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Benefits Agency Staff
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what surveys the Benefits Agency has carried out of the level of job satisfaction among its staff since 1992; and if he will place the results in the Library. [69667]
Angela Eagle: The Administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Peter Mathison. I have asked him to reply to my right hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Frank Field, dated 8 February 1999:
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Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what percentage of couples receiving Family Credit benefits one partner is not working. [69686]
Angela Eagle:
As at August 1998, there were 393,000 couples receiving Family Credit of which 92.3 per cent. (363,000) were cases where the partner was not working.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the average duration of claim for Family Credit payment. [69937]
Angela Eagle:
As at August 1998, the average duration of a claim to Family Credit was 19.9 months.
I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what surveys the Benefits Agency has carried out of the level of job satisfaction among its staff since 1992; and if the results will be placed in the Library.
The Department of Social Security carried out a Department-wide staff attitude survey in 1994 which included Benefits Agency staff. Between 1994 and 1998 the Agency has only carried out local surveys. However, towards the end of last year the Benefits Agency commissioned a national staff survey. The report of the results is currently being prepared.
I can confirm that a full copy of the results will be placed in the House of Commons Library. I will ensure that a copy of the BA results from the DSS 1994 survey is also placed in the Library.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Note:
Figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample of all Family Credit claimants.
Source:
Family Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, August 1998.
Note:
Figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample of all Family Credit claimants.
Source:
Family Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, August 1998.
Disability Benefits
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those disability benefits on which there was an underspend in 1997-98 and the sums involved. [70120]
Mr. Bayley: The information is in the table.
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) |
| Benefit | Published forecast for spending in 1997-98 | Outturn spending | Difference, column (3) minus column (2) |
| AA | 2,704 | 2,521 | -183 |
| DLA | 4,959 | 4,953 | -6 |
| IB | 7,617 | 7,412 | -205 |
| SDA | 991 | 999 | 7 |
Note:
Forecasts in column (2) are the figures that were published in the 1997 Departmental Report, Cmd 3613.
Family Credit Childcare Disregard
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, under the rules for the family credit childcare disregard, a mother who worked for at least 16 hours a week as a registered childminder, and who entered into a contractual relationship with her husband, and who cared on a professional basis for her own children at
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premises other than the parental home, will be able to disregard the costs to the family of childcare for the purposes of family credit assessment. [70079]
Angela Eagle:
For the purposes of the Family Credit disregard, Family Credit General Regulation 13A(2) provides a definition of eligible childcare. Childcare charges paid by a Family Credit claimant to a partner or by a partner to a Family Credit claimant in respect of any child for whom either or any of them is responsible, are not defined as eligible childcare.
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service, in his Department for 1998-99; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [69510]
Mr. Timms:
The headline pay settlement for this Department, its Agencies and its Non-Departmental Public Bodies was 2.5 per cent. on the paybill and together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received performance related increases averaging 4.6 per cent. The increases were not staged.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has held with groups representing disabled children under five years of age; and what plans he has to make finance available to help the parents of severely-disabled under-fives with the costs of transportation for hospital visits. [68801]
Mr. Bayley:
The Government's proposals for people with long-term illnesses and disabilities were outlined in the recent consultation document "A New Contract for Welfare: Support for Disabled People". Consultation ended on 8 January and 342 responses were received. Many of these came from organisations representing disabled people, including three from organisations specifically representing disabled children.
Our proposals included extending the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (currently £35.85 a week) to severely disabled 3-4 year olds with a mobility problem. This has been widely welcomed. This help would be neither means tested nor subject to a contribution condition, would be tax free and would give access to the Motability Scheme. No attempt is made to specify how families should spend Disability Living Allowance.
Education Welfare Service
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the work of the Training Advisory Group for the Education Welfare Service. [69623]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Training Advisory Group for the Education Welfare Service has an important role to play in co-ordinating training provided for education welfare officers and dealing with related questions of
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professional development. The Department is one of a number of bodies represented on TAG and we are pleased to contribute to its work.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the projects which are funded by the School Inclusion: Pupil Support grant programme which relate (a) to an enhanced role for education welfare officers and (b) to all other objects. [69624]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The grant will support multiple projects in 134 local education authorities. Many of these involve enhanced roles for education welfare officers (EWOs), particularly as part of multi-disciplinary behaviour support teams. Given the large number of projects and the overlapping, often integrated, work of EWOs and other agencies, identifying and listing individual projects in the manner requested in the question would involve disproportionate cost.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received from the ITC regarding the provision of digital broadcasting for educational services. [69692]
Mr. Charles Clarke
[holding answer 8 February 1998]: There have been a number of contacts with the Independent Television Commission over the last year, including both a meeting and exchanges of correspondence.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many tenders his Department has received for the provision of digital broadcasting services. [69691]
Mr. Charles Clarke
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: Responses to tendering exercises conducted by the Department for Education and Employment are treated as commercial in confidence.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people on the New Deal Scheme have been employed (a) as classroom assistants in schools and (b) as childcare providers. [70010]
Mr. Andrew Smith
[holding answer 8 February 1999]: Responsibility for the subject of this 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 Leigh Lewis to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 9 February 1999:
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As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply direct to your question about the numbers of young people on New Deal who have been employed as classroom assistants in schools and as childcare providers. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
Up to 8 January 1999, 852 young people on New Deal had been placed as childcare assistants (427 in unsubsidised jobs and 425
on the Employment option). A further 731 had been placed on Full-Time Education and Training and Voluntary Sector options in the childcare area.
Unfortunately, similar, information on classroom assistants is not readily available.
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