Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of 12 December 2017, Official Report, column 171, when he plans to publish the equality impact assessment on the planned increase in the State Pension Age for members of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The equality analysis will be published in due course.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of 12 December 2017, Official Report, column 171, when he plans to publish the equality impact assessment on the planned increase in the State Pension Age for members of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The equality analysis will be published in due course.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether agricultural support payments to the Scottish Government during the transition period will be made through the Barnett formula.
Answered by David Mundell
This Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the parliament, expected in 2022. This figure includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support under both Pillar I and Pillar II.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time taken was HMRC to produce proof of employment history for applicants using form HMRC 07/18; what performance targets have been set for HMRC for the production of that evidence; and how many and what proportion of applications did not meet those targets.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
HMRC do not record the number of requests made using the form 07/18. HMRC do not differentiate between Employment History requests made using the HMRC form 07/18 and the requests received using other methods, for example customer letters and verbal requests. HMRC is therefore unable to provide the information requested.
HMRC may also receive requests for Employment Histories using this form for customers suffering from mesothelioma. These customers cases are treated as urgent due to the nature of the illness and the HMRC target is to reply to these in 10 working days.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165149, on Social Security Benefits: Scotland, how many claimants have outstanding benefit overpayment debts that are to be devolved to Scotland which are attributable to (a) overpayment and (b) fraud debts.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Current data shows that there are 16,457 claimants with overpayments debts that are due to be devolved to Scottish Government. Of this total, 1,079 have overpayment debts classified as Fraud.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2018 to Question 156480, on Social Security Benefits: Scotland, how many claimants the total value of outstanding benefit overpayment in Scotland is attributable to.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Current data at 17 July 2018 shows that the total value of outstanding benefit overpayments to be devolved to the Scottish Government is £29.2m. This debt is attributable to 17,000 claimants.
The actual amounts devolved to the Scottish Government will be subject to the value at the point of transfer and accounting agreements between the two governments.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is planning to update his Department's guidance, BIS guidance for foreign exchange providers: compliance with consumer protection legislation, published on 20 September 2012.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Department has no current plans to amend the guidance. Proposals to amend the Cross Border Payments Regulation are currently going through the European Legislative process and HMG is working with other Member States on these proposals. These contain provisions relating to transparency of currency conversion in certain instances. The Department will consider in due course whether an update to the guidance is necessary.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value is of outstanding benefit (a) over-payments and (b) fraud debts to be transferred to the Scottish government when social security powers are devolved to that government.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Current data shows that the total value of outstanding benefit overpayments to be devolved to the Scottish Government is £29.3m. Of this total, £5.4m has been classified as fraud. The actual amounts devolved to the Scottish Government will be subject to the value at the point of transfer and accounting agreements between the two governments.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants in Scotland have an outstanding benefit (a) overpayment or (b) fraud debt to be recovered by her Department.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Current data shows that in Scotland there are approximately 121,000 claimants with an outstanding benefit overpayment. Of this total, approximately 8,000 are classified as fraud related overpayments.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total value is of outstanding benefit (a) overpayments and (b) fraud debts owed by claimants in Scotland that are due to be recovered by her Department.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Current data shows that the total value of outstanding benefit overpayments for claimants living in Scotland is £278m. Of this total, £41m is for debts classified as fraud.