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18 Oct 2005 : Column 897W—continued
Welfare
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in how many countries the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes provide welfare. [19139]
Mr. Touhig: The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) currently provide welfare services in Cyprus, Germany, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Ascension Island, Brunei, Belize, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya, The Balkans (Kosovo and Bosnia), as well as the United Kingdom.
NAAFI additionally provides welfare services on board HM Ships, and on exercises worldwide.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Housing Benefit
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many recipients of housing benefit had been claiming for (a) less than a year and (b) more than five years in each year since 1997, broken down by region; [5481]
(2) what the average duration of claim for recipients of housing benefit was in each year since 1997, broken down by region. [5482]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Jobcentres (Opening Times)
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the Jobcentres in England for which opening times and numbers of days per week open were cut or restricted in 2004–05; what such cuts or restrictions are planned for (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07; what the reduction in opening times is in each case; and if he will make a statement. [18416]
Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Laws, dated 18 October 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the opening times for Jobcentres in England. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The majority of Jobcentre Plus offices are open for standard hours. Some smaller offices open for reduced hours. Customers have increased access to Jobcentre Plus services outside these hours through the internet and telephone.
The opening hours of many offices changed during 2004–05 as we rolled out the new Jobcentre Plus network. Such changes will continue in different localities into 2006 as that process completes. Office opening hours form part of our local service delivery plans and we will engage with key stakeholders about any variations before these plans are implemented.
The more detailed information you requested is not collected centrally and I regret that I am unable to give a more substantive reply.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions why those signing on for jobseeker's allowance will not receive reimbursement of travel expenses when required to travel following the closure of a local job centre. [17914]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer Friday 14 October 2005]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Michael Fallon, dated 18 October 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning reimbursement of travel expenses to Jobseeker's Allowance customers following the closure of a Jobcentre. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. There are long established rules for reimbursing Jobseeker's Allowance customers for
- attending a Work Focused Interviews, principally where the interview does not fall on their normal signing day. For normal fortnightly attendance to sign-on, customers are expected to meet the cost of their journey to the office. Where the closure of an office means customers having to travel over an hour to the nearest office we will consider if postal signing is appropriate.
We are investing in modern, welcoming offices to provide a single point of access to Jobcentre Plus services. Previously, a Jobseeker's Allowance customer may have had to visit a Jobcentre for job vacancies and to start a claim and to visit a social security office to sort out the payment of benefit. The new service brings this together in an integrated, personal service for customers.
In planning the new network of Jobcentre Plus offices, local managers take into account many factors including population spread, availability and cost of public transport, and the distance between offices. We are locating the new offices where there are good transport links.
Inevitably as the office network changes, there will be some customers who find they have to travel further. Jobcentre Plus is actively working with local partners to ensure these hard to reach communities have access to services. We are often able to provide outreach facilities, ensuring access to job vacancies, advice and information through third party premises.
Customers are now using our offices differently. More of our face-to-face customer contact is on an appointment basis and information on job vacancies is readily available by telephone and internet. This enables staff in our offices to focus on those customers in greatest need of support to return to work.
I hope this is helpful in explaining the changes we are making and our policy on reimbursing customers' travel expenses.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer the question tabled by the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on 11 July 2005, ref. 12146. [17638]
Mr. Plaskitt: An answer was given on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1644W.
HEALTH
Abortions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were undertaken by (a) prostaglandins and (b) dilation and evacuation in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by weeks' gestation at which the procedure was undertaken. [16691]
Caroline Flint: This information is contained in table8 of the Department's statistical bulletin 2005/11 Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2004", which is available on the Department's website at:
Copies are also available in the Library.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors undertook (a) more than 1,000, (b) more than 500 and (c) more than 100 abortions in the last year for which figures are available. [16692]
Caroline Flint: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the NHS of treating physical and psychological illness
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arising from termination of pregnancy in the last four years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [16693]
Caroline Flint: The Department does not collect this information and no estimate of cost has been made.
Abortion is a very safe procedure and complications are uncommon. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' evidence-based clinical guideline, The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion" states that any woman considering an abortion must have all the facts, including accurate information about possible complications, so that she can make an informed decision.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many women have had terminations beyond the 24 week time limit in each of the last five years; [18738]
(2) how many abortions were carried out in each of the last five years; [18739]
(3) how many abortions were performed on girls under the age of 16 years in each of the last five years. [18740]
Caroline Flint: The information, up to and including 2001 data, is contained in the annual Office for National Statistics publication, Abortion Statistics", series AB; Office for National Statistics and, from 2002, Department of Health, Statistical Bulletins 2003/23, 2004/14, 2005/11; copies of which are available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk.
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