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20 Dec 2004 : Column 1450W—continued
Women Pensioners
Annabelle Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral answer of 13 December 2004, Official Report, column 1382, on women pensioners, how many (a) older elderly people
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and (b) women were in receipt of pension credit in Scotland on the latest date for which figures are available. [205933]
Malcolm Wicks: At 31 October there were 89,100 households in Scotland in receipt of pension credit in which the claimant was aged 80 or over. These households comprise 97,215 individuals, some of whom will be aged under 80. There will also be a number of households in which a claimant aged under 80 has a partner aged 80 or over. It is not possible to give a figure for these. At the same date, 218,370 women in Scotland were in receipt of pension credit, either as individuals or as part of a couple.
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five. 2. Figures are available for 31 October 2004 as the final output of processes that were put in place to deliver special monthly reporting during the first year of the roll-out of pension credit. As Parliament was told in the statement accompanying the last such report, data will in future be available on a quarterly basis, in line with standard departmental practice. The next report, covering data as at 31 December 2004, should be laid in the House in January 2005. 3. The 97,215 individual recipients will include a number of partners under age 80 and may include a small number of partners under age 60. 4. The 218,370 women in receipt of pension credit may include a small number of partners under age 60.
Work-based Learning
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the role of his Department in working with other agencies to stimulate work-based learning. [204494]
Jane Kennedy: The Department for Work and Pensions1 role in working with other agencies to stimulate work-based learning is to ensure that Jobcentre Plus advisers understand the needs of local employers. They can then ensure that jobless customers can undertake the training required to fill the vacancies that arise and that, wherever possible, these customers have the opportunity to continue training once in work, supported by the Learning and Skills Council where appropriate. Our policy is to deliver a knowledgeable and co-ordinated service for individuals and employers. The policy intention is reflected by:
the Department's partnership working within the Skills Alliance ( key Government Departments, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and the Small Business Council);
joint planning and delivery of work based learning by Jobcentre Plus and Learning and Skills Councils;
and links with the Department for Trade and Industry and the business networks that they sponsor, at regional and local levels.
One outcome of this partnership approach is the ongoing work by Jobcentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council to implement the recommendations of the National Employment Panel's workforce development report.
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Working Neighbourhoods Pilot
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on progress with the working neighbourhoods pilot scheme. [204652]
Jane Kennedy: The Working Neighbourhoods Pilot started on 1 April 2004 for a period of two years. It operates in 12 neighbourhoods, all with relatively high levels of worklessness. An interim evaluation report is due in summer 2005 and this will provide robust evidence on performance across the 12 Working Neighbourhoods Pilot sites.
Young Disabled People
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people up to the age of 21 years are receiving state benefits due to their disability. [206186]
Maria Eagle: The requested information is in the table:
(38) The benefits included are DLA, SDA, IIDB and IS with a disability premium. IIDB includes reduced earnings allowance cases. A claimant can receive more than one of these benefits.
(39) DLA is payable to claimants of all ages, including children.
(40) These benefits are payable to claimants aged 16 and over.
(41) The overlap between IIDB and other benefits is negligible, and therefore the IIDB figure has been presented separately using the 100 per cent. data.
(42) The "total" number excludes overlaps between benefits. Therefore the individual benefit totals do not sum to the overall "total".
(43) Nil or negligible.
Notes:
1. 5 per cent. figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Numbers taken from a 5 per cent. sample are subject to a degree of sampling error.
2. 100 per cent. figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
Sources:
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. Working Age Client Group sample and 5 per cent. DLA samples.
IAD Information Centre 100 per cent. IIDB database.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Battersea Power Station
Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when Battersea Power Station was last inspected by English Heritage; and what the outcome of the inspection was. [204674]
Mr. Caborn:
As part of their assessment of current development proposals, English Heritage specialists have carried out regular and detailed inspections of Battersea Power Station over the past 18 months. While the overall condition of the building is poor, the most
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important parts of its interior have been safeguarded and there is an ongoing programme of emergency repairs.
Christmas Cards
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many hours of staff time were taken up in preparation of Christmas cards in 2004. [205132]
Mr. Caborn: The staff time spent on preparation of Christmas cards has not been logged; however it is estimated that this amounted to approximately 21 hours in total. This included sourcing images, commissioning design and print, obtaining order quantities from the Department's directorates and arranging internal distribution of the printed cards.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many departmental staff have responsibility for preparing Christmas cards. [205133]
Mr. Caborn: One member of staff in the Department's Promotions and Publicity Unit has responsibility for preparing Christmas cards, as part of a range of duties.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of official departmental Christmas cards included a contribution to charity in their cost; and which charities benefited from such a contribution. [205134]
Mr. Caborn: DCMS Christmas cards included no contribution to charity in their cost.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of postage was for official departmental Christmas cards in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [205135]
Mr. Caborn: No assessment of postage was made, but the majority of cards were sent by second class post.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of purchasing official departmental Christmas cards in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [205136]
Mr. Caborn: The information requested is as follows.
(a) The cost of purchasing official departmental Christmas cards in 2003 was £3,209.
(b) The cost of purchasing official departmental Christmas cards in 2004 was £3,235.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many official Christmas cards were sent out by her Department in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [205137]
Mr. Caborn: The information requested is as follows.
(a) In 2003,4,950 official Christmas cards were sent out.
(b) In 2004, 3,550 official Christmas cards were sent out.
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