Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have used the services of jobcentre offices in each of the last five years in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Dundee, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Glasgow, (e) Inverness, (f) Perth, (g) Stirling, (h) Cardiff, (i) London, (j) Scotland, (k) England, (l) Wales and (m) the UK.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Department for Work and Pensions does not measure the number of people visiting its network of Jobcentres.
Statistics on the claimant count, which shows the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit claimants by geography, can be found at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
Asked by: Natalie McGarry (Independent - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of welfare reform on health inequalities in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The policy responsibility for welfare reform sits with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Department of Health (DH) has not made a separate assessment of the effect of welfare reform on health inequalities in England or Scotland. It is for the Scottish Government to assess the impact of welfare reform in Scotland.
Although no assessment has been made in England, DWP has engaged across government on its proposals for welfare reform. DH has been involved in discussions on the introduction of Universal Credit and its impact on health inequalities for programmes such as Healthy Start and Help with Health Costs.
Healthy Start is a United Kingdom-wide statutory benefit, funded by DH, which aims to provide additional support to improve the diets of low income pregnant women and families with children under the age of four years. Currently, regulations are being put in place which will enable the scheme to function under Universal Credit. An equality analysis, which will include a consideration of the impact on health inequalities, will be published shortly.
Help with Health Costs is a set of arrangements which provide help with the cost of a range of National Health Services for example free NHS prescriptions or NHS dental treatment. On 1 November 2015, DH put in place criteria to determine entitlement to Help with Health Costs to those in receipt of Universal Credit. An equality analysis was produced to inform these changes, outlining the potential impact, including on health inequalities, on groups affected by the change from the previous benefits and tax credits exemption arrangements to the new criteria for Universal Credit exemption. A copy of the equality analysis is attached.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs offices in Dundee are closing before those in the rest of the UK.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.
HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the reasons are for the reduction in Grade 6 and 7 employees of HM Revenue and Customs in Dundee in the last decade.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.
HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how will HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) operate in the time between closing HMRC centres in Dundee and opening new regional centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.
HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what redundancy packages will be offered to HM Revenue and Customs staff at Sidlaw House and Caledonian House in Dundee.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.
HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs staff at Sidlaw House, Dundee will have the same terms and conditions if they are transferred to the new regional centres.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.
HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce compensation for couples who both work in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in Dundee in the event that they are transferred to a HMRC regional office in another location.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.
HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the 130 HM Revenue and Customs staff at Caledonian House, Dundee will have a guaranteed job in the new regional HM Revenue and Customs centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Answered by David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken account of the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills they need to continue their transformation. These changes will reduce HMRC’s estates costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.
HMRC plans to open two new Regional Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a combined total of between 5,700 and 6,300 posts.In Dundee, Caledonian House is planned to close in 2018 and Sidlaw House will transfer to the administering of Universal Credit. HMRC will be holding individual meetings with every member of staff prior to any office closures or moves, to discuss what these plans mean for them and their choices.
Asked by: Eilidh Whiteford (Scottish National Party - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's document, Suicide and Self Harm Declarations - Appendix 2 (Six Point Plan), when that document was first issued to staff of his Department based in Glasgow and Bolton who are directly involved in the rollout of universal credit; how many times since that document was issued such staff contacted emergency services about a claimant according to the procedure set out in that plan; and how many times since that document was issued managers have conducted a review of an incident with such staff as stipulated by the Six Point Plan.
Answered by Priti Patel
Operational Staff are specially trained to assist vulnerable individuals, including those with mental health issues; they are trained to look for signs of mental health issues and can refer individuals to our specialist staff and offer more information on available support on request. Staff are periodically reminded of the Suicide and Self-Harm policy that has been in place since April 2011 for all staff across the Department, including those Universal Credit staff at Glasgow and Bolton.
Bolton Service Centre has contacted the emergency services twice with regards to Universal Credit claimants. Glasgow has contacted the emergency services zero times.
As per the guidance, both Bolton incidents were reviewed and recorded appropriately.