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12 Sept 2005 : Column 2508W—continued
Disability Premium
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications have been received for the disability premium in each of the last 12 months, broken down by means by which the application was made; how many were refused; how many were subsequently approved on appeal; and if he will make a statement. [12488]
Mr. Timms: The information is not available; claimants do not apply for disability premiums paid with income related benefits. The premiums are triggered by the claimant's circumstances and awarded accordingly.
Disabled People (Employment)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the statutory provisions and regulations in force to promote or ensure the employment of disabled people. [14444]
Mr. Plaskitt:
The relevant provisions and regulations are listed as follows.
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The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 (as amended by the DDA 2005), Part 2, sections 3A to 18E which deals specifically with the employment field, and Part 3 section 21A, which places duties on employment services, are intended to tackle discrimination against disabled people in employment and in the provision of employment services.
The Disability Rights Commission Act 1999 established the Disability Rights Commission to work towards the elimination of discrimination against disabled people; promote equalisation of opportunities for disabled people; encourage good practice in the treatment of disabled people, and review the working of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (including section 2). In particular, the Disability Rights Commission issues Codes of Practice for the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Code of Practice on Employment and Occupation came into effect on 1 October 2004 by virtue of SI No 2302 of 2004, Disability Discrimination Codes of Practice (Employment and Occupation, and Trade Organisations and Qualifications Bodies) Appointed Day Order 2004.
Section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 (replacing repealed sections 2 to 5 in the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944) provides that the Secretary of State shall make such arrangements as are considered appropriate for the purpose of assisting people to select, train for, obtain and retain employment suitable for their ages and capacities, or of assisting people to obtain suitable employees. Specifically, under section 2(2) (b), arrangements may include arrangements for encouraging increases in the opportunities for employment and training that are available to disabled people.
Sections 15, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 23 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 remain in force. Section 15 makes provision for registered persons who are seriously disabled of employment, or work on their own account, under special conditions. The remaining provisions in force do not specifically promote or ensure the employment of disabled people.
Section 1 of the Education Act 1994 provides for the establishment of a Teacher Training Agency, with the objectives of contributing to raising the standards of teaching; to promote teaching as a career; to improve the quality and efficiency of all routes into the teaching profession and to secure the involvement of schools in all courses and programmes for the initial training of school teachers. In exercising their functions, the Teacher Training Agency shall have regard to the requirements of ,people who are disabled for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (section 1(4) of the Education Act 1994).
Ancillary to the above provisions, the Learning and Skills Council are required, when exercising their functions (which include the provision of proper facilities for education and training taking into account, among others matters, the education and training required in different sections of employment for employees and potential employees, sections 2 and 3 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000) to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between people who are disabled and those who are not, by virtue of section 14(1 )(c) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000.
In addition, working tax credits are available for disabled people working at least 16 hours per week by virtue of sections 10 and 11 of the Tax Credit Act 2002. This replaces the previous benefits of the disabled person's tax credits and disabled persons working allowance, for which some regulations are still in force.
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Lanark and Hamilton, East constituency are in receipt of the disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement. [10064]
Mrs. McGuire:
The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
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Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Jimmy Hood, dated 18 July 2005:
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency are currently in receipt of disability living allowance. The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
The requested information is not available. This is because Lanark and Hamilton East is one of the new Scottish constituencies formed following the recent boundary changes. We currently only have information based on the previous constituency boundaries, as at February 2005. Information about the new constituencies will not be available until the autumn.
Economic Inactivity
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the level of economic inactivity. [7552]
Mr. Timms: There are 7.9 million people of working age who are economically inactive, about a fifth of the working age population. The main groups classed as economically inactive are students and those who are long-term sick or disabled. Also included within this group are those people who undertake valuable caring responsibilities. Other main reasons for inactivity are retirement and temporary sickness.
Employment Projects Fund/Transport Projects Fund
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the future funding of the (a) Employment Projects Fund and (b) Transport Projects Fund. [12819]
(2) if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the (a) Employment Programme Fund and (b) Transport Programme Fund in helping to overcome barriers to employment; how much money has been spent by each programme; how many people have been helped into work by each programme, broken down by region; how much money has been spent under each programme by each provider; and how many people have been helped into work by each provider; [12820]
(3) if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Action Team for Jobs programme in helping economically inactive people into work since its introduction; and what plans he has to continue Action Team for jobs beyond March 2006. [12822]
Mr. Timms: The Employment Projects and Transport Projects Fund enabled Action Teams for Jobs to bid for additional money for initiatives that help support disadvantaged people into employment.
Funding was provided for projects that could bring long term benefits to the wider community and included: payment for childcare facilities; the funding of new bus routes to connect housing estates to new businesses, and car leasing schemes. Such initiatives have helped contribute to the success Action Teams have had in supporting more than 133,500 people into work.
Action Teams are funded until March 2006. We are currently reviewing the most effective and efficient method of providing employment support to disadvantaged people in the most deprived areas of the
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country. As part of this review, applications to the Employment Project and Transport Project Fund have been suspended although existing projects and any approved bids will continue to be funded.
There have been 91 Employment Projects Fund applications and 47 Transport Projects Fund applications have been approved. The amount approved for each Fund by region and by provider is in the table.
Note:
1. Data is to July 2005.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Jobseeker Support Division.
The number of people helped into work by Action Teams for Jobs, broken down by provider and region is in the table.
Note:
1. Data is to April 2005.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus Jobseeker Support and Contracting Policy and Support Divisions.
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