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16 Nov 2004 : Column 1323W—continued
Health Projects
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what feedback his Department has received from general practitioners in the Pathways to Work pilot areas, regarding the desk aid and educational DVDs that have been distributed; and if he will make a statement. [193258]
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Maria Eagle: A range of initiatives to engage with local GPs were developed for the Incapacity Benefit 'Pathways to work' pilot areas and included an online learning module, a desk aid and two educational DVDs.
The Department has commissioned some qualitative studies with GPs in the Pathways to Work pilot areas.
A study, to be published in spring 2005 investigates whether GPs engage with patients in 'return to work' discussions/how and when this happens, what the drivers and barriers are and GPs' knowledge and use of rehabilitation health services.
In spring 2005 we will also publish findings from a project undertaken to evaluate the 'Engaging Physicians Benefiting Patients' pilot which included asking GPs about their knowledge of the ways in which DWP communicate with them. This evaluation covered guidance, desk aids and DVDs on medical evidence gathering for sickness certification and return to work advice for patients.
In addition the Department has commissioned research with GPs who have registered on the DWP website to evaluate the online training, desk aid and DVD we provide to improve training for GPs in .patient interaction on issues such as sickness certification and return to work. Findings from this research will be available in autumn 2005.
Holiday Caravan Parks
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with local authorities regarding the safety of holiday caravan parks. [198068]
Jane Kennedy: HSE has had no central discussions with LAs regarding safety at holiday caravan parks. The Department for Work and Pensions is unable to categorically state that no discussions have taken place at the local operational level between HSE and LAs regarding safety at holiday caravan parks, especially as routine liaison meetings take place, but the information we have suggests this has not happened or is very unlikely.
Jobcentre Plus Offices (Argyll and Bute)
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his plans are for each of the Jobcentre Plus offices in the Argyll and Bute constituency. [198518]
Jane Kennedy:
The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Alan Reid, dated 16 November 2004:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the plans for each of the Jobcentre Plus offices in the Argyll and Bute constituency. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
All four offices in your constituency have already been rolled out to offer the new Jobcentre Plus services. It is planned that these offices will remain open and continue to deliver an integrated customer facing service, providing a single access point to job vacancies and benefits for all people of working age.
It may be helpful if I explain that Jobcentre Plus has reviewed the way in which all our benefit processing is delivered and we have been exploring ways of improving efficiency for some time. We currently process benefits in all the offices within your constituency. The processing teams in each of these offices operate with 8 staff or less and we have concluded that we should consolidate the benefit processing work into a larger site. The move to a centralised operation will concentrate expertise and experience, ensure consistency of decision-making and bring continuity of service, thereby improving customer service. It will also deliver the necessary economies of scale.
Our plans for the roll out of the Benefit Processing Centres, including Clydebank Benefit Processing Centre are at an early stage and you will be kept informed of progress as these develop.
Incapacity/Severe Disablement Benefit
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new incapacity benefit beneficiaries there were, broken down by (a) Government office region and (b) gender in each year since 1995; and how many were (i) new entrants on to benefit and (ii) existing beneficiaries in each case. [190901]
Maria Eagle: The information has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what previous employment new incapacity benefit claimants had before making their claims in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) age and (b) region. [191696]
Maria Eagle: The information has been placed in the Library.
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of people making a fresh claim for incapacity benefit in each year since 2000 had been in receipt of incapacity benefit during the previous 12 months. [195808]
Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
Notes:
1. Case load figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
3. Figures are based on persons claiming severe disablement allowance, long term or short term incapacity benefit, credits only cases, and those persons claiming IB but who have their benefit extinguished for reasons such as an overlap with another benefit, or because of hospitalisation.
4. Some IB/SDA end dates will have been estimated at the end of a quarter, where the true end date is not known.
5. A person is counted only once in each year, regardless of the number of times they claim and subsequently leave each benefit. If however a claimant makes a claim to IB/SDA in more than one year shown then they will appear in each year's figures.
6. SDA is not available to new claimants from 6 April 2001. From this point, disabled people, whose period of incapacity begins before the age of 20 (or 25 if in education or training before the age of 20), may be able to receive incapacity benefit without having to satisfy the national insurance contribution conditions. SDA recipients aged below 20 at the cut-off point will transfer on to IB at the long-term rate in April 2002. Existing recipients can continue to receive the benefit for as long as they satisfy the conditions of entitlement for the benefit.
7. Figures for the latest period (2003–04) will increase in due course because of late notifications not yet recorded on the computer system.
8. Commencements include all benefit recipients and national insurance credits only cases.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people living in the London borough of Wandsworth have claimed incapacity benefit in each of the last three years. [197124]
Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| May 2002 | 8,100 |
| May 2003 | 8,400 |
| May 2004 | 8,400 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. Figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance claims (including IB credits only cases).
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have claimed incapacity benefit on the grounds of poor mental health in each year since 1997. [197968]
Maria Eagle:
The information is in the following table.
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Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
2. Figures include national insurance credits only cases.
3. Great Britain totals include a small number of claimants temporarily overseas.
4. All diagnoses are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, published by the World Health Organisation.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.
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Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the overall expenditure on incapacity benefits including severe disablement allowance and income support on the grounds of incapacity (a) on the grounds of mental and behavioural disorders and (b) in total were in each year since 1997. [195823]
Maria Eagle: Details of the primary diagnosis of income support recipients whose benefit is paid on the grounds of ill health are not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The available information is in the table.
Notes:
1. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £ million and are in real terms at 2004–05 prices.
2. Figures for mental and behavioural disorders are based on average amounts and caseloads at August of each year.
Source:
DWP benefit expenditure tables and 5 per cent. sample of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance cases from the Quarterly Statistical Enquiry.
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