:00:08. > :00:15.Hello and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage from
:00:16. > :00:20.Westminster. There is an urgent question tabled by the Labour MP on
:00:21. > :00:25.the proposed sale of the European arm of General Motors, which
:00:26. > :00:29.includes Boxall, to Franz's PSA group. After that MPs will be
:00:30. > :00:34.dealing with two bills, the remaining stages of the cultural
:00:35. > :00:38.property armed conflict built and Lords amendment to the high-speed
:00:39. > :00:43.rail bill relating to London and the West Midlands. At half-past four we
:00:44. > :00:45.will go live to Westminster Hall for full coverage of the debate on
:00:46. > :01:02.Donald Trump's state visit to the UK. In the Lords peers are
:01:03. > :01:04.holding the first day of the debate on the legislation for triggering
:01:05. > :01:06.Article 50. You can watch live coverage of the EU notification of
:01:07. > :01:10.withdrawal bill using the red button service. Catch up on all of that
:01:11. > :01:22.tonight. Now it is lied over to the House of commons. Order, order. The
:01:23. > :01:24.Vice Chamberlain of the household. Her Majesty's answer in reply to an
:01:25. > :01:45.address from this house. I have received your humble address
:01:46. > :01:48.asking to appoint Robert Ferrin CBE to the offices of Parliamentary
:01:49. > :02:13.officer. I will comply with your request.
:02:14. > :02:21.Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and
:02:22. > :02:27.Pensions, Mr Martin Day. Number one. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will answer
:02:28. > :02:31.questions one and 23 together. Work is the best route out of poverty and
:02:32. > :02:37.the benefit cap has been successful in encouraging people into work.
:02:38. > :02:42.Since its introduction almost 62% of households in Scotland have found
:02:43. > :02:47.work, reduced their housing benefit claim, after having had their
:02:48. > :02:51.benefits capped. Does the Minister agree with paragraph 90 of the
:02:52. > :02:55.fiscal framework which states, the governments have also agreed that
:02:56. > :02:59.the UK Government's benefit cap will be adjusted to accommodate any
:03:00. > :03:03.additional benefit payments introduced by the Scottish
:03:04. > :03:07.Government? Indeed, of course we agree with the fiscal framework
:03:08. > :03:12.since the government drew it up in conjunction with the Scottish
:03:13. > :03:17.Government. Indeed, the Scottish Government already has extensive
:03:18. > :03:21.powers in the benefits area if it wished to introduce them. The fact
:03:22. > :03:24.it does not is a matter for him to take up with his colleagues in the
:03:25. > :03:30.Scottish Government. Writing in the daily record the First Minister of
:03:31. > :03:33.Scotland has commented the Scottish Government have yet to receive
:03:34. > :03:40.confirmation from the UK Government that they will abolish the bedroom
:03:41. > :03:44.tax. With the Secretary of State take this opportunity to guarantee
:03:45. > :03:48.there will be no claw-back of funding when Scotland abolishes the
:03:49. > :03:53.bedroom tax? I can refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I
:03:54. > :03:57.gave his honourable friend. It is for the Scottish Government to take
:03:58. > :04:01.decisions. They have the power to give benefits, to increase benefits,
:04:02. > :04:07.to make supplementary payments if they like beyond the benefits
:04:08. > :04:11.available throughout the UK. Despite having those powers, they failed to
:04:12. > :04:15.exercise those powers and the SNP members come to this has to complain
:04:16. > :04:21.about benefits in Scotland when they have the power to do something about
:04:22. > :04:26.it themselves. Given that I support the government strategy in this
:04:27. > :04:30.area, mac he also accept that those who supported have concerns on what
:04:31. > :04:35.might be happening certainly in the short term for families affected?
:04:36. > :04:39.May I ask him what research he is carrying out to make sure that those
:04:40. > :04:44.who can move into work do move into it and those who cannot I look that
:04:45. > :04:51.sympathetically? The right honourable gentleman makes a
:04:52. > :04:57.characteristically reasonable point. First, those who are put into
:04:58. > :05:02.hardship have the availability of discretionary housing payments which
:05:03. > :05:05.have been extensively used by local authorities throughout the country
:05:06. > :05:13.precisely to avoid the problem that he suggests. Some of the research we
:05:14. > :05:20.have done shows on the other point he makes that households have been
:05:21. > :05:24.capped and 41% more likely to go into work than similar households
:05:25. > :05:27.that are not capped. The policy is successful in encouraging people to
:05:28. > :05:33.get back to work which is the best thing for them in the long run.
:05:34. > :05:38.During the passage of the Scotland Bill UK ministers gave me and others
:05:39. > :05:42.clear assurances that any income derived from new benefits or top ups
:05:43. > :05:45.introduced by the Scottish Government would not be clawed back
:05:46. > :05:52.from claimants through the benefit cap or other forms of means testing.
:05:53. > :05:54.Will the Secretary of State give a cast iron assurance today that this
:05:55. > :06:02.is still the UK Government's position. The UK Government's
:06:03. > :06:05.position has not changed at all, nor has the Scottish Government's
:06:06. > :06:10.permission that they are not prepared to exercise the powers they
:06:11. > :06:15.have got. That is just nonsense, they are working towards a timetable
:06:16. > :06:20.already published. Will the Secretary of State now commit that
:06:21. > :06:24.he, his ministers and officials engage positively with Scottish
:06:25. > :06:29.ministers as they use those new powers to abolish the bedroom tax in
:06:30. > :06:33.Scotland? Both I and my ministers and officials engage positively with
:06:34. > :06:38.the Scottish Government all the time. I go to the meetings and have
:06:39. > :06:41.engaged positively with the Scottish Government on this and all the other
:06:42. > :06:49.important issues we have to discuss in this field. Number two. With
:06:50. > :06:56.permission I will answer questions two and ate together. We have been
:06:57. > :07:00.seeking views on this through the work, health and disability green
:07:01. > :07:13.paper. We are also investing 100 million in trialling employment
:07:14. > :07:19.trials to in. I had right honourable friend for that reply. She agreed
:07:20. > :07:24.that local voluntary groups do invaluable work helping people to be
:07:25. > :07:28.work ready and we must do more to support them? I agree with my
:07:29. > :07:31.honourable friend that voluntary organisations have huge insight and
:07:32. > :07:40.expertise that we can tap into and commend the work of Talk It Out in
:07:41. > :07:45.his constituency. We are recruiting 200 community partners so we can
:07:46. > :07:50.ensure we are reaching all those organisations and benefiting from
:07:51. > :07:55.the huge experience they have. Can the Minister say what consideration
:07:56. > :07:59.has been given to providing tax breaks to employers who hire
:08:00. > :08:01.employees with a certified mental health illness as proposed by the
:08:02. > :08:08.National Autistic Society and others. The honourable gentleman has
:08:09. > :08:13.hit on a theme of the green paper. There is much work going on in this
:08:14. > :08:16.area both for those with mental illness and also those with a
:08:17. > :08:23.learning disability. Just to mention one health trial going on at the
:08:24. > :08:29.moment looking at discounting business rates for employers that
:08:30. > :08:33.have good mental health practice. The government's laudable aspiration
:08:34. > :08:38.to half disability employment gap is meaningless without a date attached
:08:39. > :08:46.to it. Can the Minister tell us what is her latest assessment of how long
:08:47. > :08:50.it will take to half that gap? The target of halving the disability
:08:51. > :08:56.employment gap is at one time both hugely ambitious and also hugely
:08:57. > :08:59.underwhelming. What we should be working to is to ensure that
:09:00. > :09:03.everyone can reach their full potential. What I have asked the
:09:04. > :09:08.department to do, and his office will have been supplied with this,
:09:09. > :09:12.is to look at what is the local need in all of our constituencies? How
:09:13. > :09:18.many people with a learning disability we need do we need can
:09:19. > :09:22.get into work? Those are the numbers we need to focus on, not some
:09:23. > :09:26.arbitrary formula which will change with other factors. The labour
:09:27. > :09:32.market survey will still contain all the measures it has had in the past,
:09:33. > :09:39.but if we are going to crack this, we need to focus everyone locally on
:09:40. > :09:46.those numbers locally. Again I agree with the aim of what the Minister
:09:47. > :09:50.has outlined, but in my constituency office the overwhelming issue,
:09:51. > :09:54.particularly for those with mental health conditions, is the assessment
:09:55. > :09:59.process for personal independence payments which is causing real
:10:00. > :10:05.distress and is causing individuals great worry about their futures and
:10:06. > :10:09.being able to support themselves. I welcome working with local partners
:10:10. > :10:14.because at the moment the system is not working and the sooner this
:10:15. > :10:19.government realises it, the better. I thank the honourable gentleman for
:10:20. > :10:24.his comments. We clearly are looking to reform the work capability
:10:25. > :10:29.assessment on ESA. That does afford us some opportunities to look at the
:10:30. > :10:34.PIP assessment process. There are many improvements going on to that
:10:35. > :10:38.already. But if we can ensure that both the systems are sharing data
:10:39. > :10:43.properly we should be able to reduce the burden on the claimant. What is
:10:44. > :10:47.the government doing to raise awareness of the access to work
:10:48. > :10:50.programme and the support it can offer to employers who want to make
:10:51. > :10:57.reasonable adjustments to employees with disabilities? The access to
:10:58. > :11:01.work scheme is a popular scheme and it is just one scheme that the
:11:02. > :11:08.government provides to give support and financial support to employers.
