Stephen Crabb

The mean amount of Universal Credit awarded for households in Great Britain is published and can be found in Table 2 of the Households on Universal Credit dataset at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

This table can be filtered by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency.

Guidance on how to extract information from Stat-Xplore can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

The statistics for Northern Ireland are published by the Department for Communities and can be found at:

https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/universal-credit-statistics

The Department is continuing to work with a number of other Government Departments, Devolved Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as sector and trade bodies to fill vacancies in sectors experiencing labour shortages, offering training for those who need it, and securing jobs directly for those ready to move into roles.

We regularly meet with stakeholders such as the Recruitment Employers Confederation (REC) and the Federation of Small Business (FSB) to discuss recruitment.

The Department’s National Employer and Partnership Team work collaboratively with a number of recruitment agencies across the UK, notably Manpower, Capita, Reed, Adecco and Staffline. Each of these accounts have a dedicated Senior National Account Manager to support them.

The National Employer and Partnership Team also work closely with the Recruitment Employers Confederation (REC) who are the Trade Body for the sector.

All of the recruitment agencies are employing people direct, and all are reporting high levels of vacancies, including permanent jobs. The National Employer and Partnership Team work closely with the agencies to promote their opportunities to the department’s growing network of Jobcentre Plus. Recent examples are Adecco recruiting for Amazon across the UK, who are placing opportunities with local jobcentres in a variety of locations. Capita are also recruiting for Go – Centric who have 1500 contact centre opportunities across the UK.

The Department is continuing to work with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Transport, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Devolved Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as other Government Departments to fill vacancies in haulage, hospitality, construction, agriculture, tourism and other sectors experiencing labour shortages. We are working collaboratively to offer training for those who need it and secure jobs directly for those ready to move into roles.

We have worked with key Trade Associations and industry partners across high demand sectors to develop relationships that utilise DWP’s Jobcentre Plus network, fosters strong local links between employers and work coaches, and gives jobseekers the skills and knowledge they need to enter the sector.

We are working with industry to provide our Work Coaches with the key knowledge they need to identify suitable candidates and to develop relationships with key employers and stakeholders in their local areas. As a result, local Jobcentres are now directly connecting with employers in their area, to discuss their recruitment needs and to offer advice on the support available, including work trials, work experience and sector based work academies.

Two websites, JobHelp and Employer Help, were launched last year by DWP in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. JobHelp offers job search advice, showcases recruiting sectors and signposts to job vacancies to help people successfully find work. DWP continues to work with industry and sector bodies to collaborate on content that promotes working in recruiting sectors, including the haulage sector for JobHelp,

In hospitality, DWP is working closely with key employers and trade associations such as UK Hospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association to promote opportunities in the hospitality sector to DWP customers

DWP is also helping jobseekers become HGV drivers to alleviate current shortages. DWP continues to work with DfT on additional measures to support the haulage and logistics sector and to support jobseekers into sustainable, long-term employment. For example, DWP’s driver training pilot is underway, as part of the wider Road to Logistics scheme that supports people to become HGV drivers and we encourage industry to access their local Jobcentre Plus network to take advantage of the range of support on offer.

To support agricultural recruitment, DWP is supporting Defra to develop and deliver a long-term recruitment strategy that supports the domestic workforce into both seasonal and long-term roles in the agriculture sector.

Official data from the independent Office for National Statistics shows that the number of advertised vacancies across the UK economy was 657,000 in February to April 2021 – 154,000 (19%) below their pre-COVID-19 level.

Our Plan for Jobs is an ambitious programme of job creation and support to help people of all ages move into work or gain the skills that will open up job opportunities.

The Department already shares significant amounts of Universal Credit (UC) data through a secure mechanism with Local Authorities (LAs), including through a daily feed of change notifications to support administration of Council Tax Reduction schemes. In addition, LAs have access to claimant level UC data via a system called Searchlight. We continue to engage with LAs to enhance our understanding of how data access may support localised provision.

