Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the process for appointing the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The role was advertised on the Government’s Public Appointments website and also through a number of other channels and networks. Applications were assessed by a panel, which included an independent member, against the advertised criteria. Shortlisted candidates were interviewed and the panel recommended to ministers which candidates they found appointable. Subject to consideration by Ministers of the select committee’s report, the formal appointment will be made by Order in Council.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned into the most common pathways to gambling disorder for women.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England is currently carrying out an evidence review on the prevalence, determinants and harms associated with gambling, and the social and economic burden of gambling-related harms. This includes reviewing the evidence on young people, men and women. The review is expected to be completed in March 2021.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish their plans relating to the former Hassockfield Young Offenders Centre in Medomsley.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient capacity, in the right places and that it provides value for money.
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the Autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority have taken place and work will commence at the site shortly.
In order to meet operational needs and demands, we will continue to operate the immigration removal estate, in a flexible manner.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what concerns relating to problem gambling and women they intend to address in their Review of the Gambling Act 2005.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Gambling Commission is continuing to monitor gambling behaviour during the Covid-19 period. Survey data published by the Commission in January indicated that 87% of women gamblers have gambled the same amount or less during the pandemic than they had previously. The Commission recently wrote to operators to remind them of its guidance issued in May 2020, which requires them to increase protections for those who may be at heightened risk of gambling harm. That guidance directed operators to monitor customer behaviour more closely to identify signs of potential harm, and banned mechanisms by which customers could cancel requests to withdraw money from their account.
The Gambling Commission also conducts a quarterly telephone survey of gambling behaviours which collects data about problem gambling prevalence. The most recent wave of that survey was carried out in September, and aggregated results for the year to September 2020 estimated the problem gambling rate amongst women to be 0.3%. This is higher than the rate estimated for the year to September 2019 (0.1%), but lower than the rate estimated for the year to March 2020 (0.4%). Caution should be used when interpreting these figures due to the low numbers of respondents involved. Much of the data for the year to September 2020 was collected prior to the Covid-19 period, and problem gambling is measured using questions which ask about past year experiences and behaviours, so it is not possible to accurately assess the relative impact of the pandemic on fluctuations in currently available data. The Commission will publish the next wave of telephone survey data later this month, which will give figures for the year to December 2020.
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8th December with the publication of a call for evidence. The Review will be wide-ranging and evidence-led, and aims to make sure we have the right balance for regulation and appropriate protections for all vulnerable people.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the levels of problem gambling among women.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Gambling Commission is continuing to monitor gambling behaviour during the Covid-19 period. Survey data published by the Commission in January indicated that 87% of women gamblers have gambled the same amount or less during the pandemic than they had previously. The Commission recently wrote to operators to remind them of its guidance issued in May 2020, which requires them to increase protections for those who may be at heightened risk of gambling harm. That guidance directed operators to monitor customer behaviour more closely to identify signs of potential harm, and banned mechanisms by which customers could cancel requests to withdraw money from their account.
The Gambling Commission also conducts a quarterly telephone survey of gambling behaviours which collects data about problem gambling prevalence. The most recent wave of that survey was carried out in September, and aggregated results for the year to September 2020 estimated the problem gambling rate amongst women to be 0.3%. This is higher than the rate estimated for the year to September 2019 (0.1%), but lower than the rate estimated for the year to March 2020 (0.4%). Caution should be used when interpreting these figures due to the low numbers of respondents involved. Much of the data for the year to September 2020 was collected prior to the Covid-19 period, and problem gambling is measured using questions which ask about past year experiences and behaviours, so it is not possible to accurately assess the relative impact of the pandemic on fluctuations in currently available data. The Commission will publish the next wave of telephone survey data later this month, which will give figures for the year to December 2020.
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8th December with the publication of a call for evidence. The Review will be wide-ranging and evidence-led, and aims to make sure we have the right balance for regulation and appropriate protections for all vulnerable people.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the number of people, and (2) the percentage of the total workforce, registered as unemployed in the (a) Bolsover, (b) Redcar, (c) Darlington, (d) Blyth, (e) Wolverhampton North East, (f) Bury South, (g) Bolton North East, (h) Heywood and Middleton, and (i) Ashfield, Parliamentary constituencies.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
Estimates of the level and rate of unemployment are compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS). The LFS provides national and regional unemployment estimates whilst the APS, which boosts the sample of the LFS, allows more local analysis.
