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7 Nov 2005 : Column 131W—continued
Sports Colleges
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many sports colleges there are in England. [25630]
Jacqui Smith: Sports specialism was first introduced in 1997. There are 334 specialist sports colleges. In addition, 10 chose sports as part of a combined specialism and seven chose sports as a second specialism at Redesignation.
Sunbeds
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will undertake a publicity campaign to dissuade children from using sunbeds. [21271]
Mr. Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention and sun protection campaign, run by Cancer Research UK on behalf of the United Kingdom health departments includes in their printed resources and on the SunSmart website information and advice discouraging the use of sunbeds, especially by young people below the age of 16 years. SunSmart has this year campaigned on raising the awareness of the dangers of skin cancer among children and young people, including the risks associated with sunbeds. The Health and Safety Executive guidelines also recommend that sunbeds should not be used by young people under 16 years and that the guidelines should be available to the public at sunbed establishments.
Teacher Numbers
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) teachers and (b) full-time equivalent teaching posts there were in schools in the Kettering constituency in each year since 1997. [24130]
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Jacqui Smith: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers in service in maintained sector schools, including pupil referral units, in Kettering constituency in each January since 1997.
The number of full-time equivalent teaching posts in Kettering is not collected centrally.
(49) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual School Census
Teachers' Pensions
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what account is taken of differences between the value of pension provision of teachers in the public sector and that of teachers in the private sector when setting teachers' pay. [24816]
Jacqui Smith: No account is taken of the value of pension provision for teachers in the private sector when setting teachers' pay. Schools in the private sector are free to join the teachers' pensions scheme and over 50 per cent. do so.
Trust Schools
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the proposed Trust schools will be able to apply for the flexibility to borrow against their assets. [24092]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 2 November 2005]: The proposed Trust schools will be able to borrow against their assets on the same basis as existing maintained schools. That is, permission to borrow must be approved by the Secretary of State. Borrowing by schools scores as public expenditure and, in coming to a decision, the Secretary of State will have regard as to whether the extra cost can be met by the Department. In addition, the Secretary of State will determine whether or not the extra borrowing constitutes value for money.
Vocational Qualifications
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools offered (a) Part One and (b) Full General National Vocational Qualification at (i) Foundation and (ii) Intermediate level in each year since 1995. [23454]
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Phil Hope: Information on the number of schools offering GNVQs is unavailable. Figures for the number of schools where at least one pupil has achieved this qualification is provided in the following table:
(50) Age at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 of August).
(51) Figures for 2005 are provisional. All other figures are final.
Note:
GNVQs were first introduced into the Achievement and Attainment tables (formerly Performance Tables) in 1996/97, therefore we cannot provide this information for earlier years.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Fraud
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to tackle benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement. [24664]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 26 October 2005, Official Report, columns 453–54W to the hon. Member for Ilford North, (Mr. Scott).
Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to visit Coventry. [24567]
Mr. Hutton: I have no current plans to visit Coventry but would be happy to discuss the possibility of making a visit in the future.
Disability Living Allowance
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average waiting time has been between the rejection of an application for disability living allowance and an appeal hearing in each of the last five years for which records are available. [17828]
7 Nov 2005 : Column 134W
Mrs. McGuire: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, chief executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from Christina Townsend to Dr. Vincent Cable, dated 7 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question regarding what the average waiting time has been between the rejection of an application for Disability Living Allowance and an appeal hearing in each of the last five years for which records are available.
| Average duration (Weeks) | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 33.08 |
| 2001–02 | 31.81 |
| 2002–03 | 30.38 |
| 2003–04 | 28.88 |
| 2004–05 | 27.68 |
Notes:
1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
2. Lodged" denotes when an appeal is submitted to the first tier agency. Lodged data only enters the GAPS database when the Appeal reaches the Appeals Service.
3. Duration is derived by calculating the time difference from when an appeal is lodged until when it is cleared. It is represented in weeks.
4. Years are represented from April to March in each instance.
Source:
100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals there have been as a result of rejected applications for disability living allowance in each of the last five years for which records are available. [17829]
Mrs. McGuire: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, chief executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from Christina Townsend to Dr. Vincent Cable, dated 7 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question regarding how many appeals there have been as a result of rejected applications for Disability Living Allowance in each of the last five years for which records are available.
The information you have asked for is not available in the format requested as, due to the way data is gathered, it is not possible to provide figures solely concerning appeals brought as a result of rejected applications. Information is gathered by the total number of appeals received and the table below shows this over the last 5 years.
(52) Figures are for calendar years (January to December) except 2005 which covers January 2005 to June 2005.
