PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES - United Kingdom Parliament

1027W
Written Answers
26 MARCH 2013
Written Answers
1028W
unemployed people find work. This training supports
the development of the pool of BSL interpreters.
On the current Qualifications and Credit Framework
(QCF) list of qualifications that are available for public
funding, there are 19 BSL qualifications which
Government can fund. These range from entry level
upwards and many other learners are able to take
courses which are co-funded, ie subsidised, by
Government.
In addition to the support available to all families,
deaf children are also able to access support for special
educational needs (SEN). This support is organised by
schools, local authorities and other education
providers, but the Government is reforming the system
through the Children and Families Bill, which is
currently before Parliament. This will make the SEN
system more responsive, help join up health, education
and social care and give parents more choice over the
school their child attends. They are intended to help
improve outcomes for all children with SEN, including
deaf children and young people. It will introduce a
single Education, Health and Care Plan from birth up
to age 25 and require local authorities to make
arrangements to jointly commission services to support
local children with SEN.
In September 2012 the Government introduced new
duties on schools to provide auxiliary aids (such as
radio aids or sign language support) for deaf children.
This strengthens the framework for ensuring that
schools are meeting the needs of deaf pupils.
The Department for Education is currently finalising
funding agreements for a £1 million national support
contract for sensory impairment (deaf, blind and
deafblind children) to support local authorities to
assess and benchmark their services, share good
practice and learn from each other. This contract will
run from April 2013 for two years to help ensure that
the reforms have maximum impact in supporting
children with sensory impairments.
Representatives of deaf people’s organisations are
routinely involved in the discussions Ministers and
officials have with disabled people’s organisations.
Most recently I had the great pleasure of attending and
speaking at the British Deaf Association reception
celebrating the 10th anniversary of the recognition of
British Sign Language, which was held on 18 March in
the House of Commons. It provided me with a valuable
opportunity to talk to individual deaf people as well as
representatives of the British Deaf Association, the
Royal Association for Deaf People and Signature.
Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Bill
Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for
Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 7 of
the impact assessment of the Jobseeker’s (Back to
Work Schemes) Bill, how his Department plans to
assess poor value to the taxpayer. [150232]
Mr Hoban: It is clear that a retrospective transfer of
money to claimants previously sanctioned on ESE
schemes, would represent poor value for money to the
taxpayer as many individuals will now be in work and
earning a wage. This money could be better spent on
funding back-to-work schemes to support jobseeker’s
allowance claimants back to work.
Maternity Pay
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for
Work and Pensions if he will consider providing
statutory protection for entitlement to maternity pay
where employers make late payments of wages earned
during the calculation period; and if he will make a
statement. [150180]
Steve Webb: We have no current plans to introduce
further statutory protection.
The calculation for statutory maternity pay normally
takes account of a woman’s normal weekly earnings
which are averaged over a specific eight week period
that ends around 15 weeks before the week the baby is
due. This period falls during the time when a pregnant
woman is usually working and earning normally,
deliberately avoiding both the early and later months of
her pregnancy when it is recognised that she may be
less likely to be able to work normal hours, and
therefore producing a less representative outcome.
If an employer is late in making a payment, decision
makers can still consider what should have been paid in
the relevant period and calculate the average weekly
earnings on this basis, providing the employee and
employer are in agreement.
Pension Credit
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions if he will make it his policy to raise the
pension credit threshold in line with the increase in
state pension. [150047]
Steve Webb: From April this year the standard
minimum guarantee will rise by the same cash increase
in the basic state pension, giving an above earnings
increase for 2013-14. The above earnings increase is
being funded through an increase in the savings credit
threshold, which results in a decrease in the maximum
savings credit amounts. In the current economic
climate this approach allows resources to be targeted to
protect the income of the poorest pensioners.
There is a statutory commitment to increase the
pension credit standard minimum guarantee at least in
line with the growth in average earnings. Up-rating in
future years will be subject to annual review in the
normal way against this commitment.
Public Expenditure
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for
Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with
the Chancellor of the Exchequer about proposals to
limit annually managed expenditure; and if he will
make a statement. [150225]
Mr Hoban: Discussions about the level and management
of annually managed expenditure (AME) are a routine
part of dialogue between the Department for Work and
Pensions and the Treasury. Rapid growth in AME is
reducing the resources available for other key areas of
public spending and it is crucial that the Government
can manage increases in spending and balance across
different areas of expenditure to ensure resources are
directed toward public spending priorities.