:11:09. > :11:13.One of the ways we are publicising that is through the disability
:11:14. > :11:18.confidence scheme. We relaunched that last year in autumn and it has
:11:19. > :11:23.now got about 4000 organisations signed up to it and that is one way
:11:24. > :11:28.we can ensure employers really do understand the support that is there
:11:29. > :11:32.for them and what huge talent and inside these people can bring to
:11:33. > :11:37.their workforce. Many people with health problems paid the bedroom
:11:38. > :11:42.tax. Three months ago the government lost three courses in the Supreme
:11:43. > :11:46.Court. How has the department identified those who should not be
:11:47. > :11:52.paying? When will those burdened by this stop having to pay? There is a
:11:53. > :12:00.discretionary fund administered at a local level. Many local authorities
:12:01. > :12:04.have not accessed that funds, but for the vast majority of people and
:12:05. > :12:09.those disabled people, they are exempt from the scheme. If the
:12:10. > :12:14.honourable gentleman has examples, he should write to us and let us
:12:15. > :12:17.know. What is the government doing to draw upon the expertise in
:12:18. > :12:21.charities and other third sector organisations about the best way to
:12:22. > :12:25.support the most in need into the workplace as many charities have a
:12:26. > :12:31.lot of experience in supporting those with mental health conditions?
:12:32. > :12:38.In addition to the community partners we are recruiting, we are
:12:39. > :12:43.also looking at opportunities for where the sector can increase the
:12:44. > :12:47.services it already provides and cried and income from it. One
:12:48. > :12:51.example of that is our one-stop shop have for employers were chatting can
:12:52. > :12:55.be a shop window for many of the organisations that are providing
:12:56. > :13:01.support already for employers and want to do more. Mr Speaker, on
:13:02. > :13:16.hearsay and thick assessments for those with mental illnesses, can she
:13:17. > :13:19.say a bit more -- on EASA and HIC, I have got four Comanche knows of one
:13:20. > :13:23.of them because she has written to me about it where the wrong
:13:24. > :13:30.information has been cut and pasted into the mandatory consideration
:13:31. > :13:33.letter and it is about other people. I would point out only 3% of those
:13:34. > :13:37.decisions overturned. The vast majority of these assessments are
:13:38. > :13:41.good. When you have examples of where that is not happening please
:13:42. > :13:47.never know but one thing I have done to ensure we are getting more timely
:13:48. > :13:53.information about where things are going wrong, where standards are not
:13:54. > :13:57.being maintained, going live in the next few weeks we will have a
:13:58. > :14:02.claimant user rep panel. This will be across the country, it will be on
:14:03. > :14:06.a very large-scale, and we will be able to get more timely information
:14:07. > :14:10.about where things are going wrong. In the meantime, the Honourable Lady
:14:11. > :14:19.must keep flagging issues she finds. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Perhaps the
:14:20. > :14:23.Minister would also talk a bit more about the ESA assessments, with
:14:24. > :14:27.particularly regard to clauses 29 and 35, obviously causing much
:14:28. > :14:31.distress to disabled people? Thank you. We are looking at the
:14:32. > :14:37.assessment process. Already a huge amount has been done to ensure that
:14:38. > :14:41.assessors and also those in power Jobcentre plus network have been
:14:42. > :14:47.trained in order that they can really recognise the needs of those
:14:48. > :14:51.with a mental health condition and Insua what they are doing is fit for
:14:52. > :14:58.purpose. But we do have an opportunity with the green paper on
:14:59. > :15:06.work and health to re-evaluate entirely those assessment processes,
:15:07. > :15:11.primarily for ESA but that will also build some benefit for PIP. People
:15:12. > :15:14.with mental health conditions and daughters and told me of the
:15:15. > :15:19.difficulties they face getting into work when I met with him recently in
:15:20. > :15:23.Bristol. They also told me about the issues with PIP, by capability
:15:24. > :15:28.assessments, sanctions and for those in ESA, support group, their fear
:15:29. > :15:35.that the grief it was are they will be targeted next after cuts to
:15:36. > :15:39.people on ESA in April. However as the government justify cuts,
:15:40. > :15:43.Jobcentre closures and the liberal use of sanctions as helping disabled
:15:44. > :15:47.people into work when there is overwhelming evidence to the
:15:48. > :15:52.contrary? We are doing more for this group of people. That is why despite
:15:53. > :15:56.the honourable lady's calls for me to pull the personalised support
:15:57. > :16:06.package that is coming in April, I will not. The number of young people
:16:07. > :16:11.in work has increased by 235,000 since 2010, and is up 38,000 in the
:16:12. > :16:15.past three months. Nearly nine in ten young people are in education or
:16:16. > :16:22.work and youth and deployment is the lowest it has been since 2005. I
:16:23. > :16:28.warmly welcome the fact that the youth employment jobs are near
:16:29. > :16:31.record levels. Will the Secretary of State join me in welcoming the work
:16:32. > :16:35.of the Dorset young chamber which helps to match individual businesses
:16:36. > :16:39.in and around my constituency with particular schools, and helps to
:16:40. > :16:43.bridge the gap between education and employment? I am very happy to join
:16:44. > :16:47.my honourable friend in welcoming the work of the Dorset young
:16:48. > :16:52.chamber. I have seen how my own local Chamber of Commerce does great
:16:53. > :16:56.work in schools as well. And I know that he, as he is chairman of the
:16:57. > :17:01.APPG free youth unemployment will be pleased to know that in his
:17:02. > :17:05.constituency the youth claimant count has gone down by 74% since
:17:06. > :17:13.2010 and down 7% in the last year alone. In Newcastle central we have
:17:14. > :17:17.more young people claiming benefits this year than last and overall the
:17:18. > :17:23.north-east has the higher standard, great across the country. Too many
:17:24. > :17:26.of our young people have to leave to find good jobs, so when is the
:17:27. > :17:32.minister going to make the northern Powerhouse a reality for the
:17:33. > :17:38.north-east? We are determined to make the Northern Powerhouse a
:17:39. > :17:40.reality. As she says, there are certain areas where use and
:17:41. > :17:46.implement is higher than in other areas but I would hope she will
:17:47. > :17:49.recognise that the use and implement as a whole in her region has in all
:17:50. > :17:56.other regions has come down markedly in recent years. 86% of 16 to
:17:57. > :18:01.24-year-olds are now in full time study or work, which is a record
:18:02. > :18:06.high. The employment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds who have left full-time
:18:07. > :18:12.education is up 0.4% in the last year. A solid route for young people
:18:13. > :18:16.to secure work is through apprenticeships. Can the minted --
:18:17. > :18:19.Minister Tommy what is being done with his counterpart of the
:18:20. > :18:24.department education to ensure that all of our young people have access
:18:25. > :18:26.to apprenticeships? We work very closely with colleagues in the
:18:27. > :18:30.department education to make sure that the government's commitment to
:18:31. > :18:37.have 3 million new apprentices in this Parliament is met. We are on
:18:38. > :18:40.target for that, and in particular we want to make sure apprentice
:18:41. > :18:44.ships are not only available to young people perhaps leaving school
:18:45. > :18:47.for the first time, but throughout the age range can so we can make a
:18:48. > :18:54.reality of the phrase lifelong learning. Bother the Secretary of
:18:55. > :18:59.State said the area such as mine where youth under climate has risen
:19:00. > :19:02.in the last month? Ashun what would the Secretary of State safest of
:19:03. > :19:05.witty look at working particularly with colleagues in the Northern
:19:06. > :19:08.Powerhouse to make sure that benefits of government investment is
:19:09. > :19:12.shared across the North West and North Wales, has a whole? I am very
:19:13. > :19:17.happy to listen to the right honourable gentleman above the last
:19:18. > :19:20.20 next. One of the purposes he makes of the Northern Powerhouse
:19:21. > :19:24.energy more widely of the government's consultation on the
:19:25. > :19:28.industrial strategy is to make sure that the success of the economy is
:19:29. > :19:31.spread to all regions of this country, and if he has specific
:19:32. > :19:39.points to make about his own region, I am more than happy to talk to him
:19:40. > :19:47.about that. Question before, Mr Speaker. With permission I will
:19:48. > :19:50.answer is questions four and six together. Almost 6.3 million
:19:51. > :19:54.eligible workers have been involved in the workplace pension because of
:19:55. > :19:57.automatic enrolment. This is an unseen revolution. The way people
:19:58. > :20:01.are now saving will lead to more freedom, more choice and more
:20:02. > :20:05.security for the pensioners of tomorrow. I thank my right
:20:06. > :20:12.honourable friend for that answer. Would he agree with me that the one
:20:13. > :20:18.aspect that is quite clear is that many people that would otherwise not
:20:19. > :20:23.save on a private pension will have to save for their future, and also
:20:24. > :20:27.young people who don't save will have a secure future in retirement?
:20:28. > :20:32.I do agree with my honourable friend, particularly his last point
:20:33. > :20:35.about young people, and the ISS has done some research that shows that
:20:36. > :20:44.the dissipation in auto enrolment among those aged 22 to 29 has
:20:45. > :20:49.increased from 28% in 2012 to 85% in 2016. That is a very, very
:20:50. > :20:53.impressive improvement. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Auto enrolment has been
:20:54. > :20:58.hugely successful. There are a number of people still opting out.
:20:59. > :21:02.One of the businesses in my Southampton itching constituency
:21:03. > :21:07.suggest that perhaps 50% of his staff were opting out. What steps is
:21:08. > :21:10.the Secretary of State taking to encourage people to save in a
:21:11. > :21:18.workplace pension for their retirement. I am happy to tell my
:21:19. > :21:21.honourable friend the example he takes is an exception, in when the
:21:22. > :21:25.Turner commission reported and suggested this kind of scheme in
:21:26. > :21:29.2005, it estimated about 25% of people would opt out. The opt out
:21:30. > :21:34.rate at the moment is about 10%, but there is always more to do, as his
:21:35. > :21:39.example suggests. That is why we are conducting a review at the moment to
:21:40. > :21:42.make sure that is even better in the future to work for all kinds of
:21:43. > :21:50.individuals, particularly those in small businesses. The House of
:21:51. > :21:54.Commons is not able to supply me with any evidence that tax reform
:21:55. > :22:02.pensions contributions encourages savings. Can the Secretary of State
:22:03. > :22:05.supply me with such evidence? I can supply the honourable gentleman with
:22:06. > :22:09.the evidence that we have transformed saving over the past few
:22:10. > :22:12.years, and indeed people have often said that young people in particular
:22:13. > :22:18.don't want to save. The facts I have just put before the house suggest
:22:19. > :22:24.that that is no longer the case. I think if the honourable gentleman is
:22:25. > :22:27.advocating taking away all tax relief for pensions, I would be
:22:28. > :22:33.interested in his ideas, and so I'm sure with his own front bench.
:22:34. > :22:36.Government ministers have been very clear on the need for transparency
:22:37. > :22:39.in the pensions industry, including master trusts, dealing with auto
:22:40. > :22:43.enrolment. In his second reading of the speech with a pension schemes,
:22:44. > :22:48.the Secretary of State spoke of it, in the TUC the minister said we have
:22:49. > :22:51.got to get transparency, it is not an option to do nothing. And Lord
:22:52. > :22:56.Freud said we wanted pension scheme members to have sight of all costs
:22:57. > :23:00.and charges. Despite those fine words and all attempts to deliver
:23:01. > :23:03.transparency in the Bill committee, but dismissed by the government, so
:23:04. > :23:09.can the Minister just tell the house what they mean by transparency in
:23:10. > :23:13.the pensions industry? The bill which I note the party opposite
:23:14. > :23:17.didn't vote against at second or third reading, so he can't have
:23:18. > :23:21.objected to it that strongly, actually set up a new system of
:23:22. > :23:26.regulation, particularly of master trust, which deals with not just
:23:27. > :23:29.transparency that deals with a whole range of aspects, which mean that
:23:30. > :23:35.this relatively new form of financial body is now much better
:23:36. > :23:38.regulated than it was before. And I would say I would have thought he
:23:39. > :23:49.would have welcomed it. Actually, he did well commit. LAUGHTER
:23:50. > :23:52.Question seven, sir. The green paper consultation, which concluded on
:23:53. > :23:56.17th Fabregas the range of questions about how we can better support
:23:57. > :23:59.people into employment, and has highlighted learning disabilities as
:24:00. > :24:03.a particular area for further work. We will bring forward shortly
:24:04. > :24:08.schemes to support this group in their ambitions. Thank you, Mr
:24:09. > :24:12.Speaker. Would my honourable friend join me in praising the work of
:24:13. > :24:19.Balenziaga see in Surbiton who provide employment support for
:24:20. > :24:25.people with learning difficulties -- Balance CIC. So that everyone knows
:24:26. > :24:29.what support is available out there. I would be very happy to join my
:24:30. > :24:35.honourable friend in praising the work of Balance CIC. This is a group
:24:36. > :24:39.of individuals that we want to do much more for. We will be bringing
:24:40. > :24:42.forward young person's work experience scheme shortly, we wish
:24:43. > :24:47.to open up apprenticeships but more is needed in this area, and
:24:48. > :24:51.organisations like Balance CIC can help us do that. Mr Speaker, the
:24:52. > :24:54.disabled students allowance has been a great help to students with
:24:55. > :24:57.learning difficulties can such as dyslexia and helping them gain the
:24:58. > :25:01.qualifications they need to enter the world of work. Will the Minister
:25:02. > :25:06.not accept that the ?200 fee is acting as a real deterrent to the
:25:07. > :25:11.uptake of this allowance, and that it is unfairly penalising students
:25:12. > :25:15.who do you need that extra help? We are looking at a range of things to
:25:16. > :25:19.help in particular young people learning with learning disability is
:25:20. > :25:22.and with autism, and young people with mental health conditions. They
:25:23. > :25:27.need to have more options available to them, and they need to have more
:25:28. > :25:31.financial support in some of those areas, so I would be very happy to
:25:32. > :25:33.look at what the honourable lady suggests, if she would like to write
:25:34. > :25:38.me with evidence that it is happening. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
:25:39. > :25:42.Governments of all persuasions have tried and failed to shift the
:25:43. > :25:46.employability rate of people with learning disabilities from 6%, an
:25:47. > :25:49.absolute waste of the huge vat of talent and enthusiasm that is out
:25:50. > :25:54.there. This is exactly the reason why we brought forward plans to open
:25:55. > :25:57.up apprenticeships to have a special disability printer should scheme.
