Written Question
Monday 19th May 2025
Asked by:
David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that financial reparations to LGBT veterans are not considered in assessments for benefit entitlement.
Answered by Stephen Timms
- Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Financial recognition payments made to LGBT veterans as part of the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme are not taken into account in the assessment of DWP means-tested benefits. The Department has legislated to disregard these payments and issued guidance to our staff to advise them that these payments should be disregarded in calculating benefit entitlement.
Written Question
Monday 22nd July 2024
Asked by:
David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024.
Answered by Emma Reynolds
- Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.
This Government respects the work of the Ombudsman. Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides.
The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government/we will be in a position to outline its approach.
Written Question
Thursday 28th January 2021
Asked by:
David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the 365 payment period for people affected by covid-19 and claiming new style or contributions based employment and support allowance and who have not had a decision made on their capability for work in that time.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) temporary Coronavirus regulations mean that everyone infected with covid-19, or who is required to self-isolate in line with Government guidelines, will be treated as having Limited Capability for Work in ESA without the requirement for fit notes or a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). These measures also apply to clinically extremely vulnerable people who are unable to work from home and have been advised to shield in line with the relevant public health advice in England, Wales and Scotland.
There are no plans to extend the time limit for people claiming contributory ESA who are affected by covid-19, and reach their 365-day limit. The majority of the covid-19 related claims will not reach this limit as they are for short periods.
Where an individual requires further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
Written Question
Monday 4th May 2020
Asked by:
David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance she has issued to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on the discharge of HSE's responsibilities during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Mims Davies
- Shadow Minister (Women)
The Secretary of State and I have had regular meetings with senior officials from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in order to assess in what ways the Department can support HSE on the work it is doing to support the Government during the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the COVID–19 outbreak started the Department has received a weekly written update on the work HSE is doing, this includes:
- maintaining its wide ranging regulatory functions, in particular continuing to investigate work related fatalities and the most serious major injuries, dealing with reported concerns and regulating major hazard industries. Undertaking regulatory activities that do not require site visits such as approvals and permissioning work. Whilst some of HSE’s regulatory intervention work can be done remotely, where it is necessary to provide public assurance that hazards are being effectively managed and to secure compliance with the law, site visits are being made;
- working with Public Health England (PHE), other Government departments and Devolved Administrations to ensure the country is geared up to treat people in Great Britain diagnosed with the COVID-19. HSE continues to offer information and advice on workplace and workforce issues to support the government’s response, including technical advice on personal protection equipment to ensure that healthcare workers and others are adequately protected;
- working closely with stakeholder groups including trade unions to develop practical guidance to support businesses to continue to operate and, where currently closed, to return to operation whilst ensuring the safety of workers; and
- where it comes to HSE’s attention that employers are found not to be complying with PHE’s guidelines taking appropriate action, ranging from specific advice through to serving enforcement notices, so as to ensure that practicable measures are implemented to protect workers and others.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 23 Feb 2016
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
"On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. May I confirm that this afternoon the United Kingdom and Scottish Governments have reached agreement on the fiscal framework? This is the arrangement that underpins the significant new powers being delivered to the Scottish Parliament by the Scotland Bill, which is currently …..."David Mundell - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 23 Feb 2016
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
"Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am able to confirm that the documentation will be available for scrutiny. On the timing of my statement, I cannot commit to exactly when it will be...."David Mundell - View Speech
View all David Mundell (Con - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) contributions to the debate on: Welfare Reform and Work Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 30 Jun 2015
Scotland Bill
"It does not say that...."David Mundell - View Speech
View all David Mundell (Con - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) contributions to the debate on: Scotland Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 30 Jun 2015
Scotland Bill
"I am familiar with the hon. Lady’s point on this issue, but even the First Minister acknowledges that the point from which a request was made to increase the cap, to the legislation reaching the Privy Council, was achieved at a record rate—and it was achieved by the two Governments …..."David Mundell - View Speech
View all David Mundell (Con - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) contributions to the debate on: Scotland Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 30 Jun 2015
Scotland Bill
"On this occasion, I am afraid I will disappoint the hon. Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray) because I am going to speak for more than 90 seconds. I have enjoyed hearing the full contribution rather than just interventions from the hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford), …..."David Mundell - View Speech
View all David Mundell (Con - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) contributions to the debate on: Scotland Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 30 Jun 2015
Scotland Bill
"I think that the hon. Gentleman has got the order of the statements in the letter wrong. Mr Swinney says that if the process did not take place, the undertaking would obviously not be valid. That is of course correct, but my approach to the Bill is to proceed with …..."David Mundell - View Speech
View all David Mundell (Con - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) contributions to the debate on: Scotland Bill