Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of disclosure and barring service processing times on recruitment and workforce shortages; and what plans they have to bring forward measures to improve processing times.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls is responsible for the policy and legislative framework governing the disclosure and barring regime.
As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and responsible for the service it provides. However, the Minister meets regularly with the DBS Chairman where operational performance is often discussed.
The DBS operates to service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within two days, 85% of Standard check applications within three days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days. Its latest performance data against those service standards is available here DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK
Of the three types of check, only the target for Enhanced checks was not met in the most recently reported quarter, with 73.7% of all Enhanced checks completed within the target. This performance is adversely impacted mostly by delays at the police checking stage when cases are sent to police disclosure units within forces for local checks.
Unfortunately, there are a small number of police forces that have been experiencing difficulties in meeting their target times for Enhanced checks due to high volumes of work in progress, aged cases and ongoing resource challenges. The DBS works closely with these affected forces to help them return to their target times as quickly as possible, including by providing funding for overtime and additional staff whilst the forces recruit and train new staff to process the checks. The DBS also facilitates workload sharing between police forces so that forces with capacity can help those forces that are struggling.
To assess its broader impact, the DBS carries out regular employer surveys, including seeking feedback on the timeliness and quality of DBS checks. It also completes regular analyses of open-source employment data throughout the year to support demand planning to align the predicted number of DBS check applications with the workforce capacity needed to complete and issue the checks to customers in a timely way.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what ministerial responsibilities are held by the Minister responsible for the disclosure and barring service; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure ministerial accountability for the performance of the disclosure and barring service.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls is responsible for the policy and legislative framework governing the disclosure and barring regime.
As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and responsible for the service it provides. However, the Minister meets regularly with the DBS Chairman where operational performance is often discussed.
The DBS operates to service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within two days, 85% of Standard check applications within three days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days. Its latest performance data against those service standards is available here DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK
Of the three types of check, only the target for Enhanced checks was not met in the most recently reported quarter, with 73.7% of all Enhanced checks completed within the target. This performance is adversely impacted mostly by delays at the police checking stage when cases are sent to police disclosure units within forces for local checks.
Unfortunately, there are a small number of police forces that have been experiencing difficulties in meeting their target times for Enhanced checks due to high volumes of work in progress, aged cases and ongoing resource challenges. The DBS works closely with these affected forces to help them return to their target times as quickly as possible, including by providing funding for overtime and additional staff whilst the forces recruit and train new staff to process the checks. The DBS also facilitates workload sharing between police forces so that forces with capacity can help those forces that are struggling.
To assess its broader impact, the DBS carries out regular employer surveys, including seeking feedback on the timeliness and quality of DBS checks. It also completes regular analyses of open-source employment data throughout the year to support demand planning to align the predicted number of DBS check applications with the workforce capacity needed to complete and issue the checks to customers in a timely way.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which Minister has responsibility for policy and operational oversight of the disclosure and barring service.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls is responsible for the policy and legislative framework governing the disclosure and barring regime.
As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and responsible for the service it provides. However, the Minister meets regularly with the DBS Chairman where operational performance is often discussed.
The DBS operates to service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within two days, 85% of Standard check applications within three days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days. Its latest performance data against those service standards is available here DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK
Of the three types of check, only the target for Enhanced checks was not met in the most recently reported quarter, with 73.7% of all Enhanced checks completed within the target. This performance is adversely impacted mostly by delays at the police checking stage when cases are sent to police disclosure units within forces for local checks.
Unfortunately, there are a small number of police forces that have been experiencing difficulties in meeting their target times for Enhanced checks due to high volumes of work in progress, aged cases and ongoing resource challenges. The DBS works closely with these affected forces to help them return to their target times as quickly as possible, including by providing funding for overtime and additional staff whilst the forces recruit and train new staff to process the checks. The DBS also facilitates workload sharing between police forces so that forces with capacity can help those forces that are struggling.
To assess its broader impact, the DBS carries out regular employer surveys, including seeking feedback on the timeliness and quality of DBS checks. It also completes regular analyses of open-source employment data throughout the year to support demand planning to align the predicted number of DBS check applications with the workforce capacity needed to complete and issue the checks to customers in a timely way.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Minimum Income Floor on claimants with fluctuating incomes.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit for self-employed individuals aims to encourage sustainable work choices and support self-employment where it is a realistic route to financial self-sufficiency.
If a self-employed Universal Credit customer reports a loss to the Department, the value of the loss is offset against future earnings so it will be considered in the calculation of the Universal Credit award. Losses can also be carried forward and will be offset against earnings until the loss is used up or until the customer ceases self-employment.
The Minimum Income Floor (MIF) is designed to encourage low-earning customers to increase their earnings and grow their business. The level of the Minimum Income Floor is equivalent to what a person in employed work in similar circumstances to the self-employed individual could expect to earn at the National Minimum Wage for their age. The MIF can be tailored specifically for customers’ individual circumstances, including for health conditions and caring responsibilities. It is set using the number of hours the customer can reasonably be expected to work which is a maximum of 35 hours for individuals with no limitations on their expected working hours.
The Department’s review of Universal Credit is currently considering how effectively the benefit supports self-employed people.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government from which funding programmes the 1,000 new youth workers announced on 26 September will be funded; and whether the costs of these new posts forms part of the £450 million Youth Matters Fund.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government is determined that every young person should have the support, opportunities and safe spaces they need to build a positive future. As part of a wider package of support for young people, the Government will provide funding to train and support 1,000 new specialised youth workers. They will work in community spaces, reaching out to young people directly, providing support for those at highest-risk before they reach crisis point. This is the first step in rebuilding the youth workforce and will make significant progress towards meeting the Government’s ambition for 500,000 more young people to have access to a trusted adult by 2035.
We are working on funding and delivery plans and will engage young people and the youth services sector to ensure that this investment has the maximum possible impact. These plans will detail where new youth workers will work, who will employ them and how many young people they will support. I will update the House on these and our cost and funding plans in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government where they plan for the new 1,000 youth workers announced on 26 September to be based; and how many will be allocated to each local authority area.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government is determined that every young person should have the support, opportunities and safe spaces they need to build a positive future. As part of a wider package of support for young people, the Government will provide funding to train and support 1,000 new specialised youth workers. They will work in community spaces, reaching out to young people directly, providing support for those at highest-risk before they reach crisis point. This is the first step in rebuilding the youth workforce and will make significant progress towards meeting the Government’s ambition for 500,000 more young people to have access to a trusted adult by 2035.
We are working on funding and delivery plans and will engage young people and the youth services sector to ensure that this investment has the maximum possible impact. These plans will detail where new youth workers will work, who will employ them and how many young people they will support. I will update the House on these and our cost and funding plans in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government how many young people they expect to be supported each year by the 1,000 new youth workers announced on 26 September.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government is determined that every young person should have the support, opportunities and safe spaces they need to build a positive future. As part of a wider package of support for young people, the Government will provide funding to train and support 1,000 new specialised youth workers. They will work in community spaces, reaching out to young people directly, providing support for those at highest-risk before they reach crisis point. This is the first step in rebuilding the youth workforce and will make significant progress towards meeting the Government’s ambition for 500,000 more young people to have access to a trusted adult by 2035.
We are working on funding and delivery plans and will engage young people and the youth services sector to ensure that this investment has the maximum possible impact. These plans will detail where new youth workers will work, who will employ them and how many young people they will support. I will update the House on these and our cost and funding plans in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what annual savings they forecast from the proposed State Pension uprating reforms between 2030–31 and 2039–40; and how they expect to fund any shortfall between those savings and the additional expenditure required for their proposed national care service.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Work and Pensions has published analysis setting out the estimated Annually Managed Expenditure savings from the adjusted Triple Lock.[1] These are estimated at £15bn in 2039/40.
Savings from the adjusted Triple Lock will contribute to the costs of a National Care Service, which the PM has been clear will be fully funded. Baroness Casey’s Independent Commission on Adult Social Care will make recommendations on how and when to build up the National Care Service when it reports in 2027.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government which bodies will be responsible for employing and managing the 1,000 new youth workers announced on 26 September; and where responsibility for their performance and accountability will lie.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government is determined that every young person should have the support, opportunities and safe spaces they need to build a positive future. As part of a wider package of support for young people, the Government will provide funding to train and support 1,000 new specialised youth workers. They will work in community spaces, reaching out to young people directly, providing support for those at highest-risk before they reach crisis point. This is the first step in rebuilding the youth workforce and will make significant progress towards meeting the Government’s ambition for 500,000 more young people to have access to a trusted adult by 2035.
We are working on funding and delivery plans and will engage young people and the youth services sector to ensure that this investment has the maximum possible impact. These plans will detail where new youth workers will work, who will employ them and how many young people they will support. I will update the House on these and our cost and funding plans in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what they estimate to be the total cost of recruiting, training and employing the 1,000 new youth workers announced on 26 September, broken down by financial year.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government is determined that every young person should have the support, opportunities and safe spaces they need to build a positive future. As part of a wider package of support for young people, the Government will provide funding to train and support 1,000 new specialised youth workers. They will work in community spaces, reaching out to young people directly, providing support for those at highest-risk before they reach crisis point. This is the first step in rebuilding the youth workforce and will make significant progress towards meeting the Government’s ambition for 500,000 more young people to have access to a trusted adult by 2035.
We are working on funding and delivery plans and will engage young people and the youth services sector to ensure that this investment has the maximum possible impact. These plans will detail where new youth workers will work, who will employ them and how many young people they will support. I will update the House on these and our cost and funding plans in due course.