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19 Jun 2003 : Column 405W—continued
United Nations Security Council
Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which states have signed bilateral impunity agreements following Resolution 1422 of the United Nations Security Council; and how many have ratified them. [116909]
Mr. Rammell: The US has publicly announced that the following 29 states have signed bilateral non-surrender agreements (to the International Criminal Court) with the US: Romania, Israel, East Timor, Tajikistan, Dominican Republic, Palau, Mauritania, Afghanistan, Micronesia, Gambia, El Salvador,
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Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Djibouti, Tuvalu, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Nauru, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tonga, The Maldives, Ghana, Madagascar, Albania, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzogovina and Bolivia. A further six have signed and ratified an agreement: Marshall Islands, Uzbekistan, Honduras, Georgia, Sierra Leone and Gabon.
The UK has been approached by the US with a view to signing such an agreement. We have made clear that we could only sign an agreement that was consistent with the ICC Statute and the Guiding Principles agreed by the EU to govern such agreements. We await further detailed proposals.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Claims/Payments
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the duration of claims of (a) those on incapacity benefit, (b) those on other disability benefits, (c) lone parents on income support and (d) others on income support was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [114482]
Mr. Browne: The available information has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 387, on the payment of benefits, how many pensioners have (a) received invitations to change to direct payment, (b) responded and (c) chosen to be paid via a (i) bank account, (ii) basic bank account and (iii) post office card account; and if he will make a statement on the nature of the responses received from those pensioners who did not opt for a post office card account. [120380]
Malcolm Wicks: As at 6 June 2003, 148,148 pensioners have been invited to change to Direct Payment and 86,828 have responded so far. Of these, 42,241 pensioners have provided bank or building society account details (we do not distinguish between basic and current accounts) and 42,603 have requested a post office card account.
The Department is providing all customers with the information they need on all of their "account options", including those that can be used at post office branches. It is for customers themselves to decide which type of account will best meet their needs and circumstances.
Carers Premium
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 3 June 2003, ref 115917, what the cost would be and how many beneficiaries there are of extending the carers premium to those with an established entitlement to carers allowance who are in receipt of a basic state pension, not eligible for the minimum income guarantee, and have no entitlement to other benefits that would disqualify the beneficiary by virtue of the overlapping benefit rules. [118238]
Maria Eagle: A carer premium can only be awarded as part of the minimum income guarantee (MIG) and would therefore not be available to those who are not eligible for MIG. However, if an amount equivalent to the carer premium was paid to all those over state pension age with an underlying entitlement to carers allowance, not eligible for MIG the anticipated cost for one year would be £100 million, with 80,000 gainers.
- Notes:
- Costs are rounded to the nearest ten million and caseloads to the nearest ten thousand.
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- Source:
- December 2002 100 per cent. extract of administrative data from the CA computer system and November 2002 IS administrative data.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his target date is for implementing the new system of assessment on all cases within the CSA. [118312]
Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso) on 22 May 2003, Official Report, columns 918–19W.
Employment Assistance
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on how carers can be assisted into new learning and work opportunities; [117652]
- (2) what strategies he plans to assist people with disabilities into training and work opportunities. [117653]
Maria Eagle: Carers and people with disabilities can obtain information about how to access training and learning opportunities through Jobcentre Plus. We are ensuring that the benefit system promotes work where possible for disabled people and carers and, where they meet the eligibility criteria, they can access a wide range of Government employment programmes.
There are several initiatives within Jobcentre Plus aimed specifically at helping disabled people to overcome the labour market barriers they may face, including the Access to Work and Work Preparation programmes. New Deal for Disabled People, through its network of Job Brokers across England, Scotland and Wales, is also proving successful in helping disabled people achieve lasting paid employment.
In addition, the Green Paper "Pathways to Work: Helping people into employment" (Cm 5690) sets out a new strategy for enabling people on incapacity benefits to move into work, and so become and remain independent. The Government's response and action plan (CM 5830), published on 10 June 2003, gives details of the proposals we are taking forward.
European Social Fund
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the projects in the South-West Bedfordshire constituency on which European Social Fund money has been spent in the last three years, and the amounts spent. [119036]
Maria Eagle: European Social Fund (ESF) projects usually operate across a number of constituencies. The following table lists projects in Bedfordshire which have been awarded ESF money since 2000 and which may include beneficiaries from south-west Bedfordshire.
