Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Third Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of 2023-24 on Defined benefit pension schemes, HC 144, published on 26 March 2024 and the Fifty-Seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of 2022-23 on AEA Technology Pension Case, HC 1005, published on 14 June 2023, if he will publish a redress scheme for AEA Technology pension scheme members by 23 July 2024.
Answered by Paul Maynard
This is a complex issue, which spans the responsibility of several departments. My officials are in discussion with their counterparts at the Cabinet Office.
As part of the government’s response to the Third Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of 2023-24 on Defined Benefit pension schemes (HC144) we will carefully consider this issue, involving other relevant departments as appropriate and respond in due course.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Vespex, a product manufactured by Merchento for controlling wasp populations, is under consideration for use in the UK.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
No, the company has not made an application for a biocidal product authorisation and so the product Vespex is not under consideration for use in the UK.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with which Commonwealth countries the UK has reciprocal social security arrangements.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The UK has reciprocal social security agreements, covering pensions and some other benefits, with the following Commonwealth countries: Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, Malta, Cyprus, Canada and New Zealand. All the agreements except for Canada and New Zealand provide for state pension up-rating.
The Department plans to respond to the request from Canada in due course.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the Canadian Government’s request for a reciprocal social security agreement.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The UK has reciprocal social security agreements, covering pensions and some other benefits, with the following Commonwealth countries: Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, Malta, Cyprus, Canada and New Zealand. All the agreements except for Canada and New Zealand provide for state pension up-rating.
The Department plans to respond to the request from Canada in due course.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to review the regulatory regime for hand sanitiser products to ensure those on sale are both safe and effective.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The EU Biocidal Products Regulation 528/2012 (BPR) has applied since 2013. In line with the EU Exit Withdrawal Agreement, the BPR is being retained with changes to reflect the position at the end of the Transition Period. This process does not allow the UK to make policy changes. Thus, there are no current plans to review the procedures within the UK biocides legislation. HSE has no evidence that the current regulatory approach is ineffective.
BPR requires that all the active substances used in hand sanitiser products are reviewed for their safety, both to people and the wider environment. Only products containing active substances that are undergoing that review process are allowed to be marketed.
Once the review of an active substance has been completed and the active is approved as being suitable to continue being used, each product containing that substance is then assessed, both for safety and for efficacy. While the review of an active substance is ongoing, products containing that substance can continue to be marketed subject to the requirements of general legislation relating to product safety and the supply of chemicals.
The BPR does not regulate the price of hand sanitiser products.
There are no current plans to review the regulation of sales of hand sanitiser products.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
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 whether an increase in the proportion of employees covered by group income protection insurance would support the Government’s aim to reduce ill health-related job loss.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government consulted on the role of group income protection (GIP) products in reducing ill-health related job loss as part of our Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper, which recognised the potential of GIP policies to support employers to retain disabled employees and employees with health conditions.
In Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, the Government signalled its desire for the insurance industry to develop a product that retains the positive aspects of GIP but which overcomes existing challenges around complexity and employer perceptions of cost and benefit to support greater take-up, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is provided to people who carry out assessments for employment and support allowance or personal independence payment on sufferers of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
All healthcare professionals who carry out either Work Capability Assessments or Personal Independence Payment assessments undergo broad and thorough training in disability analysis, as well as training in specific conditions, including progressive conditions. Centre for Health and Disability Assessments, Atos Healthcare and Capita are required to conform to a rigorous set of quality and recruitment standards which are closely monitored by the Department for Work and Pensions.