Estimates are based on a sample of cases and therefore subject to sampling uncertainty. Unemployment estimates at geographies below regions, such as local authorities and parliamentary constituencies, can be more statistically uncertain. The confidence intervals given in Table 2 in the Annex reflect the level of uncertainty around the rates given, with confidence intervals (and therefore uncertainty in the figure) generally increasing as the underlying sample size decreases.
The Annex sets out the constituency level information asked for. All estimates of unemployment and the claimant count used the Annex are also publicly available on the NOMIS website (https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/).
Table 1 of the Annex gives the latest figures from the LFS on the unemployment levels and rates for the relevant regions for the named constituencies.
Table 2 of the Annex gives the latest estimate from the APS on the levels and rates of unemployment for the named constituencies. These figures, where available, should be treated as indicative, rather than precise, due to the heightened level of sample variability of estimates at this level of geography due to the small sample of people the estimate is based upon. Where the sample is too small to derive an estimate, figures are not given. The rates given express the proportion of the economically active population (those in work plus those seeking and available to work) who are unemployed, in line with the International Labour Organization definition of unemployment.
Table 3 of the Annex gives the latest figures on the Claimant Count for the named constituencies. The Claimant Count is based on administrative data and can be broken down robustly to constituency level, and as such, there are no confidence intervals around the figures. The Claimant Count is the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance plus those who claim Universal Credit who are out of work. The rates given express the number of claimants as a percentage of the population aged 16-64.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the number of people, and (2) the percentage of the total workforce, registered as unemployed in the (a) Rother Valley, (b) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (c) Leigh, (d) Don Valley, (e) Wakefield, (f) Bishop Auckland, (g) Sedgefield, (h) North West Durham, (i) Bassetlaw, and (j) Great Grimsby, Parliamentary constituencies.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
Estimates of the level and rate of unemployment are compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS). The LFS provides national and regional unemployment estimates whilst the APS, which boosts the sample of the LFS, allows more local analysis.
Estimates are based on a sample of cases and therefore subject to sampling uncertainty. Unemployment estimates at geographies below regions, such as local authorities and parliamentary constituencies, can be more statistically uncertain. The confidence intervals given in Table 2 in the Annex reflect the level of uncertainty around the rates given, with confidence intervals (and therefore uncertainty in the figure) generally increasing as the underlying sample size decreases.
The Annex sets out the constituency level information asked for. All estimates of unemployment and the claimant count used the Annex are also publicly available on the NOMIS website (https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/).
Table 1 of the Annex gives the latest figures from the LFS on the unemployment levels and rates for the relevant regions for the named constituencies.
Table 2 of the Annex gives the latest estimate from the APS on the levels and rates of unemployment for the named constituencies. These figures, where available, should be treated as indicative, rather than precise, due to the heightened level of sample variability of estimates at this level of geography due to the small sample of people the estimate is based upon. Where the sample is too small to derive an estimate, figures are not given. The rates given express the proportion of the economically active population (those in work plus those seeking and available to work) who are unemployed, in line with the International Labour Organization definition of unemployment.
Table 3 of the Annex gives the latest figures on the Claimant Count for the named constituencies. The Claimant Count is based on administrative data and can be broken down robustly to constituency level, and as such, there are no confidence intervals around the figures. The Claimant Count is the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance plus those who claim Universal Credit who are out of work. The rates given express the number of claimants as a percentage of the population aged 16-64.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the number of people, and (2) the percentage of the total workforce, registered as unemployed in the (a) Richmond (Yorkshire), (b) Uxbridge and Ruislip, (c) Esher and Walton, (d) Witham, (e) Surrey Heath, (f) Swindon South, (g) Wyre and Preston, (h) West Suffolk, (i) Reading West, and (j) South West Norfolk, Parliamentary constituencies.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
Estimates of the level and rate of unemployment are compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS). The LFS provides national and regional unemployment estimates whilst the APS, which boosts the sample of the LFS, allows more local analysis.
