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9 Mar 2005 : Column 1867W—continued
Job Centres
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost has been of refurbishing jobcentres at (a) Blandford, (b) Bridport, (c) Christchurch, (d) Poole and (e) Wareham in the last three years. [212300]
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. Christopher Chope, dated 9 March 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the cost of refurbishing the Jobcentres in Blandford, Bridport, Christchurch, Poole and Wareham in the last three years. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
During this time, Blandford, Bridport, Christchurch and Wareham were refurbished to meet the corporate Jobcentre Plus vision. As Poole was relocated to a new site, new build costs were incurred.
| Jobcentre plus office | Cost |
|---|---|
| Blandford | 287,000 |
| Bridport | 300,000 |
| Christchurch | 320,000 |
| Poole | 343,000 |
| Wareham | 242,000 |
Notes:
1. Information is for the period October 2002 to July 2004 when costs were incurred.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus South West Regional Office
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work-focused benefit interviews were carried out at jobcentres in (a) Blandford, (b) Bridport, (c) Christchurch, (d) Poole and (e) Wareham in the last month for which figures are available. [212301]
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. Christopher Chope, dated 9 March 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of work-focused benefit interviews carried out at Jobcentres in Blandford, Bridport, Christchurch, Poole and Wareham in the last month for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
| Jobcentre plus office | Number of interviews |
|---|---|
| Blandford | 90 |
| Bridport | 100 |
| Christchurch | 140 |
| Poole | 540 |
| Wareham | 90 |
Notes:
1. Figures are for January 2005.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Customer Management System
9 Mar 2005 : Column 1868W
Jobseekers
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what restrictions his Department places on the jobs which may be offered to jobseekers which raise issues of conscience for those taking them up. [219713]
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 Mr. Tim Boswell, dated 9 March 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the restrictions this Department places on jobs which may be offered to jobseekers which raise issues of conscience for those taking them up. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus
It is our policy to accept vacancies across a wide range of occupations, on the understanding that they are fully compliant with UK employment legislation and civil law. We do not seek to restrict the advertising of vacancies where the work involved may raise an issue of conscience, but where the employment is lawful.
Under the Employment and Training Act 1973 we have to provide a service to both employers and to people seeking employment. We must, therefore, have strong reasons for refusing an employer access to our services.
Some vacancies advertised by Jobcentre Plus include statements which, due to the nature of work or the employer's circumstances, jobseekers are not obliged to apply for. These include vacancies in the adult entertainment, sex and related industries and/or involving nudity, and vacancies from employers where industrial action is taking place.
Whilst the payment of Jobseekers Allowance is intended to provide a safety net of a minimum level of income for those between jobs, unemployment must not be voluntary. Sanctions therefore underpin the benefit system.
Safeguards in the Jobseeker's Allowance regulations mean that individuals who display good cause for refusing employment would not be sanctioned and lose benefit. Jobseeker's Allowance regulations specify that a person is considered to have good cause where, amongst other reasons, they have a sincerely held religious or conscientious objection.
Maternity Provision
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans the Government has to increase the rate of (a) statutory maternity pay and (b) maternity allowance. [219801]
Mr. Pond: The standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance will be increased from £102.80 to £106 a week from April 2005 as part of the annual uprating process.
The Government's aim is to give all children the best start in life and to give parents more choice about how to balance their work and family life. As part of this the Government have undertaken to extend the payment period of Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance from 26 weeks to 39 weeks from April 2007.
The Government recognise that whether parents can afford to take time off is crucial to their decisions about how much leave from work they can take. Therefore we
9 Mar 2005 : Column 1869W
are asking in our consultation document Work and Families, Choice and Flexibility", issued by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 28 February, what the guiding principles should be for setting the level of flat rate payments.
New Deal for Disabled People
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to inform employers about the new deal for disabled people; and how it assesses the success of measures to publicise the programme to employers. [219871]
Jane Kennedy: As part of its range of new deal promotional materials, the Department provides a leaflet for employers about the new deal for disabled people (NDDP), which is used by Jobcentre Plus in working locally with employers. It includes case studies of and for employers and can also be used by NDDP Job Brokers as a marketing tool. The NDDP News Magazine, which is published on a quarterly basis and has a circulation of 10,000 to 15,000, also includes positive features on employers' experiences of employing people who have found a job through NDDP and is frequently requested by Job Brokers for use in their promotional activities.
The main emphasis in promoting NDDP to employers lies with individual Job Brokers. Job Broker services vary and are focused on customers' requirements and the needs of the local labour market. Their marketing activities are also tailored to need, and are most likely to be primarily directed towards potential customers. Job Brokers can work directly with an employer but will only do so with the agreement of the customer concerned.
A key indicator of success is in the programme's achievement of job entries. Up to September 2004, over 46,000 people had gained a job through NDDP since the programme began in 2001. The Department has in place a comprehensive research programme for NDDP, designed to establish the experiences and views of the range of stakeholders, including Job Brokers, customers and employers, among others. This does not directly assess the success of Job Brokers' measures to publicise the programme, but emerging findings show that employers are broadly aware of the new deal and, although less so of NDDP specifically, they are aware of Job Broker organisations in their area, where Job Brokers often advertise under their own name for their NDDP service.
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