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Written Question
Childcare
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of parents with children older than three that have (a) requested and (b) been granted flexibility on the 30 hour work requirement in each of the last 12 months; and what proportion were single parents.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

No assessment has been made.


Written Question
Maternity Allowance: Eligibility
Monday 4th December 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 3.10 of the Autumn Statement 2023, CP 977, published on 22 November 2023, if he will take steps to ensure self-employed parents remain able to verify their eligibility for maternity allowance.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Self-employed parents will continue to be able to claim Maternity Allowance. We are working to reflect the changes announced in the Autumn Statement in the claims process for Maternity Allowance announced and details will be published in due course.


Written Question
Flexible Support Fund: Universal Credit
Wednesday 8th March 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2023 to Question 151284 on Flexible Support Fund: Universal Credit, on how many occasions in each of the last five years have Work Coaches awarded that funding; and what the value of the funding awarded was in each of the last five years.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Information relating to the volume of awards from the Flexible Support Fund is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Information relating to expenditure on the Flexible Support Fund for the last 5 audited years is available within the answers provided to PQ 155126 & PQ 155127.

PQ 155126

PQ 155127


Written Question
Flexible Support Fund: Universal Credit
Tuesday 28th February 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications have been made for the Flexible Support Fund in Universal Credit Full Service in each of the last five years; how many of those applications have been granted; how much funding has been applied for in those years; and how much funding was awarded for childcare in that period between commencing employment and first receipt of wages.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Flexible Support Fund (FSF) is a discretionary fund and awards are made based on Work Coach assessment of customer needs rather than applications.


Written Question
Department for Work and Pensions: EU Law
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, whether it is his policy to (a) revoke, (b) retain or (c) replace the Barber judgement in Walker v Innospec, reference UKSC 47.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

This Government has repeatedly affirmed its support for new pensions rights being built up equally for men and women, and has clearly indicated that it accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court in Walker v Innospec.

We are now considering how best to seamlessly implement the measures in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill whilst minimising the impact on the pension industry and members of occupational pension schemes. We will seek to ensure there is no unnecessary disruption of the effective operation of the private pensions system.


Written Question
Department for Work and Pensions: EU Law
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, whether it is his policy to (a) revoke, (b) retain or (c) replace the Barber judgement, reference C262/88.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

This Government has repeatedly affirmed its support for new pensions rights being built up equally for men and women, and has clearly indicated that it accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court in Walker v Innospec.

We are now considering how best to seamlessly implement the measures in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill whilst minimising the impact on the pension industry and members of occupational pension schemes. We will seek to ensure there is no unnecessary disruption of the effective operation of the private pensions system.


Written Question
Department for Work and Pensions: EU Law
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, whether it is his policy to (a) revoke, (b) retain or (c) replace the Allonby judgement, reference C256/01.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

This Government has repeatedly affirmed its support for new pensions rights being built up equally for men and women, and has clearly indicated that it accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court in Walker v Innospec.

We are now considering how best to seamlessly implement the measures in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill whilst minimising the impact on the pension industry and members of occupational pension schemes. We will seek to ensure there is no unnecessary disruption of the effective operation of the private pensions system.


Written Question
Occupational Pension Schemes (Administration and Disclosure) (Amendment) Regulations 2018
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Retained EU Law Bill, whether they plan to (a) revoke (b) retain or (c) replace the Occupational Pension Schemes (Administration and Disclosure) (Amendment) Regulations 2018.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

We will come forward with our plans to implement the measures in the Retained EU Law Bill in due course.


Written Question
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, whether he has plans to (a) revoke, (b) replace or (c) retain the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 define the risks of working in confined spaces and require dutyholders to assess those risks and put precautions in place for work to be carried out safely.

The Regulations implement provisions of Council Directive 92/57/EEC - Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites and are subject to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 (REUL Bill) currently passing through Parliament.

With the introduction of the REUL Bill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world. HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards.


Written Question
Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022
Thursday 15th December 2022

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report published on 6 December 2022 by the Joint Committee on Human Rights into the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of (a) the Committee's disappointment that it does not take effect from the date of the original High Court decision from 2016 in the case of Siobhan McLaughlin and (b) the Committee's recommendation that the Government consider offering payments to cover claimants who will not receive benefits as a result of the cut-off date in the remedial order.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department welcomes the JCHR report on the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022 and the Committee’s recommendation that the draft Order be approved. The draft Remedial Order proposes 30 August 2018 as the start date because that was when the incompatibility for Widowed Parents Allowance was accepted as final in the Supreme Court. It is not routine for Social Security changes to be made retrospectively, and to use an earlier date, or make additional payments via a new scheme, would bring extra administrative complexity and costs to the taxpayer.