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Older People
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will set out for each of the conclusions in section 6.4 of the Performance and Innovation Unit report, "Winning the Generation Game", (a) what progress her Department has made and (b) what future plans her Department has for acting on them; and if she will set out against each of the conclusions the targets and deadlines that have been set. [24199]
Clare Short: The information is as follows:
My Department will within the next few weeks publish a booklet for staff on alternative working patterns. The booklet, which has been approved following discussion by a staff Consultative Group on Diversity, will explain the options available for adjusting working patterns in a way which will permit part-time working or downshifting.
My Department already makes extensive use of retired staff for suitable short-term assignments.
A review of the implications of allowing staff to serve to age 65 is in hand and will be completed by 31 March 2002.
My Department has decided not to introduce a short service concession on the grounds that a considerably smaller proportion of men rather than women would be able to comply with the criterion of having less than 20 years service and that the adoption of such a condition would therefore be potentially indirectly discriminatory under s.1 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 as amended. There are also potential difficulties associated with the concept of the "normal age of retirement" which defines the upper age limit applicable to complaints of unfair dismissal in terms of s.109 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Discrimination on grounds of age is already forbidden by my Department's Equal Opportunities policy as published in our Staff Handbook (and has been for some years).
Is for action by the Cabinet Office rather than Departments.
My Department already recruits a considerable number of staff (particularly in professional and specialist grades) in mid to late career and age does not figure in our recruitment advertising or in our selection processes.
Refugees (Former Yugoslavia)
Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to support internally displaced people and refugees within the former Yugoslavia during the winter months. [23263]
Clare Short: Humanitarian assistance from the international community, including assistance for internally displaced persons and refugees, is co-ordinated by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the European Commission
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Humanitarian Affairs Office (ECHO). The UK provides funds for these agencies, including 19.7 per cent. of the ECHO budget.
We are not planning to provide bilateral assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons this winter. By agreement with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, our bilateral programme focuses on providing technical assistance for institution and capacity building, and for economic and social reform. We aim to address the longer-term needs of poor people in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by helping to restructure the economy, strengthen public administration and improve the delivery of social and health care services. This strategy is described in the DFID country strategy paper for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Nigeria
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what actions her Department has taken to further good governance in the oil producing states of Nigeria. [21858]
Clare Short: My Department is focusing on three key areas of assistance in Nigeria: a governance and economic reform programme at federal level, with particular emphasis on strengthening the justice sector (including the police), implementing key economic reforms and promotion of an effective poverty reduction strategy; support in the continuing fight against HIV/AIDS; and working closely with four identified reforming states of the 36 states of Nigeria to demonstrate that reform can deliver practical benefits for the poor. None of our four focal states, Benue, Jigawa, Ekiti and Enugu, is oil producing. However, DFID supports good governance in oil producing states through the European Commission, which is implementing a large programme of small-scale community driven projects. These projects implement progressive and participatory community development, with the aim of enhancing the voice of the communities to articulate effective demand on services from state and local government. The programme is operational in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states and will expand to a further three states. A DFID-seconded official has assisted the Delegation of the Commission in the development and implementation of this programme.
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the OECD convention on bribery and the impact it will have on the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill. [21859]
Mr. Keith Bradley: I have been asked to reply.
Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 is intended to meet two recommendations made by the Organisation for Economic, Co-operation and Development (OECD) Bribery Working Group. The provisions provided for two changes in the law to ensure that: it covers the bribery of foreign public officials, ministers, Members of Parliament and judges; and the United Kingdom has jurisdiction over acts committed by our nationals and companies abroad.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Lone Parents
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents who have participated in the new deal for lone parents have later returned to income support, broken down into (a) those who originally left the NDLP because they found work, (b) those who left the NDLP to return immediately to income support and (c) those who left the NDLP for other reasons. [7911]
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish an evaluation of the proportion of lone parents who return to income support within (a) one month, (b) six months and (c) one year of finding work under the new deal. [7985]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Information on the number of lone parents returning to income support will be included in the evaluation of the new deal for lone parents national programme, which is expected to be published in spring 2003.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 9 July 2001, Official Report, column 371W, for what reason the publication of the evaluation of the new deal for lone parents has been put back to 2003. [7912]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The publication of the evaluation of the new deal for lone parents (NDLP) national programme has been delayed until spring 2003 to extend the data collection period thereby increasing the quantity of available data on NDLP participants and non-NDLP participants. This will allow the evaluation team to present a more informed and accurate evaluation.
Young People
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of persons leaving (a) the gateway period and (b) each of the four options in the new deal for young people entered (i) unsubsidised jobs and (ii) sustained jobs in each year since the inception of the new deal for young people. [7977]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The table shows the proportion of all new deal for young people leavers who move into sustained, unsubsidised jobs from the gateway stage of the programme and from each of the options. In addition to these job outcomes we know from survey findings that around two-thirds of young people who leave options for unknown destinations do in fact find work.
There is an on-going programme of database development to capture outcomes. For the subsidised employment option in particular, the figures prior to 2001 reflect follow-up work with employers to capture lost performance. This exercise will be repeated for 2001 leavers and we expect the figure of 37 per cent. to be revised in line with previous years' figures.
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| Stage of leaving new deal | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001(6) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway | 49 | 45 | 44 | 42 |
| Subsidised employment | 56 | 51 | 51 | (7)37 |
| Full-time education and training | 38 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
| Voluntary sector | 37 | 33 | 33 | 31 |
| Environmental task force | 33 | 30 | 31 | 30 |
(6) To end of July
(7) Initial figure
Note:
By definition, all jobs gained by new deal leavers are sustained, unsubsidised jobs (ie to have left the programme, they must not re-claim jobseeker's allowance within 13 weeks).
All figures are immediate destinations on leaving new deal
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of persons on each of the four options in the new deal for young people have left the option and returned to benefits in each year since the inception of the new deal. [7984]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information is in the table. Around one-third of young people starting the new deal go onto one of the options. The figures in the table therefore relate only to this group of new dealers. The design of the new deal includes a period of follow-through during which people return to JSA if they don't move into work immediately at the end of an option. The follow-through provides each individual with help to make the most of the skills they have gained on their option so that they can find work as soon as possible.
| New deal option | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001(8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subsidised employment | 50 | 39 | 37 | 39 |
| Full-time education and training | 67 | 69 | 63 | 65 |
| Voluntary sector | 63 | 67 | 62 | 65 |
| Environmental task force | 69 | 67 | 64 | 64 |
(8) To end of July
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
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