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| Organisation | Project | Amount approved (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Services for the Community (LSC CFO) | Learning for Change | 60,593 |
| Bedfordshire and Luton CCTE | Enhance | 74,898 |
| Bedfordshire College | Way to Work Programme | 84,644 |
| Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing | Foyer Stepping Stones | 35,859 |
| Bedfordshire and Luton IAG Partnership (LSC CFO) | Increasing Quality IAG Services | 91,000 |
| Bedfordshire Rural Communities (LSC CFO) | Investing in your people | 163,000 |
| Bedfordshire Rural Communities (LSC CFO) | Management Development | 37,992 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Bedfordshire & Luton Local Management Group 2001 | 15,213 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Bedfordshire & Luton Local Management Group 2002 | 14,297 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Bedfordshire & Luton Local Management Group | 18,458 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Co-financing Measure 1.1 | 100,000 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Co-financing Measure 1 .2 | 185,000 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Co-financing Measure 2.2 | 350,000 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Co-financing Measure 3.1 | 960,000 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Co-financing Measure 4.2 | 160,000 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Co-financing Measure 5.1 | 337,000 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Business Environmental Training Initiative | 31,715 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Central Technical Assistance | 59,239 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | Going To Work | 122,659 |
| Bedfordshire County Council | SPICE | 202,050 |
| Better Prospects (LSC CFO) | Technobabble | 91,200 |
| Business Link Bedfordshire and Luton | ICT Multi Skills Programme | 183,300 |
| Cambridge On-line Learning (LSC CFO) | Developing Managers | 50,400 |
| Chamber Business (LSC CFO) | Enhanced Workforce Development | 179,000 |
| Chamber Business Luton (EEDA CFO) | Choices in Care | 243,184 |
| Crabtree Development Consultants (LSC CFO) | Building for the future | 49,910 |
| Crabtree Development Consultants (LSC CFO) | Caring for Tomorrow | 69,735 |
| East of England Development Agency | ASPEN | 262,140 |
| East of England Development Agency | Luton Opportunities Phase 2 | 276,338 |
| East of England Development Agency | Luton Opportunity Phase 1 | 375,989 |
| Education Business Enterprise (LSC CFO) | Education and Business Enterprise | 37,930 |
| EEF Mid Anglian Association (LSC CFO) | Achievement Partnership | 77,057 |
| Jobcentre Plus | Co-financing Measures | 695,160 |
| Learning for Life Bedfordshire and Luton (LSC CFO) | Empowerment for continued employment | 128,013 |
| Learning for Life Bedfordshire and Luton (LSC CFO) | Workforce at Risk—Guidance Support | 136,006 |
| Learning for Life Bedfordshire and Luton | Community Advice and Guidance | 87,256 |
| Bedfordshire and Luton LSC | BOOST | 122,399 |
| Macro East Anglia (LSC CFO) | Mentor and Youth Activity | 125,999 |
| New Bedfordshire Training Project | Physical Ability Millennium | 74,822 |
| New Bedfordshire Training Project | Physical Ability 2000 | 20,203 |
| Opps (LSC CFO) | Development skills in the retail sector | 56,550 |
| Protech Training (LSC CFO) | Learning Leaders | 58,495 |
| Protech Training (LSC CFO) | Second Chance | 52,210 |
| Protech Training (LSC CFO) | Skillsbase | 154,770 |
| Qi Associates (LSC CFO) | Making Business Better | 59,000 |
| South Bedfordshire Adult Education (LSC CFO) | Link up to Learn | 95,855 |
| Teevan Consulting Network (LSC CFO) | Results Driven Workforce Development | 99,000 |
| Trade Union Learning Link (LSC CFO) | Bedfordshire & Luton Trade Union Learning Fund | 142,500 |
| University of Luton | Community Parents Programme | 163,691 |
| University of Luton | Film and Media Training Project | 80,882 |
| University of Luton | Graduates with Dyslexia | 73,490 |
| University of Luton | Griffin | 425,731 |
| University of Luton | Language for e Business 2 | 1,689,612 |
| University of Luton | Languages for competitiveness | 1,064,618 |
| University of Luton | Languages for e business | 287,113 |
| University of Luton | Law for Life | 153,292 |
| University of Luton | Leadership for Managers | 367,911 |
| University of Luton | New Skills for Information Age II | 379,213 |
| University of Luton | Next Step for Business | 30,400 |
| University of Luton | Partnership Learning Centre | 30,600 |
| University of Luton | Phoenix Project | 227,357 |
| University of Luton | Toolkits For Competitiveness 02 | 409,268 |
| University of Luton | Webstep 3 | 307,296 |
| University of Luton | Webstep2 | 307,106 |
| University of Luton (EEDA CFO) | Broadband in Business | 156,205 |
| University of Luton (EEDA CFO) | E-skills-in-company | 157,454 |
| Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire (EEDA CFO) | Working for Wildlife Trainee | 53,005 |
| Workbase Employment Service (LSC CFO) | Learning in the Community | 34,500 |
| Befrienders | Global Grants award | 3,500 |
| Dale Social Welfare Group | Global Grants award | 3,406 |
| Downside Yoga | Global Grants award | 3,575 |
| Dunstable and District Citizens Advice Bureau | Global Grants award | 2,200 |
| Homes for Homeless | Global Grants award | 4,500 |
| Hospice at Home Volunteers | Global Grants award | 5,000 |
| LCET | Global Grants award | 824 |
| Leighton Buzzard Mayday Trust | Global Grants award | 465 |
| Luton & Bedfordshire Youth Association | Global Grants award | 10,000 |
| Multiple Sclerosis Society | Global Grants award | 1,000 |
| Parkinson's Disease Society | Global Grants award | 2,000 |
Notes:
LSC CFO = Bedfordshire and Luton Learning and Skills Council Co-financing Organisation project.
EEDA = East of England Development Agency Co-financing Organisation project.
The Global Grants programme is operated by Bedfordshire and Luton Learning and Skills Council and provides awards of funding to small organisations. The organisations listed are based in South Bedfordshire.
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