:25:58. > :26:03.Please would the Minister update the house with where we are with
:26:04. > :26:06.creating those opportunities? I think the honourable gentleman, my
:26:07. > :26:09.honourable friend, for drawing attention to the apprentice ship
:26:10. > :26:14.scheme. We wish to open up the opportunities that such schemes
:26:15. > :26:16.bring to those with learning disabilities, and are making good
:26:17. > :26:19.progress with the Department for Education on that, but I think we
:26:20. > :26:22.need to do other things, as well. When we talk about people with
:26:23. > :26:26.learning disabilities, this is a huge range of individuals, and I
:26:27. > :26:30.think we have not done enough for those who at the highest need end of
:26:31. > :26:40.that spectrum, and I have very shortly we will be of to do more.
:26:41. > :26:44.Question number nine, Mr Speaker. I receive regular representations from
:26:45. > :26:47.disability organisations and honourable members regarding
:26:48. > :26:51.personal independence payments. As I have previously stated, we want to
:26:52. > :26:57.do more to create real-time feedback across the whole of the country, and
:26:58. > :27:00.will shortly be introducing service use panels to feed directly back
:27:01. > :27:06.from claimants on PIP and employment support allowance.
:27:07. > :27:14.Unfortunately I am still receiving complaints from constituents about
:27:15. > :27:18.procedures regarding personal independence payments. Could she
:27:19. > :27:22.tell the House what she is doing to improve the process, reduce delays
:27:23. > :27:28.and support people through what is often a dramatic assessment process?
:27:29. > :27:32.The goal is swift, accurate and admin Lite assessments. Good
:27:33. > :27:38.progress has been made in merry areas. For example, reducing the
:27:39. > :27:43.average time it takes for a claim by more than three quarters from over
:27:44. > :27:49.40 weeks down to ten weeks as of October last year. But there is more
:27:50. > :27:53.to do. One reason why we have set up these service user panels if it is
:27:54. > :27:58.incredibly important that while things may be generally going well,
:27:59. > :28:03.there are certain hotspot areas where they are not and identifying
:28:04. > :28:08.those in real time is critical. But there are many other things in the
:28:09. > :28:11.improvement plan as well. Yet again one of my constituents has been to
:28:12. > :28:18.see me about a PIP assessment that has led to her vehicle being taken
:28:19. > :28:22.away from her. She is currently appealing, but what reassurance
:28:23. > :28:27.could she give me and my constituents that this vehicle that
:28:28. > :28:33.she needs will be returned to her? I would first of all point out there
:28:34. > :28:37.are 70,000 more people in receipt of mutability and making use of that
:28:38. > :28:42.scheme than there were in 2010. But she will know there are improvements
:28:43. > :28:48.we want to make to the scheme and we have been working very closely with
:28:49. > :28:52.that independent organisation. We are now attending their board
:28:53. > :28:57.meetings and are able to work much more strategically. I have spoken at
:28:58. > :29:01.length, so I will not repeat it, but those areas where we wish to see
:29:02. > :29:07.better customer service I had those and we hope to bring forward
:29:08. > :29:10.announcement shortly. Will she make strong representations to the
:29:11. > :29:14.Ministry of Justice that it should reduce the length of time that an
:29:15. > :29:19.successful claimants are having to wait for their tribunal so they can
:29:20. > :29:24.process their claims successfully? We are concerned with all aspects of
:29:25. > :29:30.the claims process, whether it is for ESA or PIP. We want it to be
:29:31. > :29:33.swift and admin light and we have some opportunities that I have
:29:34. > :29:41.already outlined to do both those things. The government announced
:29:42. > :29:45.those with chronic progressive conditions would not be subjected to
:29:46. > :29:50.continual work capability assessments. Can the minister
:29:51. > :29:53.explain why constituents of mine with conditions like MS are
:29:54. > :29:59.continually being called for reassessment? If the honourable lady
:30:00. > :30:04.has cases she wishes me to look at, she must write to me about those
:30:05. > :30:09.cases. We are currently still outlining the criteria for that
:30:10. > :30:13.scheme to be introduced, but as she will know, in the meantime we are
:30:14. > :30:17.not wishing to call people for reassessment who would be in that
:30:18. > :30:27.category. If she has cases like that, she must let me know. Thank
:30:28. > :30:33.you, Mr Speaker. At present 65% of all claimants have their PIP appeal
:30:34. > :30:38.upheld by a tribunal. It should be a source of huge embarrassment to the
:30:39. > :30:42.government that even after the introduction of mandatory
:30:43. > :30:45.reconsideration before appeal the majority of claimants who go to
:30:46. > :30:50.tribunal win their case. How does the Minister justify forcing
:30:51. > :30:57.vulnerable claimants to navigate the complex and gruelling process that
:30:58. > :31:01.the system demands put, often with little or no support? Would she now
:31:02. > :31:06.get a grip and reform this clearly broken system. Can I start by
:31:07. > :31:13.welcoming the honourable lady to her post best to mark she is not
:31:14. > :31:20.correct. It is 6% of the caseload that is overturned, but there are
:31:21. > :31:25.many things we wish to do to ensure this is improved. We have some
:31:26. > :31:28.opportunities that come after the consultation in the green paper and
:31:29. > :31:34.the reforms we want to make to that part of the system to improve and
:31:35. > :31:43.reduce the administrative burden on those also claiming PIP. Western
:31:44. > :31:48.Number ten. Mr Speaker, it is not meaningful to compare against an
:31:49. > :31:52.unchanged tax credit system, but the national living wage helps with
:31:53. > :31:55.childcare and these things all mean people can earn more and a higher
:31:56. > :32:01.income tax allowance means they can keep more of it. A single parent
:32:02. > :32:08.working full-time on Universal Credit will be up to ?3000 worse off
:32:09. > :32:14.than someone in the same situation on tax credits as a result of this
:32:15. > :32:22.government's cuts. Does the Secretary of State accept his cuts
:32:23. > :32:27.are creating an unjustified disparity by people in similar
:32:28. > :32:32.circumstances? Anybody who changes from tax credits to Universal Credit
:32:33. > :32:36.can get transitional protection. Those coming into it with a new
:32:37. > :32:42.claim it is a wholly different system with a completely different
:32:43. > :32:47.set of support, including more support for example on childcare.
:32:48. > :32:52.There are various other reforms that the honourable member refers to
:32:53. > :32:58.which would also benefit. Mr Speaker, with my right honourable
:32:59. > :33:03.friend accept that Universal Credit, which now reaches almost a third of
:33:04. > :33:06.the unemployed people in my constituency, is a much simpler
:33:07. > :33:10.system and is the first major new benefit introduced in my political
:33:11. > :33:17.lifetime which has not resulted in a whole string of correspondence from
:33:18. > :33:22.people in difficulty? It is indeed a dramatic and critical reform for our
:33:23. > :33:29.welfare system. One statistic is that for every 100 people under the
:33:30. > :33:36.old system, there are 113 in Universal Credit. This week DWP
:33:37. > :33:40.informed members of Parliament that our constituents would have to give
:33:41. > :33:48.specific and explicit consent if we were to help them with the full
:33:49. > :33:52.Universal Credit claims. This will significantly inhibit our ability to
:33:53. > :33:57.assist our constituents. Can the Minister reassure the House that
:33:58. > :34:02.measures will be put in place to ensure MPs can support their
:34:03. > :34:07.constituents? We want honourable members to be able to support their
:34:08. > :34:11.constituents. But the system itself is different because the online
:34:12. > :34:17.account allows the user to access that much greater breadth of data.
:34:18. > :34:20.The claimant holds the key to that data and implied consent cannot be
:34:21. > :34:31.assumed, but the claimant can give their assent via the journal.
:34:32. > :34:34.Currently families have to wait at least six weeks to receive Universal
:34:35. > :34:40.Credit after they have made a claim and this is leading to some people
:34:41. > :34:45.being in rent arrears. Research by the Child poverty action group found
:34:46. > :34:50.30% of food bag users were waiting for the outcome of a benefit claim.
:34:51. > :34:53.What urgent action will the government take to cut the delay at
:34:54. > :34:59.the start of Universal Credit claims? Universal Credit is a
:35:00. > :35:02.monthly benefit, but we do have advances available where people
:35:03. > :35:08.cannot make it through to the first payday. Fundamental point is that
:35:09. > :35:12.Universal Credit is helping more people into work and it is helping
:35:13. > :35:18.more people progress in work and that is putting down a better
:35:19. > :35:22.foundation for their future. Many families on tax credits and
:35:23. > :35:27.Universal Credit will lose out when the child limit comes into force in
:35:28. > :35:33.April. There will be a 50% rise in child poverty by 2020 and a key
:35:34. > :35:38.reason will be the impact of tax and benefit changes on families with
:35:39. > :35:43.three or more children. Does the government think some children
:35:44. > :35:48.matter more than others? Mr Speaker, the policy the honourable lady
:35:49. > :35:53.refers to refers to new cases. In terms of relative poverty that is
:35:54. > :36:02.down by 100,000 children since 2010. Number 11. The government is
:36:03. > :36:06.committed to providing free, impartial guidance through pension
:36:07. > :36:10.wise to help people make informed and confident decisions about how
:36:11. > :36:15.they use their defined contribution pension savings in retirement. I am
:36:16. > :36:19.grateful for the minister's answer. What further steps are his
:36:20. > :36:23.departments taking working with other departments to ensure there
:36:24. > :36:27.are protections in place for those in receipt of their pensions and
:36:28. > :36:33.maybe at risk of falling foul to financial scams their retirement? It
:36:34. > :36:40.is really very important and she can be reassured that a cross government
:36:41. > :36:44.consultation on further measures to tackle pension scams closed recently
:36:45. > :36:49.on the 13th of February and this included a proposal to ban all cold
:36:50. > :36:55.calling in relation to pensions. Once we have considered the
:36:56. > :37:03.responses, we will take action and it will be as soon as possible.
:37:04. > :37:11.Number 13. Mr Speaker, we have been mindful throughout impact on staff
:37:12. > :37:15.and customers and we have consulted and the public and the full quality
:37:16. > :37:22.impact assessment will be carried out. I went to see the regional
:37:23. > :37:27.manager of my Jobcentre last week and she had absolutely no
:37:28. > :37:32.information on the number of ESA or IS claimants that would be affected
:37:33. > :37:37.by the proposed closure. The plans for outreach that would replace the
:37:38. > :37:40.Jobcentre, the amount saved for that closure, the necessary spend an
:37:41. > :37:47.increased capacity at the alternative centre, or projections
:37:48. > :37:53.for football that footfall at the centre. Will the Minister commit to
:37:54. > :37:58.publishing all that information before the decision has been made,
:37:59. > :38:04.but preferably before the end of the consultation period? ESA and IS
:38:05. > :38:09.claimants are not required regularly to attend the Jobcentre in the same
:38:10. > :38:15.way that GSA claimants are. In terms of our reach, we want to look at
:38:16. > :38:20.other opportunities working with partners. The consultation closed on
:38:21. > :38:25.the 28th of February. In terms of the overall approach in Sheffield,
:38:26. > :38:31.it is about consolidating the amount of space and using that space better
:38:32. > :38:38.to provide enhanced services for customers and it raises utilisation
:38:39. > :38:46.in Sheffield from 51% to 59%. In 2010 there were three Jobcentres in
:38:47. > :38:51.my constituency. Just under 3000 people who have to access the
:38:52. > :38:56.Jobcentre in my constituency at least every three weeks is not an
:38:57. > :39:00.insignificant number. Why has his department not carried out a full
:39:01. > :39:07.impact assessment before the closure? The proposals across the
:39:08. > :39:12.city of Liverpool raise the utilisation in the city from 66% to
:39:13. > :39:18.95%. It makes better use of buildings. Movement from one
:39:19. > :39:23.Jobcentre to another is less than three miles and 20 minutes on public
:39:24. > :39:29.transport and it is reasonable to ask people to make that move. Number
:39:30. > :39:36.14. Through the green paper improving lives, the work health and
:39:37. > :39:40.disability green paper, we asked about the barriers preventing
:39:41. > :39:44.employers from recruiting and training people with health
:39:45. > :39:49.conditions. We will shortly bring forward measures to address those
:39:50. > :39:53.barriers. I am grateful to the Minister. I recently held an
:39:54. > :39:58.engagement event in Lowestoft to consider the green paper. The
:39:59. > :40:03.conclusion reached is the disability employment gap is best tackled with
:40:04. > :40:07.bespoke local solutions work out with local employers. Will the
:40:08. > :40:11.Minister give this approach fair and full consideration as she assesses
:40:12. > :40:17.the feedback from the consultation? May I put on record my thanks to him
:40:18. > :40:21.and members from all parties in this house who did hold local
:40:22. > :40:26.consultation events. It was incredibly important and has made
:40:27. > :40:31.this a good consultation, but is vital in establishing and building
:40:32. > :40:34.local networks. These have to be local solutions, not least because
:40:35. > :40:39.health care is commissioned locally and I can give him those assurances
:40:40. > :40:45.that we will bear that in mind as we go forward. The all-party
:40:46. > :40:47.Parliamentary group on modern slavery has heard compelling
:40:48. > :40:54.evidence about how people who have been enslaved in the UK have PTSD
:40:55. > :40:58.and similar serious disabilities as a result. Would the Minister commit
:40:59. > :41:04.to having a meeting with the Minister in the Home Office to look
:41:05. > :41:13.practically at ways in which those victims of exploitation can be
:41:14. > :41:18.enabled to work in companies and to be supported into working? The
:41:19. > :41:24.honourable lady raises an important point. I can give her assurances
:41:25. > :41:28.that both my office and the office of the Minister for employment are
:41:29. > :41:33.working very closely with the Home Office on precisely the group of
:41:34. > :41:37.individuals she mentions, but also on other vulnerable people like
:41:38. > :41:43.refugees as well. I am very happy to raise any points that she wants to
:41:44. > :41:48.make. I am holding a disability confident event in my constituency
:41:49. > :41:52.on April the 28th and the Minister would be welcome to it if she is
:41:53. > :41:59.able to find time in her busy schedule. Can I ask her to look at
:42:00. > :42:02.what incentives can be given to employers to give disabled people a
:42:03. > :42:06.chance to allow themselves to prove themselves to show what they are
:42:07. > :42:12.capable of if they are given that chance in the first place? I thank
:42:13. > :42:17.my honourable friend for holding a disability confident event. We are
:42:18. > :42:20.looking at what further support and incentives we can provide employers.
