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Zimbabwe
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will increase the number of local NGOs with which his Department works in Zimbabwe. [135341]
Hilary Benn: DFID is already funding the activities of several local NGOs either directly or through the partnerships local NGOs have with international NGOs in Zimbabwe. The international NGOs that have such partnerships include Oxfam, SCF, CRS, Care, CAFOD, Christian Aid, JSI and others.
An example of a local NGO DFID is funding is the farm community trust of Zimbabwe (FCTZ). This is assisting displaced former commercial farm workers with both agricultural recovery inputs such as seeds and fertilizers (with some technical assistance) and food aid. In addition we are providing funding to Fosenet, which is an umbrella organisation of local NGOs, with support for four of its members.
The capacity of the local NGOs is often limited and this is being addressed either directly or through the international NGOs that are providing support and facilitation.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures are being taken to ensure that (a) aid distributors in Zimbabwe and (b) those responsible for registration are appropriately trained to ensure they (i) understand and (ii) comply with the apolitical nature of aid programmes. [135344]
Hilary Benn: The memorandum of understanding recently signed between the World Food Programme (WFP) and government of Zimbabwe sets out clear processes for registration of beneficiaries and distribution of food aid. WFP conducts rigorous training of its implementing partners on these aid delivery protocols which stress the apolitical nature of food aid. WFP has also disseminated these guidelines to local government officials to remind them remind of their obligations to ensure food aid is distributed on the basis of need rather than political affiliation.
DFID and other donors are providing additional support to WFP to strengthen their capacity to monitor food aid including registration and distribution processes. Particular focus is on the monitoring of political incidents. WFP and NGOs have a zero tolerance policy with regard to politicisation of food aid. Although there have been a few local incidents of political interference these have been dealt with swiftly at a local level through prompt action by NGOs and WFP.
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In addition, DFID holds regular meetings with its NGO partners (many of whom are also WFP implementing partners), to discuss and improve food aid mechanisms. Many DFID partners are also individually negotiating memoranda of understanding at district level to ensure all stakeholders are aware of apolitical registration and distribution processes.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Council Tax Benefit
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will estimate the average level of unclaimed council tax benefit per pensioner in London; [135151]
- (2) if he will estimate the proportion of (a) pensioners and (b) households in London who are eligible for council tax benefit but do not claim. [135152]
Mr. Pond: The information is not available.
Statistics for Great Britain are presented in the DWP series "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up". The latest estimates relate to financial year 2000–01 and are in the Library.
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of disability living allowance had their entitlement reduced on review to a lower rate in (a) 2002 and (b) 2001. [127229]
Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
| Year ending30 November 2001 | Year ending30 November 2002 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of reconsiderations and supersessions(13) | 256.6 | 268.2(15) |
| DLA reduced to a lower amount(14) | 13.2 | 26.2 |
(12) Figures given for "review" are where a reconsideration or supersession has been made. Figures do not include those for renewal claims on expiry of fixed-period awards, or for appeals.
(13) Figures are from a 100 per cent sample and rounded to the nearest hundred.
(14) Figures are: from a 5 per cent. sample, in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred; for DLA awards which are reduced to a lower amount which remains in payment (this includes cases in which of one of the two components is withdrawn); not including terminations; and based on claims in which the last decision recorded was due to a reconsideration or supersession.
Figures are not available for reductions which have resulted from an earlier decision in the same year.
(15) From November 2002, the methodology for producing these figures was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner. This has resulted in a small increase in the reported caseload. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
Note:
The higher figure for reductions in year ending November 2002 is due to a change in legislation from 8 April 2002. Preserved rights to help with care home costs through income support were replaced by alternative help from local authorities. This overall switch in financial responsibility for care home residents included withdrawal of DLA care component (or attendance allowance), but not mobility component, in such cases after 28 days' residence.
Source:
IAD Information Centre
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Welfare-to-Work Programmes
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people found work of over 13 weeks in 2002, broken down by Progress2Work area; and how many of these remain in employment. [135313]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 30 October 2003]: The first phase of Progress2Work was rolled out in March 2002 in 27 pathfinder districts. The programme was extended to cover 60 districts by April 2003, and national roll out will be complete by March 2004.
Given the range of problems faced by recovering drug mis-users and the relatively long periods of participation, this is not a programme where we would expect immediate results. However, by the end of 2002, Progress2Work had already been successful in helping 31 people into employment lasting 13 weeks or longer. Due to the small numbers involved, we cannot give figures broken down by Progress2Work area, to avoid the risk of identifying individuals.
As with all of our welfare to work programmes, Progress2Work will be subject to evaluation and the results from this will be published when they become available. This will include an evaluation of whether Progress2Work is successful in helping people to remain in employment in the longer term.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people securing employment through the New Deal 25 plus remained in that job for (a) more than two, (b) more than six and (c) more than 12 months, in each year since the New Deal 25 plus was introduced. [133029]
Mr. Browne: By the end of June 2003, 154,900 people had been helped into work through New Deal 25 plus. We do not collect data on the length of time an individual remains in the same job but we do record whether they have returned to claiming jobseekers allowance (JSA). If there is no claim to JSA within 13 weeks then their employment is classed as 'sustained'. This is the first point at which we collect such data. The number of people gaining jobs through New Deal 25 plus and the number of those who had not made a new claim to JSA within 13 weeks, six and 12 months is in the table.
| Year(January toDecember) | People gaining a job | No claim for JSA within 13 weeks | No claim for JSA within 6 months | No claim for JSA within 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 (from June) | 6,080 | 4,460 | 3,220 | 3,120 |
| 1999 | 27,040 | 21,650 | 17,300 | 16,560 |
| 2000 | 27,470 | 22,330 | 17,930 | 17,080 |
| 2001(16) | 32,500 | 25,960 | 21,340 | 20,120 |
| 2002 | 41,450 | 31,720 | 26,520 | (17)26,520 |
| 2003 (to June) | 20,360 | 16,030 | (17)15,610 | (17)15,610 |
(16) Includes jobs gained in both the pre-April 2001 New Deal 25 plus programme and the post April re-engineered New Deal 25 plus programme.
(17) These numbers will reduce over time as they include people for whom six or 12 months will not have elapsed since the job was gained.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database.
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