Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to strengthen leak detection, odourisation and public health-related standards for gas used in domestic homes and other premises used for cooking fuelled by gas.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is already robust regulation in place to detect leaks and odourise gas. Gas Industry standards are set by the relevant industry standard setting bodies, for example, the Institute for Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), British Standards Institute (BSI) and Liquid Gas UK.
The Health and Safety Executive has regulatory responsibility for public health-related standards in commercial premises, but not in domestic homes.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the outcome of the advice of the Traveller Movement representative on the Department for Work and Pensions Ethnic Minority Adviser Group on promoting access to vocational training and higher education.
Answered by Lord Freud
The aim of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Ethnic Minority Employment Stakeholder Group (EMESG) is to offer Ministers and officials advice on the Department’s services and strategy for the employment/self-employment of ethnic minorities and minority groups.
The EMSG does not provide advice on vocational training and higher education as these issues fall outside of DWP’s responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in their draft Child Poverty Strategy 2014–17, what they envisage by "specialist" support for Gypsy and Traveller parents via the Work Programme.
Answered by Lord Freud
The Government’s strategy for increasing ethnic minority employment and participation in the labour market is based around mainstreaming opportunity through locally delivered flexible provision.
The Work Programme is designed to give providers the flexibility to support each individual jobseeker, rather than treat people according to ethnic groups. Local autonomy and flexibility has replaced the one size fits all approach that has dogged previous employment schemes.