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12 Sept 2005 : Column 2533W—continued

Sickness Absence

Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions how many days of sickness absence were taken in his Department in the year to April 2005. [12211]

Mrs. McGuire: For the 12 month period 1 April 2004 to 30 March 2005 the average number of working days lost in the Department for Work and Pensions was 12.5 days.

Staff Numbers

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of staff have been employed in each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department in each year since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [12275]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was established in June 2001 bringing together the Department of Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment, including the Employment Service. The number of staff
 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2534W
 
in the new Department at this date was 119,052. Comparable historical staffing figures before this date are not available.

The breakdown of staffing within the Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies from April 2002 to March 2005 is in the following table.
Staffing numbers 30 April 2002 to 31 March 2005

	30 April 2002	31 March 2003	31 March 2004	31 March 2005
Jobcentre Plus	86,082	78,564	79,122	73,406
The Pension Service	8,782	17,019	18,567	16,189
Child Support Agency	10,753	11,256	10,779	9,784
Disability and Carers Service	7,380	7,207	7,103	6,506
Appeals Service	925	881	816	752
The Rent Service	—	—	—	718
Other departmental units	12,701	13,715	11,895	11,719
Non-departmental public bodies	191	183	173	155
Departmental total	126,814	128,825	128,455	119,229
Health and Safety Executive	4,282	4,162	4,019	3,854

Notes:
1. Figures are civil service full time equivalent posts (rounded) and exclude staff on paid maternity leave.
2. Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service were established on 1 April 2002.
3. The Rent Service joined the Department from 1 April 2004 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
4. Disability and Carers Service was granted agency status from 1 November 2004.
5. The Health and Safety Executive joined the Department on 24 July 2002. The Health and Safety Executive is not normally included in departmental staffing totals.

State Retirement Pensioners

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work andPensions how many state retirement pensioners there are in the Stroud constituency; and what percentage that represents of the total electorate of that constituency. [14153]

Mr. Timms: As at 30 September 2004 there were 20,800 recipients of the state pension in the Stroud parliamentary constituency of whom 7,600 were males and 13,200 females. This represents around 26 per cent. of the electorate.

Notes:

1. Recipient figures, rounded to the nearest 100, are taken from a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation.

2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant Office for National Statistics postcode directory.

Sources:

1. Number of recipients—IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample as at September 2004.

2. 2005 electoral data—Stroud district council.

Work Placement Services

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has collated on the relative (a) efficiency and (b) cost of work placement services conducted by Jobcentre Plus and the private sector. [12489]

 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2535W
 

Mr. Timms: Jobcentre Plus works in partnership with the Private and Voluntary Sector in delivering a significant proportion of the support to Jobcentre Plus customers. There are few examples where it is possible to make a robust, like-for-like, comparison. However, an analysis of relative cost-effectiveness formed part of the wider analysis of Employment Zones, and the results are contained within the report Working age research and analysis", publication No. 176 (2003), which is available on the Department for Work and Pensions website.

The report relates to the original Employment Zones which helped the New Deal 25 plus client group. Analysis showed that the costs per participant were approximately £1,500 for Employment Zones, approximately £500 higher than those incurred by Jobcentre Plus for mandatory customers.

However, the analysis also identified that Employment Zones achieved more employment outcomes. These findings suggest that Employment Zones are broadly as cost-effective as Jobcentre Plus at providing work placements.

HOME DEPARTMENT

2012 Olympics

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings have been held with the International Olympic Commission to discuss security for the 2012 Olympics following the events of 7 July. [16020]

Mr. Charles Clarke: There have been no security meetings with the International Olympic Commission since 7 July. In accordance with the arrangements set
 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2536W
 
out in the London bid, a committee chaired by myself will be responsible for overseeing the security preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether handgun competitions will be permitted to be held in London in 2012 as part of the Olympic games; [14337]

(2) whether pistol shooting will be permitted in UK rifle and pistol clubs so that British competitors can train in Olympic disciplines in the UK prior to 2012. [14338]

Hazel Blears: We have no plans to repeal the provisions in the Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997 which prohibit the private possession of handguns. However, special arrangements will be put in place to allow pistol shooting events at the London Olympics as with the 2002 Commonwealth games. These arrangements will include a warm up event if this is deemed necessary

Abductions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1210W, on abductions, if he will break down the figures by (a) London borough, (b) gender, (c) age and (d) nationality. [15509]

Fiona Mactaggart: Data from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of people prosecuted for abduction or kidnapping by London borough, gender and age, 1997 to 2003 are contained in the table. Data on the defendant's nationality are not centrally collected.

Statistics for 2004 court proceedings will be available in the autumn.
Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for abduction or kidnapping in London, 1997–2003^{(123)(5508090124)}, by age and sex Defendants

Offence description	Principal statute	Sex	Age group	1997	1998	1999
Abduction of children	Child Abduction Act 1984 s.1 and 2 as amended by the Children Act 1989	Male	15–17	—	—	1
			18–20	—	3	—
			21 and over	14	6	10
			Total	14	9	11
		Female	15–17	1	—	—
			18–20	—	1	2
			21 and over	4	1	5
			Total	5	2	7
Abduction of female having interest in property	Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part)	Male	21 and over	—	—	1
Abduction of female by force	Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part)	Male	21 and over	2	—	2
Abduction of unmarried girl under	Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.20	Male	15–17	—	—	—
16			21 and over	2	2	3
			Total	2	2	3
		Female	21 and over	—	—	—
Kidnapping	Common Law	Male	10–14	—	—	—
			15–17	22	2	15
			18–20	13	6	22
			21 and over	38	56	50
			Total	73	64	87
		Female	10–14	—	1	—
			15–17	1	—	2
			18–20	—	1	2
			21 and over	2	2	1
			Total	3	4	5

 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2537W
 

Offence description	Principal statute	Sex	Age group	2000	2001	2002	2003
Abduction of children	Child Abduction Act 1984 s.1 and 2 as amended by the Children Act 1989	Male	15–17	1	—	—	—
			18–20	—	1	1	1
			21 and over	5	8	9	11
			Total	6	9	10	12
		Female	15–17	—	—	—	1
			18–20	1	—	—	—
			21 and over	5	3	2	1
			Total	6	3	2	2
Abduction of female having interest in property	Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part	Male	21 and over	—	—	—	—
Abduction of female by force	Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.17 (in part)	Male	21 and over	—	—	—	—
Abduction of unmarried girl	Sexual Offences Act 1956 s.20	Male	15–17	—	—	1	1
under 16			21 and over	—	—	1	—
			Total	0	0	2	1
		Female	21 and over	—	—	1	—
Kidnapping	Common Law	Male	10–14	—	—	1	5
			15–17	6	12	17	16
			18–20	17	31	20	29
			21 and over	41	80	80	92
			Total	64	123	118	142
		Female	10–14	2	—	1	—
			15–17	—	1	2	1
			18–20	1	—	2	2
			21 and over	4	4	7	7
			Total	7	5	12	10

⁽¹²³⁾These data are on the principal offence basis
⁽¹²⁴⁾Includes Metropolitan and City of London police force areas.

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