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Economically Active People
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of economically active people in Wales between the ages of (i) 25 to 34 and (ii) 35 to 49 years (a) currently, (b) in 1992 and (c) in 1997. [70068]
Mr. Hain: Estimates of the economically active in Wales, from the Labour Force Survey, are shown in the following table.
| Age 25-34 | Age 35-49 | |
|---|---|---|
| September to November 1992 | 326,000 | 467,000 |
| September to November 1997 | 331,000 | 478,000 |
| September to November 1998 | 323,000 | 487,000 |
Source:
Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics
In future this will become the responsibility of the National Assembly.
Class Sizes
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates his Department has made of the percentage of (a) five year olds, (b) six year olds and (c) seven year olds that were in classes of 30 or less in January 1997. [70059]
Mr. Hain: As I informed the hon. Member in my reply on 3 February 1999, Official Report, column 609, information on the number of pupils in classes of 30 or more was not available prior to 1998. Until January 1998, data were collected centrally only for the number of classes, by size of class, not for the number of pupils in each class.
In January 1997, 24 per cent. of ordinary classes in primary schools had more than 30 pupils.
In future this will become the responsibility of the National Assembly.
Mr. Livsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the procedures which his Department's officials will follow in taking formal action in relation to registered housing associations, their committee members and members of staff; when these procedures were agreed to and by whom; and what actions have been taken to date under these procedures. [69721]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
The formal actions available to the Department are set out in Schedule 1 of the Housing Act 1996 and are:
10 Feb 1999 : Column: 251
The Department has taken no action under these procedures.
In future this will become the responsibility of the National Assembly.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate he has made of the proportion of telephone calls made to Benefits Agency offices which are not answered within the target times; [69003]
(3) what targets he has set the Benefits Agency concerning the answering of telephone calls. [69005]
Angela Eagle:
This 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. Mike Hancock, dated 9 February 1999:
Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security to what extent the Disability Benefits Unit has been completing review decisions during the current year in line with the targets which have been set. [69640]
Mr. Bayley:
The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
10 Feb 1999 : Column: 252
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 9 February 1999:
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to express efficiency gains as a percentage of his departmental budget; and if he will make a statement. [69632]
Mr. Darling:
I refer the hon. Member to the Department's interim Public Service Agreement which was published in the Government's White Paper "Public Services for the Future: Modernisation, Reform, Accountability" in December 1998.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the average number of hours which a non-main earner in a couple receiving family credit benefits works per week. [69681]
Angela Eagle:
As at August 1998, in those couples where both members of the couple work, it is estimated that the non-main earner works, on average, 18 hours per week.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average amount that the main earners in couples receiving family credit work per week. [70216]
Angela Eagle:
As at August 1998, the average number of hours worked by the main earner in couples receiving Family Credit was 33.5 hours per week.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average family credit award in 1998. [70278]
Angela Eagle:
A complete set of data for the whole of 1998 will not be available until April 1999. The latest information is for August 1998 at which time the average award of Family Credit was £59.82 per week.
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Mr. Martlew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's report on Family Credit. [70863]
Mr. Darling:
The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate was asked to study the working practices and procedures at the Family Credit Unit to see what further improvements could be made in tackling Family Credit fraud. I am now considering the Inspectorate's findings. A copy of the Inspectorate's report is being placed in the Library.
power to appoint a new committee member
power to direct an inquiry into the affairs of an association
power to require an extraordinary audit of accounts and balance sheet
where an inquiry or audit establishes misconduct or mismanagement, to remove or suspend officers, employees or agents, to freeze bank accounts or to restrict transactions.
(2) how many complaints concerning the failure of Benefits Agency offices to answer telephones promptly he has received in each of the last three years; [69004]
I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking, what estimate has been made of the proportion of telephone calls made to Benefits Agency (BA) offices which are not answered within the target times, how many complaints concerning the failure of BA offices to answer telephones promptly he has received in each of the last three years, and what targets he has set the BA concerning the answering of telephone calls.
The information is not available in the format requested. At present the Agency does not have a national target covering telephone response times, although each individual District sets and publishes its own target.
The BA introduced a series of measurement checks last year which included telephone call response times. The first year's checks will be completed by the end of March 1999 and figures reflecting this period of measurement will be available by the end of April 1999. The measurement checks will produce figures, including average telephone response times, which are statistically valid within each of the Agency's 17 Area and Benefit Directorates.
The Agency does not maintain national records of the number of complaints received in respect of telephone response times although individual Districts maintain complaints information which is analysed and used to improve services locally.
The BA is currently piloting new complaints handling procedures, designed to ensure that all offices which deal with the public, record and collate complaints in a consistent way. Once the results of the pilot exercise have been evaluated we will consider how best to introduce the most effective system.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking to what extent the Disability Benefits Unit has been completing review decisions during the current year in line with the targets which have been set. The Disability Benefits Directorate's published targets for 1998/1999 for clearance of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) reviews is 60% in 55 working days and 80% in 75 working days.
The actual year to date achievement of DLA review clearances is, as at 31 January 1999, 70% in 55 days and 86.05% in 75 days.
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.
Note:
Figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample of all Family Credit claimants.
Source:
Family Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, August 1998.
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