Mentions:
1: Robert Buckland (Con - South Swindon) on record my thanks to Stephen Lismore and the team of civil servants in the Department for Work and Pensions - Speech Link
2: Robert Buckland (Con - South Swindon) If the adjustment passport and the Access to Work Plus pilots being run by Department for Work and Pensions - Speech Link
3: Stephen Timms (Lab - East Ham) not know about his own family link, and I am grateful to him for explaining that to us.The Work and Pensions - Speech Link
4: Robert Buckland (Con - South Swindon) timescales and the sort of approach that I have presaged in my speech and which the Chair of the Work and Pensions - Speech Link
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people on long-term sick leave as of 7 February 2024.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on individuals who are currently taking a long-term sickness absence.
However, the Department’s 2019 ‘Health in the Workplace’ publication showed that in the previous 12 months, 1.4m working aged people (aged 16-64) in the UK had a total of 1.8m spells of long term (lasting 4 weeks or more) sickness absences. This analysis uses the cross-sectional Annual Population Survey (APS) January 2018 – December 2018.
The publication can be found here.
Mentions:
1: Margaret Greenwood (Lab - Wirral West) The Work and Pensions Committee has highlighted that the application process can be complex and difficult - Speech Link
2: Vicky Foxcroft (Lab - Lewisham, Deptford) chairship, and I am grateful for the opportunity to respond to this debate on behalf of the shadow work and pensions - Speech Link
3: Mims Davies (Con - Mid Sussex) on her advocacy for my promotion, one could ask for nothing else.The joint Department for Work and Pensions - Speech Link
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of average waiting times for autism assessments on employment rates.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no plans for DWP to make this specific assessment. Whilst we recognise the importance of early identification of autism, a diagnosis is not required to be eligible for reasonable adjustments and the provision of workplace support. These are made, in line with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, based on functional need.
We are encouraging employers to adopt more neuro-inclusive working practices, which benefit neurodiverse employees irrespective of whether they have a diagnosis. The Buckland Review into Autism Employment, published on 28 February this year, has created a focus for action to improve the recruitment and retention of autistic people. It has identified workplace barriers, and the working practices and initiatives that can reduce them, in order to create a more inclusive working environment for autistic employees and autistic jobseekers.
This is supported by Disability Confident, our scheme to increase employers’ understanding of how to recruit, retain and support disabled employees and the Support with Employee Health and Disability online service which guides employers through health and disability scenarios at work, including making reasonable adjustments.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help improve workplace safety on farms.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The safety and health of people at work in agriculture is a concern to the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) and the industry. HSE has a long-term strategy to drive up industry ownership of the challenge and influence farmer behaviour. Since 2018 we have had an annual programme of delivering training to farmers in advance of targeted proactive inspection. This sits alongside specific interventions on transport, cattle, and falls: the three main areas responsible for farm workplace deaths. HSE continues engagement activity with a full range of stakeholders through the Farm Safety Partnerships. The latest work has covered child safety, management of cattle in fields with public rights of way, safe use of quad bikes and farm transport. HSE regularly holds formal consultation with the industry about its initiatives through an industry advisory committee.
Feb. 28 2024
Source Page: Landmark review calls on employers to boost support for autistic peopleFound: More neuro-inclusivity in the workplace can help fill vacancies and grow the economy by unlocking the
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Health and Safety Executive employees are dedicated to mental health related workplace matters.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the work and resourcing within Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not available in the format requested.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the prevalence of discrimination towards young ethnic minorities seeking employment.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Employment statistics show the ethnic minority employment rate at 68%, up 9.2 percentage points on the same quarter in 2010, with 5.4m people from an ethnic minority background in employment which is a record high.
The Department supports people to move into employment by providing access to a range of mainstream services and bespoke programmes that are designed to be flexible to individual needs. We also take targeted action where there is a high ethnic minority employment gap and work with partners, employers, and specific sectors to improve opportunities for all.
The Youth Offer provides individually tailored Work Coach support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming Universal Credit. This support includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to finding work, and Youth Hubs across Great Britain. This was expanded in 2023 to include additional young people on Universal Credit not currently searching for work, including young parents and carers.
In April 2023, the Government's Equality Hub published updated guidance for employers on how to use the positive action provisions in the Equality Act 2010. This is to help people who share a particular protected characteristic overcome barriers and to level the playing field.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Ministers from his Department have had discussions with Stonewall on recording equality in the workplace.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There has been no recent discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions Ministers and Stonewall on this subject as this is not within the remit of this department.
Mar. 08 2024
Source Page: Shattering the silence about menopause: 12-month progress reportFound: Helen Tomlinson, the Government’s Menopause Employment Champion, and the Department for Work and Pensions