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5 Dec 2006 : Column 329W—continued
Income-related benefits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the latest statistics are for the take-up of income-related benefits; and if he will make a statement. [102260]
Mr. Plaskitt: The latest estimates of the take-up of the main income-related benefits: income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income-based) can be found in the DWP report entitled “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2004/2005”. Copies of the publication are available in the Library.
Job Numbers: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in City of York constituency have found work through each of the Government’s new deal programmes since their introduction. [106659]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The available information is in the following table.
| New deal in the City of York constituency | |
| Programme | People into work |
| Notes: 1. Information is not available at constituency level for new deal for disabled people. 2. A dash in the table represents a nil or negligible number. 3. Data are to May 2006. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 5. Start dates for each programme are: new deal for young people: January1998; new deal 25 plus: July 1998; new deal for lone parents: October 1998; new deal 50 plus: April 2000; new deal for partners: April 2001; new deal for disabled people: July 2001. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate | |
Jobcentre Plus
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Blandford, (b) Bridport, (c) Christchurch, (d) Dorchester, (e) Wareham and (f) Wimborne visited Jobcentre Plus offices in the last three months for which figures are available. [100806]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated cost of the new Jobcentre Plus office in Bournemouth is; what its gross area is; how many people will be employed there; and what its estimated annual running costs are. [100808]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Gentleman with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the estimated cost of the new Jobcentre Plus office in Bournemouth is; what its gross area is; how many people will be employed there; and what its estimated annual running costs are. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Our partners, Land Services Trillium, are constructing the new building for Jobcentre Plus. They will bear the cost, including charges for facilities, of approximately £1 million a year. Jobcentre Plus will be responsible for fitting the building to Jobcentre Plus standards at a cost of approximately £2.7 million.
The office will be on three floors, covering 2,888 square metres. The building, on present staffing levels, will house 181 staff, but this is subject to change due to staff movement and business need.
The new building will house staff from 2 existing offices in Old Christchurch Road and Cotlands Road Bournemouth, and centralise all Jobcentre Plus functions on one site. The new office is well served by public transport and close to the local railway station.
I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which (a) full and (b) part-time Jobcentre Plus offices have been closed in each of the last four years. [102106]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Gentleman with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking which (a) full time and (b) part time Jobcentre Plus offices have been closed in each of the last four years. This is something, which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
I enclose a list of the offices that were closed and have indicated in each case whether the office was open full-time or part-time prior to closure. I have placed a copy in the House of Commons Library.
Firstly, as part of the rollout of the new Jobcentre Plus network we have rationalised our estate. We inherited around 1500 offices from the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency, several of which were unsuitable for the new processes, or were in the wrong place or in a poor state of repair. Often, the former agencies had offices situated at either end of the High Street and, in some instances, neither was suitable for conversion to Jobcentre Plus so we closed one or both of them. In each District we undertook detailed service delivery planning exercises in consultation with local stakeholders, identifying the sites which we would convert to the new standard and those, which needed to close. We also explained how, particularly in more rural locations, we would offer outreach services (“flexible service delivery”).
Secondly, as a result of our programme to centralise benefit processing we have identified sites which will no longer be viable once processing work has been taken away from them.
Thirdly, we have been looking very closely at the need for public-facing sites in a number of locations. The increased availability of new channels means that Jobcentre Plus customers can access services directly by telephone or Internet rather than needing to call into one of our offices. Reducing expenditure on our office network is part of our wider strategy for focusing resources more effectively on frontline advisory services to help our customers move into work.
The list of closures should also be set against the 837 offices that we have rolled out to date under our restructuring programme, plus over 150 locations where we have installed flexible service delivery arrangements.
I would emphasise that the closure of any of our offices involves consultation with local stakeholders, including MPs, and putting in place suitable alternative arrangements for delivering services to our customers.
I hope this is helpful.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect on expenditure of means-testing income-based jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement. [101297]
Mr. Plaskitt: We have made no such estimate.
National Insurance Numbers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the July 2006 changes which introduced a right to work pre-condition before national insurance numbers could be allocated. [102114]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answer I gave on 8 November 2006, Official Report, column 1633W, to the hon. Member for Peterborough, (Mr. Jackson).
