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10 Jan 2005 : Column 109W—continued
Telephone Numbers
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much revenue his Department has received from the use of non-geographic 0870 telephone numbers for the period 1 October 2003 to 30 September. [205821]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 20 December 2004]: The Department does not own any 0870 telephone numbers.
UVFGI Technology
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of using UVGI technology to combat pathogen levels in NHS hospitals. [205421]
Mr. Hutton: In December 2000, the Department commissioned a pilot study by the University of Leeds into ultraviolet disinfection of airborne bacteria in a United Kingdom hospital. This study concluded that, whilst there was a potential role for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in hospital buildings, further research work was needed to establish the parameters within which the potential benefits can be realised. Consequently, a grant has been awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to investigate this in more depth. This study will address many of the research questions encountered in the pilot study.
In addition, the Health Protection Agency's rapid review panel reviewed a portable device that uses ultra-violet technology, but concluded that the device was unlikely to be of benefit.
Whittington Hospital
Jeremy Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the Jarvis-led private finance initiative contract for the Whittington hospital extension; and what action is being taken by his Department to ensure that the construction work is completed within a schedule agreed by all parties; [205027]
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(2) when he expects the expansion of the Whittington hospital to be complete; and what discussions about the conclusion of the building work have been held by his Department with (a) Jarvis and (b) other contractors. [207693]
Mr. Hutton: The Department is monitoring the progress of this project and has provided advice to the Whittington National Health Service Trust. In any private finance initiative project, should a consortium member be unable to fulfil its contractual obligations it is, in the first instance, for the project's funders and other shareholders to remedy the situation. There are strong incentives for them to do this.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of benefit fraud involved (a) false identities and (b) false claims without false identity in the last year for which figures are available; and how many prosecutions there were in each category. [207021]
Mr. Pond: The information is not available.
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of (a) the cost to his Department of identity fraud and (b) the number of people in each year since 1997, who have claimed benefits to which they are not entitled on the basis of a false identity. [206195]
Mr. Pond: We estimate that identity related benefit fraud costs the Department £50 million per annum. This figure is derived from national data produced by the Regional Benefit Review process, which by examining a percentage of cases is designed to uncover fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance.
Information is not available as to how many people have claimed benefit on the basis of a false identity.
Benefits Processing (Aberystwyth)
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many representations he has received in support of his proposals to change benefits processing in Aberystwyth. [206978]
Jane Kennedy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from David Anderson to Mr Simon Thomas dated 10 January 2005.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about how many representations he has received in support of the proposals to change benefit processing in Aberystwyth. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
I fully understand the concerns of our customers and staff over the proposed changes to the way we deliver our business. Whilst we have received no direct representations locally supporting our plans, I firmly believe that the move to Benefit Processing Centres is the best way to maintain a high quality service to our customers within the efficiency constraints we are faced with.
The new integrated service will be delivered from the site of the current Jobcentre, and I am confident that Jobcentre Plus will continue to offer the best possible service to customers in Aberystwyth. Indeed, through the extension of the Personal Adviser service to customers on inactive benefits we will be increasing the help we offer to some of our most disadvantaged customers.
As the timescales for these changes are agreed, the District Manager for West Wales will keep you fully informed.
Correspondence
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus will give a substantive reply to the letter of 8 October from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight concerning Mr D Prescott. [206968]
Jane Kennedy: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 30 December.
Documents
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is in relation to the storage of documents and the use of shredders; and whether this policy has been reviewed in the past 12 months. [206737]
Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions continues to implement well established policies and procedures for the review and disposal of files in accordance with its administrative needs and the Public Records Act.
Email messages that form part of the official record are saved for as long as business needs require and stored corporately in accordance with departmental record management procedures. Further email guidance is available on the National Archives website at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/electronicrecords/advice/pdf/managing_emails.pdf
Departmental policy on this has not changed within the past 12 months.
Homelessness
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the
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support services offered by his Department to help homeless people find employment. [206590]
Jane Kennedy: The Department provides a range of services to help homeless people find employment, from support from personal advisers based in Jobcentres to specific initiatives such as Progress2work-LinkUP and Action Teams for Jobs. Additionally, homeless people can have early access to the New Deals and other national programmes.
Progress2work-Link-Up is being piloted in 22 Jobcentre Plus districts. The initiative is designed to include those who may experience multiple barriers to employment for whom it provides support into employment and to find accommodation. Ex-offenders, the homeless and those who misuse alcohol are included in this wider client group.
Jobcentre Plus communicates its help for the homeless via its network of advisers for whom it provides guidance about the problems facing homeless customers. This explains the role of staff in helping and advising such customers as well as acting as a signposting service to organisations which offer specialist help to homeless people. There is also guidance about the British Action on Homelessness (BAOH) and how its "Ready for Work" programme work placements are accommodated within the Intensive Activity Period of New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus.
Jobcentre Plus also conducts joint work at a local level. A strand of most Local Strategic Partnerships centres on homelessness and employment and these partnerships provide the link between Jobcentre Plus and local authorities.
Housing Benefit
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit claims in 2003–04 were subject to each rate of non-dependent deduction; at each rate, how many claimants were living in (a) council housing, (b) registered social landlord housing and (c) the private rented sector; and what each figure represents as a percentage of total housing benefit claims. [204469]
Mr. Pond: The information is in the table.
Notes:
(5507180021) This figure is the number of housing benefit recipients with at least one non-dependant.
(5507180022) This figure is the total number of non-dependants.
(5507180023) Figures under 2,500 are subject to a high degree of sampling variation and should be used only as a guide to the situation.
(5507180024) Nil or negligible.
Notes:
1. The figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
2. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
3. The caseloads are rounded to the nearest thousand, and percentages to one
decimal place.
4. Housing benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003.
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