House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 6 Oct 2003 (pt 16)

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1050W—continued

Crosby

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times he has visited Crosby in his official capacity; and what the purpose was of each visit. [129503]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Since becoming the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in May 2002, I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the hon. Member's constituency.

Departmental Staff

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) special advisers, (b) press officers, (c) civil servants, (d) advisers to civil servants and (e) permanent staff were working for the Department in each year since 1996. [126477]

Maria Eagle: Information on the numbers of staff in civil service Departments and agencies is published in Table C of "Civil Service Statistics" which covers permanent staff numbers in each Department and agency from 1995 to 2002. Copies of the publication are laid in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Department for Work and Pensions was created in June 2001 merging staff from the Department of Social Security and the Employment Service. Information in respect of the Department for Work and Pensions first becomes available in the October 2001 publication. Prior to this, information for the two former Departments is shown separately. Information on staffing in respect of the former Department of Social Security is in the publications from 1995 until April 2001. Information in respect of staffing in the former Employment Service is included with those of the Department for Education and Employment and is also included in publications from 1995 to 1 April 2001.

The latest edition, based on April 2002 data was published on 24 July 2003. The figures include press officers.

As at 16 July 2003, the Department employed two special advisers. The term advisers to civil servants is not recognised.

Incapacity Benefit

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to change the rules relating to the payment of incapacity benefit for disabled lay members of employment tribunals. [129634]

Maria Eagle: Any incapacity benefit (IB) recipient can work for up to and including £20 a week for an unlimited period, or work for less than 16 hours a week and earn up to and including £67.50 per week for 26 weeks. The latter can be extended for another 26 weeks if a New Deal for Disabled People Job Broker, Jobcentre Plus Personal

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Adviser or Disability Employment Adviser agrees that progress is being made towards work of 16 or more hours a week.

In addition, a person receiving IB can work for one day a week as a panel member on appeal tribunals that specifically involve issues of disability, such as those dealing with disability living allowance or attendance allowance, without their benefit being affected. However, there are no current plans to introduce similar provisions for disabled lay members of employment tribunals who receive incapacity benefit.

Job Advertisements

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures are taken by the Employment Service to ensure that those businesses advertising jobs through job centres are genuine. [129422]

Mr. Browne: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive, David Anderson. I have asked him to reply to my hon. Friend.

Letter from David Anderson to Mrs. Janet Dean, dated 25 September 2003:

As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your question asking what measures are taken by Jobcentre Plus, as the public Employment Service, to ensure that businesses advertising vacancies with us are genuine. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

Our aim is to maintain a reasonable level of assurance about our vacancies without setting up a costly and cumbersome checking process that may deter genuine employers from giving us their vacancies. We have systems in place to establish the genuine nature of both the employers and their jobs. For example, the employer is required to provide us with a valid UK address, postcode and landline telephone number. If there is any cause for doubt a visit may be arranged to the employer by staff from the local Jobcentre Plus office.

We maintain regular contact with all employers using our services. If we believe that an employer has deliberately misled us and we are unable to obtain assurances to the contrary, the employer's vacancies are removed from display.

By and large these arrangements work well and we rarely receive complaints from customers as to the genuineness of employers. However, when we do receive such a complaint, we investigate the complaints thoroughly and promptly and, if appropriate, remove the company's vacancies from display. Should such an 'employer' attempt to advertise further vacancies, these are not advertised until the previous problems have been resolved satisfactorily.

I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many staff in JobCentre Plus were employed on temporary contracts; how many were employed in London; and if he will make a statement on his policy on the employment of temporary staff in JobCentre Plus; [125493]

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(3) how many staff on temporary contracts employed by JobCentre Plus (a) in total and (b) in London had their contracts terminated in financial year 2002–03; in each case how many (i) had been employed for more than 49 weeks but less than 52 weeks, (ii) were employed for more than 52 weeks, (iii) were women and (iv) were from minority ethnic communities; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards the termination of employment of temporary contract workers. [125495]

Mr. Browne: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Andrew Dismore, dated 25 September 2003:

As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, I have been asked to reply to your questions concerning the employment of temporary workers and consultation with trade unions by Jobcentre Plus. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

I apologise for the delay in replying, which has arisen because of the need to obtain and verify the detailed information requested. Our payroll information does not distinguish between contracts that run their course or those which are terminated early. Information on contracts 'terminated' would therefore include both categories. It would not, however, include those who resigned In the course of their temporary employment.