Notes:
1. Data is taken from the Management Information System (MIS) computer system.
2. Figures have rounded to the nearest 5.
3. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
4. Figures for the latest months will rise significantly as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.
5. Figures show all DLA appeals for the dates shown and not just DLA application.
6. Appeals received figures may be higher than lodged figures as a result of lodgement being in a different month/year.
Source:
DWP, Information Directorate
7 Nov 2005 : Column 135W
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who have appealed against the withdrawal of a higher rate of disability living allowance have lost all benefit at the appeal in each of the last five years for which records are available. [17831]
Mrs. McGuire: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, chief executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from Christina Townsend to Dr. Vincent Cable, dated 7 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question regarding how many people who have appealed against the withdrawal of a higher rate of Disability Living Allowance have lost all benefit at the appeal in each of the last five years for which records are available.
The information you have asked for is not available in the format requested as, due to the way data is gathered, it is not possible to provide figures solely concerning appeals brought as a result of the withdrawal of a higher rate of Disability Living Allowance. Information is gathered by the total number of appeals received and this was set out in my response to you for PQ/05/17829.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals brought as a result of rejected applications for disability living allowance have been upheld in each of the last five years for which records are available. [17832]
Mrs. McGuire: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, chief executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from Christina Townsend to Dr. Vincent Cable, dated 7 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question regarding how many appeals brought as a result of rejected applications for Disability Living Allowance have been upheld in each of the last five years for which records are available.
The information you have asked for is not available in the format requested as, due to the way data is gathered, it is not possible to provide figures solely concerning appeals brought as a result of rejected applications. Information is gathered by the total number of appeals received and the table below shows this over the last 5 years.
Notes:
1. Data is taken from the Management Information System (MIS) computer system.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
3. Figures are for calendar years (January to December) except 2005 which covers January 2005 to June 2005.
4. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
5. Figures for the latest months will rise significantly as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate
7 Nov 2005 : Column 136W
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the (a) average and (b) total cost is to the disability and carers service of defending decisions to refuse claims for disability living allowance against appeals; [22707]
(2) what the (a) average and (b) total cost is to the disability and carers service of reconsidering claims for disability living allowance that were initially rejected; [22708]
(3) what the (a) average and (b) total cost is to the disability and carers service of processing new claims for disability living allowance. [22709]
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 the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 7 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service (DCS), to reply to your questions concerning the (a) average and (b) total cost to the DCS of defending decisions to refuse claims for disability living allowance against appeals, of reconsidering claims for disability living allowance that were initially rejected, and of processing new claims for disability living allowance.
I am only able to provide the average cost and total cost for all appeal applications and reconsideration requests, not just those that were refused or rejected.
| Average cost | Total cost(53) | |
|---|---|---|
| Appeal | 100.77 | 3,320,992 |
| Reconsideration | 44.06 | 1,616,371 |
| Claim | 67.63 | 9,570,156 |
| Special Rules claim | 52.62 | 376,424 |
(53) Year to July 2005.
Notes:
1. Figures for actual year to date at July 2005.
2. The costs include medical evidence.
3. Includes direct staff costs only for those processing the events.
4. The special rules cover people who suffer from a progressive disease that is so severe that they are not expected to live longer than six months.
7 Nov 2005 : Column 137W
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 452W, on disability living allowance, what progress has been made in developing a new claim form for disability living allowance; and which groups are being consulted as part of this development. [22710]
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 the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 7 November 2005:
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7th June Official Report column 452W on disability living allowance, what progress has been made in developing a new claim form for disability living allowance; and which groups are being consulted as part of this development. The Secretary of State has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service (DCS), to reply to your question.
The DCS has been developing and testing different disability living allowance (DLA) claim forms since September 2003, in order to address concerns from disabled people and their representative organisations about the difficulties they were experiencing in claiming disability benefits. This has culminated in a claim form for DLA adult working age customers, currently being tested in the areas serviced by the Disability Benefits Centres at Manchester and Bootle. The effectiveness of the claim for both customers and DCS will be evaluated fully before any decisions are made about the way forward.
The establishment of the DCS as an Agency on 1st November 2004 marked an increased focus on understanding the needs of its customers through early proactive and open consultation with customer representative organisations. Consequently, the claim form currently being tested was subject to considerable consultation and input from a wide range of customer groups through the DCS Advisory Forum (formerly the Modern Service Working Group). The Forum provides the DCS' main consultation mechanism through its membership of 14 national Voluntary and Community Sector officers, who represent customers with a wide range of disabilities. Some of the Forum members also sought input from additional organisations, whom they considered could offer valuable input.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time taken to process new claims for disability living allowance has been in each year since 2001, broken down by region. [22711]
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 the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 7 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, to reply to your question concerning the average length of time taken to process new claims for disability living allowance (DLA) in each year since 2001, broken down by region.
The information requested is only available by Disability and Carers Service Disability Benefit Centre areas as follows:
Note:
The special rules cover people who suffer from a progressive disease that is so severe that they are not expected to live longer than six months.
7 Nov 2005 : Column 139W
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