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30 Oct 2006 : Column 6W—continued
| Carer's allowance (CA), state pension (SP), and bereavement benefit (BB) claimants in the City of York parliamentary constituency, as at date shown each year | |||
| CA | SP | BB | |
| Notes: 1. CA figures are rounded to the nearest 100 from 2002-03 and to the nearest 10 from 2004 onwards. 2. SP figures are rounded to the nearest 100 from 2000 to 2002 and to the nearest 10 from 2003 onwards. 3. BB figures are rounded to the nearest 100 for 2002 and to the nearest 10 from 2003 onwards. 4. CA figures exclude underlying entitlement cases. 5. CA and SP figures are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency prior to 2000. 6. BB replaced widow's benefit, for new claims, on 9 April 2001. Sources: 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS); DWP information Directorate 5 per cent. samples. | |||
| Winter fuel payments claimants in the City of York parliamentary constituency, as at date shown each year | |
| Winter | Number |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency prior to winter 1999-2000. Source: DWP Information Directorate, 100 per cent. data. | |
Carers
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who have had to leave the workforce because of their caring responsibilities in each of the last five years. [95700]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 20 October 2006]: The information requested is not available.
Departmental Vacancies
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of vacancies in his Department in the last 12 months required candidates to have at least a grade C in (a) English and (b) mathematics GCSE. [96733]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions uses competencies and selection tests in its processes for both internal and external selection including appropriate literacy and numeracy tests in external selection, rather than formal educational qualifications in mathematics and English.
Events (Risk Assessments)
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has produced on the need for risk assessments of public events organised by the voluntary sector. [95818]
Mrs. McGuire: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently re-published “Charity and voluntary workers: A guide to health and safety at work” (HSG192). This is mainly concerned with the health and safety of workers employed by the voluntary sector, but does touch upon public events. It was developed in partnership with the Charities Safety Group, which has over 100 member charities, and the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
The guidance makes clear that employers are required to carry out an assessment of risks that result from their undertaking and, if they employ five or more people, that they must record the findings of the assessment. Therefore, where the body organising an event is an employer, as many charities are, the law requires that a risk assessment is carried out.
The guidance also includes advice and case studies to help charities and volunteering organisations decide on the practical steps they need to take.
HSE also supported Volunteering England in the development and recent launch of their risk assessment toolkit which is available free online at www.volunteering.org.uk. It gives detailed guidance on all aspects of risk assessment in volunteering, including health and safety aspects of organising events.
Evidence of Identity
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2006, Official Report, column 719W, on national insurance, what proportion of those who attended a Jobcentre Plus Evidence of Identity interview were referred to the Immigration and Nationality Department; and what proof of identity is normally required at a Jobcentre Plus Evidence of Identity interview. [68908]
Mr. Plaskitt: In the year from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006, fewer than 1 per cent. of those who attended a Jobcentre Plus Evidence of Identity interview were referred to the Immigration and Nationality Department as potential immigration offenders.
Adults who require a NINO are asked to bring a number of documents to the Evidence of Identity interview to help prove their identity. These documents are set out in form ISSPA5JP, which is available from Jobcentre Plus and social security offices. Copies have been placed in the Library. It is also available at www.dwp.gov.uk
Government Social Research Service
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the service in that period; and how many people are employed in the service in his Department. [95857]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department's expenditure on social research for the last five financial years is given in the following table:
| £ million | |
| Financial year | Expenditure |
The number of projects completed during the last five years, based on the number of social research reports published, is 430 (all social research undertaken by the Department is published).
The latest available staffing figures (for the year 2004-05) indicate there are 84 social researchers employed within this Department at a cost of around £4.4 million.
Housing Benefit
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance and information has been provided to raise awareness of the change that allows housing benefit to continue to be paid for a young person who has started a full-time course before turning 19 until they complete the course or turn 20. [90380]
Mr. Plaskitt: Local authorities, who administer housing benefit, have been issued with guidance advising them of the amendments that have been made to the housing benefit regulations as a result of the changes of the entitlement conditions for child benefit. This guidance was contained in housing benefit and council tax benefit circular A6/2006. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Income Support
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which individuals are able to eat healthily when in receipt of income support personal allowance for a single person aged (a) 16 to 17, (b) 18 to 24 and (c) 25 years and over. [95051]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions has not made any assessment of the extent to which individuals are able to eat healthily when in receipt of income support. The rates of income support are intended to cover all normal day to day living expenses.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of increasing by £1 per week income support levels for single people aged (a) 16 to 17 and (b) 18 to 24 years. [95060]
Mr. Plaskitt: The annual cost of increasing by £1 per week income support levels for single people is estimated to be £1,000,000 for people aged 16 to 17 and £14,000,000 for people aged 18 to 24.
International GCSE
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment. [96864]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions uses a combination of competencies and selection tests for recruitment purposes and does not use specific educational qualifications as a criterion.
Investment Allowances
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the capital limits are for those benefits for which he is responsible in (a) cash terms, (b) real terms with 1997 as the base and (c) terms of years of present maximum annual investment savings account allowances. [92783]
Mr. Plaskitt: Capital limits apply to all income related benefits: income support; jobseeker's allowance; pension credit; housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Capital at or below the lower limit does not affect benefit. For capital between the lower and the upper limit, an amount of ‘tariff income’ is assumed. Claimants with capital above the upper limit are excluded from benefit. Pension credit has no upper limit, nor do housing benefit and council tax benefit when paid with pension credit.
Benefit rates are set for the financial year, not the calendar year, and with 1997-98 as the base year, the real terms capital limit amounts are set out together with the present upper and lower capital limits, which were increased for working age claimants in April 2006, in the table.
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