Estimates are based on a sample of cases and therefore subject to sampling uncertainty. Unemployment estimates at geographies below regions, such as local authorities and parliamentary constituencies, can be more statistically uncertain. The confidence intervals given in Table 2 in the Annex reflect the level of uncertainty around the rates given, with confidence intervals (and therefore uncertainty in the figure) generally increasing as the underlying sample size decreases.
The Annex sets out the constituency level information asked for. All estimates of unemployment and the claimant count used the Annex are also publicly available on the NOMIS website (https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/).
Table 1 of the Annex gives the latest figures from the LFS on the unemployment levels and rates for the relevant regions for the named constituencies.
Table 2 of the Annex gives the latest estimate from the APS on the levels and rates of unemployment for the named constituencies. These figures, where available, should be treated as indicative, rather than precise, due to the heightened level of sample variability of estimates at this level of geography due to the small sample of people the estimate is based upon. Where the sample is too small to derive an estimate, figures are not given. The rates given express the proportion of the economically active population (those in work plus those seeking and available to work) who are unemployed, in line with the International Labour Organization definition of unemployment.
Table 3 of the Annex gives the latest figures on the Claimant Count for the named constituencies. The Claimant Count is based on administrative data and can be broken down robustly to constituency level, and as such, there are no confidence intervals around the figures. The Claimant Count is the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance plus those who claim Universal Credit who are out of work. The rates given express the number of claimants as a percentage of the population aged 16-64.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the number of people, and (2) the percentage of the total workforce, registered as unemployed in the (a) Suffolk Coastal, (b) South Staffordshire, (c) Cambourne and Redruth, (d) Newark, (e) Welwyn Hatfield, (f) Great Yarmouth, (g) Hertsmere, (h) Berwick-upon-Tweed, (i) Cannock Chase, and (j) Wolverhampton South West, Parliamentary constituencies.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
Estimates of the level and rate of unemployment are compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS). The LFS provides national and regional unemployment estimates whilst the APS, which boosts the sample of the LFS, allows more local analysis.
Estimates are based on a sample of cases and therefore subject to sampling uncertainty. Unemployment estimates at geographies below regions, such as local authorities and parliamentary constituencies, can be more statistically uncertain. The confidence intervals given in Table 2 in the Annex reflect the level of uncertainty around the rates given, with confidence intervals (and therefore uncertainty in the figure) generally increasing as the underlying sample size decreases.
The Annex sets out the constituency level information asked for. All estimates of unemployment and the claimant count used the Annex are also publicly available on the NOMIS website (https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/).
Table 1 of the Annex gives the latest figures from the LFS on the unemployment levels and rates for the relevant regions for the named constituencies.
Table 2 of the Annex gives the latest estimate from the APS on the levels and rates of unemployment for the named constituencies. These figures, where available, should be treated as indicative, rather than precise, due to the heightened level of sample variability of estimates at this level of geography due to the small sample of people the estimate is based upon. Where the sample is too small to derive an estimate, figures are not given. The rates given express the proportion of the economically active population (those in work plus those seeking and available to work) who are unemployed, in line with the International Labour Organization definition of unemployment.
Table 3 of the Annex gives the latest figures on the Claimant Count for the named constituencies. The Claimant Count is based on administrative data and can be broken down robustly to constituency level, and as such, there are no confidence intervals around the figures. The Claimant Count is the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance plus those who claim Universal Credit who are out of work. The rates given express the number of claimants as a percentage of the population aged 16-64.
Asked by: Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House whether any current Lords Ministers sponsor Parliamentary passes for individuals other than (1) family members, (2) civil servants, (3) carers, and (4) special advisors; and if so, what the reasons are for the sponsorship of those Parliamentary passes.
Answered by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
One Lords Minister sponsors a pass for a member of staff who does not fall into any of the four categories listed in the question and who provides non-government administrative support.
In line with the Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for House of Lords Members' Staff, there is an entry in the Register of Interests - Members of the House of Lords staff. The register can be found at:
https://members.parliament.uk/members/lords/interests/register-of-interests-of-lords-members-staff