Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NICE on acceptance of the classification of myalgic encephalomyelitis as a neurological disease as defined by the World Health Organisation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Department has had no such discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and develops its guidance based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and in consultation with stakeholders. NICE is currently updating its clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, with expected publication on 14 October 2020.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
What steps he is taking to improve mental health support for firefighters.
Answered by Nick Hurd
We recognise the vital role firefighters play and it is essential that fire and rescue authorities, as the employers, ensure that they receive the mental health support they require.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services is assessing how well services understand and meet the wellbeing needs of their workforce and where improvements could be made.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes her Department uses to (a) notify people of their state pension entitlement and (b) advise them of the number of additional qualifying years of national insurance contributions required to obtain the full state pension; and whether that information is provided via a single communication.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Reforms to the State Pension were recommended by the Pensions Commission in 2005, which was set up under the then Labour Government. These recommendations were taken forward in the design of the new State Pension by the coalition Government.
Since 2014, the Department for Work and Pensions has carried out a comprehensive communication campaign to bring the new State Pension to people’s attention with advertisements in newspapers, on social media and on radio stations across the country as well as working through Stakeholders to raise public awareness of the changes. There is also a significant package of on-line information about the State Pension at www.gov.uk.
Our online service, Check your State Pension (CySP), is key in supporting the communication campaign. This service provides a State Pension forecast (based on the individual’s current National Insurance record and an assumption that future years count towards their State Pension), and the earliest date the individual can get their State Pension. Users can look at their National Insurance record, where they will also find out how many qualifying years they have and any gaps in their contributions. Since February 2016, over 10 million State Pension forecasts have now been viewed online, helping millions of people to plan for their retirement. Those who are unable to use the online CySP service can request to get a State Pension forecast posted to them.
The CySP service also gives personalised information on whether the payment of (Class 3) voluntary National Insurance Contributions (vNICs) may improve their forecast. Whether or not an individual can improve their State Pension position by making vNICs will depend upon their own particular circumstances. It is entirely a decision for the individual to make but it may not always be beneficial. A person normally has six years in which to pay vNICs for a given tax year.
Anyone considering making vNICs payments should firstly check their State Pension using the CySP service on www.gov.uk. Where someone pays Class 3 vNICs and the payment does not result in an increase their State Pension, they can request a refund from HMRC.
People with no National Insurance record before the introduction of the new State
Pension on 6 April 2016 will need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount of new State Pension, when they reach State Pension age.
For people with an existing National Insurance record before this date, transitional arrangements apply and their existing National Insurance (NI) record to 6 April 2016 is taken into account. (It is therefore not the case that 35 years of National Insurance will result in the full rate of the new State Pension for these people; in these cases there is usually not a direct relationship between the number of years of National Insurance contributions and the amount of State Pension someone receives.)
People who qualify will receive at least as much from the new State Pension as they would have done from the old system, based on their NI record to 6 April 2018;
Many people will be able to build a higher State Pension amount than they previously could have done by adding further qualifying years until they either reach the full rate of new State Pension, or their State Pension age whichever comes first
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the requirement to have 35 qualifying years of national insurance contributions to be eligible for a full state pension is set out in correspondence sent to people in relation to (a) their national insurance record and (b) their state pension.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Reforms to the State Pension were recommended by the Pensions Commission in 2005, which was set up under the then Labour Government. These recommendations were taken forward in the design of the new State Pension by the coalition Government.
Since 2014, the Department for Work and Pensions has carried out a comprehensive communication campaign to bring the new State Pension to people’s attention with advertisements in newspapers, on social media and on radio stations across the country as well as working through Stakeholders to raise public awareness of the changes. There is also a significant package of on-line information about the State Pension at www.gov.uk.
Our online service, Check your State Pension (CySP), is key in supporting the communication campaign. This service provides a State Pension forecast (based on the individual’s current National Insurance record and an assumption that future years count towards their State Pension), and the earliest date the individual can get their State Pension. Users can look at their National Insurance record, where they will also find out how many qualifying years they have and any gaps in their contributions. Since February 2016, over 10 million State Pension forecasts have now been viewed online, helping millions of people to plan for their retirement. Those who are unable to use the online CySP service can request to get a State Pension forecast posted to them.
The CySP service also gives personalised information on whether the payment of (Class 3) voluntary National Insurance Contributions (vNICs) may improve their forecast. Whether or not an individual can improve their State Pension position by making vNICs will depend upon their own particular circumstances. It is entirely a decision for the individual to make but it may not always be beneficial. A person normally has six years in which to pay vNICs for a given tax year.
Anyone considering making vNICs payments should firstly check their State Pension using the CySP service on www.gov.uk. Where someone pays Class 3 vNICs and the payment does not result in an increase their State Pension, they can request a refund from HMRC.
