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2 Mar 2005 : Column 1259W—continued

Cancer

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what policies his Department has in place for supporting employees with cancer. [218591]

Maria Eagle: The Department has a range of policies in place to support all staff who are ill, whatever the cause. This includes extensive sick pay arrangements, special leave for staff attending medical appointments, the opportunity for a phased return to work following an absence and the advice and support of an Occupational Health Provider. In addition, the Department's staff can make use of the facilities of an Employee Assistance Provider, who can provide advice and support to individuals who have an illness themselves or who are affected by the illness of a friend or relative. For those who are unlikely to be able to return to work, there is also the opportunity of ill health retirement via the civil service pension scheme.

In the last 12 months nearly 400 people have had time off work due to cancer.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency centres there are in the West Midlands region. [218039]


 
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Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 2 March 2005:

Gaelic Language

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans his Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme. [217100]

Maria Eagle: Action to support the Gaelic language is primarily the responsibility of Scottish Ministers.

The Department for Work and Pensions attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of the Gaelic language in line with the UK's obligations under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
 
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The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament does not extend statutory obligations on UK public bodies in Scotland in relation to the preparation or implementation of Gaelic language plans. However, UK departments and public bodies which operate in Scotland may—like comparable Scottish public bodies—have a role to play in facilitating the use of the language.

The Department for Work and Pensions has been working closely with colleagues in the Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive on the role we can play, voluntarily, in securing the status of Gaelic.

Housing allowance

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the findings of the comprehensive evaluation of the local housing allowance pathfinders will be published. [218909]

Mr. Pond: We published the baseline stage of the evaluation of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) pathfinders in September 2004. Copies of these reports covering the views and experiences of tenants, landlords, pathfinder local authorities and other stakeholders prior to the start of the Local Housing Allowance scheme, are available in the Library. All these publications can also be found on the DWP's website at www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/lha/evaluation/index.asp

Further publications covering the first six months of the new scheme are due to be published during spring 2005. The evaluation will then provide a further series of interim publications, based on experience at the 15 month stage, followed by a final evaluation in 2006.

The full titles and dates of publications of the reports and summaries published to date are:

Evaluating the LHA Pathfinders"

This introductory paper sets out the policy context for the LHA and the evaluation strategy for the pathfinders (published September 2004)

The nine LHA Pathfinder areas: a summary of the baseline position before the introduction of the LHA"

This sets the scene for the introduction of the policy and provides a benchmark for future reports. It brings together the evidence gathered from the key stakeholders and captures the later stages of the preparation for 'go-live' in the nine authorities (published September 2004)

Claiming Housing Benefit in the Private Rented Sector: the baseline experience of claimants in the nine LHA Pathfinder areas"

This looks in detail at the household, housing and financial characteristics from a survey of housing benefit claimants before the introduction of the LHA (published September 2004)
 
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Landlords and Agents in the nine LHA Pathfinder areas: a summary report"

This provides initial top-line findings from the baseline survey of landlords and letting agents (published September 2004).

Landlords and Agents in the private rented sector: the baseline position in the LHA Pathfinders"

This follows on from the summary and completes the series of reports from the baseline stage of the evaluation. This is the full report of findings from a survey of landlords and agents, carried out prior to the introduction of the LHA (published February 2005).

Income Support

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families with children have been in receipt of income support for more than one year in Coventry. [218040]

Mr. Pond: As at August 2004, 6,100 families with dependant children up to the age of 19 had been in receipt of income support for more than one year in the Coventry local authority area.

New Deal for Lone Parents

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people living in Lancashire have gained work through the new deal for lone parents. [217580]

Jane Kennedy: 8,060 people in Lancashire have gained work through the new deal for lone parents since the start of the programme in October 1998.

Data for Lancashire are the total for the Jobcentre Plus districts of East Lancashire and Lancashire West.

Pension Credit

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his written statement of 3 February 2005, Official Report, column 68WS, on pension credit, if he will place in the Library a copy of the analysis from which the take-up estimates were derived. [216899]

Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 22 February 2005]: National Statistics on take-up of major DWP benefits are published annually by the Department in Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up. These are based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS) for the relevant year and take account of both entitled non-recipients and non-entitled recipients. However, they are published significantly in arrears and the 2004–05 statistics will not be available for some time.

In the interim, indicative take-up figures may be calculated by comparing estimates of entitlement with actual numbers of claimants in the administrative data.
 
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Projections from the Department's Policy Simulation Model, based on the 2002–03 Family Resources Survey, have yielded estimates of entitlement. This methodology suggests an initial view that in 2004–05 take-up is over 80 per cent. for those on the guarantee element, and could be as high as 90 per cent. for single women pensioners entitled to the guarantee element.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total value of pensioner credit paid in Chorley constituency to date is; and what the average sum paid in Chorley is. [218973]

Malcolm Wicks: Between 1 October 2003 and 31 December 2004 an estimated total of £9.4 million, rounded to the nearest £100,000, was paid in pension credit in the Chorley constituency. The average award in Chorley at 31 December 2004 was £38.32.


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