Previous Section Index Home Page

16 May 2007 : Column 768W—continued

Lone Parents: Income Support

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents (a) were claiming income support and (b) have been claiming income support for more than five years in May 1997. [137419]

Mr. Jim Murphy: As at May 1997, there were 1,014,200 lone parents in receipt of income support. Of those, 328,000 had been in receipt of the benefit for five years or more.

New Deal Schemes: Rotherham

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Rotherham received assistance from the New Deal in each year since 1997. [137562]

Mr. Jim Murphy: The available information is in the following table.


16 May 2007 : Column 769W
New Deal in Rotherham
Period Individual starts Individual jobs

January to December 1998

660

360

January to December 1999

540

400

January to December 2000

480

420

January to December 2001

500

360

January to December 2002

560

390

January to December 2003

690

500

January to December 2004

590

480

January to December 2005

730

330

January to December 2006

840

350

January to February 2007

200

Total

5,900

3,710

Notes: 1. Latest data for people into jobs through New Deal is to the end of November 2007; latest data for starts to New Deal is to February 2007. 2. Programme start dates are: New Deal for Young People: January 1998; New Deal 25 plus: July 1998; New Deal for Lone Parents: October 1998; New Deal 50 plus: April 2000; New Deal for Partners: May 1999. 3. Information on starts to New Deal 50 plus is only available from January 2004. 4. Information on people into jobs through New Deal 50 plus broken down by year, is only available at parliamentary constituency level from April 2003. 5. Information on New Deal for Disabled People is not available at parliamentary constituency level. 6. New Deal for Partners data is not available at parliamentary constituency level prior to April 2004. 7. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions

Occupational Pensions

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written statement of 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 113-14WS, (1) how many of the estimated number of people with pension losses are (a) at or above age 65, (b) aged 63 to 64, (c) aged 60 to 62, (d) aged 57 to 59, (e) aged 54 to 56, (f) aged 51 to 53, (g) aged 48 to 50, (h) aged 45 to 47, (i) aged 42 to 44, (j) aged 39 to 41 and (k) aged under 39 years; [135132]

(2) how many of the estimated number of people with pension losses are (a) at or above scheme retirement age, (b) (i) less than three years, (ii) three to five years, (iii) six to eight years, (iv) eight to 10 years, (v) 11 to 13 years, (vi) 14 to 16 years and (vii) more than 16 years away from scheme retirement age. [135133]

James Purnell: The information in the following tables show a breakdown of the estimated number of individuals who have suffered pension losses by age and the number of years away from scheme retirement age. This is based on their age as at May 2004.

Table 1: Age profile of individuals who have suffered pension losses
Age Number of people

65+

10,000

63-64

6,000

60-62

11,000

57-59

14,000

54-56

12,000

51-53

11,000

48-50

10,000

45-47

10,000

42-44

10,000

39-41

12,000

<39

20,000

Total

125,000



16 May 2007 : Column 770W
Table 2: N umber of individuals who have suffered pension losses by the number of years away from scheme retirement age
Years from scheme retirement age (SRA) Number of people

At or above SRA

11,000

<3 years

11,000

3-5 years

11,000

6-8 years

13,000

9-11 years

12,000

12-14 years

10,000

15 years+

56,000

Total

125,000

Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and they may not sum exactly to the total due to rounding.
2. Information is based on sample data and should therefore be treated with caution. Breaking down the data into small intervals may not produce reliable estimates.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written statement of 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 113-14WS, on occupational pensions, (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation from the extended Financial Assistance Scheme in (a) cash terms and (b) net present value terms for those who are (i) at or above age 65 years, (ii) aged 63 to 64 years, (iii) aged 60 to 62 years, (iv) aged 57 to 59 years, (v) aged 54 to 56 years, (vi) aged 51 to 53 years, (vii) aged 48 to 50 years, (viii) aged 45 to 47 years, (ix) aged 42 to 44 years, (x) aged 39 to 41 years and (xi) aged under 39 years if Pensions Protection Fund (PPF) level benefits were paid and PPF eligibility criteria were applied; [135134]