People with no National Insurance record before the introduction of the new State
Pension on 6 April 2016 will need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount of new State Pension, when they reach State Pension age.
For people with an existing National Insurance record before this date, transitional arrangements apply and their existing National Insurance (NI) record to 6 April 2016 is taken into account. (It is therefore not the case that 35 years of National Insurance will result in the full rate of the new State Pension for these people; in these cases there is usually not a direct relationship between the number of years of National Insurance contributions and the amount of State Pension someone receives.)
People who qualify will receive at least as much from the new State Pension as they would have done from the old system, based on their NI record to 6 April 2018;
Many people will be able to build a higher State Pension amount than they previously could have done by adding further qualifying years until they either reach the full rate of new State Pension, or their State Pension age whichever comes first
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have (a) made additional payments to increase the number of qualifying years of National Insurance contributions they require to claim the full state pension and (b) by making such payments have (i) exceeded the 35 years required to claim that pension and (ii) been refunded for making overpayments.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The requested information relating to the payment of voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions is not readily available.
People with no National Insurance record before the introduction of the new State Pension on 6 April 2016 will need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount of new State Pension, when they reach State Pension age.
For people with an existing National Insurance record before this date, transitional arrangements apply and their existing National Insurance (NI) record to 6 April 2016 is taken into account. (It is therefore not the case that 35 years of National Insurance will result in the full rate of the new State Pension for these people; in these cases there is usually not a direct relationship between the number of years of National Insurance contributions and the amount of State Pension someone receives.)
People who qualify will receive at least as much from the new State Pension as they would have done from the old system, based on their NI record to 6 April 2018;
Many people will be able to build a higher State Pension amount than they previously could have done by adding further qualifying years until they either reach the full rate of new State Pension, or their State Pension age whichever comes first
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What steps he is taking to reduce the total net annual financial outflow from the UK to the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK and the EU reached an agreement in principle, in December 2017, on the financial settlement for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This was set out in the Joint Report on progress during Phase 1 of the negotiations. These principles will become legally binding through a Withdrawal Agreement as set out in the Government’s White Paper on legislating for the Withdrawal Agreement, published in July this year.
Post-exit, decisions on spending will be made based on domestic priorities, considering the economic environment, the fiscal position and the negotiated outcome.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the publication of the Turnbull Report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business, whether he has invited any regulatory body to bring charges against the parties named in that report.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This is a matter for the operationally independent Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
This report was provided to the FCA and the police at the time, in 2014.
The FCA is currently investigating the extent and nature of the knowledge of the discovery of misconduct within HBOS Impaired Assets office in Reading and HBOS’ communications with the regulator after the initial discovery of the misconduct.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the publication of the Turnbull Report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business, whether he has referred the Turnbull report to the Serious Fraud Office.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This is a matter for the operationally independent Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
This report was provided to the FCA and the police at the time, in 2014.
The FCA is currently investigating the extent and nature of the knowledge of the discovery of misconduct within HBOS Impaired Assets office in Reading and HBOS’ communications with the regulator after the initial discovery of the misconduct.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if will amend the insolvency legislation to provide for an independent ombudsman to advise on disputes.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The insolvency of a party will not necessarily prevent the use of existing dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration. If, however, insolvency related remedies are sought, for example in relation to claims against directors, preference claims, claims to set aside transactions at undervalue, steps will need to be undertaken to ensure appropriate authority is provided by the court.
Insolvency practitioners deal with a number of conflicting interests and their authorising bodies cannot intervene in, or adjudicate upon, disputes of a commercial or legal nature. Ultimately, it is for the Courts to adjudicate upon commercial disputes and disagreements about the application of insolvency law.
Where there are concerns about the actions of an insolvency practitioner, these should in the first instance be raised directly with the practitioner. If this fails to resolve the matter, then a complaint can be made through the Insolvency Service’s Complaints Gateway at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-insolvency-practitioner. In June 2013, we established this new gateway to provide a single point of entry for complaints about insolvency practitioners following collaborative discussions between the Insolvency Service and the bodies that authorise insolvency practitioners. The Gateway handles circa 700 complaints annually.
Given the existing options for resolving disputes, I am not proposing to make any changes at this time.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps are taken by Companies House to ensure the legibility of the documents submitted to it.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
Documents filed with Companies House should be legible and enable Companies House to make an acceptable copy of the document for the public record. Documents are examined for legibility before they are accepted for registration and may be returned if an examiner believes they do not meet the legibility requirements. Should Companies House receive a public complaint, or become aware in some other way, that a document is not legible, it will contact the company and request a new copy of the document.