To further support LAs in identifying vulnerable families, we are also planning to provide them with information about those Universal Credit claims with limited capability for work as well as claims with earnings below the free school meals and free prescription thresholds before the end of May.

The UK was saddened to see the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai on the Philippines on 16 and 17 December. We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected.

The UK has committed £1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency appeal, launched on 18 December 2021. This will go towards supporting the immediate and early recovery needs of affected people in areas including water, sanitation and hygiene; shelter; and protection of the most vulnerable. The UK is also one of the top contributors to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which is contributing £9 million to the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan for Typhoon Odette.

I discussed the situation with the Philippines Ambassador to the UK on 20 December 2021.

The UK was saddened to see the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai on the Philippines on 16 and 17 December. We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected.

The UK has committed £1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency appeal, launched on 18 December 2021. This will go towards supporting the immediate and early recovery needs of affected people in areas including water, sanitation and hygiene; shelter; and protection of the most vulnerable. The UK is also one of the top contributors to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which is contributing £9 million to the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan for Typhoon Odette.

I discussed the situation with the Philippines Ambassador to the UK on 20 December 2021.

The Foreign Secretary has been clear that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. Our immediate priority is working with Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) participants to return the US to the deal, bring Iran back into compliance with its commitments and restore the benefits of the deal for all. The Government has also long been clear about its concerns over Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continued destabilising activity.

We regularly discuss regional issues with the Governments of Israel, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain including their policy towards Iran, and continue to support the security of our allies. The Foreign Secretary was in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories over 25-26 May for talks with Ministers following the Israel-Gaza ceasefire, including on regional security. I [Mr Cleverly] discussed regional security with HE Khalifa Shaheen al Marar, Minister of State with responsibility for Arab Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 28 March.

The Foreign Secretary has been clear that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. Our immediate priority is working with Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) participants to return the US to the deal, bring Iran back into compliance with its commitments and restore the benefits of the deal for all. The Government has also long been clear about its concerns over Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continued destabilising activity.

We regularly discuss regional issues with the Governments of Israel, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain including their policy towards Iran, and continue to support the security of our allies. The Foreign Secretary was in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories over 25-26 May for talks with Ministers following the Israel-Gaza ceasefire, including on regional security. I [Mr Cleverly] discussed regional security with HE Khalifa Shaheen al Marar, Minister of State with responsibility for Arab Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 28 March.

The United Kingdom is committed to combatting all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, both at home and abroad. We believe that one of the most effective ways to tackle injustices and advocate respect among different religious and racial groups is to encourage all states to uphold their human rights obligations. Some of the anti-Semitic actions and speeches in and around the Durban conference and its various follow-up events gave rise to serious concerns. We will consider UK attendance in the light of developments between now and the commemoration event, including the likelihood of any recurrence.

The Foreign Secretary recently reaffirmed the UK's condemnation to anti-Semitism during a debate in the House of Commons on 20 April 2021, and I raised my opposition to anti-Semitism during a Westminster Hall Debate on 26 November 2020. We also delivered a statement at the United Nations General Assembly in November expressing concern about the rise of anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination in the wake of Covid-19.

There has been no estimate made of the number of people on furlough continuously from 1 March 2020.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was announced on 20 March 2020 and the number of jobs on furlough increased substantially after that date.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) aims to support jobs, reduce the risk of permanent business closures (supporting those that had temporarily ceased or reduced trading) and reduce the risk of large losses in incomes, through wage support to furloughed employees.

The number of employees on the CJRS has continued to fall as restrictions have eased. According to provisional data from HMRC, 3.4m employments remained on the CJRS at the end of April from 675,000 employers, down from 4.3m employments at the end of March from almost 765,000 employers. This fall was accounted for by a fall in the number of employments on the CJRS on a full time basis; from 2.9m at the end of March to 2.0m at the end of April.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, vacancies rose by 49,000 on the quarter to stand at 657,000 in the three months to April, marking the eighth consecutive month of quarterly growth. Timelier online job advert data from Adzuna suggest that postings were 27 per cent above February 2020 levels at the end of May. According to early estimates from HMRC’s Real-Time Information (RTI), the number of paid employees increased by 97,000 in April, marking the fifth consecutive month of growth.

HM Revenue and Customs regularly publish statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The latest statistics were published on 3 June 2021 and can be found on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-3-june-2021.

The statistics include figures for the number of employments on furlough. This differs from the number of employees on furlough, as an individual employed by more than one employer is counted once for each employment from which they have been put on furlough.

The latest statistics report that on 30 April 2021 there were (a) 3.44 million employments on furlough in the UK, (b) 131,900 employments on furlough where the employee was resident in Wales, and (c) 3,400 employments on furlough where the employee was resident in Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency.

These figures are based on the residential address information that HM Revenue and Customs hold for employees.

It is not possible to provide an answer to the question in the time available.

HMRC have published statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the latest release being published on 25 November 2020. These statistics include information on the number of employments supported since the scheme started in March 2020. The statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics

The OBR assessed the Exchequer impact of the policy and the methodology behind it to feed into their economic forecast.

A summary of responses to the consultation was published in February 2019, and can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/protecting-your-taxes-in-insolvency. Following the publication, the Government has continued to engage with a range of interested parties to discuss and explore further the issues raised.

The UK has left the EU, ended free movement and is aligning the entry of EU and non-EU citizens. Citizens from outside the EU (and other EEA countries and Switzerland) cannot use national identity cards for travel to the UK and EEA national identity cards are, as a rule, less secure documents than national passports, hence they dominate the figures for document abuse detected at the border. Their continued use presents a risk to border security which we are no longer obliged to accept.

All visitors from outside the EU are expected to hold a passport (and visa where necessary) and those visiting from EU countries will be expected to do the same.

We have provided almost a year’s notice for this change to allow people to plan ahead and obtain a passport, if they need to, before they travel. Our assessment is therefore a short transition period from 1 October 2021 is not appropriate and, consequently, there have been no discussions on this point with EU Member States.

The UK has left the EU, ended free movement and is aligning the entry of EU and non-EU citizens. Citizens from outside the EU (and other EEA countries and Switzerland) cannot use national identity cards for travel to the UK and EEA national identity cards are, as a rule, less secure documents than national passports, hence they dominate the figures for document abuse detected at the border. Their continued use presents a risk to border security which we are no longer obliged to accept.

All visitors from outside the EU are expected to hold a passport (and visa where necessary) and those visiting from EU countries will be expected to do the same.

We have provided almost a year’s notice for this change to allow people to plan ahead and obtain a passport, if they need to, before they travel. Our assessment is therefore a short transition period from 1 October 2021 is not appropriate and, consequently, there have been no discussions on this point with EU Member States.

The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters, including whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.

The Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review

The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters.

The Department for Transport is the lead Government Department working on a railcard for veterans. While the Defence Secretary has discussed the new railcard with the Transport Secretary and is supportive, Defence Ministers have had no discussions with colleagues around the introduction of a railcard for veterans in Wales. However, we are aware that the Transport Secretary has written to his counterparts in Wales and Scotland, inviting them to work with him to ensure that a railcard for veterans is accepted on the services for which they are responsible.

The draft guidance on the treatment of VAT on High Court Enforcement fees reflects the current law, both in the 2014 Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and at common law.

The 2014 Regulations made changes to the fees provisions in the HCEO Regulations 2004. Both the 2004 HCEO Regulations and 2014 Regulations allow for fees to be charged to the debtor. The 2014 Regulations were not intended to change the previously understood position at common law in relation to the recoverability of enforcement costs properly incurred including VAT where the creditor cannot account for it with HMRC, for example because they are not VAT registered.

