Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the countries which the Health and Safety Executive has approved the export of Paraquat to.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) no longer has access to data to give a UK specific figure for the export of paraquat in 2019.
However, the European Chemicals Agency provides EU data for 2019 covering an aggregated volume for paraquat and some chloroform, which is available here: Report on exports and imports in 2017 of chemicals listed in Annex I to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation (europa.eu).
HSE’s data, collected annually since 2020, shows that in 2020, exports of paraquat from Great Britain (GB) totalled just over 10 thousand tonnes. The total export of paraquat from GB in 2021 will be published by HSE later this year.
Under GB PIC, HSE does not approve the export of paraquat (or any other substance on the PIC list) but administers a system for the notification of exports of chemicals on the PIC list, including paraquat. HSE should be notified of the planned export of paraquat and seek the consent of the importing country.
HSE’s data shows that the countries who have given consent to the import of paraquat include Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Japan, Paraguay and the United States.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department collects on the export of pesticides banned for domestic use in the UK; and in what form that data is held.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) administers the Great Britain (GB) Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regime, which regulates the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals from or to GB.
Businesses exporting or importing from or to GB are required to provide HSE with data on the export of banned or severely restricted substances on the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) list. This can include substances used as Plant Protection Products (pesticides), Biocidal Products (biocides) or industrial chemicals.
A report containing information on the PIC substances exported in 2020 (including pesticides on the PIC list), the destination countries and quantities will be published by HSE shortly. However, it should be noted that many substances have multiple uses and that some substances banned for use as pesticides and/or biocides in GB have legitimate other industrial uses both domestically and in destination countries. HSE will publish a report containing information on the PIC substances exported in 2021 later this year.
Guidance for businesses wishing to comply with their legal requirements under GB PIC is available on HSE’s website at https://www.hse.gov.uk/pic/.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to UK exporters that are exporting chemicals which are banned for domestic use in the UK.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) administers the Great Britain (GB) Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regime, which regulates the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals from or to GB.
Businesses exporting or importing from or to GB are required to provide HSE with data on the export of banned or severely restricted substances on the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) list. This can include substances used as Plant Protection Products (pesticides), Biocidal Products (biocides) or industrial chemicals.
A report containing information on the PIC substances exported in 2020 (including pesticides on the PIC list), the destination countries and quantities will be published by HSE shortly. However, it should be noted that many substances have multiple uses and that some substances banned for use as pesticides and/or biocides in GB have legitimate other industrial uses both domestically and in destination countries. HSE will publish a report containing information on the PIC substances exported in 2021 later this year.
Guidance for businesses wishing to comply with their legal requirements under GB PIC is available on HSE’s website at https://www.hse.gov.uk/pic/.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in the Brentford and Isleworth constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2021 to Question 29073, on National Insurance, if she will further outline the steps taken to streamline the process for issuing National Insurance numbers to people with Turkish Businesspersons visas.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
When applying for a National Insurance number (NINo), Turkish Businessperson Visa holders were previously required to attend a face to face appointment with DWP where they were asked to provide documentary evidence of their self-employment/business.
From 9 June 2021, Turkish Businessperson Visa holders are able to apply on-line for a NINo and are no longer required to attend a face to face appointment with DWP to provide additional evidence of their self-employment. DWP will instead accept the BRP as evidence of their self-employment, meaning they no longer need to prove to DWP they are gainfully self-employed in order to be allocated a NINo.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of issuing a National Insurance number to people who have been granted a Turkish Businessperson visa as soon as they receive that visa.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In respect of immigration applications, Turkish Businesspersons are initially granted 12 months’ visa, during which time they should establish their business and register for tax and national insurance. Self-employed business people are legally required to register for the payment of income tax and national insurance contributions.
As part of Turkish Business person extension applications, applicants are asked to provide documentary evidence to confirm that their business is active and that they are genuinely self-employed. Evidence may include tax returns, national insurance returns, and evidence of public liability insurance.
It is not mandatory for Turkish Businesspersons to provide a National Insurance Number (NINo) as part of their immigration application and the Home Office will ensure they are not penalised for any previous delays in issuing one.
DWP and the Home Office have no plans to issue NINo’s to Turkish Businesspersons when their initial visa is approved.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims were made by people who were both homeless and in receipt of severe disability premiums in January 2017.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department does not centrally collate this data.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims were made by people who were both homeless and in receipt of severe disability premium in 2017.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department does not centrally collate this data.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new claims for universal claims were made between 2016 and 2019 by claimants already receiving the severe disability premium before their assessment period came up.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to publish the steps it will take in response to the Court of Appeal ruling in Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v Johnson & Ors [2020] EWCA Civ 778.
Answered by Will Quince
The Court of Appeal judgment affects a small minority of claimants in very specific circumstances, those who receive two calendar monthly payments of earnings in one assessment period and lose out on the work allowance. We recognise the impact that having double earnings in an assessment period can have on individual claimants and their ability to manage their finances.
While the court judgment does not require us to fix this issue by a particular date, we are currently working on ways to resolve this for claimants as soon as possible. We will keep the House updated as progress is made.