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Written Question
Zero Hours Contracts: Scotland
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Trades Union Congress on the effect of zero-hours contracts on the (a) income and (b) mental well-being of workers under the age of 18 in Scotland.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

Ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy engage regularly with trade unions on all labour market issues, including zero hours contracts. We were also pleased that representatives from the Scottish Trades Union Congress attended discussions with BEIS on the Good Work Plan in Edinburgh on 26 September.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the length of the benefits freeze.

Answered by Will Quince

The Secretary of State announced on 4th November 2019 that the freeze to working age benefits will come to an end in April 2020. This was following her statutory annual review of benefit and pension rates to determine whether they have retained their value to the general level of prices and earnings. See written ministerial statement -

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-11-04/HCWS74/


Written Question
Affordable Housing: Scotland
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the affordability of the housing market in Scotland for families in receipt of benefits.

Answered by Will Quince

The proportion of Scottish private market rents that are at or below the LHA rate, by room entitlement, is set out below. This is based on rent officer data and the 2019/20 LHA rates published here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-housing-allowance-lha-rates-applicable-from-april-2019-to-march-2020.

Shared room

1 bedroom

2 bedroom

3 bedroom

4+ bedroom

14%

22%

17%

18%

17%


Written Question
Post Office: Strikes
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of (a) Royal Mail Group and (b) the Communication Workers Union on postal workers' vote in favour of strike action.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

Ministers have regular discussions with stakeholders on a number of issues.


Written Question
Television Licences: Older People
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Prime Minister on the BBC decision to change the eligibility criteria for free TV licences for people aged 75 and over.

Answered by Nigel Adams

The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State frequently discuss a wide range of issues relating to the business of the Department, including television and the media.

The Government has been clear that the future of the over 75s concession is the responsibility of the BBC, not Government. In the 2015 funding settlement, we agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020; this reform was then debated and agreed by Parliament in the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

The Government is disappointed with the BBC’s decision to restrict the over 75s concession to only those aged over 75 and in receipt of Pension Credit. We recognise the importance of television to people of all ages, particularly for older people who value television as a way to stay connected with the world. The Secretary of State met with the Chairman of the BBC Board and the Director-General of the BBC, and asked them to do more to help those affected by its decision.


Written Question
Bereavement Support Payment
Friday 1st November 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that cohabiting couples with children can apply for bereavement support payments.

Answered by Will Quince

Primary legislation provides that Bereavement Support Payment can only be paid to, and for the benefit of, a surviving spouse or civil partner. The Department is ensuring that Bereavement Support Payment is being paid in accordance with that law, as it is required to do.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff from the Ministry of Defence are working in his Department to assist with preparations for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Answered by Jake Berry

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has requested that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) provide a total of 167 civilian staff to help resource our planned preparations and response for a no deal exit. Civilian MOD staff are provided on temporary detachment. In addition MOD will provide up to 160 military personnel to act as Government Liaison Officers (GLOs). GLOs will work alongside and support Local Resilience Forums and will only be deployed to areas if and where required.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what agreement his Department has reached with the Ministry of Defence on the length of time staff can be loaned from that Department to assist his Department with preparations for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and whether that agreement contains an option to increase the length of those loans.

Answered by Jake Berry

The Ministry of Defence will provide staff to work on the Ministry of Housing, Communites and Local Government (MHCLG) no deal preparations and response for a maximum of six months on temporary detachment. The six month period will apply on an individual basis commencing on the date each person is deployed to work for MHCLG.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what tasks in preparation for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal staff from the Ministry of Defence are carrying out on behalf of his Department.

Answered by Jake Berry

Ministry of Defence (MOD) staff supporting the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) no deal preparations and response will carry out a broad range of tasks including; work to support and advise local authorities and local resilience forums on their own Brexit preparations and response; providing situation reports based on information received from local partners; contributing to briefing material for Ministers and cross Government forums. MOD staff will work alongside MHCLG colleagues in delivering the Department’s no deal response.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will cover the staff costs of civil servants loaned to his Department by the Ministry of Defence to work on preparations for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Answered by Jake Berry

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will fund the salary costs and any relevant allowances of staff they provide to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to support our no deal preparations and response for a maximum of six months. During this period MHCLG will reimburse MOD for travel and subsistence costs incurred by MOD staff whilst working for MHCLG. MOD staff working on the MHCLG Brexit preparations and response are provided on temporary detachment.