Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Regulatory Management Options Analyses on potential substances for inclusion on the Substances of Very High Concern Candidate List does the Health and Safety Executive have the capacity to conduct per year.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The number of Regulatory Management Options Analysis (RMOA) that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will progress each year depends on a number of factors. These include the information available to HSE on chemicals of concern, the likely impact of HSE’s actions, wider strategic priorities within the REACH framework for risk management activity and available capacity. HSE plans to undertake 5 RMOAs during 2023/24.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish her Department's Regulatory Management Options Analysis on the four substances it was considering for inclusion on UK’s Substances of Very High Concern Candidate List; and if he will take steps to review the new entries to the EU’s Substances of Very High Concern Candidate List in (a) 2022 and (b) January 2023 for potential inclusion on the UK Candidate List.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All Regulatory Management Options Analyses (RMOAs) produced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are published on HSE’s website following agreement with the Appropriate Authorities. HSE will review new entries to the EU’s SVHC candidate list as part of their work programme.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) staffing and (b) other costs were incurred by the Health and Safety Executive for work relating to UK REACH in the (i) 2021-22 financial year and (ii) 2022-23 financial year to 31 January 2023.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Please see the table below for costs relating to UK REACH.
Financial Year | Staff (£M) | Other (£M) | Total (£M) |
2021/2022 | £2.94 | £0 | £2.94 |
2022/2023 (to Jan 31) | £3.2 | *£0.04 | £3.24 |
*£40,000, relate to payroll and expenses costs for members of the REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool who advise HSE on its UK REACH work.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the level of the disability employment gap.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the disability employment gap was 29.6 percentage points in October to September 2022. This is an increase of 0.6 percentage points on the year and an overall decrease of 4.2 percentage points since the same quarter in 2013.
Source: A08: Labour market status of disabled people - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the Administrative Earnings Threshold of Universal Credit on people with health conditions.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has completed an Equality Analysis for the AET.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has with Cabinet colleagues on supporting disabled people in Newport Bills with rising energy bills for electrical equipment, including medical equipment.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions across Government on a range of issues.
The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, including disabled people, and has taken further, decisive action to support people with their energy bills. We have taken action though our new Energy Price Guarantee from 1 October. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes:
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many members of staff have left her Department since 12 December 2019.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Between 13 December 2019 and 30 August 2022 (inclusive) 24,415 headcount (21,833.44 FTE) left the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of rising energy costs on pensioners in Newport West constituency; and if she will meet the hon. Member for that constituency at the earliest opportunity to discuss that matter.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government announced on 26 May a cost-of-living package which included a pensioner cost of living payment of £300 per household to be paid alongside the winter fuel payment this coming winter increasing the amount to £500/£600 depending on age. Once added to the non-repayable £400 discount on energy bills this autumn for domestic electricity customers this will result in all pensioners households in Great Britain receiving £900 for households with someone of state pension age and under 80 and £1,000 for households with someone aged 80 or over to help with increased fuel costs.
Cold Weather Payments are also available to help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet additional heating costs, during periods of unseasonably cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. This includes older people in receipt of Pension Credit. Those eligible will continue to automatically receive £25 when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days.
In winter 2022/23, the Warm Home Discount Scheme has been extended to provide a £150 rebate on energy bills to around 3 million households. Around one million households on Pension Credit guarantee credit will receive a rebate each winter, and the majority will receive their rebate automatically, without the need to claim.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on support for people represented by the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
State Pensions age issues have been debated extensively in the House over many years. There have been no recent Cabinet conversations relating to support for people represented by the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has held recent discussions with the Welsh Government on requirements to attend the Jobcentre for people with health problems.
Answered by Julie Marson
Although there have been no recent discussions with the Welsh Government concerning Jobcentre attendance for people with health conditions, there is a well-established working relationship between the Department and the Welsh Government, ensuring that we work together on devolved and reserved areas effectively.
Our Work Coaches personalise the support provided for each individual claimant and vary the frequency and method of contact in line with the claimant’s needs, circumstances, and capability, including the use of digital and telephone channels where appropriate.