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14 Mar 2006 : Column 2173W—continued
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how he is contributing to the Government's commitment to eradicate fuel poverty. [57401]
Mr. Timms: This Department is committed to eradicating fuel poverty.
The winter fuel payment administered by the Department has already made significant inroads in eradicating fuel poverty. The payment has risen above the level of inflation, from £20 in winter 1997–98 to £200 from winter 2000–01 and to £300 for those aged 80 or over from winter 2003–04. Over £1.9 billion was paid out in 2004–05.
The Pension Service's Local Service, has also been carrying out benefit entitlement checks as part of their home visits to customers and refers them to the warm front scheme administered by the Department for Trade and Industry, if appropriate.
New processes have also been developed between The Pension Service and the Home Heat Helpline", a private sector run and funded fuel poverty helpline
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launched in October 2005, which help to maximise the take-up of benefits, help from the utilities companies and warm front grants. The Department is also working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Energy Industry and the Voluntary Sector to tackle fuel poverty in the UK.
The most recent data available show that the numbers of households in fuel poverty in the UK fell from a high of 6.5 million in 1996 to 2 million in 2003.
Households Below Average Income
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the next set of Households Below Average Income data will be published. [56980]
Margaret Hodge: Households Below Average Income 1995–96 to 2004–05 was published on 9 March 2006 and a copy is being placed in the Library.
Housing Benefits
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) housing benefit and (b) local housing allowance claimants there are in each Pathfinder area; and how many in each category have private tenancies. [56283]
Mr. Plaskitt: The local housing allowance only applies to deregulated private sector tenancies. The information is in the table.
Notes:
1. Case loads are rounded to nearest 100. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Local housing allowance (LHA) case loads reported here exclude LHA claimants currently in receipt of transitional protection.
3. All tenancies include social sector (local authority tenancies and registered social landlord (RSL) tenancies) and private sector tenancies.
4. Local housing allowance is a form of housing benefit.
Source:
DWP administrative data, August 2005.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit claimants there were in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many claimants in each country had private tenancies. [56284]
Mr. Plaskitt:
Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office. The available information for Great Britain is in the table.
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Notes:
1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.
4. Figures for any non-responding local authorities have been estimated.
5. Private" tenancies exclude Registered Social Landlords (RSL) tenancies.
Source:
Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system quarterly 100 percent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2005.
Jobcentre Plus
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Jobcentre Plus training budgets were allocated for in (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07 in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) each Jobcentre Plus office; and what the percentage change between the two years is in each case. [51556]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 14 February 2006]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question asking what the Jobcentre Plus training budgets were in England and Wales in (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07, broken down (i) between England and Wales and (ii) by Jobcentre Plus Office; and what the percentage change between the two years is in each case. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Employment Programme costs relating to training for customers in 2005/06 are expected to be; for England £404.7m; and Wales £19.5m. Training includes Work Based Learning for Adults, Short Intensive Basic Skills, Ambition and New Deal excluding New Deal for Disabled People. Figures are not available at Jobcentre Plus office level.
The Welsh Assembly also provides employment training provision for customers in Wales which is not included in this figure.
It is not possible to provide figures for 2006/07, as the individual provisions for the Jobcentre Plus Employment Programme for next year have not yet been agreed.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed in Jobcentre Plus in the UK at the end of each of the last 18 months for which figures are available. [54236]
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.
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The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many staff were employed in Jobcentre Plus in the UK at the end of each of the last 18 months for which figures are available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The information you require is in the table below. The numbers relate to Staff in Post, not full time equivalents.
Source:
Management Information (Ml) Portal
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the pay scales are for staff employed by Jobcentre Plus; and how many staff were paid at each level in the latest period for which figures are available. [56280]
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.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the pay scales are for staff employed by Jobcentre Plus; and how many staff were paid at each level in the latest period for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
In answer to your specific question, there are 67 pay scales currently in operation. Specialist pay scales account for 56 of these and attract between 1 and 280 staff each. There are 11 generalist scales and these attract between 1 and 43,125 staff each.
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