Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to simplify the Pension Credit application process.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department is committed to modernising the Pension Credit service and regularly reviews the user experience to balance simplification with ensuring accurate awards. We are streamlining application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions customers need to answer.
Claims can be made online, by telephone, or by post. The most popular method is online, where claims can be made 24/7 with help from a family member, friend, or third party. The online form now requires a maximum of 48 questions, and for some customers as few as 35. On average, it takes just 16 minutes to complete, with around 90% of new customers applying online or by phone.
For telephone claims, callers are guided through the process by an agent. We will continue to keep the Pension Credit application process under review to ensure it remains simple and accessible.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that illegal settlements in the West Bank are covered by UK sanctions.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. The UK has sanctioned individuals, illegal settler outposts and organisations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, as well as Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, and Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, in their personal capacity for inciting violence towards Palestinians. Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing patient records to be used to research the impact of the use of puberty blockers on people throughout their lives.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to supporting the NHS in making research central to new gender services for children and young people.
This includes a retrospective data linkage study to identify associations in former GIDS patients’ experiences and outcomes, through analysis of available digital information within health records and other nationally held databases. This will not, however, establish causation.
The rigorous, randomised controlled PATHWAYS clinical trial which will offer puberty suppression within comprehensive NHS assessment and support will provide robust evidence needed to guide future NHS gender care decisions. Participants will also be asked to consent to long-term follow-up into adult life.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Israeli government’s decision to suspend 37 aid groups on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made on 5 January.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to Written Statement UIN HCWS1171 on Upgraded Free Trade Agreement with the Republic of Korea: negotiation update, what impact the deal will have on the a) salmon and b) whisky industry.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The upgraded FTA secures several provisions to reduce administrative burden and costs for UK businesses.
It streamlines clearance processes for the release of perishable goods like Salmon and ensures Scottish salmon raised from imported seedstock qualify for tariff-free access to the Republic of Korea, commitments welcomed by the Scottish salmon industry.
The FTA also locks in our Geographical Indication protection for Scotch Whisky, preventing the sale of fake Whisky in Republic of Korea. New rules of origin provisions will make it easier to export via distribution hubs without being charged tariffs, a key facilitation welcomed by the industry.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve digital connectivity for passengers on East Coast Main Line services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of the Spending Review, the Department was successful in securing funding to deploy low earth orbit satellite connectivity for all mainline trains to improve on-train WiFi for passengers. This will include London North Eastern Railway, which will see improvements as part of this deployment.
The Department has also been working with Network Rail to deliver improved connectivity on the rail network. Project Reach will renew fibre optic cables and address 4G / 5G mobile signals in 57 key mainline tunnels.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help establish diplomatic relations with Palestine.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary has exchanged letters with Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, formally establishing diplomatic relations with Palestine.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many training materials (a) produced and (b) utilised by his Department include examples of income from OnlyFans creating.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP technical learning is only available internally to DWP staff.
Work coach role-specific learning includes examples to illustrate various self-employed income streams. This learning supports work coaches to build competence, assessing income for customers’ benefit award. Two references to income from OnlyFans creating were produced as part of wider learning but were subsequently removed from utilisation.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department’s policy is for tidal stream in the upcoming Contracts for Difference allocation round.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Six new tidal stream projects secured contracts in Allocation Round 6 (AR6) of the Contracts for Difference Scheme. The UK is now on track to have 130MW of tidal stream deployed by 2029. The parameters for Allocation Round 7 (AR7) were published in July and the budget for technologies including tidal will be published later in the year. This will include any minima, maxima or ringfencing information.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he provides on whether JobCentre Work Coaches can accept (a) discounts and (b) similar benefits from clients.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Job Centre Work Coaches must uphold the highest standards of propriety and regularity. Under the Bribery Act 2010, it is a criminal offence to offer, give, request, or accept any financial or other advantage intended to improperly influence official duties. This includes gifts, cash, discounts, or hospitality.
As a general rule, staff should decline all gifts, including cash, vouchers, goods, or services.
All offers must be reported and recorded in the Departmental Gifts and Hospitality Register.