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"Removing the Barriers"
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam of 6 November 2001, Official Report, columns 195–96W, on "Removing the Barriers", if he will specify improvements which have been introduced as a result of the report's recommendations. [14617]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 14 November 2001]: We consider carefully the findings of reports such as "Removing the Barriers". While the welfare reforms the Government have, and continue to make, have not been made as a specific result of concerns expressed in this particular report, they address many of the concerns raised.
The report concluded that there was a need for a co-ordinated approach to the provision of welfare services and that central and local government needed to share common objectives. We are committed to working together with the Local Government Association and have already agreed a framework for the conduct of relations between central and local government. Among the many things the framework embraces is a commitment to reflect both local and national priorities and the views of local communities.
The new pension service will also be based on working in close partnership with local authorities, particularly to encourage the take-up of benefits for older people. Officials met with the local government association on 24 October to discuss how these proposals can be taken forward.
Freedom of Information Act
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date his Department established a working group of officials to prepare his Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up. [14779]
Mr. McCartney: A working group has been established within the Department for Work and Pensions to consider implementation of the Freedom of Information Act across the Department.
The first meeting of the group was held on Wednesday 24 October 2001 and provided an overview of the provisions of the Act. Future meetings will consider more detailed implementation plans. The membership of the
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group includes representatives from the Corporate Centre, departmental agencies including Employment Services and associated non-departmental public bodies.
Pensioners (Wycombe)
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women in each ethnic group of pensionable age there (i) were in the Wycombe constituency and (ii) have been in each of the last four years. [14878]
Mr. McCartney: The information requested is not collected centrally by this Department.
Personal Advisers
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if incapacity benefit claimants who make a claim at a Jobcentre Plus office are assigned a personal adviser immediately. [15148]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: People making a new or repeat claim to incapacity benefit through Jobcentre Plus will meet with a personal adviser at a work focused interview at the start of their claim. During this interview they will normally be given information about the New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) and details of local job brokers. If they wish to take part in NDDP then further support will be provided by their chosen job broker.
Child Poverty
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in each of the last 15 years; and what estimate he has of the number of children that will be living in poverty in each of the next three years. [16099]
Malcolm Wicks: Child poverty is a complex multi-dimensional concept, affecting many aspects of children's lives—including their living standards, health, housing, the quality of the environment, and opportunities to learn. The third "Opportunity for all" report (Cm 5260) sets out the Government's strategy for tackling child poverty and presents the latest information on the indicators used to monitor progress against this strategy. The report also contains details of Public Service Agreement targets which set levels of progress to be achieved over specific timescales.
New Deal
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people aged under 25 years have been (a) killed and (b) injured while on new deal schemes in each of the last three years. [16095]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Since April 1998 there has been one fatality and 230 injuries reported on the new deal for young people. These are broken down as follows for each of the last three years:
| Year | Injuries | Fatality |
|---|---|---|
| April 1998 to March 1999 | 21 | 1 |
| April 1999 to March 2000 | 130 | — |
| April 2000 to March 2001 | 79 | — |
| Total | 230 | 1 |
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Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of persons classified as leaving the New Deal for Young Persons to unknown destinations who left for sustained jobs in each of the last three years. [8125]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We estimate from surveys of this group that over 50 per cent. of those who have left the New Deal for Young People for unknown destinations moved into sustained jobs.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people left the Environmental Taskforce option of the New Deal for Young People between July 1999 and October 2001 for (a) an unknown destination, (b) sustained unsubsidised employment, (c) jobs lasting less than 13 weeks, (d) other benefits and (e) another known destination; [11596]
- (2) how many people left the voluntary sector option of the New Deal for Young People between July 1999 and October 2001 for (a) an unknown destination, (b) sustained unsubsidised employment, (c) jobs lasting less than 13 weeks, (d) other benefits and (e) another known destination. [11597]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The available information is in the table. Figures for the numbers leaving for jobs lasting less than 13 weeks are not available as, by definition, all clients who enter a job and return to benefit within 13 weeks are not classed as having left New Deal.
| Environment taskforce | Voluntary sector | |
|---|---|---|
| Total leavers | 33,960 | 34,920 |
| Unsubsidised job | 10,650 | 11,480 |
| Other benefits | 2,970 | 3,290 |
| Other known destination | 10,140 | 10,410 |
| Unknown destination | 10,200 | 9,740 |
Source:
Employment Service New Deal Evaluation Database
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer from the Minister for Work to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 865, if he will place in the Library the evidence referred to on the number of people who have found work as a result of the new deal for the under-25s. [16221]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The report "The New Deal for Young People: Implications for Employment and the Public Finances" by Rebecca Riley and Garry Young, National Institute of Economic and Social Research (December 2000), is already in the Library.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many persons have left the New Deal for Young People for (a) employment and (b) sustained employment lasting more than 13 weeks in Government Departments; what proportion such persons represent of the total number of persons (i) leaving the New Deal for Young People and (ii) leaving the New Deal for Young People for employment; how many joined each Government Department in each year since the inception of the New Deal for Young People; and what
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this last number represents as a proportion of (A) total recruitment and (B) recruitment in the 18–25 age group by the Department in question; [7981]
- (2) how many persons left the New Deal for the long-term unemployed for (a) employment and (b) sustained employment in Government Departments; and what proportion such persons represent of the total number of persons leaving the New Deal for the long-term unemployed in each year since its inception; [9420]
(3) how many persons left the New Deal for Disabled People for (a) employment and (b) sustained employment in Government Departments; what proportion such persons represent of the total number of persons (i) leaving the New Deal for Disabled People and (ii) leaving the New Deal for Disabled People in each year since its inception; [9642]
(4) how many persons have left the New Deal for Lone Parents for (a) employment and (b) sustained employment in Government Departments; what proportion such
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- persons represent of the total number of persons (i) leaving the New Deal for Lone Parents and (ii) leaving the New Deal for Lone Parents for employment; how many joined each Government Department in each year since its inception; [9682]
(5) how many persons have left the New Deal for people aged 50 and above for (a) employment and (b) sustained employment in Government Departments; what proportion such persons represent of the total number of persons (i) leaving the New Deal for people aged 50+ and (ii) leaving the New Deal for people aged 50+ for employment in each year since the inception of the New Deal. [9683]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: At 1 July 2001, the total number of clients entering Government Departments from the New Deal for Young People and the long-term unemployed was 5,151, which equates to 1.4 per cent. of all people starting on these programmes. Employment in the civil service accounts for around 1.7 per cent. of the work force as a whole. Figures for the other new deals are not available.