---

12 Sept 2005 : Column 2518W—continued

Jobseekers Allowance

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have moved from claiming jobseekers' allowance (a) to work, (b) to training and (c) to other benefits, broken down by benefit received in each of the last four years. [14903]

Mr. Plaskitt: The available information requested is in the table.
JSA off-flows by reason in Great Britain: July 2001 to June 2005

Month	Found work	Increases work to 16+ hours/week	Claimed income support	Claimed incapacity benefit	Claimed another benefit	Gone onto approved training	Transfer to Government-supported training
July 2001	95,160	4,115	4,390	9,955	2,555	715	10,490
August 2001	93,025	3,680	4,180	9,165	2,395	710	10,025
September 2001	130,645	3,720	5,190	11,020	2,970	1,060	16,355
October 2001	110,570	3,240	4,130	9,250	2,255	1,050	13,820
November 2001	101,435	2,980	4,175	9,075	2,340	600	13,245
December 2001	115,545	3,485	4,755	10,475	2,545	680	17,285
January 2002	54,520	2,810	2,950	5,750	1,590	265	6,715
February 2002	131,960	3,935	5,970	12,845	3,130	1,040	19,935
March 2002	110,945	2,930	4,450	9,580	2,360	850	15,230
April 2002	105,765	3,030	4,055	8,585	2,135	660	12,940
May 2002	104,990	2,700	4,370	9,255	2,230	680	13,930
June 2002	113,860	3,240	5,275	11,085	2,670	765	16,645
July 2002	93,400	3,045	4,610	9,455	2,335	585	15,585
August 2002	91,645	3,350	4,535	9,040	2,290	580	13,565
September 2002	127,360	3,520	5,390	10,770	2,795	940	17,410
October 2002	106,760	2,940	4,585	9,075	2,440	885	15,785
November 2002	123,805	3,520	5,665	11,275	2,870	640	17,270
December 2002	88,035	2,600	4,080	7,880	2,050	490	13,505
January 2003	48,205	2,500	2,945	5,280	1,510	215	6,350
February 2003	122,385	3,480	6,285	12,395	3,385	955	20,830
March 2003	105,905	2,725	4,680	9,450	2,655	745	15,935
April 2003	105,260	2,505	4,430	9,225	2,420	740	15,480
May 2002	85,100	2,330	3,925	7,625	2,050	515	12,555
June 2003	113,325	3,140	5,520	10,735	3,075	760	18,465
July 2003	88,155	2,610	4,640	9,120	2,600	500	15,290
August 2003	106,840	3,295	5,435	10,455	3,025	550	16,920
September 2003	98,475	2,465	4,450	7,945	2,395	695	13,900
October 2003	100,920	2,485	4,370	8,400	2,440	860	14,905
November 2003	117,085	3,100	5,430	10,295	2,925	620	17,235
December 2003	82,710	2,220	3,755	7,505	2,125	440	13,520
January 2004	45,000	2,115	2,840	4,785	1,570	180	6,250
February 2004	114,935	3,050	5,790	11,525	3,405	810	20,365
March 2004	97,025	2,435	4,225	8,710	2,675	665	14,760
April 2004	92,900	2,130	3,985	8,015	2,360	650	14,145
May 2004	103,980	2,495	4,755	9,170	2,775	645	15,580
June 2004	83,400	2,130	3,960	7,745	2,565	470	13,720
July 2004	77,960	1,920	4,115	8,290	2,600	385	14,350
August 2004	90,765	2,500	4,885	9,425	3,130	425	16,940
September 2004	81,110	1,895	3,790	7,310	2,325	460	14,020
October 2004	107,505	2,500	5,070	9,605	2,920	800	18,545
November 2004	81,405	1,950	3,985	7,375	2,285	355	13,900
December 2004	75,420	1,865	3,700	7,055	2,095	400	14,005
January 2005	55,945	2,055	3,620	6,055	1,980	245	10,320
February 2005	79,295	1,910	4,285	8,030	2,570	575	16,055
March 2005	82,125	1,930	3,970	7,625	2,505	570	15,390
April 2005	97,290	2,070	4,555	8,475	2,785	570	15,690
May 2005	73,995	1,710	3,890	7,340	2,265	515	12,415
June 2005	71,930	1,750	3,945	7,180	2,270	485	12,105

Notes:
1. Caseloads have been rounded to the nearest five.
2. Based on 100 per cent. claimant count.
3. Figures refer to number of awards and not people flowing off JSA.
4. Claimants can flow on and off benefit more than once.
Source:
Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only).





 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2519W
 

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency received jobseeker's allowance in 2004; and if he will make a statement. [14062]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information requested is not available. This is because any figures are snapshots of claimants at a given time. We do not have claimant start or end dates to benefit and cannot therefore produce an annual figure. An overestimate would therefore occur because claimants may appear in more than one monthly figure, when the figures are collected.

However I am able to give you information on the monthly average of people receiving jobseekers allowance (JSA) and a month by month breakdown. It is only possible to provide an average on eleven months of figures as NOMIS only holds historic data going back to February 2004 on the new parliamentary constituency boundaries which came into effect in 2005.

The eleven month average of JSA claimants in Scotland is 93,768 and in Lanark and Hamilton parliamentary constituency is 1,511.

The month by month breakdown is in the table.
JSA Claimants in Scotland and Lanark and Hamilton East parliamentary constituency, February 2004 to December 2004

2004	Scotland	Lanark and Hamilton East PC
February	106,896	1,758
March	103,519	1,681
April	99,027	1,546
May	94,507	1,430
June	92,406	1,468
July	94,080	1,522
August	94,494	1,527
September	88,401	1,416
October	86,025	1,452
November	86,053	1,402
December	86,043	1,418

Notes:
1. Figures are unrounded.
2. NOMIS figures include clerically held cases.
3. Based on 100 per cent. claimant count.
4. Figures are not available for January 2004.
Source:
Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases).





 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2520W
 

Lone Parents (Great Grimsby)

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance is available to lone parents who wish to return to work in the Great Grimsby constituency area; how many people took up this assistance in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [14370]

Mr. Timms: Work focused interviews provide lone parents with the opportunity to discuss work options and find out about the help available to them through the new deal for lone parents. The new deal offers lone parents access to support, advice and training which will improve their employment prospects. Other measures to tackle barriers to lone parents entering work include improving the availability of affordable child care and making work pay through the introduction of child tax credit and working tax credit.
 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2521W
 

1,700 lone parents have started the new deal for lone parents in Great Grimsby since the beginning of the programme in October 1998, and 950 have gained a job. Figures for lone parents who have participated in and gained work through other new deal programmes are not available.

Management Consultants

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each. [12582]

Mr. Timms: Information for 2002–03 and 2003–04 is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information for 2004–05 is as follows.
Top five management consultancies—highest value single contract

£ million
Consultancy	Original contract value
PA Consulting	3,374,680
KPMG	1,699,150
IBM	1,269,798
PA Consulting	1,188,220
PwC	1,139,000

Top five management consultancies—highest total value of contacts

	£000
Consultancy	Total expenditure
CapGemini	45,870,317
IBM	33,975,211
BoozeAllen Hamilton	17,300,000
PA Consulting	13,573,955
Deloitte	4,828,914

The Department awards contracts in open and fair competition in accordance with EU procurement regulations based on best value for money.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years. [13152]

Mr. Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions spending on management consultancy over the last three financial years was:

£47.79 million in 2002–03;

£223.35 million in 2003–04; and

£98.64 million in 2004–05.

Spend is now reducing from the peak in 2003–04 which represented the middle of the Department's major modernisation programme with its high requirement for external expertise.

---