Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many explosions of manhole covers there have been since 2000; in how many such cases people were injured; how many explosions have occurred twice in the same location; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
HSE collect statistics on injuries through the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations but not on explosions of manhole covers. Since 2000 there was one injury reported where the incident involved an explosion lifting a manhole cover.
HSE are working with utility providers to understand how and why incidents like this occur.
Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the terms of reference for Matthew Oakley's review of jobseeker's allowance sanctions omitted sanctions for employment and support allowance.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013, required the Secretary of State to appoint an independent person to prepare a report on the operation of sanctions validated by the legislation. The terms of reference reflect this requirement.
However, the Government Response to the Oakley Review goes wider than the terms of reference. For example, we are reviewing all claimant communications and sanctions processes, not only for those Jobseekers Allowance claimants who come under the remit of the Report, but all JSA claimants and also all Employment Support Allowance claimants.
Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Disabled People of 5 September 2014, Official Report, column 554, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Affordable Homes Bill would cost about £1 billion of public expenditure.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The calculation of the £1 billion cost of the Affordable Homes Bill was made on Thursday 4th September by Departmental Officials following an assessment of the potential effects of the provisions set out in the draft Bill at Second Reading.
The potential cost was estimated using administrative data (Single Housing Benefit Extract) and the department’s policy simulation model.
Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review sanctions for employment and support allowance.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
As with all our policies, we will continue to keep the operation of the sanctions system under review to ensure that it continues to operate effectively and as fairly as possible. We also continue to make improvements as committed to in the Oakley Review.
Asked by: John Hemming (Liberal Democrat - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to implement a universal credit sanctions scheme to replace the current jobseeker's allowance and other sanctions scheme.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In 2012 revised sanctions regimes introduced into Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance moved us towards the Universal Credit system, with the same value of sanction across all benefits and the same duration of sanctions at medium and high levels.
We continue to monitor sanctions closely and consider opportunities for continuous improvement.