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17 Nov 2005 : Column 1469W—continued
Child Support Agency
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the refund due under Child Support Agency reference number 0677911890 will be paid. [29503]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 17 November 2005:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; when the refund due under Child Support Agency reference number 0677911890 will be paid.
I am sorry to hear that Mr. Goldstone has not received the refund of £340 promised to him on 7 June. Regrettably a technical fault on the Agency's CS2. computer system has prevented the payment from being made. This fault is not yet resolved, but the Plymouth centre has arranged for Mr. Goldstone's refund to be paid on 16 November.
Departmental Press Officers
Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many press officers are employed in his Department; and what the cost of employing them was in the last year for which figures are available. [22189]
Mrs. McGuire: As at 31 March 2005 19 national press officers and 23 regional press officers were employed at a total cost of £1,533,703.
The costs are based on average salaries for the year and take into account the actual number of press officers and changes in post each month.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new press officers his Department is planning to employ over the next 12 months; and at what cost. [22192]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department has no plans to recruit additional press officers in the next 12 months. There is a recruitment exercise currently under way to fill existing vacancies. Further recruitment exercises may be required in the next year to maintain the agreed level of staffing.
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming incapacity benefit in Milton Keynes. [27179]
Mrs. McGuire: As at May 2005, there were 7,500 people claiming incapacity benefit or severe disability allowance in Milton Keynes.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the quarterly average exit rate for (a) incapacity benefit and (b) severe disability allowance has been since May 1997. [27247]
17 Nov 2005 : Column 1470W
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 10 November 2005]: For incapacity benefit, the quarterly average exit rate since May 1997 has been 7.9 per cent. of the total caseload. For severe disablement allowance, the quarterly average exit rate since May 1997 has been 1.7 per cent. of the total caseload.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people in West Lancashire constituency are in receipt of incapacity benefit; [27655]
(2) how many people in West Lancashire constituency are in receipt of (a) state retirement pension, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) incapacity benefit. [27903]
Mrs. McGuire: At May 2005 1 in the West Lancashire parliamentary constituency, there were 18,200 state retirement pension recipients and 1,496 jobseeker's allowance claimants 2 .
There were 5,100 incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants as at May 2005. Of these, 4,100 were incapacity benefit claimants only 3 .
1 Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data as at May 2005
2 Source: Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases). Figures are unrounded. NOMIS figures include clerically held cases. Based on 100 per cent. claimant count.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the percentage of incapacity benefit claimants have been receiving the benefit for more than five years; and what this percentage was in May 1997. [27979]
Mrs. McGuire: As the benefit was only introduced in April 1995, we are unable to give the information requested for the five years previous to 2000. As at February 2005, 48.1 per cent. of claimants had been claiming for more than five years.
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of people receive incapacity benefit in Scotland. [28451]
Mrs. McGuire: As at September 2005, there were 323,500 people claiming incapacity benefit or severe disability allowance in Scotland. This represents 10.2 per cent. of the working-age population.
Parliamentary Question
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer the question tabled on 7 October by the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet, ref. 16546. [29170]
Mrs. McGuire:
A reply was given to the hon. Member on 11 November 2005, Official Report, column 791W.
17 Nov 2005 : Column 1471W
Jobcentre Plus
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what percentage of days were lost through sickness absence in Jobcentre Plus in each of the last two years, broken down by (a) region and (b) country; [29214]
(2) what the rate of (a) early retirement and (b) resignation on grounds of stress and ill health has been in Jobcentre Plus in each of the last two years, broken down by (i) region and (ii) country; [29215]
(3) what the rate of staff turnover was in 2004–05 in Jobcentre Plus, broken down by (a) region and (b) country; [29216]
(4) what training needs have been identified for staff in Jobcentre Plus in relation to the proposed changes to disability benefits; and what discussions on training have taken place with staff. [29217]
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. Jim Cousins, dated 17 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions regarding sickness absence; early retirement and resignation on the grounds of stress and ill health; staff turnover; identification of staff training needs in relation to the proposed changes to disability benefits, and details of discussions that have taken place
- with Jobcentre Plus staff on such training. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Information on the percentage of days lost through sickness absence in Jobcentre Plus in each of the last two years, broken down by (a) region and (b) country in each of the last two years, is in the table.
1. Data listed under 'other' consists of absence records for staff for whom a region/country identifier has yet to be confirmed.
2. Data is for operational years April to March in each year.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus
Information is not available on whether people have taken early retirement or have resigned from Jobcentre Plus because of stress. Information on the ratio of people Part of the Department for Work and Pensions who have retired for reasons of ill health generally, and the ratio of general resignations, broken down by region and country in each of the last two years, is in the table.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus
Information on the rate of staff turnover in Jobcentre Plus in 2004–05, broken down by region and country is in the table.
Source:
Jobcentre Plus
It is too soon to provide information on the training needs for Jobcentre Plus staff in relation to any proposed changes to incapacity benefits. When the full nature of any changes to these benefits has been finalised, we will consult staff to identify training requirements and develop learning modules accordingly.
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incidents of violence against staff working in Jobcentre Plus have been reported in each of the last two years, broken down by (a) region and (b) country; and what the ratio of incidents to whole time equivalent employees was in each year, in each case. [29218]
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.
17 Nov 2005 : Column 1474W
Letter from Lesley Strathie to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 17 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the number of incidents of violence against staff working in Jobcentre Plus that have been reported in each of the last two years, broken down by region and country, and what the ratio of incidents to whole time equivalent (WTE) employees was in each year, in each case. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Notes:
1. The ratio of assaults is calculated by dividing the number of assaults by the number of whole time equivalent staff.
2. Data is compiled from reports completed by staff on physical assaults only.
3. Data is provided for calendar years rather than operational years.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Workforce Management Project
It may be helpful if I explain the background to these figures. Although data indicates that there has been a rise in the number of incidents reported in the last two years it is not possible to identify any direct casual relationships. This period coincides with a number of initiatives within the Department that have encouraged staff to report all incidents so that lessons can be learned, and appropriate remedial action taken.
Customer facing activity in Jobcentre Plus has been thoroughly risk assessed to ensure comprehensive measures are in place to protect the health and safety of our staff whilst at work. These measures range from ensuring the delivery of user-friendly services to our customers and ensuring all staff have the appropriate skills to manage and diffuse difficult situations, through to more physical controls such as the provision of individual panic alarms for staff, the use of CCTV cameras and deployment of security guards.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the recent reductions in staffing at job centres arose from (a) resignation of personnel who have not been replaced, (b) voluntary redundancy and (c) compulsory redundancy. [24765]
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. Tim Boswell, dated 17 November 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many of the recent reductions in staffing at jobcentres arose from (a) resignation of personnel who have not been replaced, (b) voluntary redundancy, and (c) compulsory redundancy. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
We do not keep information of this type separately for jobcentres therefore the answers that I have provided refer to the whole of the Jobcentre Plus organisation. Between 1 March 2004 and 30 September 2005, Jobcentre Plus has seen an overall net reduction in our full-time equivalent staffing totalling 8,066. This figure is a combination of the effects of staff leaving and staff joining the organisation. The number of managed early releases during the same period is 707 full-time equivalent staff. There have been no compulsory redundancies.
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