:42:21. > :42:27.One thing we need to do is to raise the profile of the fact that these
:42:28. > :42:33.individuals have so much to offer any business. We will be holding
:42:34. > :42:39.some events in March in this place for all members of all parties to
:42:40. > :42:44.become disability confident employers themselves and also ask
:42:45. > :42:48.for their assistance in signing up 30 targeted organisations from their
:42:49. > :42:52.own constituencies and I hope all members will take that opportunity.
:42:53. > :42:57.This is very relevant to what we're been saying and ensure the Minister
:42:58. > :43:00.would agree that to change attitudes regarding disability in the
:43:01. > :43:05.workforce we need more businesses to become role models in this area and
:43:06. > :43:08.in Taunton sadly only very few businesses are signed up to the
:43:09. > :43:12.disability awareness register. I would like the Minister to join with
:43:13. > :43:19.the to encourage local businesses to attend a special event I'd Taunton
:43:20. > :43:22.Jobcentre to promote the disability initiative. I thank the honourable
:43:23. > :43:29.lady for what she is already doing in her constituency to promote the
:43:30. > :43:32.scheme. It is very important employer is not only realise the
:43:33. > :43:36.opportunities out there from employing these people but also the
:43:37. > :43:39.support and advice that goes alongside that. The more people that
:43:40. > :43:44.know about it the more we will achieve that goal of ensuring every
:43:45. > :43:53.citizen in this country can reach their full potential. 16, Mr
:43:54. > :43:58.Speaker. Mr Speaker, proposals are in concentration with the public,
:43:59. > :44:02.should they succeed, staff will continue to offer the same support
:44:03. > :44:08.and 70s to customers and will maintain the relationships built up
:44:09. > :44:12.over time. Now that the Glasgow consultation is closed, can you tell
:44:13. > :44:16.us the following. When will the consultation responses be published?
:44:17. > :44:21.When will the equality impact assessment be published? And when
:44:22. > :44:23.will the decision be announced, and on the announcement, we'll he assure
:44:24. > :44:26.the house that it would be slipped out of a press race or a written
:44:27. > :44:33.statement, but he will make it from the dispatch box? The consultation
:44:34. > :44:38.in relation to those job centres in Glasgow has now closed. There are a
:44:39. > :44:43.number of responses that we are currently working through. We will
:44:44. > :44:45.do that within the time frame, and I anticipate making announcements in
:44:46. > :44:55.April. I met the 83 people who work at the
:44:56. > :45:01.Navy house in my constituency, another one which is being scheduled
:45:02. > :45:03.for closure. Could the Minister explain how the closure of this
:45:04. > :45:09.child maintenance back office is going to impact, and how it can
:45:10. > :45:16.possibly be efficient to close an office in one of the most low rent
:45:17. > :45:20.towns in the entire nation? Mr Speaker, the entire estates review
:45:21. > :45:26.comes about at a time when a 20 year PFI contract is coming to an end at
:45:27. > :45:29.the end of March 20 18. And has presented the opportunity indeed the
:45:30. > :45:33.requirement to review the almost entire DWP estate. What we are
:45:34. > :45:37.trying to do is to consolidate into some less space to save some money
:45:38. > :45:42.for the tax payer but also do things more efficiently, in terms of people
:45:43. > :45:44.working particularly in back of house locations, we are trying
:45:45. > :45:47.extremely hard and we don't want people to be made redundant. We are
:45:48. > :45:57.trying to find other opportunities for them elsewhere in the public
:45:58. > :46:01.sector. The UK labour market is the strongest it has been for years.
:46:02. > :46:05.Over the past year, the number of people in employment has increased
:46:06. > :46:11.by 300 and 2000. The implement rate now stands at a new record high of
:46:12. > :46:16.74.6%. The unemployment rate remained at 4.8%, the lowest rate in
:46:17. > :46:20.over ten years. I thank my right honourable friend for that answer,
:46:21. > :46:23.he will agree long-term and deployment is particularly damaging
:46:24. > :46:27.for a young person. Can my right honourable friend the what steps his
:46:28. > :46:29.department is taking the house what steps his department is taking too
:46:30. > :46:34.insular that no young person falls through the cracks. She's right,
:46:35. > :46:36.obviously long-term deployment can significantly damage anyone
:46:37. > :46:43.particularly young people and that is why I welcome the recent
:46:44. > :46:48.employment statistics, which show that 3 million 16 to 24-year-olds
:46:49. > :46:52.are full-time students and another 3 million have left full-time
:46:53. > :46:55.education and working. Together this accounts for 18% of all young people
:46:56. > :47:00.in the UK, the joint highest on record. But there is was more to do,
:47:01. > :47:04.which is why we are introducing the youth obligation from this April,
:47:05. > :47:08.which will ensure that young people are fully supported as they progress
:47:09. > :47:18.into work and indeed well they are at work. Question 20. We are
:47:19. > :47:23.committed to ensuring claimants receive high-quality, objective and
:47:24. > :47:27.fair assessments. The department monitors assessment quality through
:47:28. > :47:31.independent audit, and assessments that are deemed unacceptable
:47:32. > :47:34.returned to the provider for the working. A range of measures
:47:35. > :47:42.including provider improvement plans address performance falling below
:47:43. > :47:46.the expected standards. My constituents Neville Cartwright is
:47:47. > :47:54.living with just one long, following a battle with lung cancer, yet lost
:47:55. > :48:00.as motility -- Mote ability to win his PIP was cut last year. Does the
:48:01. > :48:05.Minister agree an eight-month wait to find other result of an appeal is
:48:06. > :48:10.totally unacceptable? I do agree with the honourable lady, which is
:48:11. > :48:13.why we have been working with Mote ability, trying to work more
:48:14. > :48:20.strategically with them, thrashing through both the issues that I am
:48:21. > :48:26.very aware of appeals, but also on issues like individuals leaving the
:48:27. > :48:32.country. We are trying to reduce the amount of time, but also with the
:48:33. > :48:44.running of the skin which means the precise scenario that the honourable
:48:45. > :48:46.lady outlines the sort happened. Building on success of the new
:48:47. > :48:54.enterprise allowance, eligible to vote the extended to include
:48:55. > :48:58.claimants are already self-employed. There are 40 new businesses in
:48:59. > :49:02.Banbury currently supported by the new enterprise allowance, with about
:49:03. > :49:04.100 more going through the developmental stage. Can the
:49:05. > :49:07.Minister reassurance that this programme is not just to set up new
:49:08. > :49:14.businesses but will also enable them to grow going forward? Yes, those 40
:49:15. > :49:17.new businesses in Banbury I great example of what the NEA can do and
:49:18. > :49:23.in phase two we are introducing additional features to continue to
:49:24. > :49:27.promote sustained success in self deployment, including extending the
:49:28. > :49:33.men touring period and making sure there is a pre-workshop to the start
:49:34. > :49:38.-- emphasised the understanding of what it is like to be self employed.
:49:39. > :49:42.Today we published our green paper on defined benefit pension schemes.
:49:43. > :49:46.These provide an important source of income is the retirement plans of
:49:47. > :49:50.millions of people. The majority of the nearly 6000 defined benefit
:49:51. > :49:53.pension schemes are run effectively and we are fortunate to have a
:49:54. > :49:56.robust and flexible system and pension protection in the UK.
