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19 Jan 2006 : Column 1562W—continued
Disability Discrimination Act
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has carried out research into awareness of the implications of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 for recruitment and employment of disabled people among (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses; and what steps he is taking to increase awareness among such businesses with particular reference to enabling access to workplaces. [30943]
Mrs. McGuire: The primary impact on recruitment and employment of disabled people among businesses of all sizes stems from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003. These Regulations significantly extended the employment provisions of the 1995 Act to cover small employers and all previously excluded occupations, except the armed forces, from 1 October 2004. Research into the impact of the Act has formed part of DWP's on-going programme of research into the awareness of Disability Discrimination legislation.
The Department commissioned two research projects to determine employers' awareness of, and their responses, to the duties introduced in October 2004, The results were published in 'Research Report 202: Disability in the workplace: Employers and service providers responses to the Disability Discrimination Act in 2003 and preparation for 2004 changes'; and 'Research Report 277: Disability in the workplace: Small employers' awareness and responses to the
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Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the October 2004 duties'. Copies of these reports can be found in the House of Commons Library.
DWP is planning research that will continue to analyse the awareness of and response to the Disability Discrimination Act, particularly among those with duties specific to the DDA 2005. Employers of all sizes will be captured both within the survey and case study aspect of this research, and results will be published in a report due in autumn 2006.
DWP launched a further awareness campaign on 1 December 2005 aimed at reminding small businesses about the duties placed on them by the October 2004 legislative changes.
Electronic Data Systems
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the National Audit Office on the Child Support Agency contract with Electronic Data Systems. [41665]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 19 January 2006:
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, what representations his Department has received from the National Audit Office on the background to the Child Support Agency contract with Electronic Data Systems.
The Select Committee Report in January 2005, on the Performance of the Child Support Agency provided Government with a number of recommendations. Recommendation 3 focused on the CSA contract with EDS:
We recommend that the National Audit Office undertakes a comprehensive study of the background to the CSA contract with EDS as soon as it is feasible to do so, and that Parliament should debate the findings in Government time on the floor of the House."
National Audit Office has commenced an investigation into Child Support Reforms, which will address this recommendation. It is currently in the process of gathering evidence.
Job Losses (Warrington)
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department will provide to people in Warrington who lose their jobs as a result of the closure of the Safeway distribution centre. [43242]
Margaret Hodge:
Funding has been approved to enable the Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service to support the Safeway workers in a variety of ways. A Skills Training Analysis will be conducted to assess individuals' existing skills and to identify specific needs in relation to further employment. In addition, funding will enable the provision of job focused training if not available from other sources or Jobcentre Plus partners.
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Specific funding has also been allocated to enable Jobcentre Plus staff within the affected district to assist individuals through this process, giving information, advice and guidance.
Additionally, Jobcentre Plus staff are working closely with the company to provide help by:
conducting interviews for claiming benefit on the company premises and issuing all relevant paperwork;
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the level of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) by (a) £1 per week, (b) £5 per week and (c) £10 per week for each rate of JSA. [41384]
Mr. Plaskitt: No such estimate has been made.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the off-flow from jobseeker's allowance found work in each year from 1990–91; and if he will make a statement. [41438]
Mr. Plaskitt: Information is not available prior to 1998. For the available information, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 381W.
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged over 50 years claimed jobseeker's allowance (JSA) in Houghton and Washington, East constituency in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05; and what percentage (i) remained on JSA, (ii) found work, (iii) moved onto income support and (iv)moved onto incapacity benefit in each year. [42446]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table.
Notes:
1.Figures refer to financial years from 1 April to 31 March.
2.All figures refer to JSA claims where the claimant is aged 50 or over. People who have had multiple JSA claims will be counted more than once.
3.Per cent. left JSA refers to the percentage of JSA claims (where the claimant was aged 50 or over) that had terminated by the end of the financial year.
4.Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred; percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent. terminations dataset.
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National Insurance Numbers
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applicants for national insurance numbers have been waiting more than (a) one month, (b) three months and (c) six months for them to be issued. [42214]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not collected centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Non-resident Parents (Maintenance Payments)
Vera Baird:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) custodial sentences have been imposed and (b) driving licences have been confiscated for the persistent non-payment of maintenance by non-resident parents in each of the last
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three years (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) in the Middlesbrough courts area. [38943]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 20 December 2005]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 19 January 2006:
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 how many (a) custodial sentences have been imposed and (b) driving licences have been confiscated for the persistent non-payment of maintenance by non-resident parents in each of the last three years (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) in the Middlesbrough courts area.
Notes to table:
(i)The figures are given for Great Britain since the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency administers child support in Northern Ireland.
(ii)The fact that the number of suspensions and actual penalties is less than half the number of referrals is explained by the number of debtors who enter into agreements to pay rather than attend court. Similarly, only a very small number of debtors actually go to prison or lose their driving licences because the courts normally suspend a sentence on condition that the defendant commits to pay.
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