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Written Question
Jobcentres: Newton Abbot
Tuesday 15th June 2021

Asked by: Anne Marie Morris (Conservative - Newton Abbot)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department is to open a second job centre site in Newton Abbot.

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

The Department has seen an increase in demand for its services as a result of Covid-19 and is rapidly expanding the space available, on a temporary basis, in locations where we anticipate or have already seen, that increase.

As part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to support claimants back into work, the Department has recruited 13,500 additional Work Coaches to help support and deliver the full range of Jobcentre services needed, providing tailored, face-to-face support in a Covid-secure environment. Existing DWP premises do not currently allow us to accommodate additional and existing staff safely and ensuring our staff and claimants are safe is vital to the Department.

This expansion will drive forward our ambitious £30 billion Plan for Jobs, helping people back into work right across the UK.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Anne Marie Morris (Conservative - Newton Abbot)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Kickstart scheme to candidates who were aged 16-24 at the time that the business applied for the creation of the placement.

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

Once an employer has had their Kickstart application approved by the Department of Work and Pensions and the grant agreement is in place it is advertised via Jobcentre Plus for referrals of eligible young people aged 16-24 at this point.

A Kickstart job does not necessarily start right away, it can commence at any point within the lifetime of the scheme. There are a number of reasons why jobs may commence later, such as, for example, public health restrictions currently in place. We are pleased that despite Covid-19 restrictions, young people have continued to start in Kickstart jobs since November.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Wednesday 24th February 2021

Asked by: Anne Marie Morris (Conservative - Newton Abbot)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to offer exceptions to Kickstart scheme candidates who have turned 25 years of age while waiting for their applications to that scheme to be set up.

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

The Kickstart Scheme is open to all young people aged 16-24 at the time they applied for the Kickstart job, there are no current plans to expand the scheme but we will keep this under review.


Written Question
Religious Buildings: Coronavirus
Tuesday 17th November 2020

Asked by: Anne Marie Morris (Conservative - Newton Abbot)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church Commissioners have had with the Government on allowing places of worship to remain open during lockdown if they continue to implement additional covid-secure measures.

Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner

Following the Government announcement of a second lockdown, churches have been required to close again for public worship, between 5th November and 2nd December. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishop of London and senior Christian and other faith leaders wrote to the Prime Minister about this and their letter can be read here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Faith%20communities%20letter%20to%20Prime%20MInister%20%28ii%29.pdf.

In it they concluded: “We have already said there is no scientific rationale for suspension of Public Worship where it is compliant with the guidance that we have worked jointly with government to establish. We believe government, and Public Health England, accept this. Government is making decisions about what aspects of our life during this period of restrictions are essential. We believe we have demonstrated that continuation of public worship is essential, for all the reasons we have set out above. We call on government to recognise and support this, and enable us to continue to worship safely, as part of the essential fabric of the nation.”

The Church of England remains in dialogue with the Government about this as part of the Government’s Places of Worship Task Force. I commend the work of clergy and volunteers across the country during this very challenging time.

Church buildings may remain open for individual prayer where it has been possible to make them COVID-secure. The Church has continued to encourage clergy to broadcast services and make resources available online where possible. Guidance and advice from Public Health England and the Church of England is being distributed to clergy and is published on the Church of England website here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Monday 19th October 2020

Asked by: Anne Marie Morris (Conservative - Newton Abbot)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will (a) produce FAQs for businesses applying to the Kickstart scheme and (b) ensure that local staff of her Department are adequately briefed on the details of the scheme.

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

The department is continuously improving the guidance available online, at gov.uk/kickstart for both employers and Kickstart gateways.

We are also ensuring that the department’s local staff have a good understanding of the Kickstart Scheme to enable them to properly identify the most suitable claimants.


Written Question
Universal Credit: Telephone Services
Tuesday 26th March 2019

Asked by: Anne Marie Morris (Conservative - Newton Abbot)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to introduce a dedicated universal credit hotline for Members and their staff.

Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)

Prior to the roll-out of Universal Credit Full Service in their constituency, we wrote to each hon. Member. The letter explained the implicit consent arrangements for MPs and also provided the telephone number and email address of the Service Leader in the constituency, so that MPs can contact Service Leaders if there are urgent constituent cases that need attention. This is the best route to raise issues on behalf of constituents and works well because MPs’ offices can establish local relationships.

In addition, we are writing again to hon. Members to confirm named contacts and local telephone numbers to allow local constituency related Universal Credit cases to be raised directly. The letters also extend an invitation for MPs to visit their local Jobcentre to see the work they are doing.