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Asylum Seekers
Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the planned timetable is for the implementation of smart cards for asylum seekers. [16052]
Angela Eagle: The target dates for the Application Registration Card (ARC) project are: Cards issued to new applicants at Croydon by the end of January 2002; Card issue is to commence at remote sites by the end of March 2002.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of asylum seekers who have remained in the United Kingdom after their claims have been rejected in each of the last five years. [17087]
Angela Eagle: There is no official estimate of the number of failed asylum seekers who remain in the United Kingdom for the period requested. No Government have ever been able to give reliable estimates of this nature.
However, we are currently in the process of commissioning a study that will consider the methods available for generating such an estimate.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the (a) scope and (b) nature of advice and help for asylum seekers that will operate at (a) induction centres and (b) accommodation centres. [17081]
Angela Eagle: With regard to legal advice and assistance, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 29 October 2001, Official Report, column 642, and to a reply given by me on 5 November 2001, Official Report, column 80W.
We have also given a commitment to provide education and health facilities at accommodation centres, though the full range of services is yet to be settled. Details will be in the White Paper.
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Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure the provision of legal advice for asylum seekers at induction centres. [17083]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to replies given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 642, and by myself on 5 November 2001, Official Report, column 80W. Full details of the plans will be included in the forthcoming White Paper on asylum and immigration. It is envisaged that this will be issued in January 2002.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long asylum seekers will remain at (a) induction centres and (b) accommodation centres. [17082]
Angela Eagle: Asylum seekers will remain in induction centres for a few days while a number of the present National Asylum Support Services (NASS) functions, as well as initial asylum processes, are undertaken.
Asylum seekers will remain at accommodation centres for the duration of the asylum process. We expect accommodation centres to result in faster processing of asylum cases.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Scottish Devolution
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council. [13829]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Mrs. Liddell) on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.
Call Centre Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the cost of the improved telephone call centre services referred to on page five of his Department's report 2000. [14094]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Over the last year and a half we have introduced a new telephone-based service for our employer customers—Employer Direct. Eleven Employer Direct sites are now operational throughout the UK. The sites will be gradually linked together to enable employers anywhere in Great Britain to use a single telephone number for notifying their vacancies to Jobcentres, providing instantaneous display on our Jobpoints and Employment Service managed internet sites. We expect the service to be completed and formally launched towards the end of the financial year.
Employer Direct is part of the overall investment in modernisation and service improvement by the Employment Service. The different elements are all interdependent and it is not therefore possible to separate the cost of Employer Direct. The modernisation
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programme is being delivered under an eight-year contract, the first phase of which is costing £470 millions over the first five years.
ONE Pilot Scheme
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the cost of the launch of the ONE service in pilot areas. [14096]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The total cost of the development, implementation and live running of the 12 ONE pilots to the end of March 2000 was £31,116,755.
New Deal (Buckingham)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on (a) the number of participants in the New Deal for Young People from the Buckingham constituency in the last 12 months, (b) the destinations of people leaving the scheme and (c) the cost involved. [14217]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information as is available is in the tables. Estimates of the cost of the programme are not available at constituency level.
| Month | Participants in the Buckingham constituency |
|---|---|
| August 2000 | 10 |
| September 2000 | 9 |
| October 2000 | 10 |
| November 2000 | 9 |
| December 2000 | 12 |
| January 2001 | 15 |
| February 2001 | 13 |
| March 2001 | 14 |
| April 2001 | 14 |
| May 2001 | 12 |
| June 2001 | 11 |
| July 2001 | 10 |
| August 2001 | 6 |
Note:
Figures are for the end of the month, and are the latest available.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
| Number of clients | |
|---|---|
| Unsubsidised employment | 44 |
| Other benefits | 5 |
| Other known destinations | 14 |
| Not known | 32 |
| Total leavers | 95 |
Note:
Figures are cumulative to the end of August 2001.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
Disabled People
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people have found regular consistent employment under the Government's New Deal for Disabled People since its inception, broken
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down by nation and region in the UK; and what percentage the Scottish number represents of the total number of disabled people in Scotland. [16779]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We believe that disabled people should be provided with the same opportunities as everyone else to find out about moving into work and to help themselves to become, and remain, more independent. Since July we have been establishing a national network of job brokers to provide support and services to people on incapacity benefits who want to work.
During the first pilot phase of the New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP), up to June 2001, 8,242 people in the pilot areas were helped into work, 978 of whom were in Scotland.
As at May 2001, there were 356,800 people of working age claiming one or more key sickness or disability benefits in Scotland. They will all have the opportunity to benefit from the wide range of innovative approaches delivered through NDDP job brokers that are helping people on benefits move into work.
Pensions
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensions were paid to (a) married couples, (b) single males and (c) single females; and what was the cost of their payment (i) in each of the last 10 years and (ii) in 1980. [16822]
Mr. McCartney: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Year | Males (millions) | Females (millions) | Total cost (£ billions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | 3.2 | 5.9 | 25.6 |
| 1991–92 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 32.1 |
| 1992–93 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 32.5 |
| 1993–94 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 33.5 |
| 1994–95 | 3.7 | 6.8 | 33.6 |
| 1995–96 | 3.8 | 6.8 | 34.1 |
| 1996–97 | 3.9 | 6.9 | 35.3 |
| 1997–98 | 3.9 | 6.9 | 36.0 |
| 1998–99 | 4.0 | 6.9 | 37.1 |
| 1999–2000 | 4.1 | 7.0 | 38.5 |
| 2000–01 | 4.1 | 7.0 | 38.8 |
Notes:
1. The figures for 'Total Cost' are approximate
2. All figures in 2001–02 price terms
Source:
Pension Strategy Computer System
Acquired Brain Injury
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he is taking in conjunction with the Department of Health to improve employment prospects for those who have an acquired brain injury. [16821]
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent meetings he has had with the Department of Health regarding the provision of rehabilitation services for people with acquired brain injury. [17258]
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Mr. Nicholas Brown: Departmental officials consulted the Department of Health as part of a process to produce an improved framework for brain injury rehabilitation services for the Employment Service's Work Preparation programme. Following consultations with providers of brain injury Work Preparation services and officials in the Department of Health, the delivery of these services will incorporate changes which should result in significant benefits for those who use them. The improvements include:
- Being clearer about the scope of Work Preparation delivered by the Employment Service, compared with other forms of rehabilitation, some of which are contracted with the Department of Health;
Greater individualisation of provision based on comprehensive assessments of clients' needs.
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