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Written Answers to Questions

Friday 8 February 2002

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission's media adviser first met the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. [33364]

Mr. Kirkwood: On Tuesday 22 January, at her request.

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Chairman of the House of Commons Commission received complaints from (a) members of the public and (b) hon. Members about the work of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. [33360]

Mr. Kirkwood: I understand that Mr. Speaker has received a number of letters from members of the public and from hon. Members, both in the previous Parliament and the present Parliament, about matters relating to the system of self-regulation and standards. However, so far as formal complaints to the House of Commons Commission are concerned, the position remains as set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara), of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 331W.

Press Cuttings Service

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission receives a press cuttings service. [33366]

Mr. Kirkwood: No. Officials bring relevant items to the attention of the Commission as necessary.

Media Adviser

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Media Adviser's term of appointment is for a specific period and for a known number of days. [33365]

Mr. Kirkwood: The appointment is for an initial period of three months, subject to review. The number of days worked varies.

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many candidates were on the short list before Mr. John Stonborough was chosen as media adviser. [33362]

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Mr. Kirkwood: The House of Commons Commission considered two possible candidates before selecting Mr. Stonborough on a short-term contract to work with the House's communications adviser.

Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, which persons participated in the selection process for the Commission's media adviser. [33363]

Mr. Kirkwood: The selection was made by the House of Commons Commission.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Director's Pay

Mr. Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what were the total amounts paid to (a) executive directors and (b) non-executive directors in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01. [20423]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information is in the table.

£000

Financial year	Executive directors	Non-executive directors
1997–98	855	25
1998–99	819	41
1999–2000	913	59
2000–01	(1)1,192	121

⁽¹⁾ In 1999–2000 the Department decided to designate some existing senior civil service posts as Executive Directors. The costs for 2000–01 reflect these changes.

New Deal

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new deal candidates have participated in the customised job preparation programme in preparation for jobs in the Civil Service; if he will list the Government Departments for which such programmes (a) exist and (b) do not exist; and how many requests are outstanding from Government Departments and agencies for such programmes. [25977]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: A new deal gateway specifically designed to prepare new deal candidates for work in the Civil Service was piloted last year in Edgware, London. 16 participants completed the pilot, which led to job opportunities with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Trade and Industry. In addition, a customised new deal gateway pilot was also developed for the Benefits Agency in east London. This resulted in job offers in the agency for all 21 participants. These job preparation programmes were designed to be pilot schemes that responded directly to localised employer-led demand.

There are no outstanding requests from Government Departments and agencies for customised gateways at present. However, given the success of the first programmes, further gateways are being considered for the Benefits Agency in London and the north-west. The Employment Service is continuing to promote the Civil Service new deal gateway and the employment of new deal clients within Departments and their agencies.

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Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of participants in the new deal for young people from non-white ethnic minorities found (a) jobs and (b) sustained jobs in each year since 1997; and if he will give a breakdown by different ethnic minorities. [25984]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The available information is in the table.

Proportion of young people from ethnic minorities starting on the new deal for young people who had gained a job^(2),(3)

	1998	1999	2000
Black-Caribbean
All jobs	46	47	50
Sustained	32	34	36
Black-African
All jobs	38	40	42
Sustained	26	28	30
Black-Other
All jobs	46	48	50
Sustained	32	34	36
Indian
All jobs	52	51	53
Sustained	41	41	43
Pakistani
All jobs	45	46	47
Sustained	35	35	38
Bangladeshi
All jobs	47	48	47
Sustained	38	40	39
Chinese
All jobs	43	45	45
Sustained	36	38	38
Other
All jobs	45	44	44
Sustained	35	35	35
Total
All jobs	45	46	48
Sustained	34	35	37

⁽²⁾ Ethnicity details are not available for all participants in the new deal for young people.

⁽³⁾ Many participants leaving the new deal for young people are recorded as leaving for unknown destinations. Research has shown that over 50 per cent. of these people are actually leaving to take up employment.

⁽⁴⁾ Figures for 2001 are not yet available.

Jobcentre Plus

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the incident that took place at the Jobcentre Plus office at Harlesden on 18 January. [32613]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 1 February 2002]: A jobseeker's allowance customer attending Harlesden Jobcentre Plus office on Friday 18 January was refused an immediate payment. Later that day he returned to the office and damaged computer equipment. Prompt action by security guards meant that the man was arrested within minutes and subsequently charged by the police.

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This was a distressing incident. However, no members of staff or other customers were physically assaulted or threatened. A further health and safety risk assessment review is being conducted and lessons learned or action recommended will be implemented.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Angola

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reason her Department's total aid programme for Angola has been halved over the last five years; and what resources her Department will commit to achieving the aims of the Peace Building and Civil Society in Angola report published by her Department. [33946]

Hilary Benn: Angola has been in a state of renewed conflict since the breakdown of the Lusaka Peace Protocol in 1998. It is for this reason that it has not been possible to establish a long-term partnership for the development of the country. We continue however to provide humanitarian assistance.

Angola needs peace and the Government continue to support the United Nations sanctions against UNITA while calling for both sides to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict. My Department sees a role in encouraging the Angolan Government to use their substantial resources to alleviate the dire poverty in the country. DFID are currently funding a series of seminars on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process which have brought together representatives of the Government, Parliament and civil society. We welcome the recent report and are considering how best to build on our existing work on peace building with civil society.

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