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7 Nov 2002 : Column 660Wcontinued
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming (a) unemployment related and (b) sickness-related benefits in each local authority in Wales. [80240]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the tables.
Local authority | Numbers |
---|---|
Blaenau Gwent | 1,740 |
Bridgend | 1,730 |
Caerphilly | 2,785 |
Cardiff | 5,752 |
Carmarthenshire | 2,485 |
Ceredigion | 858 |
Conwy | 1,454 |
Denbighshire | 1,141 |
Flintshire | 1,725 |
Anglesey, Isle of | 1,554 |
Gwynedd | 2,088 |
Merthyr Tydfil | 1,139 |
Monmouthshire | 837 |
Neath Port Talbot | 2,280 |
Newport | 2,714 |
Pembrokeshire | 2,119 |
Powys | 1,293 |
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff | 3,390 |
Swansea | 3,979 |
The Vale of Glamorgan | 1,906 |
Torfaen | 1,385 |
Wrexham | 1,702 |
Wales | 46,056 |
Notes:
The figures include those receiving either contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or income-based JSA or both and those receiving National Insurance credits only.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems, 100 per cent. count of all unemployed people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.
Local authority | Numbers |
---|---|
Blaenau Gwent | 8,100 |
Bridgend | 11,600 |
Caerphilly | 17,200 |
Cardiff | 18,700 |
Carmarthenshire | 13,700 |
Ceredigion | 4,400 |
Conwy | 6,800 |
Denbighshire | 5,800 |
Flintshire | 7,300 |
Anglesey, Isle of | 4,400 |
Gwynedd | 5,900 |
Merthyr Tydfil | 7,700 |
Monmouthshire | 3,600 |
Neath Port Talbot | 14,200 |
Newport | 9,300 |
Pembrokeshire | 7,200 |
Powys | 6,400 |
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff | 24,700 |
Swansea | 17,900 |
The Vale of Glamorgan | 6,100 |
Torfaen | 8,300 |
Wrexham | 8,200 |
Wales | 217,600 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. XSickness-related" benefits are defined for the purposes of this table as Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support with disability premium and National Insurance credits only (1B).
Source:
DWP Client Group Analysis, 5 per cent. statistical samples relating to May 2002.
7 Nov 2002 : Column 661W
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances incapacity benefit is means tested; and whether the incapacity benefit is reduced if a man aged 61 has an occupational pension. [76924]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Incapacity Benefit exists to provide a measure of earnings replacement for people of working age who are incapable of work. Where a person is duplicating this provision the law provides for this to be taken into account.
If a person claiming Incapacity Benefit receives an occupational pension, personal pension or payments through a permanent health insurance scheme of #85 a week or more, their Incapacity Benefit is reduced by half the amount which exceeds #85. Only people making new claims from 6 April 2001 are affected by the new rules.
7 Nov 2002 : Column 662W
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will publish the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report on occupational deafness. [79764]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council expects to publish its report on occupational deafness shortly.
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what use he and his Department have made of focus group research since June 2001; if he will identify for each research project the topics covered, the person or organisation carrying out the research, and the total cost; and if he will publish the research on his Department's website. [74986]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information is available in the table.
7 Nov 2002 : Column 663W
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of the Pay 2002 information pack circulation; and if he will make a statement in respect of targeting information to recipients [78337]
Mr. McCartney: The cost for design, print and distribution of the Department 2002 Pay Offer information pack was #1.34 per pack. Around 146,500 copies were issued to staff.
Distribution of the package was based on payroll information for staff from the former Department for Social Security, and the most recent ''census'' information for staff from the former Employment Service.
This year's pay offer to staff was particularly significant because it was the first since the Department was formed in 2001, where staff were brought together from the former DSS, Employment Services and Department for Education and Employment. For the past year different terms and conditions have applied within the Department.
The offer package provided staff with comprehensive details on a raft of harmonised changes to their terms and conditions, pay structure and conditions of employment for staff in the Department for Work and Pensions. The proposed changes to terms and conditions contained in the 2002 pay offer were complex and contractual. It was therefore, essential that all staff had the opportunity to read, understand and ask questions about the changes. The only way to ensure that this was achieved was to distribute personal copies of the information package to all staff in the Department.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees there are broken down by function at (a) Avon House Jobcentre, Salisbury, (b)
7 Nov 2002 : Column 664W
Amesbury Jobcentre and (c) Summerlock House, Salisbury; and what plans he has to change the number of jobs, broken down by function, at each location. [80301]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The number of staff and the functions they perform in the two jobcentres are as follows:
Salisbury Jobcentre | Amesbury Jobcentre | |
---|---|---|
Employer Services | 1 | 1 |
Personal Advisers | 7 | 1 |
Customer Services | 9 | 2 |
Jobseeker's Allowance claims processing | 6 | 0 |
Programme Centre | 2 | 0 |
Management and Office services | 1 | 1 |
Total | 26 | 5 |
In the Summerlock House Social Security Office the staff deployment is as follows:
Customer Services | 7 |
Income Support claims processing | 8 |
Incapacity Benefit claims processing | 10 |
Home visiting | 2 |
Management and Office services | 5 |
Counter Fraud Investigation Service | 4 |
Minimum Income Guarantee claims processing | 2 |
Retirement Pension claims processing | 19 |
Total | 57 |
There are no plans to make significant changes to job functions in the short term. In the longer term the migration of existing Jobcentres and Social Security Offices into fully integrated Jobcentre Plus offices and the development of The Pensions Service may lead to changes in job functions in order to deliver improved services to customers.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his staff at (a) Avon House Jobcentre, Salisbury, (b) Amesbury Jobcentre and (c) Summerlock House, Salisbury were (i) threatened, (ii) verbally abused and (iii) physically assaulted in 2001; on how many occasions the police were called; and how many prosecutions followed. [80300]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The number of incidents recorded during 2001 was as follows:
Office Name | Verbally Abused | Threatened | Actual Physical Assaults | Number of times the Police were asked to attend | Number of prosecutions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avon House Salisbury | 11 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Amesbury Jobcentre | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Summerlock House Salisbury | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
7 Nov 2002 : Column 665W
Whilst clearly unacceptable, the physical assaults that occurred were minor incidents in which no member of staff sustained serious injuries.
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