House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Dec 2005 (pt 32)

15 Dec 2005 : Column 2285W—continued

Stakeholder Pensions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to seek the extension of the amount of tax relief given to stakeholder pensions; and what products he plans to introduce alongside the stakeholder pension range. [32695]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 29 November 2005]: There are no current plans to seek the extension of the amount of tax relief given to stakeholder pensions or to introduce new products alongside the stakeholder range.

Winter Fuel Payment

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners (a) are eligible forand (b) have claimed the winter fuel allowance in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. [36986]

Mr. Timms: It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of people who are eligible for a winter fuel payment. So far this winter, 1,877 claim forms have been issued to people in the Middlesborough South and East Cleveland constituency and of these 1,212 have been returned and processed. The majority of payments are made automatically without the need to claim. Last

15 Dec 2005 : Column 2286W

winter 18,920 winter fuel payments were made in the Middlesborough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Jobcentre Plus

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many abortive telephone calls were made to Jobcentre Plus by claimants in each month since December 2004, broken down by local call centre. [35066]

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, dated 15 December 2005:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many abortive telephone calls were made to Jobcentre Plus by claimants in each month since December 2004, broken down by local call centre. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.

When a customer calls they are placed into a queue either until the call is answered or they choose to abandon the call. I have assumed that abandoned calls is what is meant by abortive" telephone calls. I have, therefore, placed in the House of Commons Library information on the numbers of abandoned contact centre calls made by customers.

I hope this is helpful.

Number of abandoned calls to each Jobcentre Plus contact centre December 2004 To November 2005

December January February March April May

Number of weeks in month

First contact inbound telephony Five Four Four Five Four Four

Chelmsford 1,122 1,148 1,434 2,064 1,144 1,019

Colchester 1,162 1,175 1,283 2,418 895 1,296

Derby 1,512 1,190 5,136 9,065 21,250 12,009

Grimsby 1,596 5,896 815 3,837 1,936 676

Halifax 2,529 6,917 2,930 6,805 3,475 2,092

Lincoln 1,471 2,910 2,263 1,787 2,208 2,823

Lowestoft 3,572 5,628 4,452 12,423 13,133 10,217

Sheffield ⁽²⁹⁾— 233 815 819 3,337 8,376

Blackburn 672 483 318 962 601 597

Bootle 1,504 1,259 891 1,188 8,158 5,081

Chorlton 1,959 2,555 1,681 2,927 3,161 ⁽²⁹⁾—

Coventry 671 465 881 7,073 6,054 9,952

Garston 4,576 2,557 695 4,525 3,144 2,754

Telford 142 2,092 1,710 3,110 1,201 1,001

Marton Mere 979 3,109 1,102 1,606 883 919

Aberdeen 876 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Aldershot 510 212 207 297 777 374

Banbury 134 620 2,483 2,056 1,747 1,129

Dundee 3,602 5,517 5,395 7,239 5,139 4,399

Gateshead 771 648 227 234 312 818

Hastings 5,801 13,775 3,291 7,278 3,099 12,291

Middlesbrough 3,836 841 465 1,384 2,367 2,225

Milton Keynes 109 621 1,951 1,813 1,728 972

Newcastle 594 548 644 1,285 4,329 9,104

Newport 715 301 117 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Paisley 1,679 2,213 2,924 9,505 3,343 1,176

Portsmouth 812 358 427 469 827 559

Provan 2,256 2,390 1,052 3,898 616 1,105

Bridgend 3,594 858 251 226 340 244

Cwmbran 635 513 450 432 327 227

Harrow 298 431 384 695 356 196

Ilford 2,565 2,228 2,029 2,145 1,778 327

Kennington Park 1,994 1,537 1,449 4,139 2,846 423

Pembroke Dock 7,857 9,533 2,446 3,713 4,655 3,391

Poole 320 880 799 2,419 2,205 523

Taunton 209 269 251 457 353 326

Torquay 403 228 426 1,271 2,699 2,436

Directorate total 63,037 82,138 54,074 111,564 110,243 101,057

15 Dec 2005 : Column 2287W

June July August September October November⁽²⁸⁾

Number of weeks in month

First contact inbound telephony Five Four Four Five Four Four

Chelmsford 2,912 2,878 1,819 2,452 864 416

Colchester 3,500 3,385 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Derby 7,621 18,317 27,967 26,712 6,063 2,898