:49:57. > :50:00.However, it is clear that experiences differ from skin to
:50:01. > :50:03.skin, and some of lawyers are clearly struggling and the system
:50:04. > :50:07.may not be working optimally in all circumstances. The green paper is an
:50:08. > :50:10.opportunity to look at the schemes to ensure the system remains
:50:11. > :50:19.sustainable, while still ensuring members benefits are protected.
:50:20. > :50:23.Further to my honourable friend earlier on on universal credit
:50:24. > :50:26.environments by constituents, the Secretary of State not accept that
:50:27. > :50:31.putting this extra hurdle in his disadvantage and people in a very
:50:32. > :50:32.vulnerable situation? And also flies in the face of information
:50:33. > :50:39.Commissioner guidance on these matters? As my honourable friend the
:50:40. > :50:43.Minister for employment explained, the data is now held in a different
:50:44. > :50:46.way, it is entirely owned by the claimant who can of course and
:50:47. > :50:50.should give any member of Parliament permission to act on their behalf,
:50:51. > :50:56.and permission all of us can do our job on behalf of our constituents,
:50:57. > :51:03.as we traditionally have. Question five, Mr Speaker. Last October the
:51:04. > :51:08.Secretary of State announced that people with severe lifelong
:51:09. > :51:10.conditions would be exempt from reassessments for ESA. This was
:51:11. > :51:15.welcomed by leading charities sector. Can the minister told a
:51:16. > :51:20.house where the motor neurone disease will falls in the
:51:21. > :51:24.exceptions? , first of all praise the work of the all-party Parliament
:51:25. > :51:28.regrouped and the honourable lady's work as its vice-chair. Following
:51:29. > :51:30.the announcement we are working to deliver a set of criteria to switch
:51:31. > :51:36.off reassessments for people with the most severe disabilities and
:51:37. > :51:41.have sought feedback from stakeholders, including many motor
:51:42. > :51:44.neurone disease organisations. They will not be about a specific list of
:51:45. > :51:49.medical conditions, rather it will be based on a number of other
:51:50. > :51:55.factors, particularly how those conditions are impacting people. In
:51:56. > :51:59.April, the government's to child policy will mean that a woman who
:52:00. > :52:02.has a third child after being raped will have to prove this if they are
:52:03. > :52:06.to get child tax support. At the same time, the government is cutting
:52:07. > :52:13.widowed parent's allowance by an average of ?17,000 for each bereaved
:52:14. > :52:17.family. In 2015, this benefited 40,000 children who had lost at
:52:18. > :52:25.least one parent. Will the Secretary of State please think again about
:52:26. > :52:29.these really punitive measures? I don't agree with the honourable lady
:52:30. > :52:33.that the measures are punitive. To take just one of the two she brought
:52:34. > :52:37.up, the bereavement payments, as she knows this is bringing three
:52:38. > :52:44.payments into one. The original system was devised for a world in
:52:45. > :52:50.which women often would not work at all, and so needed lifelong support,
:52:51. > :52:53.rather than the extra support they will be offered after the tragic
:52:54. > :53:00.event that will have happened, and I think she will find that the new
:53:01. > :53:09.system is fairer and more effective at providing support when it is
:53:10. > :53:12.needed. Will the Minister agree it was important to introduce the cap
:53:13. > :53:16.on out of work but if it's to do with the excesses of a system that
:53:17. > :53:23.used to see a single household being given ?100,000 a year in housing
:53:24. > :53:26.benefit? I thank my riverfront that question, she is of course right to
:53:27. > :53:29.point out that the benefit cut is working. It has brought about
:53:30. > :53:32.behavioural change and evaluation of the current cap level has found that
:53:33. > :53:39.capped households are 41% more likely to go into work than similar
:53:40. > :53:44.and capped households. More than that, 38% of those caps if they were
:53:45. > :53:48.doing more to find work. A third were submitting more applications
:53:49. > :53:52.and a fifth underwent more interviews was the new recipients of
:53:53. > :53:57.support who are in the work-related activity group will cease to receive
:53:58. > :54:01.the work-related activity components payment as of this April. Can the
:54:02. > :54:05.Minister tell us exactly what additional support those claimants
:54:06. > :54:09.will receive, since we have only just a short six weeks until they
:54:10. > :54:15.are hit by this change in policy? This won't, although the policy is
:54:16. > :54:20.being introduced in April, it won't start to have an impact on
:54:21. > :54:23.individuals until the summer. But there is a personalised support
:54:24. > :54:28.package, 13 measures, which are outlined in the green paper. But
:54:29. > :54:33.also she will know that we are looking at ways in which we can also
:54:34. > :54:38.reduce an individual's household outgoings that aren't related to
:54:39. > :54:43.finding work. Does the Minister agree with me that we must do all we
:54:44. > :54:46.can to support people with mental health issues, disabilities and
:54:47. > :54:55.learning difficulties into work? But equally as important, we must ensure
:54:56. > :54:59.businesses are equipped to help them stay in employment? I agree, this is
:55:00. > :55:04.about people being able to reach their full potential, and make use
:55:05. > :55:08.of all the benefits that come with having a pay packet, all of those
:55:09. > :55:11.opportunities and choice top employers have a huge role to play
:55:12. > :55:15.and I have been very encouraged by the results of the consultation
:55:16. > :55:19.particularly from employers wanting to do more, and we must Insua they
:55:20. > :55:27.have the tools and expertise to do more. As part of the government's
:55:28. > :55:30.welcome proposals to half the disability employment gap, will the
:55:31. > :55:37.Minister ensure that a work support plan is in place before a disabled
:55:38. > :55:41.person is made a job offer, thus increasing the chances of success,
:55:42. > :55:48.and reduce in the risk of wrongly applied sanctions or accusations
:55:49. > :55:51.that the person doesn't want a job? This consultation really affords us
:55:52. > :55:58.an opportunity to look at a person's haul journey, and generalising, the
:55:59. > :56:00.earlier someone can have a conversation with somebody about
:56:01. > :56:06.their ambitions, about the support they will need in place, the better
:56:07. > :56:12.that journey will be. So I totally agree with the honourable gentleman.
:56:13. > :56:16.I suspect the employment minister may not be aware of the employment
:56:17. > :56:19.of women, young person and children's act 1920, but it is a
:56:20. > :56:24.consent of the heritage Railway Association and others, who have
:56:25. > :56:28.found that young people cannot volunteer in industrial
:56:29. > :56:31.undertakings. We have now written to the Health and Safety Executive but
:56:32. > :56:37.I wonder if the Minister would meet me to have a conversation about
:56:38. > :56:39.this? I would be very happy to meet the Right Honourable lady about this
:56:40. > :56:45.issue. There is a huge amount of work going on to ensure that young
:56:46. > :56:52.people and others as well can make use of all opportunities to expand
:56:53. > :56:55.their horizons and I would be very happy to meet the honourable lady
:56:56. > :57:02.about the specific points she raises. Of the 17,000 sanctions to
:57:03. > :57:05.benefit Clement and Bradford West in the last 6.5 years, how many could
:57:06. > :57:10.have been avoided if the government had the yellow card warning system
:57:11. > :57:14.in place? Why has this not being rolled out nationally following a
:57:15. > :57:20.successful trial in 2016, and when is this government going to do it?
