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Social Fund Payments
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the value was of Social Fund payments made in each of the last four years. [152262]
Angela Eagle: Social Fund expenditure is given in the Secretary of State's Annual Reports on the Social Fund. The reports are available in the Library.
Benefit Fraud Inspectorate
Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the City of Bradford metropolitan district council. [153400]
Mr. Rooker: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of City of Bradford metropolitan district council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
The report makes recommendations to help the authority address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.
Inspectors report the authority introduced the Verification Framework to improve its poor verification of claims, and early indications are that levels of verification have improved. The report also notes the authority is struggling to cope with backlogs of assessment work, and inspectors consider it is important that it not only clear arrears, but prevents them from recurring. The authority has introduced measures to resolve the backlogs but these measures need to be consolidated into one overall plan.
Inspectors were particularly pleased with the number of high quality customer service initiatives, including good use of the Internet, the sharing of good practices with other local authorities and many good examples of joint working with the BA and other organisations.
The authority needs to improve its administration with regard to Rent Officer referrals, notices of determination, the setting of benefit period's timescales for appeals and review boards and benefit appeals.
Counter fraud work was reported to be good, including commendable risk analysis of local fraud. Investigations were well conducted in a sound, ordered and methodical way. The authority has a sound prosecution policy and has successfully issued administrative penalties. The authority needs to increase the use of its inspectors' powers.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the Authority for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.
Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the Metropolitan borough of Wirral. [153402]
Mr. Rooker: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of the Metropolitan borough of Wirral and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
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The report makes recommendations to help the authority address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.
Inspectors found the authority had a customer orientated benefits service with strong focus on claimant's rights. Significant changes had been made to the benefits section which together with a loss of experienced staff, had caused backlogs of work. This had significantly reduced the responsiveness of the benefits service and the level of assurance the authority could give on the accuracy and validity of its benefit payments.
The BFI reports that standards of verification for new and renewal claims was very poor. There was scope for improvement in liaison arrangements with private sector landlords.
The report notes that counter fraud activity had taken a back seat to changes made in the benefits section. Investigation work was found to be of poor quality and insufficient to tackle the estimated level of fraud in the authority's area. The control and management of overpayment recovery was also found to be poor leading to a low recovery rate.
Despite having a number of well-written strategic and policy documents, these had not been put into practice. Inspectors recommend the authority reviews its internal audit coverage of administration and counter fraud activities as they were found to be insufficient to give an assurance on the integrity of the benefits system.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the authority for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.
Discretionary Social Fund
Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he plans to make to the discretionary social fund. [153401]
Angela Eagle: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making minor changes to the discretionary social fund, with effect from 19 March 2001 and 2 April 2001, to take account of new legislation in other benefit areas being introduced on those dates. A number of other minor improvements, identified during the course of routine monitoring, will also be included in this annual amendment to directions and guidance.
Details of the changes have been placed in the Library.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Warrington Local Education Authority
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what resources have been allocated to Warrington local education authority for provision for under fives in each year since 1997. [149486]
Ms Hodge [holding answer 8 February 2001]: The table shows the amount of funding made available through the Nursery Education Grant, Childcare Grant,
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European Social Fund and the 0-5 sub-block of the Education Standard Spending Assessment to Warrington LEA since April 1998.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1998-99 | 5,918,135 |
| 1999-2000 | (7)5,579,655 |
| 2000-01 | 6,693,733 |
(7) The drop in funding between 1998-99 and 1999-2000 is due to a fall in the amount of Nursery Education Grant that the authority was able to claim for new places created in local authority provision. This funding would have been compensated for by a relative increase in the funding available through Education Standard Spending in the following year
As Warrington became a new unitary authority only from April 1998, it is not possible to provide data for the 1997-98 financial year.
From September 1998, all four-year-olds have been able to access a free, part-time, early education place. By April 2001, all three-year-olds in Warrington will also have access to a free early education place. Up to December 2000 Warrington Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership reported the creation of 1,327 new child care places.
Wildcat Corporation
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2001, Official Report, column 95W, what the origins were of the private funds used to make payments to the Wildcat Corporation to provide consultancy services to his Department; what the amount of each payment was; and on what terms the payments were made. [150957]
Ms Jowell [holding answer 26 February 2001]: The employer-led New Deal Task Force has been working in partnership with the Wildcat Corporation to develop a demand-led strategy. To date a total of £175,000 has been received from employers and paid to Wildcat to test this innovative approach. Funding came from companies within the financial sector in this country who had seen the results that the Wildcat Corporation had achieved in the US and who were keen to see the same methods applied in this country.
Departmental Policies (Clwyd, South)
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [151910]
Mr. Wills: Outlined are details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Clwyd, South constituency. The Welsh Assembly will be able to provide details of education policies.
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Modern Apprenticeships
Since 2 May 1997, we know of 444 starts on Modern Apprenticeships in the Clwyd, South constituency (as at 30 November 2000). Broken down by financial year these are:
| Financial year | Foundation modern apprenticeships(8) | Advanced modern apprenticeships(9) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 1 | 106 | 107 |
| 1998-99 | 60 | 130 | 190 |
| 1999-2000 | 49 | 39 | 88 |
| 2000-01(10) | 38 | 21 | 59 |
| Total | 148 | 296 | 444 |
(8) Foundation Modern Apprenticeships, formerly known as National Traineeships, were introduced nationally in September 1997.
(9) Advanced Modern Apprenticeships, formerly known as Modern Apprenticeships, were introduced nationally in September 1995.
(10) To date.
Notes:
1. The Trainee Database System (TDS), from which these data are taken, is less complete than Management Information Supplied to the Department by Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) (around 95 per cent.).
2. In addition, the postcode information on the TDS, from which parliamentary constituency data are compiled, are 95 per cent. complete.
3. TEC Management Information does not provide information at parliamentary constituency level.
Source:
WBTYP trainee database
In the Clwyd, South constituency, 562 young people have joined the New Deal to end December 2000. 292 have found jobs, 239 of which are sustained.
The working age employment rate in Denbighshire unitary authority in autumn 2000 was 72.7 per cent. below the UK rate of 74.7 per cent. The rate in autumn 1997 was 72.2 per cent.
The claimant unemployment rate has fallen from 9.5 per cent. in January 1997 to 5.4 per cent. in January 2001 in the Clwyd, South constituency.
The North West Wales Employment Zone began operating in May 2000. The zone covers 5,236 square kilometres of North West Wales including areas of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire.
From May until December 2000, 881 people started on the Employment Zone. Of these people 36 had entered employment in December.
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