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23 Jun 2004 : Column 1443W—continued
Work-focused Interviews
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been penalised with reduced benefit for failing to attend a compulsory work-focused interview in each year for which figures are available, broken down by benefit received in each case. [177529]
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Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not currently available. The Social Security Advisory Committee identified in late 2003 that work needed to be undertaken to review and evaluate the Sanctions Regime and the DWP is nearing completion on a new Sanctions Database which will be operational following testing and evaluation. This will provide detailed sanction MI on a regular basis and information will be published in the Library.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have been invited to attend a work-focused interview in each year since the start of the programme; how many have attended; how many have not attended; and how many have received a benefits penalty for failure to attend. [177967]
Jane Kennedy: Work-focused interviews for lone parents can be deferred or waived, or the customer may leave benefit between an interview being booked and the time it should be attended and benefit sanctions would not apply in these circumstances. Therefore not all interviews booked will result in a work-focused interview being attended.
The available information is in the table.
| Calendar year | Booked total | Attended total |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 106,130 | 85,360 |
| 2002 | 241,240 | 203,810 |
| 2003 | 399,300 | 355,860 |
| 2004 | 9,310 | 8,550 |
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Database (to February 2004) NDLP evaluation database (data to December 2003)
Information on benefits sanctions is not available. The Social Security Advisory Committee identified in late 2003 that work needed to be undertaken to review and evaluate the Sanctions Regime and DWP is nearing completion on a new Sanctions Database which will be operational following testing and evaluation. This will provide detailed sanction Ml on a regular basis and information will be published in the Library.
Workstep Programme
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many disabled people who have participated in the Workstep programme in Greater London gained employment in each year since 1999; [177061]
(2) how much was spent by his Department on the Workstep programme in Greater London in each year since 1999. [177062]
Maria Eagle:
Workstep was introduced in April 2001 to replace the former Supported Employment programme. Workstep provides support in jobs for disabled people who have more complex barriers to finding and keeping work but who, with the right support, can work effectively and develop in their job. Where it is appropriate, supported employees may also progress to unsupported employment.
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The information on participants is not available in the format requested. Nationally, 1,800 people progressed into unsupported work in 2001–02; 2,144 in 2002–03 and 1,856 in 2003–04. Figures are currently not available below national level.
The Government allocated an additional £37.2 million over three years 2001–04 to expand the programme and to support providers to modernise and develop their delivery. From this sum a Workstep Modernisation Fund of £9.6 million was established in order to enable former Supported Employment Programme Providers to adapt quickly to the changes in the programme. Workstep providers in the London Region successfully submitted bids for modernisation funding totalling approximately £0.5 million.
The available information on spending is in the following table.
| Amount (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 2,603,839 |
| 2002–03 | 2,685,024 |
| 2003–04 | 2,439,053 |
Note:
The figures quoted do not include the National Providers; Remploy, Shaw Trust, Scope and Employment Opportunities.
DEFENCE
Correspondence
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the letter dated 15 April from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding defence establishments and wind farm developments. [179553]
Mr. Caplin: A reply to this letter, which was not received in the Ministry of Defence until 5 May, was sent to the hon. Member on 18 June.
D-Day Commemorations
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the 60th anniversary D-Day events and commemorations. [179179]
Mr. Caplin: Detailed estimates covering all Ministry of Defence elements of expenditure are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
For some there will have been training or other defence benefit from their participation and so costs will not have been separately identified. However, I can advise that the additional costs arising from support provided by 102 Logistics Brigade was estimated at £190,000.
General Service Medal (Canal Zone Clasp)
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the total number of people entitled to the Canal Zone clasp to the General Service Medal; how many have been dispatched to date; what the backlog awaiting dispatch is; and if he will make a statement. [179714]
23 Jun 2004 : Column 1446W
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 22 June 2004]: As at 18 June 2004 a total of 9,709 medals and/or clasps had been issued. The four medal offices had received 39,666 applications. The medal offices are dealing with cases received on the following dates:
Royal Naval Medal Office—27 November 2003.
Royal Marines Medal Office—As applications arrive.
Army Medal Office—10 October 2003.
Royal Air Force Medal Office—18 November 2003.
Iraq
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the number of civilians killed in Iraq by Coalition forces since 20 March 2003; and if he will make a statement on how this figure was calculated. [175074]
Mr. Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 14 June 2004, Official Report, columns 641–42W, to the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke).
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of UK armed forces have been killed during the Second Gulf War. [179278]
Mr. Caplin [holding answer 17 June 2004]: 59 members of the armed forces have been killed in Operation Telic. 34 were killed during major combat operations from 19 March to 1 May, and 25 subsequently.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the countries of origin were of (a) advice, (b) technology and (c) materials discovered by the Iraq Survey Group which contributed towards the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction in that country. [179760]
Mr. Hoon: The Iraq Survey Group continues to investigate foreign assistance to Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction programmes and is expected to produce a substantive report later this year.
The Iraq Survey Group has confirmed that Iraq was holding discussions with North Korea regarding technology associated with a 1,300 km range missile system. It has also been confirmed that foreign technology and technical assistance were critical to the progress made by Iraqi engineers and designers.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the number of civilian casualties in Iraq since the beginning of the war. [175035]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 21 May 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 June 2004, Official Report, columns 641–42W, to the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke).
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