During 2002–03 Jobcentre Plus took on 6,034 temporary staff and 6,968 temporary staff left our employment. 5,269 of these had their contracts terminated—1,048 of them in London—and the detailed information you requested about these temporary workers is set out in the table below.

	Jobcentre Plus	London
Temporary workers whose contracts were terminated in 2002/03	5,269	1,048
In each case how many:
Had been employed for more than 49 weeks but less than 52 weeks	433	85
Were employed for more than 52 weeks⁽¹¹⁾	3	0
Were women	3,300	702
Were from ethnic minority communities⁽¹⁰⁾	481	135

⁽¹⁰⁾ This data is collected from application forms and is voluntary. It may therefore, not represent the total sample. Across DWP, ethnicity data is only currently held for only 67.7% of permanent staff.

⁽¹¹⁾ It is not the usual practice to extend contracts beyond 51 weeks. One contract was extended while the individual was awaiting the imminent results of her application for a permanent appointment—for which she was unsuccessful so her contract was ended. Two contracts were extended to cover acute shortfalls of staff.

Source:

Information from FAMIS and REBUS Payroll Database

Jobcentre Plus employs temporary workers for a number of reasons, for example, to help manage peaks of work and to aid release of permanent staff for training and preparation for major business change.
All Jobcentre Plus permanent staff are recruited through procedures and criteria which meet the Civil Service Commissioners' rigorous fair and open competition criteria. However, to support flexibility and responsiveness Jobcentre Plus generally does not recruit temporary staff through such procedures, as they are only being recruited to meet a short-term need. All temporary staff are recruited through a procedure that includes an initial application form, a sift, an interview, and the completion of pre-appointment checks. The Department recommends that at least three applicants are interviewed for each post. Equality of opportunity is central to all the Department's personnel and recruitment policies.

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Jobcentre Plus informs temporary staff of the length of time they are likely to work for us by specifying the duration of their temporary contracts. This situation is then kept under review in relation to any changing business needs. Temporary contracts can be extended, up to a maximum of 51 weeks.
Managers at all levels of the business discuss with their trade union representatives Jobcentre Plus overall staffing requirements on an ongoing basis. In particular, these discussions cover the need for recruitment or promotion exercises, redeployment of staff, or the need to manage staff reductions. Discussions take into account the established policies within the Department for Work and Pensions for dealing with these issues—policies which have been subject to consultation with the trade unions at Departmental level.
In the case of managing staff reductions Jobcentre Plus has agreed principles for redundancy avoidance and handling with the trade unions which set out a number of measures to avoid redundancies of permanent staff. These measures make specific reference to reducing or eliminating the use of casual/temporary staff and contract employees.
Between April 2002 and February 2003, Jobcentre Plus London region reduced its permanent staffing through a combination of staff moving to The Pension Service, other parts of the Department for Work and Pensions, other Government Departments and through natural wastage. In reaching the reduction in staffing figures, no permanent members of staff were dismissed or made redundant.
A number of meetings, at both Regional and District level, have taken place with trade union representatives since last summer about the deployment of staff across London region. These meetings have also been supplemented by correspondence. Headcount target figures were shared with trade union regional colleagues in September 2002, and a discussion on measures required to manage towards those workforce numbers took place at a meeting on 25 September 2002.
Subsequently, specific plans for releasing temporary workers were discussed with union representatives in January 2003. Detailed letters followed this meeting together with a further meeting, which took place in February 2003.
I hope this is helpful.

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