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Jobcentre Plus

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the Jobcentre Plus computer system; and when he expects it to be fully operational in the new offices; [14034]

(2) what plans he has to ensure that Jobcentre Plus staff have access to a single computer system that will allow the linking of data from Benefits Agency and Employment Service sources; and if he will make a statement. [14299]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answers 12 and 13 November 2001]: The information technology systems being used in the Jobcentre Plus pathfinders are based on the systems currently in use in the Benefits Agency and

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Employment Service, with enhancements to enable the Jobcentre Plus process to be carried out. All of these systems are currently operational.

We are investing in order to upgrade and replace the Department's outdated computer systems. We want to ensure that all people, including those who use Jobcentre Plus, can receive a modern service. The new and improved IT we are developing will allow us to capture the necessary information from people face-to-face or over the telephone, instead of getting them to fill in multiple benefit claim forms. And we will be able to offer on-the-spot calculations of by how much a person would be better off if they took a particular job. We will be replacing the main income support and jobseeker's allowance benefit processing systems and modernising the payment system so as to improve the efficiency of the service we provide.

Public Service Agreement Targets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the public service and service delivery agreements developed in the corporate serving directorate of his Department in 2000–01; [19265]

(2) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for access to funded second pensions; [19044]

(3) if he will make a statement on progress since the publication of the Departmental report 2001 towards the public service agreement target for the payment by the Department for goods and services; [19005]

(4) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the completion of a new assessment of liability to pay child support maintenance; [19017]

(5) if he will make a statement on the public service agreement target for the ratio of in-work income from earnings and benefits to out-of-work benefits in 2001–02; [19033]

(6) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the delivery of the new deals for the unemployed lone parents and disabled people; [19037]

(7) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the level of compliance by absent parents with agreed child support arrangements; [19048]

(8) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for investment in modernisation; [19013]

(9) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for minimising the regulatory burden on employers in respect of pension and child support arrangements; [19021]

(10) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the provision of an electronic claiming facility for benefit claimants; [19029]

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(11) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target of achieving an accuracy rate for assessments and reviews in child support cases of not less than 90 per cent; [19046]

(12) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the achievement of an annual efficiency gain; [19011]

(13) if he will make a statement on performance in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 against the public service agreement target for average pensioner income as a percentage of average earnings; [19019]

(14) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing the average cost of processing retirement pension claims; [19027]

(15) if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for reducing losses from fraud and error; [19035]

(16) if he will make a statement on the progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for the percentage of Benefits Agency customers whose benefits are paid into their bank accounts; [19031]

(17) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction of the number of children in households with no-one in work; [19042]

(18) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for reducing the number of children in poverty by at least a quarter by 2004; [19078]

(19) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction of sickness absence rates by 2003; [19003]

(20) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the development of better measures of efficiency; [19023]

(21) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for access for disabled people with broken work records to second pensions; [19045]

(22) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction by March 2002 of benefit losses from fraud and error; [19010]

(23) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for increasing the collection of maintenance from non-resident parents who pay the CSA's collection service; [19018]

(24) if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for the reduction of the average cost of processing minimum income guarantee claims and the maintenance of the caseload; [19026]

(25) if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for value for money; [19034]

(26) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the percentage of departmental business transactions to be carried out electronically; [19014]

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(27) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the provision of pension forecasts by employers and pension providers; [19022]

(28) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the establishment of payment arrangements in child support cases; [19047]

(29) if the Benefits Agency met its target to contribute to the reduction in public sector sickness by reducing absences by 10 per cent. from 1998 public service agreement baseline levels; [18993]

(30) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the control of central costs and overheads; [19012]

(31) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for changing the ratio of public expenditure to private expenditure on pensions; [19020]

(32) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the roll-out of new IT equipment to staff of the Benefits Agency and the Child Support Agency; [19028]

(33) if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for reducing by 2002 the number of lone parents dependent on income support; [19036]

(34) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the reduction of the amount of money that is incorrectly paid in minimum income guarantee; [19024]

(35) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the modernisation of service delivery; [19032]

(36) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for increasing employment rates of disadvantaged areas and groups; [19043]

(37) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the speed and extent of access to occupational health and rehabilitation services; [19004]

(38) if he will make a statement on progress towards the public service agreement target for the transition into work and reduction of dependence on benefits of people with disabilities. [19016]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The 2001 departmental report, Cm 5115, sets out our progress against the public service targets. The 2002 report will set out our progress in the current financial year.

Housing Benefit Help Team

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) in which local authorities the housing benefit help team has intervened since its creation; and when; [19507]

(2) how many repeat visits the housing benefit help team has made to individual local authorities; and to which ones; [19508]

(3) how long the housing benefit help team has spent with each local authority housing benefit office. [19509]

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Malcolm Wicks: The help team initiative is a voluntary partnership between central and local government. The team only visits local authorities which request its assistance, and works with these authorities to identify ways of improving their housing benefit administration.

The help team's visits started on 12 March 2001 and to date the team has visited Hull during March and April; Bristol during May and June; Lambeth during July and August; Northampton during August; Derwentside during September and October; and East Ayrshire during October and November. The team spent around four to five weeks at each local authority, apart from Northampton, where the visit lasted around two weeks.

At the conclusion of an initial visit, arrangements can be made for the help team to remain in contact by telephone and give informal advice, or for members of the team to undertake short return visits. Such return visits have taken place at Hull, Bristol and Lambeth, and one is planned for Northampton in mid-December.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the cost in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 of the Expert Help Team set up to assist in the improvement of housing benefit delivery. [19008]

Malcolm Wicks: Separate figures are not available for 2000–01 as the help team visits did not start until March 2001. The total forecast costs for the project until March 2002 are £970,000.

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