5 Jun 2003 : Column 25WS
Written Ministerial Statements
Thursday 5 June 2003
WORK AND PENSIONS
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Malcolm Wicks): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) inspection report on Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council was published on Thursday 29 May 2003 and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
In its response to the Housing Green Paper of November 2000, the Department for Work and Pensions developed a performance framework for housing benefits. The Performance Standards for housing benefits' allow local authorities to make a comprehensive self-assessment of whether they deliver benefit effectively and securely. They are standards the Department for Work and Pensions aspires to and expects local authorities to achieve in time.
The BFI inspected Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council against the Performance Standards. The report finds that the council is not at Standard for any of the 7 functional areas of the Performance Standards—strategic management, customer services, processing of claims, working with landlords, internal security, counter-fraud, and overpayments.
Historically the benefit service has had a low profile within the council. As a result performance in terms of administering benefits, identifying and recovering overpayments and countering fraud has been weak over recent years with no prosecutions undertaken, poor claims performance and a lack of overpayment activity and management information.
The report finds that from the autumn of 2002, the benefit service has been regarded as a priority area by senior management and Members.
Modernisation of the council has led to greater scrutiny of council business by Members, and a new senior management team has been put in place and has introduced improved systems of reporting.
The council has put in place a Vision, underpinned by strategic objectives that link performance, and it has introduced the Verification Framework and management checking, both of which have had a big impact on securing the benefits system.
The report also finds that the council has put in place a new counter-fraud policy and strategy which clearly informs the action to be taken against fraudsters.
In 2001–02, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council administered approximately £55.1 million in housing benefits, approximately 15 per cent. of its total gross revenue expenditure.
5 Jun 2003 : Column 26WS
The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to further improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as counter-fraud activities.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.
Pathways to Work
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith): The Department for Work and Pensions laid before the house on 18 November 2002 a consultation document entitled: "Pathways to Work—Helping People into Employment". This sets out the next steps in the Government's welfare to work strategy for people with health problems and disabilities. It recommends piloting a number of innovative measures to help people to return to work where they have the capability and expectation of doing so. I will be announcing the detailed outcome of the consultation exercise shortly.
My Department, together with the Department of Health and appropriate Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly officials, have been preparing for the implementation of the pilots.
On 26 March I announced the locations of the first three Jobcentre Plus pilot districts which will start on 27 October—Bridgend, Derby and Renfrewshire.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the further four pilots will be in the Jobcentre Plus districts of East Lancashire, Essex, Gateshead & South Tyneside, and Somerset, starting in April 2004.
Objective criteria were used to select the seven pilot areas. The number of pilot areas was increased from the six mentioned in the consultation document to seven in order to reflect the full range of these criteria so we fully understand the potential national impact. The areas represent a mix of geographical and labour market areas and will have fully integrated Jobcentre Plus offices.
The pilots will test and evaluate the impact of the extra support we will provide for those sick and disabled people who want to go back to work.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Criminal Records Bureau
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Paul Goggins): On 27 February the Home Office issued a consultation paper on the Reform of the Disclosure Process to seek the views of registered bodies and others on how best to take forward a number of the recommendations of the Independent Review Team, Official Report, col. 33–36WS. The consultation period closed on 25 April. Five hundred and seventy responses were received. I have today placed in the Library of the House an analysis of those responses. We will consider carefully the views expressed in response to the consultation before deciding how best to proceed.
5 Jun 2003 : Column 27WS
Animal Experiments
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Bob Ainsworth): Each year, to comply with a requirement in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Government present to Parliament statistics relating to scientific procedures using animals in Great Britain. The statistics, based on data collected from those conducting licensed programmes of work under the Act, are published as a Command Paper and placed in the Library.
For some while suggestions have been made, from different quarters and in various contexts, as to how the statistics might be improved, both as regards the information provided and the way it is presented. More recently the statistics have been the subject of recommendations by the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures, in their report published last July.
