Previous Section Index Home Page

21 Feb 2005 : Column 412W—continued

Direct Benefit and Pension Payments

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Bridgwater constituency have been converted to direct payment of pensions and benefits. [217353]

Mr. Pond: In April 2003, when the conversion to direct payment began, 15,905 benefit accounts in Bridgewater were paid into a bank account. By
 
21 Feb 2005 : Column 413W
 
December 2004 (the latest date for which figures are available) the figure had increased to 31,595 benefit accounts.

DLA and Winter Fuel Payments

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each ward of Wallasey constituency claim (a) disability living allowance and (b) winter fuel payments. [217116]

Malcolm Wicks: The number of people in each ward of Wallasey constituency in receipt of disability living allowance and winter fuel payments is in the table.
WardDisability living allowance recipientsWinter fuel payment recipients
Moreton9952,850
Leasowe1,2452,600
Wallasey7203,615
New Brighton1,0703,810
Liscard1,1852,940
Seacombe1,4402,440




Notes:
1. All wards based on census wards—those current as at April 2003.
2. DLA figures are taken at August 2004, the latest currently available at ward level, and include all DLA claimants including children, working age and pensioners claiming DLA.
3. WFP data are the latest currently available, winter 2003–04.
4. All benefit counts at ward level are rounded to a multiple of 5.
Source:
IAD Information Centre




Employment Advisers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether patients' referral to employment advisers based in general practitioners' surgeries will be made on a voluntary basis. [217339]

Jane Kennedy: GPs have a key role to play in ensuring that their advice supports the recovery and rehabilitation of patients and, where appropriate, encourages a return to work or work-related activity.
 
21 Feb 2005 : Column 414W
 

We are currently exploring options for the pilot and we will bring forward our proposals in due course.

Employment Rehabilitation

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what standardised data he collates on the performance of UK agencies in securing rehabilitation into employment in comparison with that of other OECD countries. [216434]

Mr. Pond: We provide data for the OECD on active labour market policies for the disabled. A time series for the UK excluding Northern Ireland is shown in the table:
Spending on programmes for disabled people

Nominal spending
(£ million)
Real spending
(£ million 2003–04 prices)
1982–8385191
1983–8492198
1984–8597198
1985–86105204
1986–87122229
1987–88133237
1988–89147245
1989–90136211
1990–91132190
1991–92143194
1992–93160211
1993–94159204
1994–95174220
1995–96183225
1996–97175208
1997–98183212
1998–99188211
1999–00215237
2000–01222242
2001–02222236
2002–03268275
2003–04298298




Source:
DWP figures.




This is then presented as internationally comparable data, for example in Table H of the statistical annex in the OECD publication Employment Outlook 2004".
Measures for the Disabled1999–20002000–012001–022002–03
Expenditure (Percentage GDP)0.020.020.020.02
Participant Inflows (Percentage Labour Force)0.180.180.17




Source:
OECD Employment Outlook 2004




EU Committee of Senior Labour Inspectors

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Committee of senior labour inspectors met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [214259]

Jane Kennedy: The Senior Labour Inspector Committee (SLIC) meets twice yearly, once in each EU presidency. During the Italian presidency, in the second half of 2003, the SLIC met in Rome between the 25 and 27 of October. The Irish presidency hosted the SLIC meeting in Dublin between the 19 and 21 of May 2004. The Netherlands held their SLIC meeting between the 3 and 5 of November 2004 in Maastricht. Senior operational officials from the Health and Safety Executive attended on all three occasions.

There have been three Command Papers produced on prospects for the European Union which include highlights from the Presidencies in question—Cm6174 laid in April 2004, Cm6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm6450 laid in February 2005. They are available in the Library and on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU
 
21 Feb 2005 : Column 415W
 
the (i) Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Community action programme to combat social exclusion, (ii) Advisory Committee on the free movement of workers met; when and where each meeting took place; what UK Government expert was present at each meeting; and if he will make a statement. [216727]

Mr. Pond: The Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Community Action Programme to combat social exclusion met in Brussels on the following dates:
Date
Italian presidency30 September 2003
10 December 2003
Irish presidency11 February 2004
28April 2004
Dutch presidency28 September 2004
7 December 2004

The Advisory Committee on the Free Movement of Workers met in Brussels on the following dates:
Date
Italian presidency2 July 2003
26 November 2003
Irish presidency12 March 2004
Dutch presidency20 October 2004

The UK Government were represented by officials from the Department for Work and Pensions at all these meetings.

I refer the hon. Member to the series of Command Papers on the prospects for the European Union—Cm 6174 laid in April 2004, Cm 6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm 6450 laid in February 2005, which cover the periods of the above presidencies. They are available in the Library and on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Technical Committee for the implementation of regulations concerning the free movement and employment of workers met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217259]

Mr. Pond: The Technical Committee on the Free Movement of Workers met in Brussels on the following dates:
Date
Italian presidency1 July 2003
25 November 2003
Irish presidency11 March 2004
Dutch presidency19 October 2004

The UK Government were represented by an official from the Department for Work and Pensions at the meetings on 25 November 2003 and 19 October 2004. An official from the Home Office also attended the meeting on 19 October 2004.
 
21 Feb 2005 : Column 416W
 

The UK Government were not represented at the meetings on 1 July 2003 and 11 March 2004.

I refer the hon. Member to the series of Command Papers on the prospects for the European Union—Cm6174 laid in April 2004, Cm6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm6450 laid in February 2005, which cover the periods of the above presidencies. They are available in the Library and on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Administrative Commission on social security for migrant workers (and working parties) met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217260]

Mr. Pond: The Administrative Commission on Social Security for Migrant Workers (and working parties) met in Brussels on the following dates:

Italian presidency

Administrative Commission

Administrative Commission Working Party

Irish presidency

Administrative Commission

Administrative Commission Working Party

Dutch presidency

Administrative Commission

Administrative Commission Working Party

I refer the hon. Member to the series of Command Papers on the prospects for the European Union—Cm6174 laid in April 2004, Cm6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm6450 laid in February 2005, which cover the periods of the above presidencies. They are available in the Library and on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the
 
21 Feb 2005 : Column 417W
 
EU the Scientific Committee for occupational exposure limits to chemical agents met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [214260]

Jane Kennedy: The European Commission's Scientific Committee for Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) met on six occasions in the last 18 months. During the Italian presidency the SCOEL met between 23–24 September 2003 and 10–11 December 2003. During the Irish presidency it met between 17–18 March 2004 and 16–17 June 2004. During the Dutch presidency the Committee met between 22–23 September 2004 and 15–16 December 2004. All meetings took place in the Jean Monnet Building in Luxembourg.

SCOEL members act as independent scientific experts, not as representatives of national Governments. Two SCOEL members are nominated by the Health and Safety Executive, on behalf of the UK. One of the two UK Members of SCOEL is the Head of the Health and Safety Executive's Industrial Chemicals Unit. He attended all six meetings.

There have been three Command Papers produced on prospects for the European Union which include highlights from the Presidencies in question: Cm6174 laid in April 2004, Cm6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm6450 laid in February 2005. These are available in the Library and on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.


Next Section Index Home Page