Some of the authorities in support of the proposition that a debtor may be pursued for a creditor’s enforcement costs and as to the continuing relevance of the common law to this area are Montague v Davies, Benachi & Co [1911] 2 K.B. 595 and Business Finance Ltd v Bellagio Hospitality WB Ltd [2019] EWHC 1920 (QB). Disbursements are dealt with separately under the regulations.

As the draft guidance reflects the current law we do not envision additional costs being passed on to the debtor which are not included in the 2014 Regulations.

The Government proposes to publish the guidance on the treatment of VAT on High Court Enforcement fees as soon as possible.

The draft guidance on the treatment of VAT on High Court Enforcement fees reflects the current law, both in the 2014 Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and at common law.

The 2014 Regulations made changes to the fees provisions in the HCEO Regulations 2004. Both the 2004 HCEO Regulations and 2014 Regulations allow for fees to be charged to the debtor. The 2014 Regulations were not intended to change the previously understood position at common law in relation to the recoverability of enforcement costs properly incurred including VAT where the creditor cannot account for it with HMRC, for example because they are not VAT registered.

Some of the authorities in support of the proposition that a debtor may be pursued for a creditor’s enforcement costs and as to the continuing relevance of the common law to this area are Montague v Davies, Benachi & Co [1911] 2 K.B. 595 and Business Finance Ltd v Bellagio Hospitality WB Ltd [2019] EWHC 1920 (QB). Disbursements are dealt with separately under the regulations.

As the draft guidance reflects the current law we do not envision additional costs being passed on to the debtor which are not included in the 2014 Regulations.

The Government proposes to publish the guidance on the treatment of VAT on High Court Enforcement fees as soon as possible.

The draft guidance on the treatment of VAT on High Court Enforcement fees reflects the current law, both in the 2014 Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and at common law.

The 2014 Regulations made changes to the fees provisions in the HCEO Regulations 2004. Both the 2004 HCEO Regulations and 2014 Regulations allow for fees to be charged to the debtor. The 2014 Regulations were not intended to change the previously understood position at common law in relation to the recoverability of enforcement costs properly incurred including VAT where the creditor cannot account for it with HMRC, for example because they are not VAT registered.

Some of the authorities in support of the proposition that a debtor may be pursued for a creditor’s enforcement costs and as to the continuing relevance of the common law to this area are Montague v Davies, Benachi & Co [1911] 2 K.B. 595 and Business Finance Ltd v Bellagio Hospitality WB Ltd [2019] EWHC 1920 (QB). Disbursements are dealt with separately under the regulations.

As the draft guidance reflects the current law we do not envision additional costs being passed on to the debtor which are not included in the 2014 Regulations.

The Government proposes to publish the guidance on the treatment of VAT on High Court Enforcement fees as soon as possible.

In line with many other economies around the world, the coronavirus is having a negative impact on the Welsh economy. However, the UK Government is committed to creating opportunities for investment and growth to ensure our recovery is as swift as possible. Our City and Growth deals, with around £800 million worth of investment, as well as our Freeports initiative will help ensure we emerge from this pandemic with a strong and vibrant economy.

Procurement undertaken by devolved Welsh authorities is a devolved matter and it is therefore the responsibility of the Welsh Government to provide procurement advice in respect of these authorities. In doing so it should ensure compliance with domestic law and should not erect barriers to trade by excluding some of the world’s largest companies from bidding for contracts with devolved bodies in Wales.

I have not discussed the implementation of the Procurement Advice Note on public bodies with Welsh Government.

Procurement undertaken by devolved Welsh authorities is a devolved matter and it is therefore the responsibility of the Welsh Government to provide procurement advice in respect of these authorities. In doing so it should ensure compliance with domestic law and should not erect barriers to trade by excluding some of the world’s largest companies from bidding for contracts with devolved bodies in Wales.

I have not discussed the implementation of the Procurement Advice Note on public bodies with Welsh Government.