Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism for work capability assessors.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since 09 September 2024, the educational material for all Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS) Health Professionals (HPs) has been provided by DWP. In reviewing the material ahead of that date, we considered practice in the NHS, and have now implemented the Oliver McGowan training as part of the mandatory training requirements for every HP.
Following the completion of core training to undertake the role, HPs will engage in an annual training programme, and HAAS has been provided with materials (such as Continual Professional Development modules) to support the development of HPs where learning needs are identified. This approach ensures that both service wide and individual training needs are met and will be of benefit to those with neurodiversity.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individual cold weather payments were made to recipients in the UK in winter 2013-14.
Answered by Steve Webb
Only one trigger was recorded in the 2013/14 Cold Weather season and an estimated 1,100 payments paid. Further details can be found in the ‘Social Fund Cold Weather Payments for Great Britain from 1st November 2013 to 31st March 2014’ update on Gov.uk which may be found at
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of UK state pension reside in metropolitan France.
Answered by Steve Webb
Information on the number of recipients of UK state pension residing in France, and of those how many are in the French Overseas Departments, is available at: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/sp/cccountry/cnage/a_carate_r_cccountry_c_cnage_may14.html
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of UK state pension reside in the French overseas department of (a) Guiana, (b) Martinique, (c) Guadeloupe and (d) Reunion.
Answered by Steve Webb
Information on the number of recipients of UK state pension residing in France, and of those how many are in the French Overseas Departments, is available at: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/sp/cccountry/cnage/a_carate_r_cccountry_c_cnage_may14.html