First elected: 1st May 1997
Left House: 30th March 2015 (Defeated)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Russell Brown, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Russell Brown has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Russell Brown has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Russell Brown has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
I am in regular contact with Ministerial colleagues on the issue of climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ensuring that environmental sustainability and climate change are clearly integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals is a key priority for the UK Government.
The number of Vaccine Damage Payments made each year since 2003:
2002/03 5
2003/04 5
2004/05 4
2005/06 5
2006/07 4
2007/08 2
2008/09 0
2009/10 3
2010/11 1
2011/12 0
2012/13 0
2013/14 0
2014/15 0
Information regarding claims and awards in respect of each particular disease/vaccine is unavailable.
We do not hold this information. Assessment and reassessment for Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance is based on an individual’s circumstances and how their condition affects them, not the condition itself.
The official statistics published in December show that to the end of October 2014, 29,900 claimants have had a reassessment and received their Personal Independence Payment decision. DLA remains in payment while the claimant goes through the process to claim Personal Independence Payment. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/personal-independence-payment-statistics
Following our controlled approach, a further 29 postcode areas have gone live with reassessment. We are currently progressing detailed planning and assurance activity to identify postcode areas to be included in further phases of rollout.
There are Performance Measurement Review Officers that are based in DWP offices across the whole of Great Britain. They undertake benefit reviews for claimants in all parts of Great Britain apart from the Scottish Islands.
The Department has a People Performance policy which is applicable to all its staff below the senior civil service level. This policy provides a framework for managing performance throughout the year, Performance Measurement review officers have key work objectives set in April at the start of the reporting year and they have, as a minimum, monthly performance discussions with their line manager. As part of managing performance a review officer will be accompanied by their line manager on a number of visits each year and in addition the line manager will telephone a number of claimants that have been visited to check the quality of that visit. At the end of the reporting year the Review Officer is given a final reporting rating.
Performance Measurement staff, like all DWP staff, follow the processes and policies the Department has in place to safeguard claimant’s information. This includes undertaking the Responsible for Information Security learning. They understand the Handling Official Information and follow the guidance on this and Remote Working Securely. Their line managers also carry out validation checks to ensure that they are compliant with the necessary processes. In all cases when visiting a claimant to undertake a review they request evidence verification to ensure they are speaking to the right person before proceeding with the review interview.
Information on the number of claimants in receipt of personal independence payment, by a range of detailed breakdowns, has been published and can be found 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.
Breakdowns by main disabling condition are currently available against 21 high level descriptors. From 17 December more detailed breakdowns of main disabling condition, including multiple sclerosis, will be available.
The Department’s Performance Measurement team totals 230 staff in post. There are 91 visiting staff in post undertaking face to face reviews.
Yes, the guidance will be placed in the Library.
Small sections of the document have been redacted to protect the health and safety of the Review Officer where they may possibly be at risk whilst undertaking their duties and to ensure the continued effectiveness of the review process.
Information on the number of claimants in receipt of personal independence payment, by a range of detailed breakdowns, has been published and can be found 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.
Breakdowns by main disabling condition are currently available against 21 high level descriptors. From 17 December more detailed breakdowns of main disabling condition, including multiple sclerosis, will be available.
All Jobcentre Plus advisers have access to a comprehensive learning programme which includes a specific focus on taking consideration of individuals' personal circumstances. This training ensures staff are aware that disabilities and health conditions including autism can affect individuals in different ways.
Specialist help can be provided by Disability Employment Advisers who have extensive additional courses appropriate to this specialist area. This training has been designed with input from Specialist DWP Work Psychologists to enable these advisers to support people with particular complex needs. This training includes case studies relating to autism.
As Minister of State with responsibility for this policy area I responded to the letter from the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 26 April 2014 thanking them for their recommendations and drawing out the links between those and the recommendations made by Doctor Litchfield in the fourth Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment published in December 2013.
As Minister of State with the responsibility for this policy area I responded to the letter dated 21 March 2014 from the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 26 April. In this letter I:
a) responded by explaining the importance of claimants having contact with the Department; the need to move away from the old style Incapacity Benefit; and that Employment and Support Allowance claimants, including those claimants with progressive illnesses, will be placed in the Support Group if they meet the criteria.
b) responded that through the Evidence Based Review of the Work Capability Assessment the current descriptors were tested against an alternative assessment and what the findings indicated
NHS England is the accountable commissioner and budget holder for all specialised services as set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, with the Manual for prescribed specialised services providing further detail.
NHS England has achieved significant progress in developing a set of nationally consistent service standards and commissioning policies, which ensure equity of access to high quality services across the board. Those standards and policies will continue to apply for those specialised services which are to be collaboratively commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups.
NHS England is currently in the process of agreeing the guidance on the collaborative commissioning arrangements which will be in place from 1 April 2015.
NHS England has clarified that where there are collaboratively commissioned services, NHS England will retain the full financial risk for these services for 2015/16. NHS England has advised us that there will be further work conducted over the next year to advise on the range of specialised services for which NHS England should remain the accountable commissioner and budget holder for 2016/17 and future years.
Copies of The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 and the Manual for prescribed specialised services are attached.
NHS England is the accountable commissioner and budget holder for all specialised services as set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, with the Manual for prescribed specialised services providing further detail.
NHS England has achieved significant progress in developing a set of nationally consistent service standards and commissioning policies, which ensure equity of access to high quality services across the board. Those standards and policies will continue to apply for those specialised services which are to be collaboratively commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups.
NHS England is currently in the process of agreeing the guidance on the collaborative commissioning arrangements which will be in place from 1 April 2015.
NHS England has clarified that where there are collaboratively commissioned services, NHS England will retain the full financial risk for these services for 2015/16. NHS England has advised us that there will be further work conducted over the next year to advise on the range of specialised services for which NHS England should remain the accountable commissioner and budget holder for 2016/17 and future years.
Copies of The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 and the Manual for prescribed specialised services are attached.
Discussions on the future arrangements for Ministry of Defence Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Service personnel pensions are still ongoing.
I recognise that this is an important issue for both communities and I am therefore seeking to resolve it as soon as possible. This is however a complex matter which raises a number of cross-Departmental issues.
Although no final decision has yet been taken, I hope to conclude this issue in the near future.