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Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average duration of an incapacity benefit claim has been in each year since 1997; [177957]

(2) what has been the average duration of a claim for incapacity benefit in each year since 1995. [178847]

Maria Eagle: Information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table.
Incapacity benefits claimants by duration of claims to date Percentage

	November
Duration of claim to date	2000	2001	2002	2003
0–3 months	6	5	5	5
3–6 months	5	4	5	4
6–12 months	7	7	7	7
1–2 years	11	11	11	10
2–5 years	26	25	23	23
5+ years	46	47	50	51

Notes:
1. The figures provided are for length of incapacity benefits claims to date, as data on the average length of completed claims is unavailable.
2. Reliable information on the duration of claims prior to 2000 is unavailable.
Source:
Incapacity Benefit quarterly figures, 5 per cent. sample.

The incapacity benefits caseload is now broadly stable after more than 20 years of significant growth. However, we are determined to help people on these benefits realise their aspirations of a return to work. The Pathways to Work approach, which combines specialist advice, mandatory work-focused interviews, rehabilitation provision, and financial incentives is the most advanced welfare to work policy for this group anywhere in the world.

Mobile Jobcentres

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mobile jobcentres have been established; in which areas they have operated; how many people have been obliged to attend work-focused interviews as a result; and how many people have found work as a result. [177900]

Jane Kennedy: We have established no mobile jobcentres. We do however acknowledge the need to reach out to the communities that we serve. We do have mobile information services that go into the community to provide information and advice. They do not carry out work-focused interviews.

For example an Ethnic Minority Outreach service provider in North London uses a mobile bus service to meet customers on their doorsteps, bringing access to a range of job and training opportunities. Action Teams make use of mobile units to reach jobless residents who would not normally register with Jobcentre Plus services. The St. Helens Action Team, for example, reached out to 46 eligible customers with their mobile units in May 2004, placing 27 of them into work.
 
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Departmental Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the visits abroad made by his Department's (a) special advisers and (b) unpaid advisers without Ministers in their official capacity in each year since 1996–97. [174644]

Maria Eagle: Since 1 April 2002, departmental special advisers have travelled abroad on one occasion, to Boston and Washington, USA at a cost of £4,900.00. Information prior to 1 April 2002 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has no unpaid advisers.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the external speeches his Department's (a) special advisers and (b) unpaid advisers have made in their official capacity in each year since 1996–97. [174645]

Maria Eagle: Since 1 April 2002, the Department's special advisers have made no external speeches in an official capacity. Information prior to 1 April 2002 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has no unpaid advisers.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's (i) special advisers and (ii) unpaid advisers have made to newspapers, magazines, journals, books and other media in their official capacity in each year since 1996–97; [174647]

(2) if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's (a) special advisers and (b) unpaid advisers have given to newspapers, magazines and other media in their official capacity in each year since 1996–97. [174648]

Maria Eagle: Special advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Since 1 April 2002, the Department's special advisers have given no attributable articles, contributions or interviews to these media. Information prior to 1 April 2002 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has no unpaid advisers.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the appearances that his Department's (a) special advisers and (b) unpaid advisers have made before parliamentary select committees in their official capacity in each year since 1996–97. [174650]

Maria Eagle: Since 1 April 2002, the Department's special advisers have made no appearances before parliamentary select committees in their official capacity. Information prior to 1 April 2002 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has no unpaid advisers.

Disabled Workers

Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the
 
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measures introduced to improve the working conditions of disabled workers in the parliamentary constituency of Rochdale over the last seven years. [178536]

Maria Eagle: We have a number of measures in place nationally to help improve conditions for disabled people at work, as well as measures to improve their access to services generally. None of these are specific to Rochdale, but all are available to disabled people who live and work there.

From 1996, the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act required most employers of 20 or more staff not to discriminate against, and to make reasonable adjustments for, disabled job applicants or employees; in December 1998, we reduced this threshold to 15 employees. From October this year, the small employer exemption will be removed and most currently excluded occupations, such as police officers, fire-fighters, and partners in business partnerships will be brought within the scope of the Disability Discrimination Act employment provisions.

Jobcentre Plus runs a number of specialist programmes providing help for disabled people, including New Deal for Disabled People, Workstep, Access to Work, the Job Introduction Scheme, and Work Preparation. All these programmes provide practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability. Since 1997–98, there have been year-on-year increases in both numbers helped and programme spend.

To help people access appropriate help, Jobcentre Plus has established a network of Disability Service Teams. The teams are made up of Disability Employment Advisers, Access to Work Advisers and Occupational Psychologists; their services are accessed through local Jobcentres.

Since April 2003, disabled people in work have been receiving financial support through the working tax credit. This is available if a person is working an average of at least 16 hours per week (self-employed or for an employer); and have a disability which puts them at a disadvantage in getting a job. 70,000 families (including over 32,000 adults without children) are benefiting from the disability element within the working tax credit, compared to 38,000 who benefited from the old disabled person's tax credit.

Tax Credits

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimates he has made of the number of his Department's staff who act as appointees of applicants for tax credits. [177954]

Maria Eagle: The information is not available.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Cash Incentive Scheme

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Cash Incentive Scheme grants were made by each local authority in 2003–04; and what the total value of these grants was in each authority. [178690]

 
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Keith Hill: Information on Cash Incentive Scheme grants made in 2003–04 will not be available until autumn 2004. The number of Cash Incentive grants made and the total expenditure by each local authority in 2002–03 has been made available in the Libraries of the Houses. In England, local authorities reported that 574 Cash Incentive Scheme grants were made, with a value of around £8.95 million.

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his response to Recommendation 18 of the Home Ownership Task Force, if he will commission research into the strategic benefits of Cash Incentive Scheme grants. [178733]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to encouraging social tenants to move into home ownership where they can afford to do so, while minimising unnecessary loss of social housing. The Home Ownership Task Force was established to help with this objective. We have or are already taking forward the majority of its recommendations. Consideration is still being given to the research project on Cash Incentive Schemes recommended by the Task Force alongside other priorities for the limited research funds for 2004–05.

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