Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive was notified of any cases of non-compliance with explosives labelling regulations at the Atomic Weapons Establishment during 2015 on which action was subsequently taken to address this situation.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
No notifications of non-compliance with explosives labelling regulations were received from AWE during 2015, and therefore no regulatory action was required.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government applied to the European Commission globalisation adjustment fund to secure support funding for the British steel industry plants recently closed or under threat of closure.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The European Globalisation Fund (EGF) provides a financial contribution for active labour market measures, aimed at reintegrating those made or at risk of being made redundant in the labour market.
Member States are responsible in the first instance for tackling trade adjustment redundancies - the fund is therefore designed to add to national, regional and local assistance.
The UK already offers a broad range of personalised support to workers made redundant through its Rapid Response Service and Jobcentre Plus, which could not be duplicated or substituted by EGF.
The Rapid Response Service and the Jobcentre Plus Core Offer are effective reintegration tools which represent good value for money and are our primary and most effective means of response to support the industry.
In addition to this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has also announced packages of support worth up to £80 million for SSI in Redcar and up to £9 million for TATA Steel in Scunthorpe.
Only if more support is necessary other suitable sources of support will be considered.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to automatically increase on an annual basis the earnings limit for carer's allowance in line with annual increases in the national living wage.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment. It was never intended to be a carer's wage nor a payment for the services of caring, and is therefore not comparable with the National Living Wage.
The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is not linked to the number of hours worked. It is currently £110 per week, net of tax, National Insurance and various expenses. This offers help for carers who can undertake some employment in addition to their caring responsibilities. The limit was increased by 8 per cent in April 2015 from £102 per week. Around 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year.
The Government keeps the earnings limit and rules under review, including whether an increase in the threshold is warranted and affordable.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will replace the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance with an earnings taper.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment. It was never intended to be a carer's wage nor a payment for the services of caring, and is therefore not comparable with the National Living Wage.
The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is not linked to the number of hours worked. It is currently £110 per week, net of tax, National Insurance and various expenses. This offers help for carers who can undertake some employment in addition to their caring responsibilities. The limit was increased by 8 per cent in April 2015 from £102 per week. Around 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year.
The Government keeps the earnings limit and rules under review, including whether an increase in the threshold is warranted and affordable.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 2.103 of the Summer Budget 2015, what additional training will be made available to staff of his Department to deal with cases in which a third child was conceived as a result of rape.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
We will work with relevant stakeholders to help us deliver this policy intent and will ensure that appropriate training and guidance for staff is in place.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to prioritise the protection of social security benefits when evaluating future proposals for departmental expenditure.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government’s commitment to reduce welfare spending was set out in its election manifesto. We have already set out where some of the savings will come from – freezing and capping working age benefits. Further details will be given in due course.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of the New Policy Institute report, What happened to poverty under the Coalition, published on 29 April 2015.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
DWP has noted the recent publication of the New Policy Institute predictions report on their modelling of poverty under the Coalition.
Since 2010, this Government and the previous Coalition Government have undertaken the most substantial welfare reforms in a generation, with employment at the highest on record, this government is restoring fairness, simplifying the benefit system, and helping people into lasting employment.
It is known that accurately predicting poverty levels is difficult, as it is influenced by complex interactions between the labour market, welfare state and the wider economy.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
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 implications for his Department's policies of recent figures from the Trussell Trust that one million people in Britain will soon be using its food banks; and what assessment he has made of whether there is a link between welfare spending reductions and food bank usage.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The Department recognises the extremely valuable work of civil society in supporting local communities. As the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Inquiry noted, the reasons why people use food banks can be complex and overlapping. Their use in this country can’t be attributed to a single cause.
As promised the Department for Work and Pensions has done more to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances for those in financial need at the start of a new benefit claim, including providing information on GOV.UK and posters and leaflets in Jobcentres. Guidance has also been updated and staff reminded of the process for considering STBA requests.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) representatives from the steel industry on Tata Steel's plans to close the British Steel pension scheme.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
I have had no recent discussions with either Ministerial colleagues or representatives from the steel industry with regard to Tata Steel’s plans to close the British Steel pension scheme.