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9 May 2007 : Column 252W—continued
Departments: Standards
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on mystery shopping exercises in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [133903]
Mrs. McGuire: Each of the Department for Work and Pensions’ agencies is responsible for operating its own mystery shopping programme. The most recent available information for Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service are in the following tables.
| Jobcentre Plus expenditure on mystery-shopping programme s | |
| £ | |
| Note: Figures for 2006-07 are not yet available. | |
| The Pension Service expenditure on mystery-shopping programmes | |
| £ | |
The Disability and Carers Service (DCS) has not previously used a mystery shopping programme. The DCS tested a mystery shopping programme between January and March 2007. The programme proved successful and will be fully rolled out from April 2007.
For the period January 2007 to 31 March 2007, DCS’s expenditure was £22,120.
The Child Support Agency has not had a mystery shopping programme since prior to 2001. No information is available for the expenditure prior to 2001.
Departments: Telephone Services
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether all customer helplines operated by his Department are freephone numbers. [132996]
Most DWP helplines use 0845 numbers. The cost of contacting 0845 numbers varies depending on the time the customer calls, the contract they have with their network provider, and whether calls are made from residential lines or mobile lines. BT advises that the most popular tariff used by residential lines is BT Customer Option 1 or 2. Under these schemes, the cost of peak time calls to 0845 numbers is 2.55 pence per minute.
Customers using mobile telephones are charged at their network provider’s tariff for 0845 calls and may incur a charge even when dialling an 0800 number depending on the contract they have with their network provider.
If a customer indicates that they are concerned about the cost of a call, a call back will always be offered.
A breakdown for the Department’s helplines and call rates is shown in the following table.
Departments: Training
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2007, Official Report, column 1064W, on departments: training, if he will list the 20 most expensive training courses provided to Ministers and civil servants in his Department in 2006; and what the cost was of each. [133939]
Mrs. McGuire:
Considerable effort and resources would need to be used on interrogating the staff information system in order to obtain information that could be used to identify the 20 most expensive training courses provided to Ministers and civil servants. Attendance at external events will have been recorded
by individuals on their learning history. This information cannot be accessed centrally. Obtaining this level of information could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Financial Assistance Scheme
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the effect of the 2007-08 Budget on the Financial Assistance Scheme. [134428]
James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave for question number 5 to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne) on 23 April 2007.
Industrial Health and Safety
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of trade union safety representatives on workplace safety; and if he will assess the merits of confirming the role and rights of trade union safety representatives in law. [132938]
Mrs. McGuire: Several studies have looked at the effect of trade union safety representatives on workplace safety, including one commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive. Overall, the evidence suggests that trade union safety representatives make a positive contribution to improving health and safety standards in the workplace.
Ministers look to the Health and Safety Commission for advice on these matters. I understand it is currently looking at measures to support consultation and involvement of workers in health and safety, including better guidance. It will make recommendations to Ministers if appropriate.
The Government strongly support the efforts and dedication of all health and safety representatives in helping to make their workplaces healthier and safer.
Pension Credit
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much funding went unclaimed in (a) pension credit and (b) winter fuel allowance in each of the last five years; [134022]
(2) how many pensioners who were eligible for (a) pension credit and (b) winter fuel allowance did not claim it in each of the last five years; [134023]
(3) how many pensioners in Islwyn constituency received pension credit in each of the last five years; [134024]
(4) how many pensioners in Islwyn constituency claimed the winter fuel allowance in each of the last five years. [134025]
James Purnell: Latest estimates of the amount of pension credit left unclaimed and the number of pensioners who were eligible but not claiming pension credit can be found in the DWP publication series entitled: “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up”. Copies of the annual reports are held in the Library.
The vast majority of winter fuel payments are made automatically without the need to claim as we hold sufficient information on our benefit systems. It is not possible to say how many people may be eligible for a winter fuel payment and are not receiving it. This is because not everyone aged 60 or over will be eligible for a payment. In order to assess whether a person is eligible we need to establish their circumstances and this can only be done once they have contacted the Department. A person may be ineligible for various reasons such as serving a custodial sentence, in hospital receiving free in-patient treatment for more than 52 weeks, or subject to immigration control.
All winter fuel payment information for past years is in the Library and is updated yearly. A letter was issued to all MPs in January 2005 to inform them that the information would be published and updated each year.
Pension credit was introduced in October 2003, so the following table shows the number of household recipients of pension credit in Islwyn constituency for 2003 to 2006.
| Household recipients of pension credit in Islwyn constituency, 2003 - 06 | |
| Household recipients | |
| Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003 and replaced minimum income guarantee (income support for people aged 60 or over). 3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. Data | |
The following table shows the number of winter fuel payments made in the Islwyn constituency over each of the last five years. Figures for winter 2006-07 are not yet available but we expect the number to be similar to that for winter 2005-06.
| Islwyn constituency | |
| Payments made | |
| Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data. | |
Pension Credit: West Yorkshire
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in each electoral ward in Warley constituency receive pension credit. [133779]
James Purnell: The answer is set out in the following table;
| Household recipients of pension credit in each ward in Warley constituency , August 2006 | |
| Ward name | Household recipients |
| Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest five and totals may not sum as a result. 2. Wards are based on 2003 ward boundaries. 3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data. | |
Pension Service
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to extend the home visiting facility of Pension Service local teams to the under 60 age group; and if he will make a statement. [133923]
James Purnell: The Pension Service Local Service is currently running a feasibility pilot in the West Midlands area in partnership with the Disability and Carers Service to investigate the possibility of extending the face to face service to working age customers.
The pilot is in its early stages and initial evaluation results are anticipated at the beginning of June 2007.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of Pension Service local team staff were involved in the home visiting service in each of the last four years; and what he expects this proportion to be at 31 March 2008. [133927]
James Purnell: In the last four years, 100 per cent. of Pension Service local service staff were involved in the home visiting service, through face-to-face contact with our customers.
Support is provided to the local service from a centrally based national team.
The proportion of local service staff involved in the home visiting service will not change in 2007-08.
Pension Service: Manpower
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed in the Pension Service local teams in each year since 2002. [133906]
James Purnell: No data are available for 2002-03 and 2003-04 as national figures were not maintained for this period.
Information since 2004-05 is in the following table.
| Total number of loc al service cluster staff (whole- time equivalent) | |
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