(2) what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation from the extended Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) in (a) cash terms and (b) net present value terms for those who are (i) at or above age 65, (ii) aged 63-64, (iii) aged 60-62, (iv) aged 57-59, (v) aged 54-56, (vi) aged 51-53, (vii) aged 48-50, (viii) aged 45-47, (ix) aged 42-44, (x) aged 39-41, (xi) aged under 39 years if Pensions Protection Fund level benefits were paid with eligibility determined according to the present FAS criteria; [135135]

(3) what estimate he has made of the cost of compensation from the extended Financial Assistance Scheme in (a) cash terms, (b) net present value terms for those who are (i) at or above age 65, (ii) aged 63 to 64, (iii) aged 60 to 62, (iv) aged 57 to 59, (v) aged 54 to 56, (vi) aged 51 to 53, (vii) aged 48 to 50, (viii) aged 45 to 47, (ix) aged 42 to 44, (x) aged 39 to 41 and (xi) aged under 39 years. [135136]

James Purnell: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Education and Skills

Accountancy: Diplomas

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) whether students pursuing the new business, administration and finance diploma will be able to gain qualifications in accounting as part of that diploma; [136895]

(2) whether pursuing the new business, administration and finance diploma will give students a direct non-university progression route towards becoming chartered accountants in the same way as current Association of Accounting Technician national vocational qualifications. [136896]


16 May 2007 : Column 771W

Phil Hope [holding answer s 15 May 2007]: The new diplomas in business, administration and finance are being designed to give young people first hand experience and insight into the world of work and a broad based understanding of one or more sectors of employment preparing them to make informed choices of career or further study. They are not designed to provide full occupational competency in accountancy as NVQs are.

The Diploma Development Partnership is working closely with the Association of Accounting Technicians and other relevant professional bodies as it designs the diploma.

Within the mandatory part of the diplomas is an accounting topic that will provide a foundation in accounting for all learners. Learners who wish to progress to become a chartered accountant, or those who simply want more experience in this area, will be able to supplement their mandatory subjects with appropriate choices from the range of options within the diploma. This suite is currently being defined but it is likely to include elements from the existing range of accounting qualifications.

Young people who gain a diploma in business, administration and finance will be able to enter accountancy and other industries, direct from school or college or progress to higher education.

Adoption: West Midlands

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were adopted in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each of the last five years. [128339]

Mr. Dhanda: The number of adoption orders made for all children by courts in England and Wales for the period 1 January 2001-31 December 2005 (latest figures available) are:

Number

2001

5,386

2002

5486

2003

5363

2004

5376

2005

5294


A breakdown of these figures on a geographical basis could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Statistical information on the total number of adoptions is included in the statistics series ‘Marriage, divorce and adoptions’, volume FM2, published by the Office of National Statistics. A copy of this publication is available in the House of Commons Library and on the National Statistics’ website at:

Apprentices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many apprenticeships were started in each of the last 20 years. [133357]


16 May 2007 : Column 772W

Phil Hope [holding answer 23 April 2007]: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) derive from the Individual Learner Record (ILR). Comparable figures are only available since 2000/01 when the ILR was collated nationally and consistently for the first time by the LSC. The following table shows the number of starts on Advanced Apprenticeships and Apprenticeships since 2000/01.

Advanced apprenticeships Apprenticeships Total

2000/01

72,400

104,100

176,500

2001/02

54,000

108,300

162,300

2002/03

50,400

122,200

172,600

2003/04

57,000

136,600

193,600

2004/05

53,900

135,100

189,000

2005/06

50,700

120,600

171,300


The average number of apprentices actually in learning in 2005/06 was 254,000, an increase from 75,000 in learning in 1997.

Children’s Centres

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations in the National Audit Office report of December 2006 on Sure Start children’s centres. [137218]

Beverley Hughes: The National Audit Office’s report on Sure Start Children’s Centres contained a number of recommendations for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), for local authorities and their partners, and for children’s centres themselves to improve the financial management of children’s services. The Public Accounts Committee took evidence from senior officials from DfES in January 2007 and we await their conclusions. We will be issuing guidance very shortly which contains the principles of good governance for children’s centres and extended services and includes details of children’s centres advisory boards which will support effective financial management and performance monitoring. In the summer we plan further guidance to accompany details of the additional funding for children’s centres, resulting from our Comprehensive Spending Review, to help local authorities ensure that resources are effectively targeted, fairly distributed according to need, and achieve value for money.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of issuing precise practice guidance to children’s centres; and if he will make a statement. [137219]


Next Section Index Home Page