Office for Disability Issues
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Office for Disability Issues is responsible for monitoring the effect of the removal of access to work funding from employees working in central Government Departments; and how he will assess the effect of the change. [102068]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the development of access to work and it will monitor the impact of the removal of access to work funding from employees working in central Government Departments. It will do this through a combination of analysis of administrative data from a range of sources, including DWP access to work business centres; Cabinet Office (data on employment and recruitment of disabled people across departments); and central Government Departments themselves, and qualitative research with disabled employees and other stakeholders, about their experiences.
The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) assesses the effectiveness of current policies and services for disabled people and reports annually on progress in delivering the Government’s strategy to achieve equality for disabled people by 2025. As part of this, the ODI will work with the Department for Work and Pensions to consider the impact of the access to work changes.
Pensions
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been affected by collapsed company pension schemes in the UK in the last five years. [103035]
James Purnell: The information requested is not available.
Post Office Card Account
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost to his Department was of Post Office card account transactions in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [102110]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answer I gave on 8 November 2006, Official Report, column 1643W, to my hon. Friend for Eltham (Clive Efford).
Social Security Advisory Committee
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Social Security Advisory Committee last looked at sufficiency of benefit levels as they apply to claimants (a) overall and (b) living in London; and if he will make a statement. [105957]
Mr. Plaskitt: Sir Richard Tilt, the Chairman of the Social Security Advisory Committee, will write to my hon. Friend.
Welfare Reform Bill
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department plans to ensure that the Welfare Reform Bill extends support for those carers who have suffered from ill health but wish to return to work. [102042]
Mrs. McGuire: Carers already have access to a wide range of support to help them back to work depending on whether they are, for example a lone parent or a disabled person, and the type of working age benefit they receive, such as income support or incapacity benefit.
In taking advantage of this support, carers may be able to attend a work-focused interview where they can get advice from a personal adviser on the programmes available to help them search for work or on training to update their skills. When making the transition into work, the personal adviser will also give advice on the financial assistance available to them.
We have also listened to the considerable public support for carers in drawing up proposals in the Health and Social Care White Paper when a commitment was made to improve respite care. In addition, the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004, which came into effect on 1 April 2005, promotes co-operation between authorities and requires councils to inform carers of their right to an assessment which takes into account their outside interests including work, or the desire to work.
Flexible working practices are good for business, employees and their families. In April 2003, we introduced a new right for parents of children up to the age of six and disabled children up to the age of 18 to request flexible working and put a duty on the employer to consider their request seriously. From April 2007, this right will be extended through the
Work and Families Act to carers of adults. This will support carers who wish to remain in or return to work and will particularly help those aged 45 to 64, around one quarter of whom are carers.
Widows' Benefits
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) smallest, (b) largest and (c) average settlements made by the Government in lieu of backdating widows’ benefits are. [102063]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answer I gave on 8 November 2006, Official Report, columns 1618-19W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field).
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Zimbabwe
14. Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. [107318]
Mr. McCartney: The human rights situation in Zimbabwe remains appalling. September's brutal crackdown on the leadership of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) underlines this. I had the opportunity to meet with Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe, leaders of the ZCTU, and hear first hand about their appalling treatment by the authorities. Our response could not have been clearer. Sadly, last week, the Government of Zimbabwe chose to continue their brutality by beating peaceful women and children demonstrators. We will continue to pressure the Government of Zimbabwe to restore respect for democratic values, human rights and the rule of law.
Middle East
15. Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the relationship between Palestine and Israel. [107319]
Dr. Howells: We welcome the ceasefire in Gaza between the Palestinians and Israel and hope it paves the way for dialogue and a return to negotiations. We also welcome President Abbas' and Prime Minister Olmert's commitment to meet without pre-conditions.
We must make progress towards a comprehensive peace and two-state solution, and an end to the cycle of violence. Both President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert remain committed to this process.
Overseas Diplomatic Posts
16. Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has to change the number of UK diplomatic posts overseas as part of the comprehensive spending review process. [107320]
Margaret Beckett: We keep the network of diplomatic posts overseas under constant review. Resources are redeployed in order to best align them to meeting the pressures of globalisation, and challenges such as climate change, terrorism and migration. The comprehensive spending review is still on-going.
Extradition Treaties
17. Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether extradition treaties entered into by member states of the European Union are required to conform with the principle that member states' citizens should be treated equally whatever their nationality. [107321]
Mr. Hoon: Extradition treaties that member states have with third countries depend on the policies and constitutional requirements of each respective state. It is not for the FCO to comment on the legality of other countries' treaties.
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