In the Government response to that Select Committee we stated we would have the statistics reviewed to see how their content and presentation might be improved. This is to inform the House that I have today written to the Chairman of the Animal Procedures Committee—the independent advisory body set up under the 1986 Act—asking for that Committee to carry out a thorough review.
The review is to take into account all the views and recommendations already put forward on the statistics, and to involve widespread consultation with stakeholders, other interested parties and the wider public. The expected cost of any recommended changes, especially in terms of any additional burden on the scientific community, would have to be fully justified by the likely benefits.
I have asked the Animal Procedures Committee to report back to me by the end of 2004. Their recommendations will then be carefully considered.
Criminal Records Bureau Corporate Plan
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett): I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the Criminal Records Bureau's Corporate and Business Plan for 2003–04. After a difficult first seven months of operations, the Business Plan builds on the steady improvements in performance since last autumn. The average number of Disclosures issued each week since October stands at 40,000 compared with 24,500 a week last August. Turnaround times have reduced from over eight weeks to under five and the number of aged applications over six weeks old (and not awaiting further information from the applicant) has been reduced from a peak of 76,000 to under 10,000.
For 2003–04 I have set the CRB challenging but realistic service standards which take into account the experience of the first year of operating. The CRB will now seek to process 90 per cent. of applications for a Standard Disclosure within two weeks and 90 per cent. of applications for an Enhanced Disclosure within four weeks.
5 Jun 2003 : Column 28WS
As a result of the service improvements in recent months the CRB is able to increase its capacity to 60,000 Disclosures a week and consequently it can now commence criminal record checks on care workers postponed last November, 4 November 2002, Official Report, columns 102–04W.
Subject to consultation, the programme for introducing checks will be as follows:
- Existing care home staff (care home staff who were in post just before 1 April 2002)
The deadline for checks for this group will be brought forward from 31 October 2004 to 30 June 2004. In order to make sure the CRB check has been completed by the new deadline, applications will need to be submitted to the CRB between 1 October and 30 November 2003. In order to make best use of the CRB's increased capacity these checks will be carried out at the level of a Standard Disclosure.
- Domiciliary care agency and nurses agency staff
In order to ensure a smooth introduction of these checks, we propose making a distinction between new and existing domiciliary care agency and nurses agency staff. We are consulting on the definitions of new and existing staff in order to ensure that they are clear both to agencies and their customers. All domiciliary care and nurses agency staff will be required to obtain Enhanced Disclosures.
Existing domiciliary care agency staff will be asked to submit applications for checks to the CRB between 1 October and 30 November 2003. The CRB will complete these checks by 30 June 2004.
Checks on existing nursing agency staff will commence in spring 2004 once those on existing domiciliary agency staff have been completed.
The Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) list will be introduced as soon as possible.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has today issued a consultation paper on the necessary amendments to the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations 2002, Nurses Agencies Regulations 2002 and the Care Homes Regulations 2001.
The lower volume of throughput, as a result of the slower introduction of checks on the key groups mentioned above and the deferment of Basic Disclosures, together with other factors have resulted in higher unit costs. The costs for 2002–03 have been met by the three key departments, namely the Home Office, Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills. The Business Plan develops a costing regime retaining free checks for volunteers and a new full cost recovery plan with full effect from 2005.
The Government made it clear when the current £12 fee was announced, 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 69W, that it was our intention that the Bureau would be self-financing in the medium term. That remains our objective. However, in the short term, the costs of the CRB will continue to be met by a combination of fee receipts and contributions from the Home Office, the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills. As we move towards full cost recovery it is necessary to increase the Disclosure fees. From 1 July the fee for a Standard
5 Jun 2003 : Column 29WS
Disclosure will be £24 and that for an Enhanced Disclosure will be £29. Volunteers will continue to receive free Disclosures. The necessary amendment to the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) Regulations 2002 has been laid before Parliament today.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |