Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Bowie this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–7 of 7 · Department for Work and Pensions
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what level of direct grant funding he provides to the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
DWP as the sponsoring body for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), provided a £3.640m grant in 2024/25 to cover activities ONR are not permitted to recover from industry such as fire safety and aspects of transport regulation.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) the Health and Safety Executive’s assessment of lithium salts for classification is rigorously evidence-based, (b) the weight of scientific evidence is prioritised in decision-making and (c) a clear timeline is established for completion.
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) assessment of lithium salts (lithium substances/compounds) for classification includes a technical assessment that is rigorously evidence-based. The weight and strength of the relevant available scientific information relating to the hazardous properties of a chemical are used when making recommendations for mandatory classification and labelling. Further information has been submitted in addition to that identified by HSE regulatory and scientific specialists during the drafting of the Agency Technical Report and Agency Opinion. Under the Article 37A procedure, HSE specialists are now investigating this information and scientific data and, if necessary, seeking additional information or consulting other departments or agencies. There is no statutory time limit on HSE to prepare and submit a GB mandatory classification and labelling proposal. Once HSE has submitted its proposal for public consultation, there is a clear timeline for completion and milestones established in statute under the procedure set out in Article 37A of the GB CLP Regulation.
Which employment sectors have the highest number of Skills Passport users securing jobs.
Some sectors and organisations use skills passports as a way of recognising accredited training relevant to that sector or organisation, for example, the recently developed Hospitality Skills Passport by UKHospitality and deployed as part of the DWP/UKH Destination Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) offer. DWP does not issue or collect data on skills passport. However, DWP does offer tailored, flexible advice and support through Jobcentre Plus as part of its core offer. Jobcentre Work Coaches offer jobseekers a comprehensive menu of help, including referral into skills provision and job search support. Skills are essential to helping customers secure, retain, and progress in work. Work Coaches help customers to access a broad range of provision including Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, vocational and essential English, maths, digital skills training and ESOL, as well as careers advice and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). DWP Work Coach brokered skills interventions help claimants gain the skills they need to enter and progress in employment, providing the means to enhance career prospects and earnings in line with labour market needs. Creating a highly skilled workforce and contributing to Government’s overall growth ambitions.
How many people have applied for a Skills Passport; and how many of those applications have been approved.
Some sectors and organisations use skills passports as a way of recognising accredited training relevant to that sector or organisation, for example, the recently developed Hospitality Skills Passport by UKHospitality and deployed as part of the DWP/UKH Destination Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) offer. DWP does not issue or collect data on skills passport. However, DWP does offer tailored, flexible advice and support through Jobcentre Plus as part of its core offer. Jobcentre Work Coaches offer jobseekers a comprehensive menu of help, including referral into skills provision and job search support. Skills are essential to helping customers secure, retain, and progress in work. Work Coaches help customers to access a broad range of provision including Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, vocational and essential English, maths, digital skills training and ESOL, as well as careers advice and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). DWP Work Coach brokered skills interventions help claimants gain the skills they need to enter and progress in employment, providing the means to enhance career prospects and earnings in line with labour market needs. Creating a highly skilled workforce and contributing to Government’s overall growth ambitions.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment on pensioners in rural areas.
Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone...
If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the steps her Department has taken to increase the number of people claiming Pension Credit on the cost to the public purse of expenditure on that
The Government announced on the 29 July 2024 that eligibility for Winter Fuel payments will be linked to those on Pension Credit or other means tested benefits for pensioners from Winter 2024. We have received around 38,500 Pension Credit claims in the 5 ...
If she will take steps to ensure that (a) War Pensions and (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme awards are not counted as income for the purpose of calculating (i) benefits and (ii) pensions.
There are no plans to change the ways in which War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with State Pensions and benefits. They are already fully ignored in the State Pension and in Universal Credit. The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and, Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits, and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored. By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them. In relation to Pension Credit, the first £10 of any War Pension payments or AFCS award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded. Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her/his partner. War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.