Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many and what proportion of (a) staff of her Department and (b) staff working for companies contracted by her Department in Ambercrombie House in Glasgow are paid less than the living wage.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The Department for International Development (DFID) has no members of staff paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
None of our contracted workers are paid less than the Living Wage.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff within the Scottish Government are participating in the Civil Service Reserves One per cent Challenge.
Answered by Julian Brazier
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Currently there are approximately 3,400 Volunteer Reserves based in Scotland and the Scottish Government is working closely with the Armed Forces in Scotland to promote service in the Reserve Forces.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on what future military support will be provided to Afghanistan.
Answered by Julian Brazier
The UK has made an enduring commitment to Afghanistan. We are now contributing around 470 troops in a non-combat role to the NATO Resolute Support Mission, principally focused on mentoring at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy to help develop the next generation of Afghan military leaders. The UK has also committed £70 million a year until 2017 to help sustain the Afghan National Security Forces and £178 million a year in development aid.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of (a) staff of his Department and (b) staff working for companies contracted by his Department in Scotland are paid less than the living wage.
Answered by Julian Brazier
The Government supports businesses which choose to pay the Living Wage. The national minimum wage is independently set by the Low Pay Commission at a level which maximises wages without reducing employment prospects. It is for workers and employers to negotiate the level of wages above the minimum wage. This includes the Government as a procurer and an employer. Around 20 million employees, over 95% of the total, earn above the minimum wage, and the majority of public sector workers currently earn above the Living Wage.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently employs 170 civilian staff in Scotland who are being paid below the UK Living Wage of £7.85 an hour. This represents 4.4% of the MOD civilian population based in Scotland.
We do not have access to the information required to provide equivalent data in respect of contracted workers' rates of pay, where paid by their parent company or recruitment agency.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance his Department provides to people leaving the Armed Forces in Scotland to seek further training and qualifications upon leaving the Armed Forces.
Answered by Julian Brazier
In Lord Ashcroft's 2014 review of transition arrangements, he made clear that the measures which the Ministry of Defence (MOD) already have in place ensure that the vast majority of Service leavers make a successful transition to civilian life. Among many others, these measures include a resettlement and career package from the MOD-funded Career Transition Partnership and funding for nationally recognised qualifications through Enhanced Learning Credits which can be utilised up to 10 years post-discharge. These arrangements apply to all Service leavers, regardless of stationed location or residential address within the UK.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many DWP sanctions there were relating to each benefit in each Scottish parliamentary constituency in 2010-11.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The information requested for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance adverse sanctions, by Scottish Parliamentary constituency, for each of the last four years is published at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
The available information in respect of Income Support Lone Parents (ISLP) sanctions is shown in the attached table.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many DWP sanctions there were relating to each benefit in each Scottish parliamentary constituency in 2011-12.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The information requested for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance adverse sanctions, by Scottish Parliamentary constituency, for each of the last four years is published at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
The available information in respect of Income Support Lone Parents (ISLP) sanctions is shown in the attached table.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many DWP sanctions there were relating to each benefit in each Scottish parliamentary constituency in 2012-13.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The information requested for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance adverse sanctions, by Scottish Parliamentary constituency, for each of the last four years is published at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
The available information in respect of Income Support Lone Parents (ISLP) sanctions is shown in the attached table.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many DWP sanctions there were relating to each benefit in each Scottish parliamentary constituency in 2013-14.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The information requested for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance adverse sanctions, by Scottish Parliamentary constituency, for each of the last four years is published at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
The available information in respect of Income Support Lone Parents (ISLP) sanctions is shown in the attached table.
Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether claimants are able to telephone Access to Work programme offices (a) in general and (b) to discuss late payment of monthly wages for their support workers.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
All customers contacting Access to Work by telephone call a contact centre initially; details of their enquiry are taken and passed to the relevant team to arrange a call back. This applies to general enquiries and payment enquiries. The exception is when a customer has an application awaiting a decision; in these circumstances they will be provided with a name and direct contact number for an adviser.