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20 Dec 2004 : Column 1429W—continued

Benefit Payments (Newcastle)

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women receiving (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) severe disablement allowance there were in each ward of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. [204617]

Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table.
 
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Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in Newcastle upon Tyne by ward and sex

Incapacity benefit and severe disablement
allowance claimants
Ward nameMaleFemale
Benwell425285
Blakelaw615395
Byker715420
Castle270230
Dene320255
Denton400285
Elswick585320
Fawdon570365
Fenham460335
Grange365270
Heaton290225
Jesmond160115
Kenton470325
Lemington410285
Monkchester675440
Moorside550295
Newburn390245
Sandyford525240
Scotswood365205
South Gosforth11070
Walker660415
Walkergate450315
West City740330
Westerhope330255
Wingrove375260
Woolsington425290




Notes:
1. Wards are based on 2003 ward boundaries.
2. All ward level benefit data is the latest currently available, August 2003.
3. For data protection reasons we cannot give the gender breakdown for incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance separately.
4. All benefit counts have been rounded to a multiple of five to protect the confidentiality of individual claimants.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, DWP



Cellulose Fibres

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what studies he has carried out in conjunction with Health and Safety Research into the safety of materials containing cellulose fibres. [206159]

Jane Kennedy: In 1998, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) asked the Institute of Environmental Health to carry out a study into the relative risks of chrysotile asbestos and commonly used substitutes including cellulose. Later in the same year HSE also asked the Committee on the Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) to advise on the relative carcinogenic risks of three chrysotile asbestos substitutes including cellulose taking into account the report produced by the Institute. The COC advice was that the carcinogenic risk posed by cellulose fibres is likely to be less than that posed by chrysotile. A copy of that advice is available at http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/coc/chrys.pdf.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency cases
 
20 Dec 2004 : Column 1431W
 
concerning constituents in Strathkelvin and Bearsden were being investigated on the latest date for which figures are available. [204202]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. John Lyons dated 20 December 2004:

Child Support Applications

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the processing of child support applications; and if he will make a statement. [204160]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Miss Anne McIntosh, dated 20 December 2004:

Council Tax Benefit

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average reduction in council tax bills for (a) an average household and (b) an average pensioner household in England due to council tax benefit was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [202288]

Mr. Pond: The available information is in the table.
Average annual council tax benefit in England.

£
All cases653.00
Recipients aged 60 and over649.00




Notes:
1. Figures are estimates based on administrative data from local authorities.
2. The estimates are consistent with PBR 2004 forecasts




 
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Departmental Advertising

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers. [201694]

Maria Eagle: The Department has conducted campaign advertising in the following newspapers which have a substantial Muslim readership.

The Department has also advertised in several ethnic language publications, which have a smaller Muslim readership, these are:

Additional Muslim publications, which are not newspapers in which advertisements have been placed are:

With respect to recruitment advertising no specific Muslim titles are used. The selection of titles is based on an understanding of the labour market, recruitment issues, the readership of titles and their reach within a guaranteed circulation. The reach of the title i.e. the number of people receiving it will be checked to ensure it includes all members of the community, including Muslims.

The type of advertising placed is campaign related. It will be designed to support specific marketing campaigns and will be display advertisements.
 
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Departmental Establishments

Sir Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) temporary jobs his Department and its Executive agencies have had in (i) the Scottish Borders and (ii) Scotland since 1997. [199594]

Maria Eagle: Information on the numbers of staff employed in the Department and its agencies in Scotland at specified points in time is in the following table. It is not possible to identify staff in the Scottish Borders separately. Information is not available prior to April 2002.
Number of staff in Scotland

(a)
Full-time
(b)
Part-time
(c) Temporary
As at 30 April 2002
Jobcentre Plus8,7331,616381
The Pension Service5351119
Child Support Agency1,32917810
Appeals Service111100
Rest of the Department74910718
Total11,4572,022418
As at 31 March 2003
Jobcentre Plus7,7791,644150
The Pension Service1,61722488
Child Support Agency1,43623410
Appeals Service10864
Rest of the Department71711035
Total11,6572,218287
As at 31 March 2004
Jobcentre Plus7,4581,730376
The Pension Service1,80226660
Child Support Agency1,29427324
Appeals Service10184
Rest of the Department67011440
Total11,3252,391504




Note:
Figures are full-time equivalents and are consistent with Cabinet Office definitions.




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