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21 Feb 2005 : Column 431W—continued
Stationery
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Department spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since 1997. [213840]
21 Feb 2005 : Column 432W
Maria Eagle: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Sure Start
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in Leigh constituency have received the Sure Start maternity grant. [214586]
Mr. Pond: The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.
| Awards | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 1,055 |
| 2001–02 | 1,209 |
| 2002–03 | 1,405 |
| 2003–04 | 1,385 |
| 2004–05 to January | 1,168 |
Notes:
1. SSMGs were introduced on 27 March 2000.
2. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency, but only by district.
3. Leigh parliamentary constituency is part of Wigan Jobcentre plus district, which was previously called Wigan and Leigh social fund district.
4. Data is given for all awards, irrespective of whether the award was made to the mother or her partner.
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.
Telephone Claims Lines
Anne Picking: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures the Government are taking to ensure that telephone claims lines are adequate to cope timeously with crisis loan applications; and if he will make a statement. [211089]
Jane Kennedy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from David Anderson to Mrs. Anne Picking, dated 21 February 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the measures the Government is taking to ensure that telephone claims lines are adequate to cope timeously with crisis loan applications. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Legislation was changed in 2002 to allow crisis loan applications to be taken by telephone. Since then, a varying level of service has been offered in different parts of the country, due to factors such as the telephony equipment available in different areas. While the telephone service has generally proved popular and efficient, in the few areas where there have been problems dealing with the high volume of calls, urgent local management action has been taken to improve the service for customers. Irrespective of the level or adequacy of the telephone service, customers retain a right to apply for a loan in person at a Jobcentre Plus office.
For the future, we plan to reduce the number of offices processing Social Fund applications from 142 to around 20, and to implement a standard operating model for the Fund. We are piloting the new model in two Welsh district offices and aim to roll it out nationally from April 2005 onwards. The model includes a standard telephone service for crisis loans, supported by the
- appropriate telephone technology. The increased size of the processing units will give much greater staffing flexibility and allow us to assign staff as necessary to meet fluctuating customer demand. Although the telephone will become the normal and preferred method of taking crisis loan applications, we will retain the option of face to face interviews for people who require them.
Winter Fuel Payments
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many senior citizens in Leigh constituency have received the winter fuel allowance since 1997. [214583]
Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of senior citizens who have received a winter fuel payment in Leigh in each year for which figures are available is in the Library.
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Morecambe and Lunesdale have received each level of the winter fuel allowance in 2004–05. [216771]
Malcolm Wicks: Information is not yet available for winter 2004–05. Information on the number of payments made at each level in Morecombe and Lunesdale for winter 2003–04 is in the Library. We would expect the numbers to be similar for this winter.
Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Rochdale constituency received the winter fuel allowance in 2004–05; and what total amount of payments this represented. [217377]
Malcolm Wicks: Information is not yet available for winter 2004–05. Information about the number of payments at each rate to people in the Rochdale constituency for winter 2003–04 is in the Library. We would expect the number to be similar for this winter.
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the winter fuel payment is treated as a recurring item of pension income expenditure in his Department's budget. [211992]
Malcolm Wicks: Expenditure on the winter fuel payment is included in each year of the DWP's benefit expenditure forecasts. The latest medium-term forecast was published following the pre-Budget report, and continues to 2007–08. Long-term spending projections also include the winter fuel payment.
Benefit expenditure forecast information is published on the internet at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp.
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate his Department has made of the cost of overpayment of the winter fuel payment in each of the last three years; [216544]
(2) if he will make it his policy to recover over-payments of the winter fuel payment. [216583]
Malcolm Wicks:
It is departmental policy to recover all overpayments that arise from misrepresentation or fraud. If a customer receives an excess amount because of official error they may in some circumstances be
21 Feb 2005 : Column 434W
invited to repay it. Information about the total cost of overpayments of the winter fuel payment is not collected centrally.
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) people and (b) households in (i) Leicester, South and (ii) the City of Leicester were (A) eligible to receive and (B) received winter fuel payments in each year since 1997. [216942]
Malcolm Wicks: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of people or households that were eligible for a winter fuel payment. Information on the number of winter fuel payments made in Leicester, South and City of Leicester in each year for which figures are available is in the Library.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Alcohol-related Crime
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1526–27W, on alcohol-related crimes, what the level of alcohol-related crime was; and how many fixed penalties were issued in each of the 92 participating basic command units. [209252]
Ms Blears: Data on whether alcohol was involved in the commission of an offence is not collected centrally. The number of fixed penalty notices issued as part of the campaign is set out in the table.
21 Feb 2005 : Column 436W
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