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Written Question
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing minimum unit pricing for alcohol; and what other steps he is taking to help reduce alcohol harm.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government continues to watch the impact of MUP in Scotland with interest.

In England and Wales there is an ambitious programme of work in train to tackle alcohol-related harms including significant investment in treatment and recovery services, equipping the police and local authorities with the right powers to take effective actions against alcohol related-crime and harms in the night-time economy.

The Government has delivered on its commitment to review the outdated and complex alcohol duty system and introduced the biggest reform of alcohol duties for 140 years. From 1 August 2023, all alcohol has been taxed by strength, putting public health at the heart of alcohol duty.

This is helping to target problem drinking by taxing products associated with alcohol-related harm at a higher rate of duty. This new system is incentivising the production and consumption of lower strength products by introducing a reduced rate of duty for products of a lower alcohol by volume (ABV).


Written Question
Housing: Students
Monday 11th December 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a national register of student accommodation.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Student accommodation is a busy part of the housing market. As universities and landlords are private, autonomous bodies, the government has no role in the provision of student accommodation, nor a remit to intervene in how it is allocated.

The department has no plans to create a register of student accommodation. Applicants who require student accommodation should take its availability into account when making decisions about where to study. The department expects universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear, and promote the interests of students.


Written Question
Overseas Students: Employment
Monday 11th December 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of hours that people on student visas can work.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Student route is primarily for study, not for work, but many students can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full time outside of term time.

We currently have no plans to increase these working hour limits. They ensure the route is not being used as a backdoor to the UK’s labour market and protects the UK’s reputation for educational excellence.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Haemophilia
Tuesday 21st November 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will take steps to passport people infected with haemophilia that are eligible for compensation via the Infected Blood Inquiry, and their affected partners, onto (a) PIP and (b) ESA.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Infected Blood Inquiry is ongoing, and it is only reasonable that the inquiry concludes and provides its final recommendations before the Government responds. The Government is undertaking the necessary work to enable a swift response to the full report, when it is published.

People affected by the infected blood issue can already use independent benefit calculators that can be accessed via the Government website at www.gov.uk, by searching for 'benefit calculators'. These calculators allow a person to enter details of their own financial position and receive instant advice as to whether they may be entitled to any benefits. Capital disregard rules in means-tested benefits mean that recipients of infected blood compensation payments can receive these without it affecting their means-tested benefit entitlement.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise from needs related to a long-term health condition or disability. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is an income-replacement benefit for individuals who have a health condition or disability that limits their capability to work.

Eligibility to these benefits is not based on the diagnosis of a health condition or disability. Instead, both the Work Capability Assessment, which determines entitlement to ESA and the additional health-related amount of Universal Credit, and the PIP assessment, assess the impact of a person’s health condition or disability on doing everyday tasks to determine eligibility for the benefit.


Written Question
Infected Blood Inquiry
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department's expected timescale is for receiving the final report of Sir Brian Langstaff on the contaminated blood inquiry.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Honourable Member to the written ministerial statement of 23 October 2023.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-10-23/debates/23102320000007/InfectedBloodInquiry


Written Question
Public Spaces Protection Orders
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding public spaces protection orders to all public places as defined by her Department.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community.

We provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances. They are best placed to understand what is driving the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.


Written Question
Local Housing Allowance: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of what the income would be for a claimant who is eligible for the housing element of Universal Credit in the event that the Local Housing Allowance had increased in line with local rents for each year since 2020 in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

A claimant’s income will vary according to their individual circumstances. Therefore, an assessment of a claimant’s income which could include wages and other benefits cannot be estimated without incurring disproportionate costs and would not be representative of all Local Housing Allowance (LHA) claimants.

The 30th percentile levels of local market weekly rents for the Tyneside Broad Rental Market Area for each year from 2020 can be found here. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publish 30th percentile rental data alongside weekly LHA rates. This is not available as a monthly equivalent for Universal Credit.


Written Question
Local Housing Allowance
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of the freeze on Local Housing Allowance since April 2020 on the discretionary income of claimants of the housing element of Universal Credit.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department works closely with stakeholders, jobcentres and local authorities to understand the impact of its policies. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) policy is kept under regular review and rates are reviewed annually by the Secretary of State.

LHA determines the maximum housing support for tenants claiming the housing element of Universal Credit in the private rented sector. It ensures that claimants in similar circumstances living in the same area are entitled to the same maximum rent allowance regardless of the contractual rent paid. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas.

In 2020 we spent almost £1 billion increasing LHA rates to the 30th percentile of market rents. This significant investment has been maintained ensuring that everyone who benefited continues to do so. Over 2022/23 and 2023/24 the Government is providing support in excess of £94 billion to help households with the rising cost of living.

The 30th percentile levels of local market weekly rents for the Tyneside Broad Rental Market Area for each year from 2020 can be found here. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publish 30th percentile rental data alongside weekly LHA rates. This is not available as a monthly equivalent for Universal Credit.


Written Question
Visas: Married People
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consult child psychologists on the potential health impact of increasing spouse visa fees on affected children.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Home Office has aways provided exceptions to the need to pay application fees in a number of specific circumstances. These include affordability-based waivers for entry clearance and leave to remain on family and human rights grounds. These provisions ensure that the Home Office’s immigration and nationality fee structure complies with international obligations and wider Government policy, and we believe represents the right balance between protecting the integrity of the department’s funding model while helping to facilitate access to immigration and nationality products and services, including for the most vulnerable.

The Home Office published an Equalities Impact Assessment alongside the Regulations that increased immigration and nationality fees in October 2023. This included an assessment of the proposals in line with the Secretary of State’s duty under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

There are currently no plans to consult on fee levels.


Written Question
Autism: Children
Monday 24th July 2023

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for autism spectrum disorder assessments for children.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services. These documents will help the National Health Service to improve their autism assessment services and improve the experience for children who are referred to an autism assessment service.

In addition, each integrated care board is expected to have an Executive Lead, supporting the board in planning to meet the needs of its local population of people with a learning disability and autistic people, including by ensuring appropriate assessment and diagnosis pathways.

This year (2023/24), £4.2 million is available to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services and pre- and post-diagnostic support, and the continuation of the ‘Autism in Schools’ programme.