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22 May 2007 : Column 1275W—continued

Valuation Office Agency

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2007, Official Report, column 1859W, on the Valuation Office Agency, if he will place in the Library copies of the background papers on the development and implementation of an automated valuation model research project. [129487]

Mr. Timms: The papers concerned are commercially confidential and relate to the formulation of
22 May 2007 : Column 1276W
Government policy. It would be inappropriate to deposit them in the Library.

Wealth

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will update HM Revenue and Customs’ table 13.5 on the distribution of marketable wealth; and if he will make a statement. [137675]

Ed Balls: The publication of Table 13.5 has been delayed by methodological problems as detailed in an announcement on the HMRC website (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/delay-tables-13-1-13-5.pdf). Work is continuing to address the problems and a further announcement will be made by the end of June.

Welfare Tax Credits: Welfare Milk

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families with an entitlement to milk tokens are not receiving them because their tax credits are not being paid by the automatic computer system. [136540]

Mr. Timms: The information is not available. However, HMRC and the Department of Health have put processes in place to ensure that those on manual payments receive their milk tokens that they are entitled to.

Wales

Departments: Consultants

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the outside (a) agencies and (b) consultancies which are undertaking work commissioned by his Department; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost is of each commission. [138454]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office currently has commissioned a project initiation document from Bovis Lend Lease Limited. The cost of this document will be £4,700 and this will form part of the business case and delivery plan to assist in taking forward the proposed refurbishment project of Gwydyr House.

Departments: Manpower

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff funded by the public purse in his Department are classified as people without posts. [137672]

Mr. Hain: None.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what the total value of private finance initiative projects included in his Department's balance sheet (a) is in 2007 and (b) was in each of the last five years, broken down by project;[137820]

(2) what the value was of annual private finance initiative payments made by his Department from (a)
22 May 2007 : Column 1277W
capital and (b) revenue budgets in each of the last five years;[137821]

(3) what value of annual private finance initiative payments by his Department was classified as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable in each of the last five years, broken down by project;[137822]

(4) what value of annual private finance initiative (PFI) payments by his Department was (a) to repay capital and (b) expenditure on other parts of each PFI contract in each of the last five years, broken down by project. [137823]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office does not have any private finance initiative projects. Under the machinery of Government change, in June 2003 the Wales Office became a separate entity within the Department for Constitutional Affairs (now Ministry of Justice).

Prior to 2003 the Wales Office services were supplied by the National Assembly for Wales.

Work and Pensions

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis among employers. [138271]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department recognises that chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is a real and potentially debilitating condition that can affect individuals' capability for work and their chances of finding and retaining employment. However, our work to engage and support employers and tackle discrimination is not focused on specific conditions but looks at health conditions and disabilities in the round.

DWP has, in recent years, run a number of campaigns aimed at raising the general awareness of disability issues among employers and is currently developing an employer-led campaign to better engage employers with the recruitment and retention of disabled people. The campaign will address issues at both corporate and local delivery levels. It will also seek to influence the attitudes and behaviour of expert advisers and job market intermediaries.

Meanwhile, changing employer perceptions on health problems has been identified as a key priority for the cross-government Health, Work and Well-being Strategy. The strategy's National Stakeholder Council, which comprises senior members of key stakeholder groups such as the Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, Trades Union Congress and Association of British Insurers, has decided that one of its four areas of focus will be on "engaging employers as leading advocates of change".

Departments: Marketing

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 branding, if he will place in the Library a copy of the
22 May 2007 : Column 1278W
(a) guidelines issued to staff on maintaining his Department's corporate identity and (b) final 2004 report on the review of his Department's corporate image. [136022]

Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 8 May 2007, Official Report, column 168W.

Departments: Task Forces

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) task forces and (b) units operate in his Department; what the annual budget is of each; and how many staff each unit employs, broken down by civil service grade. [127764]

Mrs. McGuire: The information requested is set out in the following tables. The information in the tables covers all of the Department’s task forces. The information on business units represents the most detailed breakdown available from centrally held records.

The Department’s organisational architecture comprises business units designed to deliver: departmental-wide strategy and planning; strategies and policies to meet the needs of particular customer groups; direct delivery of services to customers; and delivery of departmental-wide shared services. Within each of these business units specific responsibilities fall to functions designated as directorates and divisions.

Also within these business units there are smaller business functions that are described as units but data are not held centrally on their functions, budgets or staffing and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


22 May 2007 : Column 1279W
Task force Staff profile by grade Financial allocation for 2007-08 (£)

Jobcentre Plus Provision Forum

1 x SCS PB 2(1)( )3 x SCS PB 1(1)( )1 x Band F(1)

(2)800

Health Professionals Advisory Group

Grade SCS PB2 and Band C(1)

(3)0

Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) Ethics Committee

2 x Band G

(3)0

1 x Band F

(3)0

Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force

Band E and Band D(1)

15,000

Transformation of the Personal Capability Assessment (PCA) Consultative Group

SCS PB 1(1)

(3)0

Health Work and Well-being (HWWB) National Stakeholder Council

0 civil servants

50,000

SSP (Statutory Sick Pay) Review Group

Band E and Band D(1)

(3)0

Official Error

1 x SCS PB1(1)

(4)0

4 x UG6(1)

(4)0

2 x UG7(1)

(4)0

3 x SEO(1)

(4)0

1 x HEO(1)

(4)0

(1) On part-time basis.
(2) £800 per year for meetings only.
(3) No funding other than staff costs.
(4) No dedicated budget.

DWP staffing as at 31 March 2007
Business SCS G6/G7 SEO HEO EO AO/AA Total

Jobcentre Plus

58

503

1,129

3,847

25,589

36,820

67,946

The Pension Service

22

159

309

683

3,750

7,785

12,707

Child Support Agency

23

131

146

515

2,989

7,420

11,224

Disability Carers Service

7

48

76

298

2,143

3,415

5,988

Shared Services

5

64

106

246

871

3,260

4,553

The Rent Service

1

12

25

90

372

143

643

Work Welfare and Equality Group

35

217

190

316

241

102

1,102

Pensions Client Directorate

21

93

85

142

62

56

459

Group Finance

23

118

188

372

610

208

1,519

Human Resources

11

62

88

209

169

68

607

Programme and Systems Delivery

29

137

50

52

35

16

319

Other Corporate Units

42

251

121

359

365

268

1,406

Total DWP

277

1,796

2,514

7,129

37,195

59,561

108,472

Notes:
1. Figures are full time equivalent (rounded)
2. Other corporate units include Change Management, Information Directorate, Strategy, Solicitors, Private Office, Communications and independent statutory bodies
3. Figures may not sum due to rounding

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