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Insulation Grants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many insulation grants have been made in each of the last 10 years. [30564]
Mr. Meacher [holding answer 30 January 2002]: The original Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) started in 1991 and ran until May 2000. HEES was available in Great Britain and provided a single main insulation measure up to the value of £315.
New HEES was launched on 1 June 2000 and is now marketed as the Warm Front Team. The scheme has been designed to provide packages of insulation and heating measures up to £2,000 to private sector householders in England, dependent upon their needs and property type. The annual budget is £150 million. HEES is expected by 2004, to have provided assistance to 800,000 fuel poor householders i.e. those who spend 10 per cent. or more of their income to stay warm.
Fuel Poverty is a devolved area of responsibility. Scotland launched its scheme in July 1999 and Wales followed in November 2000. Northern Ireland runs its own scheme.
The table provides the information requested:
| Financial year | Number of insulation grants made in Great Britain |
|---|---|
| 1991–92 | 167,000 |
| 1992–93 | 204,000 |
| 1993–94 | 270,000 |
| 1994–95 | 450,000 |
| 1995–96 | 624,000 |
| 1996–97 | 415,000 |
| 1997–98 | 416,000 |
| 1998–99 | 419,000 |
| 1999–2000 | (28)405,000 |
| 2000–01 | (29)85,000 |
| 2001–02 | (30)171,000 |
(28) Data relate to the whole of Great Britain up to July 1999 when Scotland launched its own scheme.
(29) Data relate to England and Wales up to November 2000 when Wales launched its own scheme.
(30) Data relate to the period April 2001 to December 2001
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State dated 3 December 2001; [28512]
- (2) when the hon. Member for West Worcestershire will receive an answer to his question tabled on 15 January (ref. 28512). [32857]
Mr. Morley: A response to the hon. Member's letter of 3 December 2001 was sent on 26 January 2002.
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Wye Navigation Order
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made in regard to the Wye navigation order. [33118]
Mr. Meacher: The application made by the Environment Agency for an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 to confer on it powers to regulate navigation on the River Wye has raised complicated legal and policy issues which require very careful consideration. We are considering the inspector's report, together with the comments of those appearing at the inquiry on the detailed post inquiry representations which we received.
We will make a decision on the application as soon as possible. Before doing so, we will consult the National Assembly for Wales since the proposed order would, if made, affect Wales as well as England.
Noise Nuisance
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to achieve the community noise level of 60dBa for an outside noise event. [11081]
Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply.
The figure of 60dBA is the World Health Organisation's recommended guideline limit for night time noise events. Noisiness of equipment is regulated variously at UK and/or international level depending on the type of source. New noisy and noise-sensitive development is potentially subject to planning controls, and local authorities must have regard to PPG 24 (Planning and Noise) when formulating and applying their development plans. Noise from dwellings may be addressed by local authorities. Noise from aircraft taking off or landing is subject to airport-based noise controls, and in the case of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports is regulated by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions under s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Unemployment
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are unemployed in the Greater London area; and if he will make a statement. [32125]
Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Kidgell to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 4 January 2002:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment in Greater London. I am replying in his absence. (32125)
- The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of unemployment in the Greater London region, based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition of unemployment. The most recently available figures—for autumn (September to
4 Feb 2002 : Column 753W
- November) 2001—show that the number of unemployed people in Greater London was 269,000, with an unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent. These estimates are not seasonally adjusted.
Fraud and Error
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the proportion of claims for the children's premium in income support and jobseeker's allowance which have been (a) fraudulent and (b) incorrect. [25988]
Mr. McCartney: There is not a 'children's premium' in income support or jobseeker's allowance. People claiming either benefit may claim for dependent members of their household. The latest information on the levels of fraud and error is in "The Results of the Area Benefit Review and Quality Support Team from April 1999 to March 2000: Fraud and Error in Claims for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance", a copy of which is available in the Library. However, it is not possible to disaggregate the number of cases in which fraud and error are attributable solely to incorrect claims for dependent children.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the expected saving in 2001–02 from the security and control programme. [19002]
Malcolm Wicks: The security and control programme has been replaced by our comprehensive strategy to reduce fraud and error. This strategy is set out in our paper: A New Contract for Welfare: Safeguarding Social Security (Cm 4276; March 1999). We are tightening up the system to make sure that the right amount goes to the right person from the outset of a claim.
We have set firm targets to reduce the amount of fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance by 25 per cent. by 2004 and 50 per cent. by 2006. Latest results show that from our baseline period in 1998 to March 2001 we have achieved an 18 per cent. reduction and we expect this good progress to continue.
MSPs
Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases have been raised with his Department by Members of the Scottish Parliament since 1 July 1999. [26401]
Maria Eagle: Around 900 letters from Members of the Scottish Parliament have been sent directly to this Department and the former Department of Social Security since 1 July 1999.
New Deal (Wales)
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those who have entered work through the new deal programme have commenced unsubsidised employment in (a) Wales and (b) the Cynon Valley. [26866]
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Mr. Nicholas Brown: The available information is in the tables.
| Number of people helped into jobs in Wales(31) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Programme | All jobs | Unsubsidised jobs |
| New deal for young people | 23,218 | 21,078 |
| New deal 25 plus | (32)4,432 | (32)2,981 |
| New deal 50 plus (employment credit claims) | 4,041 | 4,041 |
| New deal for lone parents | 8,006 | 8,006 |
| New deal for disabled people | (33)269 | 269 |
| New deal for partners | (34)110 | 110 |
(31) Up to the end of October 2001, unless otherwise stated.
(32) Figures relate to pre-April 2001 programme.
(33) From 2 July 2001 to 30 November 2001. From 1998 to June 2001 the new deal for disabled people pilots helped 8,200 people into unsubsidised jobs in 12 pilot areas. As this was not a national programme, figures cannot be broken down for Wales, Scotland or England, or constituencies.
(34) At 30 November 2001.
Sources:
New Deal Evaluation Database
New Deal for Disabled People Management Information
| Number of people helped into jobs in Cynon Valley(35) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Programme | All jobs | Unsubsidised jobs |
| New deal for young people | 748 | 673 |
| New deal 25 plus | (36)41 | (36)34 |
| New deal 50 plus (employment credit claims) | 89 | 89 |
| New deal for lone parents | 144 | 144 |
(35) Up to the end of October 2001, unless otherwise stated.
(36) Figures relate to pre-April 2001 programme.
Sources:
Employment Service Labour Market System
New Deal Evaluation Database
By definition, all jobs gained through the new deals for lone parents, 50 plus, disabled people and partners are unsubsidised. Constituency level information is not available for the new deals for disabled people and partners.
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