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22 Jul 2004 : Column 442W—continued
Special Advisers
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the reductions in the numbers of civil servants in his Department announced in the comprehensive spending review will be of special advisers. [185466]
Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 190W.
New Deal
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants have been through (a) the New Deal for the over -50s and (b) the New Deal for Partners to date; and what percentage moved into jobs in each case. [182071]
Jane Kennedy: To the end of March 2004, there have been a total of 7,820 starts to the New Deal for Partners and a total of 1,870 jobs (24 per cent. of total starts) have been gained through the programme.
Figures on the number of people participating in New Deal 50-plus are not available.
22 Jul 2004 : Column 443W
Up to March 2003, job outcomes for New Deal 50-plus were based on the number of people taking up the New Deal 50-plus Employment Credit. Between April 2000, when New Deal 50 Plus started, and March 2003, there were 98,040 employment credit starts. Figures for the number of people finding jobs through New Deal 50-plus but not receiving the employment credit are not available.
In April 2003, the employment credit was replaced by the 50-plus return to work element of the working tax credit. We are currently working with the Inland Revenue to secure robust data on how many people have claimed this. However, between April 2003 and December 2003, 19,970 people returned to work thanks to Jobcentre Plus and the New Deal.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have participated in New Deal 50-plus in each year since it was introduced; how many have found a job as a result; and how many have received a weekly employment credit. [178873]
Jane Kennedy: Figures on the number of people participating in New Deal 50-plus are not available.
Up to March 2003, job outcomes for New Deal 50-plus were based on the number of people taking up the New Deal 50-plus Employment Credit. These figures are in the table.
| Number(20) | |
|---|---|
| April 2000 to December 2000 | 24,830 |
| January 2001 to December 2001 | 35,080 |
| January 2002 to December 2002 | 31,830 |
| January 2003 to March 2003 | 6,300 |
(20) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Note:
ND50+ Employment Credit started in April 2000 and was replaced by the 50 plus return to work element of Working Tax Credit in April 2003.
Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible have been (a) established and (b) abolished since 1997. [182946]
Maria Eagle: The information is in the table
(21) This body was originally established by the Department of Social Security, which became the Department for Work and Pensions in June 2001. The new Department was formed by bringing together the Department of Social Security and the Employment Services, which prior to this machinery of government change was part of the Department for Education and Employment (now the Department for Education and Skills).
(22) Originally established by the Department of Social Security, the ITS tribunals were replaced by the Appeals Service in April 2000. The Appeals Service consists of two distinct bodies within a single organisation. The first is a tribunal non-departmental public body with responsibility for the judicial functioning of appeals tribunals. The second is an executive agency responsible for the administration of appeals.
(23) Originally established by the Department for Education and Employment, the New Deal Task Force's name was changed to the National Employment Panel and its remit expanded by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2001.
(24) This body was originally established by the Department for Education and Employment, but responsibility moved to the Department for Work and Pensions when the new Department was formed in 2001.
(25) Established by the Department for Work and Pensions.
22 Jul 2004 : Column 444W
Work Incentives (Homeless Households)
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 28 June 2004, Official Report, column 88W, on work incentives (homeless households), what assessment his Department has made of the impact high rents in temporary accommodation have on the ability of homeless households to access employment opportunities; and if he will make a statement. [182716]
Mr. Pond: Recent research undertaken by the Department with Registered Social Landlords, statutory and voluntary agencies and other stakeholders in local authorities, suggested that high rents in temporary accommodation can act as a disincentive to tenants re-entering employment.
We plan to publish this research in the autumn.
Pensions and Benefits (Direct Payments)
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 20 April 2004,
22 Jul 2004 : Column 445W
ref 165353, and his letters to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South undated and dated 29 March, refs PQ/03/98099 and PQ/03/97277, (1) if he will explain the differences between the figures given; [168643]
(2) when he will answer the question of 21 April from the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South, ref 168643, about figures provided by his Department. [185217]
Mr. Pond: I regret that discrepancies between the figures arose because of errors in the terminology used. A claimant can have several payment accounts, each for a separate benefit; therefore the total number of accounts in Portsmouth South will exceed the number of claimants. The answers to the earlier questions did not correctly distinguish between account numbers and claimant numbers.
The following information is the full set of correct figures relevant to the three earlier questions. This corrects the information given in written answers on 24 February 2004, Official Report, column 197W and column 202W, and on 20 April 2004, Official Report, columns 443–44W.
| As at December | Payments direct into bank/building society accounts | Payable order | Payments through post office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 6,375 | 110 | 7,775 |
| 2003 | 6,945 | 90 | 6,825 |
| As at December | Payments into bank/building society accounts | Payable order | Payments through post office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1,490 | 0 | 3,275 |
| 2003 | 2,240 | 0 | 3,355 |
Notes:
1. Payable orders are sent to the customer's home address but must be produced for payment at a bank or building society.
2. Included in payment through the post office are customers paid into post office card accounts and customers paid by girocheque. Girocheques are either encashable at a post office or payable into a bank or building society account.
3. The account figures in Table One and Two above exclude war pension and child benefit customers as these accounts are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and Inland Revenue respectively.
4. Some customers who are paid direct into an account can also collect their payments in cash at post offices through the wider range of banking services now available at post offices. There is no data available on the umber of benefit claims collected in this way.
5. The number of pensioners receiving one or more DWP benefits (including war pension) collectable at post offices in Portsmouth south at 28 December 2002 was £9,935.
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