| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Higher Education
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent by her Department on research funding for universities for each year since 1997. [53678]
Margaret Hodge: The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) funds the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which then allocates research funding to higher education institutions in England. The following table outlines the allocations made by HEFCE using research criteria per year since 1997. The table includes DfES spending via the Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) and the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF). Over and above this, the Government and the Welcome Trust have made available £750 million via the JIF and £900 million via the SRIF for capital investment in higher education research infrastructure in science and technology. Furthermore Research Council funding for research and development will rise from £1,279 million in 1997–98 to £1,793 million in 2002–03 of which a significant proportion goes to higher education institutions as research grants.
Note: This table covers recurrent research and special research grants (academic years) and research capital infrastructure investment (financial years). Figures for recurrent and special research grants for 1998–99 onwards include London extra costs, and funds for the supervision and tuition of postgraduate students. Figures for research capital include HEFCE funding for the following schemes: Joint Research Equipment Initiative, Joint Infrastructure Fund, Science Research Investment Fund and the Research Laboratories Scheme.
Source:
HEFCE Analytical Services Group. Data prepared 26 April 2002.
20 May 2002 : Column 29W
Higher Education (Cornwall)
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the postcodes are of low participation neighbourhoods in Cornwall that have been identified by HEFC(E) for their performance indicator purposes. [55807]
Margaret Hodge: This is a matter for the Higher Education Funding Council for England. I have therefore asked the chief executive of the Funding Council to reply to your question and to place a copy of his reply in the Commons Library.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Sanctions
11. Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent research he has commissioned into the effects of benefit sanctions. [55498]
Mr. Darling: It is a fundamental principle that rights are matched with corresponding responsibilities. Where appropriate sanctions are applied where people choose not to meet their responsibilities.
We have undertaken a range of research into benefit sanctions and have published the results. An important finding has been that those jobseekers subject to longer term sanctions generally increase their efforts to find work, often with success. For some, this is the first time they will have made a serious attempt to find work.
Child Support Agency
13. Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the rate at which current CSA cases will be transferred to the new assessment formula. [55500]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, to this House on 20 March 2002, Official Report, columns 315–16.
18. Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received following his statement on the reform of the CSA; and if he will make a statement. [55505]
Malcolm Wicks: Since my right hon. Friend informed the House that the new scheme would not be introduced in April, the Department has received 15 letters from Members of Parliament and 4 from members of the public on this matter. Organisations representing Lone Parent
20 May 2002 : Column 30W
Families have supported our priority to ensure the new scheme is introduced effectively, and not to repeat the mistakes of 1993.
Incapacity Benefit
14. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his target is for reducing the number of incapacity benefit claimants. [55501]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We have no targets for reducing the number of people who claim Incapacity Benefit. We are committed to giving all people of working age the help and support they need to find jobs where they are able to do so, and providing security for those who are unable to work.
Jobcentre Plus will give these opportunities but there is no question of forcing disabled people into work against their will.
Jobcentre Plus
15. Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Jobcentre Plus will be extended to cover the whole country. [55502]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: In addition to the 56 integrated Jobcentre Plus pathfinder offices which are already open, we intend to introduce around 225 more integrated offices by April next year including a number of offices in my hon. Friend's constituency.
The work to extend integrated offices to the whole of Great Britain will continue progressively over the next four years. Alongside the programme for the full integration of services and refurbishment of offices, a series of service delivery improvements will be extended to the entire Jobcentre Plus network in advance of the completion of roll-out.
New Deal
16. Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effect the new deal has had on long-term unemployment in the North-East. [55503]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Since 1997 in the North-East, long-term unemployment has been cut by over 70 per cent.
The new deals have played an important part in this success. In the North-East, the new deal for Young People and new deal 25 plus have, between them, helped over 34,000 long-term unemployed people off benefits and into work.
20 May 2002 : Column 31W
In addition, Action Teams for Jobs and Employment Zones have, between them, helped over 6,000 people from the most deprived areas in the North-East into work.
35. Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from employers regarding the New Deal. [55523]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Employers have a central role to play in achieving our goal of creating and sustaining employment opportunities for all. DWP Ministers meet with a wide range of employers and their representative organisations and have a planned programme of meetings for the year ahead.
The National Employment Panel (formerly known as the New Deal Task Force) was formed in 1997 to ensure that employers, and other key customers, have a strong and permanent voice within the Department. The panel is an employer-led body that provides independent advice on the design, delivery and performance of the New Deals and our other welfare to work initiatives, reporting directly to Ministers. The National Employment Panel Employer Coalitions ensure that employers can contribute to services at the regional and local level.
Annuities
17. Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will revise the annuity rule on pensions held by over-75-year-olds; and if he will make a statement. [55504]
Mr. McCartney: The Government have no plans to revise the rule that pension funds must be annuitised by the time the owner reaches 75. We believe that it is a sensible compromise that guarantees pensioners an income for life and allows them some flexibility on the use of their pension fund.
We are currently considering the responses to the Modernising Annuities consultation paper, which sets out our proposals to help all pension savers achieve better value and make suitable choices when they reach retirement.
Drug Treatment
19. Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he is taking to help those recovering from drug treatment to find work. [55506]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We are committed to helping unemployed people who have decided to kick their drug habit move into work. Getting ex-drug users back into work is good for them and good for society.
That is why we have introduced progress2work, a £40 million initiative to give unemployed people who are recovering from their drug problem the extra help they need to get into work. 27 progress2work pathfinders are already up and running around the country.
My hon. Friend's constituency will be covered by the second phase of the initiative which will begin in the autumn.
25. Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he is taking to help those recovering from drug treatment to find work. [55513]
20 May 2002 : Column 32W
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We are committed to helping unemployed people who have decided to kick their drug habit move into work.
Our policies and programmes are helping people with drug problems to overcome them and lead healthy and productive lives, a key aim of the Government's anti- drugs strategy.
Drug mis-users already have early access to programmes like the new deal and Work Based Learning for Adults. We have also introduced progress2work, a £40 million initiative to give unemployed people who are recovering from their drug problem the extra help they need to get into work. Progress2work will provide additional specialist help so recovering drug users can make the best use of our welfare to work initiatives. It will also equip Jobcentre Plus staff with the skills and knowledge they need to identify and help drug mis-users, and will bring more local and national co-ordination to provision in this field.
Progress2work is already up and running in 27 pathfinder areas and will be rolled out nationally from next year.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |