. Questions can be answered from analysing data the Department publishes every quarter via the Tabulation Tool \u2013 see link: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html<\/a><\/p> <\/p> For example, in February 2014, about 15% of WPA claimants have been claiming for less than a year and half of them between two and five years; claimants receive on average about £108 per week.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "213372"}
, {"_value" : "213373"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-11T14:48:05.7230112Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Widowed Parent's Allowance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants of the widowed parent's allowance claimed that allowance for less than one year in each year from 2001 to 2014.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1590", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Ayrshire and Arran"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Katy Clark"}
], "uin" : "213371"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/106464", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/106464/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Widowed Parents\u2019 Allowance (WPA) is one of DWP bereavement benefits and provides financial support to bereaved parents eligible to Child Benefit on behalf of their child. Questions can be answered from analysing data the Department publishes every quarter via the Tabulation Tool \u2013 see link: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html<\/a><\/p> <\/p> For example, in February 2014, about 15% of WPA claimants have been claiming for less than a year and half of them between two and five years; claimants receive on average about £108 per week.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "213371"}
, {"_value" : "213373"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-11T14:48:05.9249173Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-11-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Widowed Parent's Allowance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average number of years is which claimants of the widowed parent's allowance have received payments for.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1590", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Ayrshire and Arran"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Katy Clark"}
], "uin" : "213372"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/101782", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/101782/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is committed to stamping out modern slavery in all its forms including labour exploitation involving agency workers. <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4110", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Staffordshire Moorlands"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Karen Bradley"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/101782/answer/previousversion/25971", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4110", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Staffordshire Moorlands"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Karen Bradley"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-10T16:36:57.4100229Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Human Trafficking: Agency Workers"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what regulatory safeguards are in place to protect agency workers from trafficking; if she will review the effectiveness of those safeguards; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1590", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Ayrshire and Arran"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Katy Clark"}
], "uin" : "212708"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/101972", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/101972/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is committed to putting victims and witnesses first in the criminal justice system and ensuring that they have access to high quality support to help them to cope with and, as far as is possible, recover from the impacts of crime. That is why we implemented a new \u201cVictims\u2019 Code\u201d in December 2013, which gives victims of crime clearer entitlements from criminal justice agencies and better tailors services to individual need.<\/p> The Government appointed Baroness Newlove as Victims\u2019 Commissioner on 21st<\/sup> December 2012. She is committed to making a difference for victims and improving their experience of the criminal justice system.<\/p> <\/p> The MoJ published a witness charter at the end of 2013, clearly setting out the standards of service witnesses can expect at all stages, and has brought in a range of special measures to support victims and witnesses to give their best evidence and to help reduce some of the anxiety of attending court. This includes, giving evidence by live video-link, the use of screens in court, and the use of an intermediary to help a witness understand the questions they are being asked and to give their answers accurately.<\/p> <\/p> In our July 2014 update to the \u201cTransforming the CJS: Strategy and Action Plan\u201d, one of our main priorities is to improve the experience of victims and witnesses in the CJS. This means supporting victims through the CJS process and making fair and respectful treatment of victims and witnesses the norm.<\/p> <\/p> In September 2014, the Government published a document outlining its commitment to victims. This outlines five commitments to help victims of crime navigate the criminal justice system, access the information and support they need, protect vulnerable victims and witnesses in court, and to guarantee their rights in law.<\/p> More money than ever before will be available for services to support victims of crime, with a potential total budget of up to £100m per year, an increase from £40m in 2009/10 and doubled from £50m in 2010/11. The majority of services being funded will be commissioned locally by Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) whilst the MoJ continues to commission some services nationally:<\/p>
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority\u2019s transfer to the Home Office will improve its collaboration with policing agencies for its enforcement activities and maximise the contribution it makes to tackling exploitation of workers.
The Modern Slavery Bill will give law enforcement the tools to tackle modern slavery by increasing the maximum sentence available for offenders to life imprisonment; creating an independent Anti-slavery Commissioner to drive improvements and a better coordinated law enforcement response, working in the interests of victims; strengthening powers to recover the sizeable profits that traffickers and slave masters make from this appalling crime; introducing vital new tools to restrict the activity of criminals who have been convicted of modern slavery offences; and providing powers to enable police and Border Force to act where it is suspected that human trafficking or forced labour is taking place on board vessels at sea.
To complement the Bill, the Government has a comprehensive programme of action to tackle modern slavery. This includes publishing a Modern Slavery Strategy which sets out the Government\u2019s comprehensive approach to tackling modern slavery and the contributions we expect from other Government departments, agencies and partners.<\/p>