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Benefits Agency (Emergency Services)
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Benefits Agency offices provide out-of-hours services; and what proposals he has for the future of this provision. [3262]
Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of income support is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 13 November 1996
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many Benefits Agency (BA) offices provide out-of hours-services; and what proposals he has for the future of this provision.
The Out of Hours Service (OOHS) is provided on an area basis rather than by individual BA offices and all 13 Area Directorates provide this service.
We are currently undertaking a review of the OOHS. A consultation exercise to assess the impact of a reduction or withdrawal of the OOHS was conducted during August and early September. The results of the exercise are now being evaluated and all issues will be considered before a decision on the future of the service is made. It is anticipated that this decision will be made by the end of the year.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Job Seeker's Allowance
Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provisions exist within the job seeker's allowance to aid job seekers hampered by the absence of suitable public transport to areas of potential employment. [4054]
Mr. Forth: I have been asked to reply.
Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. J. L. Grover to Miss Emma Nicholson, dated 14 November 1996:
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Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many contracts his Department, agencies and associated bodies have had with EDS for each year since 1985; what was the value of each contract; if he will indicate for each contract (a) if it was completed, (b) what modifications were made at the request of (i) the company and (ii) the Department and (c) if work under contract is being undertaken in-house; and if he will make a statement on the number of job reductions in his Department arising from the contracting out of work by EDS. [3812]
Mr. Willetts:
The information requested is not available before 1990. Since 1990, the Cabinet Office (Office of Public Service), its agencies and associated bodies have had two contracts with EDS. The first contract was worth £2,744 and (a) is completed, (b) no modifications were made, and (c) no work was undertaken under contract in-house. The second has no guaranteed value and (a) is on-going, (b) no modifications to date have been made at the request of either the company or the Department, and (c) no work is undertaken under contract in-house. Neither contract has resulted in job reductions in the Department.
Mr. Grocott:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of his departmental costs is attributable to the co-ordination of Government policy. [1309]
Mr. Willetts:
The co-ordination of Government policy is a ministerial activity. No costs are incurred in specifically supporting my right hon. Friend in this area.
Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate Her Majesty's Government have made of the cost of implementation of the working time directive for central Government employees; and what is his most recent calculation of the cost of implementing the rules governing the 48-hour working week for central Government employees. [4089]
Mr. Freeman:
The cost of implementing the provisions of the EU working time directive for central Government as a whole has not been calculated. In the main, civil servants have terms and conditions of employment, and work hours, which do not conflict with the provisions of the directive. It is for individual Departments and agencies to assess the effects in their own areas.
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Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what are the latest estimates of the expenditure on external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [4066]
Mr. Willetts:
This answer refers to expenditure by the Cabinet Office, including No.10, the Office of Public Service and its agencies, the Civil Service College, Chessington Computer Centre (CCC), Recruitment and Assessment Service (RAS) and the Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OHSA), and my other Departments, Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) and the Central Office of Information.
The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence of the Chief Executive, to reply to your question about what provisions exist within Jobseeker's Allowance to aid jobseekers hampered by the absence of public transport to areas of potential employment.
Travel to work arrangements and costs are a matter for individuals and their employer. There is no provision under Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) to cover such costs.
However, we have been running the Travel to Interview Scheme for a number of years to help unemployed people cope with the expense of getting to job interviews. The scheme does this by helping people who have been unemployed more than 13 weeks with travelling costs, and if necessary, overnight accommodation costs to attend job interviews outside their usual travel to work area. A few simple conditions must be met before assistance can be granted, to ensure the scheme is properly and fairly administered and gives good value for money. In the last year the scheme has helped nearly 47,000 applicants with travelling costs totalling £1.7m.
I hope this is helpful.
| Cabinet Office/OPS and agencies | HMSO | COI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 6,755,403 | 451,463 | 150,174 |
| 1993-94 | 6,327,812 | 1,130,994 | 71,100 |
| 1994-95 | 6,250,950 | 1,833,396 | 169,862 |
| 1995-96 | 4,077,649 | 845,608 | 149,872 |
| 1996-97(20) | 5,368,723 | 359,500 | 47,115 |
(20) Current financial year to 30 September 1996. Includes privatised agencies up to date of privatisation.
Consultants are not primarily used to achieve cost savings. The Department uses consultants to assist in the improvement of its operational efficiency and effectiveness, for example by better use of information technology, and to improve the delivery of Government programmes by drawing on expertise from the private sector. The benefits achieved are difficult to express in terms of cost savings. It is estimated that savings of £3 million to £4 million will be achieved following implementation of consultants' recommendations in the forthcoming year.
HEALTH
Prescribed Drugs (Adverse Reactions)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated since 1990 into the relationship between the numbers of elderly people admitted to hospital and the use of prescribed drugs; and if he will make a statement. [2891]
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly (a) men and (b) women have been admitted to hospital in the United Kingdom as a consequence of an adverse reaction to (i) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, (ii) phenothiazines, (iii) diuretics, (iv) analgesics, (v) night sedation, (vi) digoxin, (vii) laxatives, (viii) corticosteroids, (ix) beta blockers and (x) aminophylline in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [2892]
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Mr. Horam: Figures on admissions relating to specific groups of drugs are not available centrally. The information that is available, which has been derived from the hospital episode statistics, has been placed in the Library.
Questions about hospital admissions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of, and how many, elderly people have been admitted to hospital in the United Kingdom for (i) postural hypertension, (ii) renal failure, (iii) dehydration and (iv) electrolyte imbalance as a direct result of taking prescribed diuretics in each of the last five years broken down by (a) gender and (b) age bands of 10 years, starting at 60 years; and if he will make a statement. [2880]
Mr. Horam:
It is not possible to identify data relating specifically to prescribed drugs. The information available on admission in these categories where there is also a mention of diuretics has been placed in the Library.
Questions about hospital admissions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of, and how many, people have been admitted to hospital in the United Kingdom for (i) acute gastrointestinal bleed and (ii) anaemia through chronic GI bleed as a direct result of taking aspirin in each of the last five years broken down by (a) gender and (b) age bands of 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [2881]
Mr. Horam:
The information available, which is derived from the hospital episode statistics, has been placed in the Library.
Questions about hospital admissions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating people admitted to hospital due to an adverse reaction to prescribed drugs in each of the last five years broken down by age bands of 10 years. [2887]
Mr. Horam:
The information is not available centrally.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of, and how many, people admitted to hospital in the United Kingdom, have been suffering adverse reactions to a prescribed drug in each of the last five years and in age bands of 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [2903]
Mr. Horam:
It is not possible to identify information relating specifically to prescribed drugs. The information that is available, which is derived from the hospital episode statistics, has been placed in the Library.
14 Nov 1996 : Column: 335
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