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I, along with a small group of colleagues from the House, visited Brixton prison towards the back end of last year. We saw the benefits of the work that is being undertaken in two facilities there: the Clink restaurant and the Bad Boys bakery. Those benefits include a reoffending rate of only about 3%. That is the kind of work that short-term offenders need to give them the chance to restart their lives in a positive way.
I, along with a small group of colleagues from the House, visited Brixton prison towards the back end of last year. We saw the benefits of the work that is being undertaken in two facilities there: the Clink restaurant and the Bad Boys bakery. Those benefits include a reoffending rate of only about 3%. That is the kind of work that short-term offenders need to give them the chance to restart their lives in a positive way.
Within the Department, I have particular responsibility for all female offenders. I have visited every single female prison and I am clear that the schemes that rehabilitate people through engaging with them and planning for training, work and housing are absolutely central. We are committed to using such schemes. May I also take this opportunity to say that there are some phenomenally excellent leadership teams in all our prisons, as well as many other people who are assisting with this project? The hon. Gentleman is right to suggest that we need to give people incentives so that they can see their route out of prison and understand that life outside is better. That will give them hope for the future.
Yesterday I had an exchange with the Minister for Employment in which I made it abundantly clear that youth unemployment in my constituency continues to rise. She has said that the recent rise in youth unemployment is just “a tiny blip”. Does this Minister agree with that?
Yesterday I had an exchange with the Minister for Employment in which I made it abundantly clear that youth unemployment in my constituency continues to rise. She has said that the recent rise in youth unemployment is just “a tiny blip”. Does this Minister agree with that?
The hon. Gentleman should surely be delighted that since 2010 youth unemployment in his constituency is down by 47%, so I cannot agree with him, and that since 2010 unemployment is down by 34%. In the past 12 months, long-term unemployment is down by 38%. Surely he should be celebrating those numbers.
Responding on the issue of youth unemployment, the Minister for Employment painted a rosy picture, but she needs to take additional action in rural areas, especially
those such as mine, where youth unemployment continues to rise month on month and the whole economy is based on agriculture and tourism. What additional support does she think she can genuinely give to areas such as mine?
Responding on the issue of youth unemployment, the Minister for Employment painted a rosy picture, but she needs to take additional action in rural areas, especially
those such as mine, where youth unemployment continues to rise month on month and the whole economy is based on agriculture and tourism. What additional support does she think she can genuinely give to areas such as mine?
We have provided a whole array of support. We measured what was working best and asked how we would roll that out. By working with businesses, we found that the answer was work experience, the sector-based work academies, and apprenticeships; we have introduced 2 million of those—and it is national apprenticeship week. Getting young people into a job is about skills, including employability skills, and we are doing as much as we can.
There is obvious eagerness within local authorities in the south of Scotland to have closer trade links with their counterparts in the north of England, as evidence from the work of the Scottish Affairs Committee suggests. Does the Secretary of State intend to engage with the Scottish Government to ensure that the borderland areas are able to exploit their full potential?
There is obvious eagerness within local authorities in the south of Scotland to have closer trade links with their counterparts in the north of England, as evidence from the work of the Scottish Affairs Committee suggests. Does the Secretary of State intend to engage with the Scottish Government to ensure that the borderland areas are able to exploit their full potential?
Indeed. I am well aware of the work of the borderlands initiative and am more than happy to engage with it in any way it considers would be helpful. That has been very much the approach that I have taken in dealing with Scotland’s island communities—the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland—on their “Our Islands Our Future” campaign. I suggest that this Government’s willingness to hand power back to communities in Scotland bears very favourable contrast with the SNP Government in Edinburgh, who seem determined to centralise everything.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vaccine damage payments have been awarded in each year since 2003.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vaccine damage payments have been awarded in each year since 2003.
The number of Vaccine Damage Payments made each year since 2003:
2002/03 5
2003/04 5
2004/05 4
2005/06 5
2006/07 4
2007/08 2
2008/09 0
2009/10 3
2010/11 1
2011/12 0
2012/13 0
2013/14 0
2014/15 0
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what scope joint committees of NHS England and clinical commissioning groups will have to deviate from national service specifications for specialised services in (a) 2015-16 and (b) future years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what scope joint committees of NHS England and clinical commissioning groups will have to deviate from national service specifications for specialised services in (a) 2015-16 and (b) future years.
NHS England is the accountable commissioner and budget holder for all specialised services as set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, with the Manual for prescribed specialised services providing further detail.
NHS England has achieved significant progress in developing a set of nationally consistent service standards and commissioning policies, which ensure equity of access to high quality services across the board. Those standards and policies will continue to apply for those specialised services which are to be collaboratively commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups.
NHS England is currently in the process of agreeing the guidance on the collaborative commissioning arrangements which will be in place from 1 April 2015.
NHS England has clarified that where there are collaboratively commissioned services, NHS England will retain the full financial risk for these services for 2015/16. NHS England has advised us that there will be further work conducted over the next year to advise on the range of specialised services for which NHS England should remain the accountable commissioner and budget holder for 2016/17 and future years.
Copies of The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 and the Manual for prescribed specialised services are attached.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England will remain the sole budget-holder and accountable commissioner for all specialised services in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) future years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England will remain the sole budget-holder and accountable commissioner for all specialised services in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) future years.
NHS England is the accountable commissioner and budget holder for all specialised services as set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, with the Manual for prescribed specialised services providing further detail.
NHS England has achieved significant progress in developing a set of nationally consistent service standards and commissioning policies, which ensure equity of access to high quality services across the board. Those standards and policies will continue to apply for those specialised services which are to be collaboratively commissioned by NHS England and clinical commissioning groups.
NHS England is currently in the process of agreeing the guidance on the collaborative commissioning arrangements which will be in place from 1 April 2015.
NHS England has clarified that where there are collaboratively commissioned services, NHS England will retain the full financial risk for these services for 2015/16. NHS England has advised us that there will be further work conducted over the next year to advise on the range of specialised services for which NHS England should remain the accountable commissioner and budget holder for 2016/17 and future years.
Copies of The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 and the Manual for prescribed specialised services are attached.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects that a final decision will be made on the final pension age for the Ministry of Defence Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Services.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects that a final decision will be made on the final pension age for the Ministry of Defence Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Services.
Discussions on the future arrangements for Ministry of Defence Police and Defence Fire and Rescue Service personnel pensions are still ongoing.
I recognise that this is an important issue for both communities and I am therefore seeking to resolve it as soon as possible. This is however a complex matter which raises a number of cross-Departmental issues.
Although no final decision has yet been taken, I hope to conclude this issue in the near future.
Ministry of Defence police officers and their colleagues in the defence fire and rescue service are currently subject to the state pension age; yet their counterparts in the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government can retire up to seven years earlier. Does the Minister think that is fair?
Ministry of Defence police officers and their colleagues in the defence fire and rescue service are currently subject to the state pension age; yet their counterparts in the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government can retire up to seven years earlier. Does the Minister think that is fair?
We are in the process of working with other colleagues in the Government to conclude that matter, and I very much hope that we can make an announcement very soon. I pay tribute to the fire service and the MDP, both of which do an outstanding job.
I am sure the Minister would accept there is relatively free movement of drugs up and down and across the country. Is he in discussions with the devolved Administrations on the tackling of drug crime and the free movement of drugs?
I am sure the Minister would accept there is relatively free movement of drugs up and down and across the country. Is he in discussions with the devolved Administrations on the tackling of drug crime and the free movement of drugs?
The National Crime Agency looks at organised crime across the country. I am very pleased to say that the NCA is now in Northern Ireland, something we have been waiting for for some considerable time.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pertussis vaccine damage claims were made in each year since 2003; and how many were successful in each year.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pertussis vaccine damage claims were made in each year since 2003; and how many were successful in each year.
