Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Hoban and Andrew Jones

Monday 1st July 2013 Commons Chamber

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Mr Mark Hoban)]

As I have said in earlier responses, we are continuing to build on the system that we inherited from the previous Government. We have also had the fourth independent review of the work capability assessment and our own independent review, and we are seeing that the proportion of people going into the support group has increased in recent years.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

T3. What assessment has my hon. Friend made of the number of people who have come off the main unemployment benefits since May 2010?

[Mr Hoban]

If my hon. Friend looks at the three main benefits—jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance and lone parent income support—he will see that, since the general election, there has been a reduction of 300,000 in the number claiming those benefits. That is a consequence of the measures that we have taken to get people into work, and of welfare reform.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Hoban and Andrew Jones

Monday 10th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

As I have already made clear in answer to a similar question, the Work programme is improving its performance, and the longer the scheme is in operation the more people are getting into work. That will lead to more job outcome payments in future. We are in the early stages of the scheme, but there is solid evidence to demonstrate that it is getting people off benefits and into work.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

21. What steps has the Minister taken to improve the performance of Work programme providers?

[Mr Hoban]

We have taken a range of actions to improve the performance of Work programme providers. We are working with them to establish best practice, particularly in areas such as helping people on employment and support allowance into work. The Department has also written to a number of providers advising them that we want to see a step change in their performance and asking them to produce performance improvement plans, which we will monitor carefully. Programme providers know that they could lose their contract if their performance does not improve.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Hoban and Andrew Jones

Monday 5th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

T7. What progress is being made to ensure that work capability assessments are sensitive to fluctuating medical conditions such as stroke care?

[Mr Hoban]

My hon. Friend makes a useful point. Professor Harrington highlighted in his second review the issue of fluctuating conditions. We are working on an evidence base to look at descriptors for fluctuating conditions, to make sure that they are taken properly into account in the work capability assessment.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Hoban and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 21st June 2011 Commons Chamber

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Mark Hoban)]

The hon. Gentleman may well be aware that today an announcement was made of a voluntary scheme that we have put together to make available £54 million of compensation to Arch Cru investors. That, together with a previous payment to consumers, means that they will have recovered about 70% of the value of their holdings in Arch Cru funds as of the date when the funds’ trading was suspended. That is a welcome move for Arch Cru investors, the FSA is continuing to look at the matter, and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment on it.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

T6. Has the Chancellor had cause to regret a decision, made by one of his predecessors, to sell the UK gold reserves a decade ago at the bottom of the market, a decision that has cost this country just under £10 billion?