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20 Dec 2004 : Column 1440W—continued
Gyms
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many gyms are available to the staff in the Department; and what the cost of providing them was in the last year for which figures are available. [204363]
Maria Eagle: There are currently 17 workplace gyms around the country that are available to staff working for the Department for Work and Pensions. DWP does not contribute to the running costs of these facilities.
Housing Benefit
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for housing benefit extended payments were made in each year since 1997–98; and how many of those applications were successful. [204467]
Mr. Pond: The available information is in the table.
n/a = Not available. This is due to data quality issues around information supplied by local authorities.
Notes:
1. The figures have been rounded to two significant figures.
2. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.
3. Claims received in one quarter could be determined in the following quarter; therefore the number of applications and the number of successful applications within one quarter do not necessarily refer to the same claims.
4. The figures are the sum of data collected in all four quarters from April to March each year.
Source:
Housing Benefit Management Information System Quarterly Administration Returns April 1997 to March 2004.
20 Dec 2004 : Column 1441W
Human Rights Act
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases have been brought against his Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what the cost has been in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments. [202446]
Jane Kennedy: In line with policy and practice in other Government Departments, the Department for Work and Pensions does not record separately those cases which are brought against the Department involving the Human Rights Act 1998. Human Rights are integrated into the general law and are rarely the sole basis of challenge. This makes them very difficult to count separately.
The information required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants failed to attend their Personal Capability Assessment in each of the last 12 months; and for how many of those who attended incapacity benefit was (a) increased, (b) decreased and (c) unaltered after their assessment. [203360]
Maria Eagle: The Personal Capability Assessment is used to determine whether or not a claimant is sufficiently incapacitated to be entitled to incapacity benefit. A positive outcome does not directly affect the rate of incapacity benefit in payment; the rate depends on a number of other factors such as the length of the spell of incapacity, number of dependants, and other benefits in payment.
David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) Midlothian received incapacity benefit in the period (i) 1990 to 1997 and (ii) 1997 to 2004. [204602]
Maria Eagle: Constituency level data iarenot available prior to 1997. The available information is in the table.
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred
2. Incapacity benefit replaced sickness/invalidity benefit in April 1995.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 1 per cent. samples up to 12 April 1995 and 5 per cent. samples thereafter.
20 Dec 2004 : Column 1442W
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of incapacity benefit there were in each ward in Wrexham in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004. [204969]
Maria Eagle: Incapacity Benefit ward-level data is not available prior to 1998. The 2004 data will not be available until early next year.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have had their incapacity benefit stopped during the last 13 months. [206185]
Maria Eagle: The only available data relate to claimants whose incapacity benefits are stopped in relation to a medical examination; this includes claimants who fail to complete the process as well as those who are found fit. The available information is in the table.
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
2. Medical examinations figures include both the "Own Occupation Test" and the "Personal Capability Assessment".
3. Claimants who either fail to attend a medical examination or return the medical questionnaire, and therefore lose their entitlement to incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, may have their claim re-instated at a later date. The number of re-instated cases is not available.
4. Figures include credits only cases.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. counts.
20 Dec 2004 : Column 1443W
Income Support
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the constituency of the Rhondda claim income support. [204607]
Mr. Pond: In August 2004 there were 4,900 income support recipients in the Rhondda parliamentary constituency.
1. Figure is rounded to the nearest hundred and quoted in thousands. 2. Number is based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
Invoice Payments
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time was between the date of invoices issued to his Department from a supplier and payment by the Department of the invoice in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what percentage of those invoices were paid within 30 days of the date of issue of the invoice; what percentage of those invoices remained unpaid after 90 days; and if he will make a statement on the Department's policy on the payment of invoices issued to the Department. [201006]
Jane Kennedy: It is DWP policy to pay an invoice within 30 days of receipt of it unless alternative payment terms are specified in the contract.
The average length of time between the date of invoices received by the Department from a supplier to payment by the Department of the invoice in the last 12 months is 18 days.
For the period from November 2003 to October 2004, 96 per cent. of all invoices were paid within 30 days of receipt.
Less than 1 per cent. of invoices remained unpaid after 90 days of receipt.
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