Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 6 March 2024 to Question 16495 and of 11 March 2024 to Question 17444 on Employment: Disability, what guidance his Department issues to employers on home assessments to ensure the suitability of equipment for disabled people taking on home-based employment.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
An employer has the same health and safety responsibilities for people working from home, including those with disabilities, as for any other workers. Employers must protect their workers from health and safety risks from working on a computer or laptop (display screen equipment or DSE) at home and should check to see if the Display Screen Equipment Regulations apply. HSE guidance provides more information: Managing home workers' health and safety - Overview – HSE
Separately, the Chance to Work Guarantee will remove reassessments for the majority of Universal Credit (UC) or Employment and Support Allowance claimants (ESA) with no work-related requirements. The purpose of the Guarantee is to encourage claimants who have been assessed without work-related requirements to try work without the fear of reassessment, within existing permitted work rules in ESA and work allowance rules in UC.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the Government plans to resume funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the context of the interim investigation by the UN into allegations against UNRWA staff and the resumption of funding by other nations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
As we have set out, we are pressing the UN Office of Internal Oversight and Catherine Colonna, who is leading the independent Review Group appointed by the UN Secretary-General, to produce a rapid interim report. We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.
Any future funding decisions will be taken after UNRWA's review has concluded.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his policy to mandate (a) health and safety checks, (b) the provision of adapted (i) computer chairs, (ii) desks, (iii) screens and (iv) keyboards for disabled employees who are working from home whilst taking part in the Work Guarantee scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 March to PQ16495.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his policy to mandate (a) health and safety checks, (b) the provision of adapted (i) computer chairs, (ii) desks, (iii) screens and (iv) keyboards for disabled employees taking part in the Work Guarantee scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Chance to Work Guarantee will remove reassessments for the vast majority of existing claimants with no work-related requirements. The purpose of the Guarantee is to encourage claimants who do not currently have any work-related requirements to consider, on a voluntary basis, trying work under ESA permitted work and the UC work allowance rules without the fear of reassessment and losing their benefit entitlement.
Employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled workers. The aim of this duty under equality law is to ensure that, as far as is reasonable, disabled workers have the same access to everything involved in doing and keeping a job as non-disabled workers.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will have discussions with local authorities on the provision of utilities for areas with multiple large net zero projects planned.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government works with local authorities through the Local Net Zero Forum, which brings together national and local government on a regular basis to discuss policy and delivery options on net zero; this provides a way for local government to raise issues they wish to discuss.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that projects that received alternative fuels fund round 1 grants remain viable.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) programme is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The Government’s Advanced Fuels Fund has allocated £135m across 13 projects to support private investment in UK SAF projects by overcoming perceived technological and construction risks and will support our industry shared aim to have at least five commercial SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025.
Our SAF mandate that will be in force from 2025 and in September, the government committed to design and implement a revenue certainty mechanism to support SAF production in the UK.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to ensure that sustainable aviation fuel projects can start construction in 2025.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) programme is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The Government’s Advanced Fuels Fund has allocated £135m across 13 projects to support private investment in UK SAF projects by overcoming perceived technological and construction risks and will support our industry shared aim to have at least five commercial SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025.
Our SAF mandate that will be in force from 2025 and in September, the government committed to design and implement a revenue certainty mechanism to support SAF production in the UK.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the use of zero-hours contract under the chance to work guarantee.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
At Autumn Statement 2023, we announced that we will be introducing a new Chance to Work Guarantee. This will apply to the majority of Universal Credit (UC) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants who have been assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity. The Guarantee means that, once introduced, the majority of people in this group will be able to try work without the fear of reassessment, within existing permitted work rules (ESA) and work allowance rules (UC).
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which disability benefits chance to work guarantee will apply to.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
At Autumn Statement 2023, we announced that we will be introducing a new Chance to Work Guarantee. This will apply to the majority of Universal Credit (UC) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants who have been assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity. The Guarantee means that, once introduced, the majority of people in this group will be able to try work without the fear of reassessment, within existing permitted work rules (ESA) and work allowance rules (UC).
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the minimum guaranteed contracted employment hours will be under the chance to work guarantee.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
At Autumn Statement 2023, we announced that we will be introducing a new Chance to Work Guarantee. This will apply to the majority of Universal Credit (UC) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants who have been assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity. The Guarantee means that, once introduced, the majority of people in this group will be able to try work without the fear of reassessment, within existing permitted work rules (ESA) and work allowance rules (UC).