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6 Dec 2005 : Column 1204W—continued
Learndirect
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases have been referred by Jobcentre Plus to (a) learndirect and (b) private sector organisations for the supply of equivalent training; what proportion of each have (i) returned to employment and (ii) re-registered for jobseeker's allowance within 12 months; and what evaluation he has conducted of the effectiveness of learndirect courses in fitting people for employment. [33429]
Margaret Hodge: The information requested in not available.
At local level, Jobcentre Plus works in partnership with many different intermediary organisations that can help jobless people move from welfare to work and independence. University for Industry (Ufi) learndirect is one such organisation. Ufi learner surveys show that over 80 per cent. of jobseekers feel their learndirect learning will lead to a new job.
Literacy and Numeracy
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head in each year since 2002. [23359]
Mrs. McGuire: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees in his Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002. [23401]
Mrs. McGuire: To date some 1,435 staff have takenscreening tests offered by Union Learning Representatives—ULRs. The information available does not allow us to identify how many of those screened requested help to improve their literacy or numeracy skills in particular.
Not all staff will approach ULRs for support. Learning needs may be identified during the course of the bi-annual review, for all staff, of their Personal
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Development Plan with their line manager. Figures are not available for the number of staff requesting help with their literacy or numeracy skills via this route.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy among employees in his Department. [23444]
Mrs. McGuire: The promotion of basic literacy and numeracy skills for all staff is integral to the Department for Work and Pensions' Skills Development Plan.
The plan assumes that 10 per cent. of staff who choose to address a literacy or numeracy need will go on to take the national tests and subsequently demonstrate their competency to level 2 on the national qualifications framework.
Since March 2004, basic literacy and numeracy has been the main focus of activity of the union learning representative (ULR) network that has been established within the Department. ULRs encourage staff to assess their skills and support them to address any learning need. Part of this process is to make staff aware of the availability of the national tests.
Where provision has been made for staff to access learning to level 2 at their workplace, the national tests are also available.
Lyons Review
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in his Department (a) were relocated in 2004–05 and (b) are expected to be relocated in 2005–06 as a result of the Lyons review of public sector relocation; to which locations they have been relocated; and if he will make a statement. [24640]
Mrs. McGuire: [holding answer 7 November 2005]: The basis of the department's relocation strategy resulting from the Lyons review is to relocate posts rather than people. Information on the number of posts relocated, and expected to be relocated, and the locations concerned is contained in the following tables.
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| Number of posts | Location |
|---|---|
| 15 | Blackpool |
| 74 | Taunton |
| 73 | Pembroke Dock |
| 261 | Derby |
| 108 | Bridgend |
| 54 | Dundee |
| 25 | Sheffield/Leeds |
| Total: 610 |
(21) As with all plans, these are subject to change.
Milton Keynes
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Workand Pensions how much funding was allocated by his Department to Milton Keynes for (a) capital projects and (b) revenue funding in each of the last five years. [23501]
Hemel Hempstead
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding was allocated by his Department to Hemel Hempstead constituency for (a) capital projects and (b) revenue funding in each of the last eight years. [25739]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available to the requested level of detail. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer provided by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 988W.
National Minimum Wage
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October. [28971]
Mrs. McGuire: There are no staff within the Department for Work and Pensions who were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage.
New Deal
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the introduction of quarterly interviews for lone parents of children over 14 years under the New Deal programme; how many departmental staff are involved in these interviews; and what funding has been allocated. [26817]
Margaret Hodge:
Quarterly work focused interviews (WFIs) were introduced in October 2005 for lone parents claiming income support (IS) with a youngest
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child aged at least 14. For lone parents who remain on IS until their youngest child reaches 16, this will involve a series of up to eight work focused interviews over a two year period, which is six more than under previous arrangements. The interviews aim to help as many lone parents as possible move into work, or closer to the labour market, before their child reaches 16 by providing information, advice and guidance on work opportunities and the range of help on offer.
We estimate a total expenditure of approximately £4.3 million on this initiative during 2005–06, £0.7 million of which represents the cost of an anticipated increased participation in new deal for lone parents resulting from the WFIs.
Potentially all Jobcentre Plus lone parent advisers could be involved in delivering these quarterly work focussed interviews, but funding for the initiative is based on a planning assumption of the equivalent of an additional 65 full-time staff for the period October 2005 to March 2006 or 130 for a full year.
1. Expenditure and staffing figures are planning assumptions based on anticipated volumes of lone parents participating in quarterly WFIs.
Office for Disability Issues
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Office for Disability Issues will be established; and if he will make a statement. [29026]
Mrs. McGuire: The Office for Disability Issues was launched on 1 December. The Office for Disability Issues will provide a new cross-Government focus on disability, helping to ensure that Government Departments work together more effectively to deliver improved outcomes for disabled people.
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