Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether she plans to meet Professor Eileen Evason to discuss the scheduled review of the welfare reform supports put in place by the Northern Ireland Executive and due to end next year.
Answered by John Penrose
The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the delivery of the various mitigation schemes relating to welfare reform in Northern Ireland. Their officials are ensuring that appropriate advice in relation to welfare mitigations is available for an incoming Minister.
In addition, the Northern Ireland Affairs and Work and Pensions Committees are holding a joint inquiry into welfare policy in Northern Ireland. The inquiry will consider the impact of the mitigation package, and how the alternative payment arrangements in Northern Ireland are working in practice.
It is for the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland to provide the necessary information to facilitate this inquiry.
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking to help ensure the continuation of the additional welfare support package due to end next year.
Answered by John Penrose
The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the delivery of the various mitigation schemes relating to welfare reform in Northern Ireland. Their officials are ensuring that appropriate advice in relation to welfare mitigations is available for an incoming Minister.
In addition, the Northern Ireland Affairs and Work and Pensions Committees are holding a joint inquiry into welfare policy in Northern Ireland. The inquiry will consider the impact of the mitigation package, and how the alternative payment arrangements in Northern Ireland are working in practice.
It is for the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland to provide the necessary information to facilitate this inquiry.
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 May 2018 to Question 145568, whether proposals have been brought forward for a GCSE in British Sign Language.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department and Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, have recently received an outline proposal for a GCSE in British Sign Language from the awarding organisation Signature. The Department and Ofqual are separately considering the proposal against the requirements for subject content and assessment respectively, which apply to all GCSEs.
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Government allocated to the arts sector in Wales in each of the last five years.
Answered by Michael Ellis
We do not hold this information. As Arts funding is a devolved matter, questions regarding funding decisions made in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should be directed to the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average benefit per applicant for tax-free childcare.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The average benefit per family for Tax-Free Childcare is estimated at £1,100 per year.
The value of the income tax and National Insurance reliefs for childcare vouchers in 2017-18 is estimated to be £770m. For Employer Supported Childcare, an estimated £220 million is foregone in relief for employers National Insurance contributions - which is not spent on helping parents with the cost of childcare.
The forecast expenditure on Tax-Free Childcare was published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2018 at http://cdn.obr.uk/EFO-MaRch_2018.pdf
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the childcare voucher scheme in 2017-18.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The average benefit per family for Tax-Free Childcare is estimated at £1,100 per year.
The value of the income tax and National Insurance reliefs for childcare vouchers in 2017-18 is estimated to be £770m. For Employer Supported Childcare, an estimated £220 million is foregone in relief for employers National Insurance contributions - which is not spent on helping parents with the cost of childcare.
The forecast expenditure on Tax-Free Childcare was published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2018 at http://cdn.obr.uk/EFO-MaRch_2018.pdf
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of tax-free childcare to those families currently registered for it.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The average benefit per family for Tax-Free Childcare is estimated at £1,100 per year.
The value of the income tax and National Insurance reliefs for childcare vouchers in 2017-18 is estimated to be £770m. For Employer Supported Childcare, an estimated £220 million is foregone in relief for employers National Insurance contributions - which is not spent on helping parents with the cost of childcare.
The forecast expenditure on Tax-Free Childcare was published by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March 2018 at http://cdn.obr.uk/EFO-MaRch_2018.pdf
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average payment is from tax-free childcare accounts to families where parents are higher rate tax payers since those accounts were established.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The data to answer questions 155901 and 155902 is not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The rollout of Tax-Free Childcare began in April 2017 to a small number of parents. Only a limited number of accounts have been open more than one year so accurate and robust data on the annual value of top-up paid to parents will not be available until early 2019, one year after full rollout of TFC.
For question 155904 I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave on 4 December 2017 to the honourable member for Batley and Spen (116593).
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average payment is from tax-free childcare accounts to families where parents are basic rate tax payers since those accounts were established.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The data to answer questions 155901 and 155902 is not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The rollout of Tax-Free Childcare began in April 2017 to a small number of parents. Only a limited number of accounts have been open more than one year so accurate and robust data on the annual value of top-up paid to parents will not be available until early 2019, one year after full rollout of TFC.
For question 155904 I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave on 4 December 2017 to the honourable member for Batley and Spen (116593).
Asked by: Emma Little Pengelly (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of tax-free childcare accounts have received the maximum top-up of £2,000 since those accounts were established.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The data to answer questions 155901 and 155902 is not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The rollout of Tax-Free Childcare began in April 2017 to a small number of parents. Only a limited number of accounts have been open more than one year so accurate and robust data on the annual value of top-up paid to parents will not be available until early 2019, one year after full rollout of TFC.
For question 155904 I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave on 4 December 2017 to the honourable member for Batley and Spen (116593).