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26 Apr 2004 : Column 852W—continued
Employment
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the levels of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth employment in Heywood and Middleton over the last seven years. [168539]
Jane Kennedy:
The UK has one of the strongest labour markets in the world. We have the highest employment and the lowest unemployment of the major industrialised countries.
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Through a combination of economic stability and radical labour market reforms, more than 1.75 million more people are in work now than in 1997 and unemployment is at its lowest level for nearly 30 years.
Specific information for Heywood and Middleton is in the table.
| Number unemployed for a year or more | ||
|---|---|---|
| Over 25s | 18 to 24-year-olds | |
| 1997 | 693 | 144 |
| 2004 | 148 | 12 |
| Percentage change | -79 | -92 |
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the level of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth employment in Manchester, Gorton over the last seven years. [167347]
Jane Kennedy: The UK has one of the strongest labour markets in the world. We have the highest employment and the lowest unemployment of the major industrialised countries.
Through a combination of economic stability and radical labour market reforms, more than 1.75 million more people are in work now than in 1997 and unemployment is at its lowest level for nearly 30 years.
Specific information for Manchester, Gorton is in the table.
| 1997 | 2004 | Percentage change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of over-25s unemployed for a year or more | 1,490 | 534 | -64 |
| Number of 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for a year or more | 412 | 37 | -91 |
James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the levels of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth employment in Stalybridge and Hyde over the last seven years. [168742]
Jane Kennedy: The UK has one of the strongest labour markets in the world. We have the highest employment and the lowest unemployment of the major industrialised countries.
Through a combination of economic stability and radical labour market reforms, more than 1.75 million more people are in work now than in 1997 and unemployment is at its lowest level for nearly 30 years.
Specific information for Stalybridge and Hyde is in the table.
| 1997 | 2004 | Percentage change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of over-25s unemployed for a year or more | 633 | 144 | -77 |
| Number of 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for a year or more | 102 | 10 | -90 |
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"Making the Market Work"
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the trade associations which replied to the making the market work initiative, referred to in the second stage report of the review of employers' liability compulsory insurance. [168660]
Jane Kennedy: 'Making the Market Work' is an initiative established and maintained by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The Department understands from the ABI that the following trade associations have made applications for assessment under the initiative:
British Chambers Connections
British Coatings Federation
British Furniture Manufacturers
British Printing Industry Federation
British Woodworking Federation
Federation of Small Businesses
Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association
Mastic Asphalt Council
National Federation of Roofing Contractors
Screen Printers Association
Collectively, these bodies have around 190,000 members.
Means-tested Benefits
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) number and (b) percentage of pensioners who were eligible non-recipients of (i) minimum income guarantee and (ii) council tax benefit as identified in the Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2001–02 research, were in receipt of (A) another means-tested benefit and (B) attendance allowance or disability living allowance. [166234]
Malcolm Wicks: The available information is tabled as follows.
| Proportion of eligible non-recipients in receipt of | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pensioner eligible non- recipients of | Other income-related benefits | Attendance allowance or disability living allowance |
| Minimum income guarantee | 41 | 35 |
| Council tax benefit | 6 | 18 |
Notes:
1. Results are based on the 2001–02 DWP Family Resources Survey. These may understate the true percentages since the 2001–02 Family Resources Survey understated the numbers in receipt of attendance allowance, disability living allowance and income-related benefits other than council tax benefit.
2. Estimates are based on an initial assessment of cases modelled as eligible non-recipients from the underlying microdata. Therefore, they do not take into account the possibility that a significant proportion of those appearing to be eligible non-recipients will not be true eligible non-recipients, and a significant proportion of true eligible non-recipients may not be identified. As a result, along with the effects of other data imperfections, the estimates should be interpreted with caution; and only percentage estimates can be provided.
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Pensioners
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners benefit from (a) the minimum income guarantee and (b) free TV licences, broken down by constituency, with constituencies grouped by region. [166679]
Malcolm Wicks: Information on minimum income guarantee is not available in the form requested. Since 6 October 2003 pension credit has replaced the minimum income guarantee and the 1.8 million cases receiving minimum income guarantee prior to 6 October were automatically transferred to pension credit. Information on pension credit take-up, including by parliamentary constituency, is available in the Library.
The information requested about the number of pensioners who benefit from a free TV licence is not available in the format requested. However, people aged 75 and over are entitled to free TV licences and information on the number of households in Great Britain with at least one resident aged 75 or over, broken down by constituency with the constituencies grouped by region has been placed in the Library.
Press Officers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many press officers were employed in his Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04; what the total cost was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [162834]
Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department of Social Security, the former Department for Education and Employment and the Employment Service. Information on costs for 1994 to 2001 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. At the end of March 2004, the Department employed 20 national press officers at an annual cost of £1,146,255. This included three part-time staff. A further 20 press officers worked in the regions across England, Scotland and Wales at an annual cost of £954,500.
During 2002–03 the Department employed 16 national and 13 regional press officers, at an annual cost
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of £1,739,935. The total for 2001–02 was 21 national press officers at an annual cost of £816,725.
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