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21 Jul 2004 : Column 327W—continued
Departmental Staff
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have left employment in his Department because of (a) anxiety, (b) stress, (c) depression and (d) other mental health reasons in each year since 1997. [175680]
Maria Eagle: Information is not collected on the number of resignations or dismissals from the Department resulting from anxiety, stress, depression, or other mental health reason.
The number of medical retirement certificates issued for mental health reasons over the last four financial years is in the table.
| Number of certificates | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 81 |
| 2001–02 | 85 |
| 2002–03 | 64 |
| 2003–04 | 55 |
Notes:
1. The figures relate only to the number of medical retirement certificates issued. These may not all have resulted in medical retirements taking place.
2. DWP was formed in June 2001. Figures for 2000–01 and April and May 2001 relate to the former Employment Service and Department of Social Security.
3. Figures were not collected prior to April 2000.
The Department is committed to providing a safe working environment for all of its staff and has a range of support in place to help identify and tackle the causes of work related stress, anxiety and depression. This includes both preventative policies, such as the use of the HSE's Management Standards, and policies to help manage those cases that have resulted in individuals taking time off work. For example, an Attendance Management policy, a confidential employee assistance counselling service, and an occupational health provider service who provides advice on medical conditions including mental and behavioural disorders.
Disability Discrimination Act
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to promote the development of (a) supported employment opportunities and (b) intermediate labour market solutions to help those who are blind or partially-sighted. [182539]
Maria Eagle: Like all jobless people, where they meet the eligibility criteria, disabled people or those with health problems can access the full range of Government employment programmes, including intermediate labour market initiatives.
Workstep provides support in jobs for disabled people who have more complex barriers to finding and keeping work but who, with the right support, are able to make a valuable contribution in their job and where appropriate develop and progress to open employment. Workstep providers are required to work with all clients
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on a qualifying benefit, including clients who are blind or partially sighted. Remploy, which is the largest provider of the Workstep programme, supports over 230 people with visual impairments in a variety of jobs.
A number of organisations with their roots in helping people who are blind or partially sighted are also directly involved with Workstep as providers. These organisations include: Action for Blind People, Royal London Society for the Blind, Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries, the Royal Aberdeen Workshops for the Blind and Disabled and Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind. In line with the Workstep ethos, these organisations deliver support to clients with a range of disabilities.
The Access to Work programme is open to disabled people already in employment (including self-employment), people changing jobs and unemployed people about to start work. It helps towards the additional employment costs resulting from disability, for example, help with the costs of travelling to work, adaptations to premises and special equipment.
Health and Safety Executive
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many enforcement notices were issued by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last seven years. [184681]
Jane Kennedy: Over the last seven years the Health and Safety Executive has issued the following number of enforcement notices. The figures for 2003–04 will be publicly available in the Offences and Penalties report, due for release in late October 2004.
| Year(16) | (17)Total enforcement notices issued |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | (18)7,444 |
| 1997–98 | (18)8,911 |
| 1998–99 | 10,900 |
| 1999–2000 | 11,340 |
| 2000–01 | 11,056 |
| 2001–02 | 11,082 |
| 2002–03 | 13,324 |
(16) Year refers to operational year, which runs 1 April to 31 March.
(17) The table refers to total enforcement notices issued in Great Britain and includes improvement and prohibition notices.
(18) In 1996–97 and 1997–98, HSE issued "Notices of Intent" that required a satisfactory outcome be secured within two weeks so as to avoid serving an improvement notice. As a result, some improvement notices were not issued. If the notices of intent were not issued, the number of enforcement notices would have been about 540 higher in 1996–97 and 630 higher in 1997–98. This system is no longer used.
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to ensure that no recipient of incapacity benefit suffers a reduction of net weekly income due to withdrawal of income support and related benefits; what assessment he has made of the number of individuals whose net weekly income is reduced in this way; and if he will make a statement. [184745]
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Maria Eagle: We have made no estimates of the number of incapacity benefit (IB) recipients who have experienced a reduction of net weekly income due to withdrawal of income support and related benefits.
In most cases, people will be better off receiving incapacity benefit than an income-related benefit. In addition, as the position of those who lose entitlement to income support is no different from that of any other person whose income is above income support levels, it would be unfair to introduce special arrangements for people in these circumstances.
New Deal for Lone Parents
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents were on the New Deal for Lone Parents in 2003–04; and what the associated budgetary cost was. [185719]
Jane Kennedy: Between April 2003 and March 2004, 226,280 1 individuals participated on New Deal for Lone Parents. The estimated outturn spend on the programme is £66 million.
1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Pay Systems
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library the most recent review of (a) his Department's pay systems, (b) the pay systems of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible and (c) the departmental equal pay action plan. [181357]
Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions looks at its pay systems every year to inform the annual pay award process. There is no review report; the outcomes are captured in the pay offer we make to staff. Of the five non-departmental public bodies (NDPB), which the Department is responsible for, two—Remploy and the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority—complete a yearly review, which they will place in the Library by the end of August 2004. Both the Disability Rights Commission and the Health and Safety Executive are currently reviewing their pay progression arrangements. The outcomes of both these reviews will be placed in the Library when completed. The Rent Service's most recent review was completed in 2002, and we will arrange for a summary to be provided for the Library by the end of August 2004.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to reviewing its pay policies to ensure that they are compliant with the current equal pay legislation and do not either directly or indirectly discriminate against any group of employees.
An Equal Pay Audit was completed in January 2002 in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance. This was based on details from the agencies which formed the Department for Social Security. Following the creation of DWP and the consequent alignment of pay policies, the findings from this report are now out-of-date. The Department is currently undertaking an Equal Pay Audit to review existing DWP policies and to inform the further development of its reward strategy. Once this is complete, a copy of the action plan will be placed in the Library.
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Although non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) are not committed to completing an equal pay review, they are encouraged by the Department to conduct them. NDPB's staffed by civil servants follow the Cabinet Office commitment (e.g. HSE). Of the five NDPB's that the Department is responsible for, two (the Disability Rights Commission and The Rent Service) have conducted equal pay reviews, and the relevant documents will be put into the library by the end of August 2004. The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority has no current plans to complete an equal pay review, as they will cease to exist from 5 April 2005. Remploy will be making plans to complete an equal pay review on appointment of their new HR Director on the 26 July 2004.
The final NDPB, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), submitted a draft equal pay action plan to Cabinet Office in 2003. When a finalised version has been agreed that incorporates the findings from a current review of pay progression arrangements it will be placed in the Library.
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