Grimsby 1,944 4,057 6,066 5,188 8,283 1,554

Halifax 7,707 9,057 5,550 6,198 3,327 1,103

Lincoln 3,749 4,521 8,619 13,647 4,362 479

Lowestoft 23,925 15,432 14,110 22,246 978 1,844

Sheffield 14,463 15,297 14,323 6,078 146 78

Blackburn 656 631 5,066 8,884 4,047 1,994

Bootle 6,168 10,321 7,561 4,925 1,091 500

Chorlton ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Coventry 16,132 16,823 17,813 22,036 11,292 1,482

Garston 7,023 20,420 13,512 16,971 5,585 1,459

Telford 1,398 5,434 9,589 7,005 4,767 548

Marton Mere 1,995 5,618 4,342 3,256 1,449 1,190

Aberdeen ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Aldershot 333 20 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Banbury 2,126 5,010 5,160 2,305 1,635 551

Dundee 7,528 5,585 14,365 22,314 11,922 4,756

Gateshead 1,068 1,111 540 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Hastings 19,662 16,413 20,872 30,925 4,054 786

Middlesbrough 2,743 4,389 6,205 4,624 1,558 898

Milton Keynes 2,224 4,033 3,314 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Newcastle 8,280 3,963 3,926 14,163 5,501 2,674

Newport ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Paisley 3,374 2,532 2,893 5,029 3,793 896

Portsmouth 759 1,462 1,293 479 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Provan 3,597 4,332 4,902 6,110 1,399 ⁽²⁹⁾—

Bridgend 1,046 10,896 6,158 11,440 2,830 1,728

Cwmbran 725 215 403 1,286 400 511

Harrow 189 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Ilford 40 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Kennington Park 3,218 5,058 3,496 3,866 ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾—

Pembroke Dock 5,748 8,346 12,169 22,311 4,153 2,286

Poole 1,163 3,945 11,010 11,310 1,310 1,388

Taunton 2,507 5,789 5,943 1,968 5,816 1,740

Torquay 3,177 6,396 12,936 13,136 1,916 1,447

Directorate total 168,700 221,686 251,922 296,864 98,541 35,206

⁽²⁸⁾Data is for the three weeks of four that have passed so far.
⁽²⁹⁾No longer take first contact benefit calls.

	December	January	February	March	April	May
	Number of weeks in month
First contact inbound telephony	Five	Four	Four	Five	Four	Four
Chelmsford	1,122	1,148	1,434	2,064	1,144	1,019
Colchester	1,162	1,175	1,283	2,418	895	1,296
Derby	1,512	1,190	5,136	9,065	21,250	12,009
Grimsby	1,596	5,896	815	3,837	1,936	676
Halifax	2,529	6,917	2,930	6,805	3,475	2,092
Lincoln	1,471	2,910	2,263	1,787	2,208	2,823
Lowestoft	3,572	5,628	4,452	12,423	13,133	10,217
Sheffield	⁽²⁹⁾—	233	815	819	3,337	8,376
Blackburn	672	483	318	962	601	597
Bootle	1,504	1,259	891	1,188	8,158	5,081
Chorlton	1,959	2,555	1,681	2,927	3,161	⁽²⁹⁾—
Coventry	671	465	881	7,073	6,054	9,952
Garston	4,576	2,557	695	4,525	3,144	2,754
Telford	142	2,092	1,710	3,110	1,201	1,001
Marton Mere	979	3,109	1,102	1,606	883	919
Aberdeen	876	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—
Aldershot	510	212	207	297	777	374
Banbury	134	620	2,483	2,056	1,747	1,129
Dundee	3,602	5,517	5,395	7,239	5,139	4,399
Gateshead	771	648	227	234	312	818
Hastings	5,801	13,775	3,291	7,278	3,099	12,291
Middlesbrough	3,836	841	465	1,384	2,367	2,225
Milton Keynes	109	621	1,951	1,813	1,728	972
Newcastle	594	548	644	1,285	4,329	9,104
Newport	715	301	117	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—
Paisley	1,679	2,213	2,924	9,505	3,343	1,176
Portsmouth	812	358	427	469	827	559
Provan	2,256	2,390	1,052	3,898	616	1,105
Bridgend	3,594	858	251	226	340	244
Cwmbran	635	513	450	432	327	227
Harrow	298	431	384	695	356	196
Ilford	2,565	2,228	2,029	2,145	1,778	327
Kennington Park	1,994	1,537	1,449	4,139	2,846	423
Pembroke Dock	7,857	9,533	2,446	3,713	4,655	3,391
Poole	320	880	799	2,419	2,205	523
Taunton	209	269	251	457	353	326
Torquay	403	228	426	1,271	2,699	2,436
Directorate total	63,037	82,138	54,074	111,564	110,243	101,057