Information regarding claims and awards in respect of each particular disease/vaccine is unavailable.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what adjustments his Department has made to the number of people reassessed for personal independence payment to reflect the current backlog of claims.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what adjustments his Department has made to the number of people reassessed for personal independence payment to reflect the current backlog of claims.
Following our controlled approach, a further 29 postcode areas have gone live with reassessment. We are currently progressing detailed planning and assurance activity to identify postcode areas to be included in further phases of rollout.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have undergone a reassessment for personal independence payment before the end of their award period.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have undergone a reassessment for personal independence payment before the end of their award period.
The official statistics published in December show that to the end of October 2014, 29,900 claimants have had a reassessment and received their Personal Independence Payment decision. DLA remains in payment while the claimant goes through the process to claim Personal Independence Payment. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/personal-independence-payment-statistics
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of reassessing people with progressive conditions for (a) personal independence payment and (b) employment and support allowance in 2014.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of reassessing people with progressive conditions for (a) personal independence payment and (b) employment and support allowance in 2014.
We do not hold this information. Assessment and reassessment for Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance is based on an individual’s circumstances and how their condition affects them, not the condition itself.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance for Performance Measurement Review Officers on how to conduct a review.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance for Performance Measurement Review Officers on how to conduct a review.
Yes, the guidance will be placed in the Library.
Small sections of the document have been redacted to protect the health and safety of the Review Officer where they may possibly be at risk whilst undertaking their duties and to ensure the continued effectiveness of the review process.
The Minister said earlier that the Cabinet Office has a role to play in cyber-policy. If that is to be a strong and robust policy, will he tell the House when a ministerial representative from the MOD last met the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss the issue? What was the outcome of the meeting?
The Minister said earlier that the Cabinet Office has a role to play in cyber-policy. If that is to be a strong and robust policy, will he tell the House when a ministerial representative from the MOD last met the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss the issue? What was the outcome of the meeting?
I can assure the hon. Gentleman that within government we take this issue extremely seriously, and we had meetings with representatives from other Departments and with members of the House of Commons Defence Committee. We are dealing with a diverse and complicated threat, and I have already explained to the House how much we have invested to meet it. We are in no way complacent, nor will we be.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on the issue of climate change in the Sustainable Development Goals.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on the issue of climate change in the Sustainable Development Goals.
I am in regular contact with Ministerial colleagues on the issue of climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ensuring that environmental sustainability and climate change are clearly integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals is a key priority for the UK Government.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is given to staff in his Department in order for them to qualify as performance measurement review officers.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is given to staff in his Department in order for them to qualify as performance measurement review officers.
Performance Measurement review officers receive training in Performance Measurement processes and appropriate training in the benefits measured (Housing Benefit; Employment and Support Allowance; Job Seekers Allowance; Pension Credit).
They also undertake learning on Responsible for Information Security, Handling Official Information, Remote Working Securely and Keeping Safe – Travelling and working off-site.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what locations performance measurement review officers are being deployed.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what locations performance measurement review officers are being deployed.
There are Performance Measurement Review Officers that are based in DWP offices across the whole of Great Britain. They undertake benefit reviews for claimants in all parts of Great Britain apart from the Scottish Islands.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what means and indicators his Department measures the success of performance measurement review officers.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what means and indicators his Department measures the success of performance measurement review officers.
The Department has a People Performance policy which is applicable to all its staff below the senior civil service level. This policy provides a framework for managing performance throughout the year, Performance Measurement review officers have key work objectives set in April at the start of the reporting year and they have, as a minimum, monthly performance discussions with their line manager. As part of managing performance a review officer will be accompanied by their line manager on a number of visits each year and in addition the line manager will telephone a number of claimants that have been visited to check the quality of that visit. At the end of the reporting year the Review Officer is given a final reporting rating.