:57:21. > :57:27.We are looking at the trial, the early warning system trial was
:57:28. > :57:31.taking place in Scotland. We are still evaluating that and we'll
:57:32. > :57:34.publish the results shortly. And then we will have to do the
:57:35. > :57:41.evaluation first before we decide what to do next. Last week I
:57:42. > :57:45.attended two excellent business breakfasts, one order announced by
:57:46. > :57:51.the Rockingham Forest hotel and the other by business group. In what
:57:52. > :57:56.ways does the Minister think we can use that experience to help people
:57:57. > :58:00.entering the world of work through mentoring? I think mentoring has an
:58:01. > :58:05.absolutely critical role to play and I would encourage those employees in
:58:06. > :58:13.his constituency to be in touch with the local schools, colleges, and to
:58:14. > :58:17.seek out more opportunities. Would the Minister look at the assessments
:58:18. > :58:22.of people with long-term progress of conditions in light of some of the
:58:23. > :58:28.issues raised by this and in fact with long-term progress of
:58:29. > :58:31.conditions would she look at the removal of the need for continued
:58:32. > :58:35.assessment, by the very nature of people getting worse day by day? The
:58:36. > :58:41.honourable lady makes a very good suggestion. We are looking at this.
:58:42. > :58:46.If we can share data better, not just across our own systems but also
:58:47. > :58:51.with local government and there is a huge amount of administrative burden
:58:52. > :58:56.we can cut down on. Identified the critical difference that makes a
:58:57. > :58:59.recipient of universal credit so much more likely to get into work
:59:00. > :59:05.than someone on jobseeker's allowance? Mr Speaker there are
:59:06. > :59:10.multiple features of universal credit that make that much more
:59:11. > :59:14.likely. The critical thing is to remove the barriers that create
:59:15. > :59:17.differences between being out of work and in work, things like having
:59:18. > :59:22.the rent paid directly to the individual. Also in terms of the
:59:23. > :59:25.support you get in the job centre from the work code and the
:59:26. > :59:32.visibility you have that for XP ever pound you earn, you know how much
:59:33. > :59:35.you will retain. Brixton job centre which serves many of my constituents
:59:36. > :59:40.is situated in one of the most deprived areas of London. How can
:59:41. > :59:43.the Minister justified deciding to close Brixton Jobcentre and dozens
:59:44. > :59:47.of others across the country before any assessment of the impact has
:59:48. > :59:56.been undertaken and without any consultation with the public? Well,
:59:57. > :00:01.Mr Speaker, on the section of the equality act, we did indeed carry
:00:02. > :00:06.out those impact assessments she mentions. She and I have had chance
:00:07. > :00:10.to talk about that specific job centre. We are making sure we have a
:00:11. > :00:13.good spread of Jobcentres across the country accessible to people who
:00:14. > :00:19.need them also utilising space better. Last week I visited a number
:00:20. > :00:25.of factories in my constituency taking on additional employment.
:00:26. > :00:28.With the Secretary of State agree that our long-term economic plan has
:00:29. > :00:34.worked, and those benches opposite that opposed it should now be
:00:35. > :00:38.contrite? And with the Secretary of State also agree it is rather
:00:39. > :00:44.surprising up until two minutes ago there has not been a single Liberal
:00:45. > :00:50.Democrat in the chamber. I'm not remotely surprised. He is not
:00:51. > :00:55.responsible for the presence of Liberal Democrat members. I am
:00:56. > :00:59.grateful for that last piece of advice, Mr Speaker, I would be
:01:00. > :01:03.horrified if I were responsible, particularly for their attendance
:01:04. > :01:12.record. But I am happy to agree completely with my honourable friend
:01:13. > :01:19.about the long-term economic plan. It is a tribute to a successful
:01:20. > :01:25.policy for the past six years. On behalf of my constituents may I ask
:01:26. > :01:29.the Secretary of State to be personally involved in her case. The
:01:30. > :01:37.victim of a house fire when she was 12 weeks old, she has no hands. She
:01:38. > :01:40.has multiple physical problems. In the migration from DLA to pip she
:01:41. > :01:46.could not open the envelope telling her to go to her assessment. On the
:01:47. > :01:50.1st of February all benefits ceased. On the 10th of February her motor
:01:51. > :02:01.ability car was taken away. This cannot be right, please help. If the
:02:02. > :02:06.honourable lady wishes to contact me directly, we will take it up. Does
:02:07. > :02:11.my right honourable friend agreed there is no evidence to suggest we
:02:12. > :02:15.are going to lose the 3 million jobs which we were warned so often would
:02:16. > :02:18.happen if we left the EU, and given the recent announcements of
:02:19. > :02:23.thousands of new jobs being located in this country from the likes of
:02:24. > :02:28.Google and Amazon that this country remains a very attractive place to
:02:29. > :02:34.do business. It's perfectly clear that this country is an extremely
:02:35. > :02:39.attractive place to do business. I'm delighted and a number of big
:02:40. > :02:43.companies particularly in the tech sector and other sectors that have
:02:44. > :02:49.cited to move jobs to this country in recent months. And the government
:02:50. > :02:54.will absolutely do all it can to make sure that this economic success
:02:55. > :02:59.continues. The Jobcentre in my constituency is under threat of
:03:00. > :03:03.closure which has spread alarm and despondency amongst some of the most
:03:04. > :03:06.vulnerable people I represent. The nearest job centre in Walthamstow is
:03:07. > :03:09.more than three miles away which breaks the Minister 's own
:03:10. > :03:17.guidelines. Will he undertake to have a proper impact assessment and
:03:18. > :03:21.publish the results? Of course I will have a look at that. The
:03:22. > :03:25.criteria are that if it is both more than three miles and more than 20
:03:26. > :03:31.minutes away by public transport that is when the consultation
:03:32. > :03:38.happens. Within that if either of those conditions are met, it is
:03:39. > :03:43.reasonable to ask people. On Friday I went to visit Shipley Jobcentre to
:03:44. > :03:47.hear first-hand the concerns staff have about the closure of Shipley
:03:48. > :03:52.Jobcentre and the concerns they have for their clients. With the Minister
:03:53. > :03:55.agree to meet with me so I can go through their list of concerns and
:03:56. > :04:00.hopefully he can find a way to address them? Of course I am happy
:04:01. > :04:03.to meet my honourable friend as I have met honourable and right
:04:04. > :04:11.honourable members from across the house to discuss. Single sentence
:04:12. > :04:15.questions I hope. I am astonished the Secretary of State separate
:04:16. > :04:18.clause was not punitive but his own government response to the
:04:19. > :04:22.consultation says many respondents found it unacceptable for
:04:23. > :04:28.governments to ask women to relive the audio of rape to make a claim
:04:29. > :04:33.for benefits. Will the government accept this policy is despicable?
:04:34. > :04:40.Identix at that and I do think the honourable lady's description of the
:04:41. > :04:44.exemptions for that clause just don't accord with reality. It's not
:04:45. > :04:51.remotely punitive, it is an entirely sensible and workable system that we
:04:52. > :04:55.are proposing. Mr Speaker, can the Secretary of State tell me what
:04:56. > :04:58.plans he has too reduced the cost of telephone calls to his department
:04:59. > :05:11.which can now cost up to 55p per minute. Obviously I am in constant
:05:12. > :05:14.contact with the Social Security advisory committee. People who fell
:05:15. > :05:18.in the Department always have the opportunity to ask for a call back
:05:19. > :05:22.if they do not wish to continue with the call and wished the departments
:05:23. > :05:32.to make the call. I understand this point of order flows directly from
:05:33. > :05:38.questions. Specifically to call upon the answer given a few moments ago
:05:39. > :05:42.about the work-related, the minister said nobody would be affected by
:05:43. > :05:45.this change before the summer but in fact the DWP website says and we all
:05:46. > :05:49.understood that this change takes effect from April, I wonder if you
:05:50. > :05:50.can invite the Minister to clarify or correct