Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for (a) Disability Living Allowance and (b) the Personal Independence Payment were made for children in the last 12 months.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There were 199,000 new claims made in the last 12 months (Apr 2023 to March 2024 inclusive), for DLA Child in Great Britain. This figure includes claims made under normal rules and special rules, rounded to the nearest 1,000. The figure is sourced from unpublished internal data, and therefore have been quality assured to a different standard compared to official data publications by DWP.
The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment claims can be found here. The requested data can be found in the ‘PIP Clearances’ dataset by going to ‘Age (bands and single year)’ and selecting the relevant age range.
Children are not eligible to claim PIP until they are 16 years old. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is available for those under 16.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here. An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many blue badges were issued due to children having a medical condition in 2023.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not collect this information. Each local authority is responsible for their own data retention policies and may or may not hold this information.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure maximum value for money in overseas development assistance spending decisions.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO employs robust systems and frameworks to ensure we achieve value for money for UK taxpayers. The suitability of organisations receiving ODA, including the projects undertaken, is assessed through FCDO business cases and annual reviews, as set out in the Department's Programme Operating Framework. The Department uses evidence to inform spending decisions and maximise the impact of the UK's ODA. FCDO officials are empowered to adjust programming using our approach to prioritisation set out in the White Paper on International Development.
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) independently scrutinises UK ODA to assess value for money and impact [https://icai.independent.gov.uk/].
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to UK International Development's white paper entitled International development in a contested world: ending extreme poverty and tackling climate change, published in November 2023, if his Department will publish a plan to deliver the policy commitments in that white paper.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
International development in a contested world, the International Development White Paper, sets out our strategic goal, to end extreme poverty and tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, and how the UK can accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, through to 2030. The FCDO will set out how it is delivering the White Paper through existing departmental planning processes, including the Outcome Delivery Plan and the Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the King James Academy in Royston following recent flooding and the loss of its roof.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department is working with The Diamond Learning Partnership Trust, the responsible body for the school, to return pupils to face-to-face education as soon as possible. The trust is considering using alternative teaching sites and whether to install temporary facilities on the existing site. A loss adjustor from the Risk Protection Arrangement scheme is carrying out a site assessment on 12 January 2024. The department will discuss next steps with the trust once the outcomes from the site assessment have been received.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent estimate she has made of when Mrs Jasvinder Barang will receive compensation in respect of her overturned conviction by the Post Office.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Our aim is to ensure that every affected postmaster is fully recompensed for their losses and the suffering they have had to endure as a result of the Horizon scandal. To date, more than £148 million has been paid to 2,700 victims across all compensation schemes, 95 convictions have been overturned and, of those, 30 have agreed full and final settlements. Just over £30 million has been paid out in compensation to those with overturned convictions, including interim payments.
I cannot comment on individual claims for reasons of confidentiality.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has plans to strengthen the marine protected area around (a) the South Sandwich Islands and (b) South Georgia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) is currently undertaking the second 5-year review of its Marine Protected Area (MPA). GSGSSI launched the review with a 2-day science symposium in June 2023 and is currently assessing the extent to which existing provisions are delivering the objectives of the MPA. GSGSSI is committed to reporting on its review by early next year.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of industrial fisheries on the (a) penguin and (b) whale populations around South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) manages a highly regulated fishery, in accordance with its Marine Protected Area legislation. Only vessels which fully meet requirements of both the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and strict GSGSSI licensing requirements are able to conduct fishing activities. Scientific observers are deployed on every fishing vessel, and there are seasonal and spatial controls to ensure the fishery does not impact on the conservation of all animals living around these islands.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much has been spent from the public purse on the (a) Blue Belt Programme and (b) domestic Marine Protected Area roll out around the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
From 2018-19 to 2022-23, Blue Belt spend has been £7 million, £5.4 million, £6.9 million, £7.7 million and £7.7 million respectively. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) does not keep the detail of funding specifically devoted to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Defra's MPA team is funded through general administrative budgets to deliver management, monitoring and enforcement working alongside Defra's Arms Length Bodies.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to correspondence of 30 June 2023 from the hon, Member for North East Hertfordshire, enclosing a letter from the Chief Executive of Johnson Matthey.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
I responded to the Rt Honourable Member on 20 July 2023.