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21 Jun 2007 : Column 2246W—continued

Social Security Benefits: Young People

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many 18 to 24 year olds were not in employment, education or training in each quarter since 1992; and what proportion in each quarter were claiming (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) other benefits. [122109]

Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 22 February 2007]: Information on the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training claiming benefits is not available.

Information on the number and proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds who were not in employment, education or training in the United Kingdom in each quarter since 1992 is in the table.

21 Jun 2007 : Column 2247W

Date	18-24 not in employment, education or training( 1)	Proportion of 18-24 not in employment, education or training (percentage)
Spring 1992	1,163,000	20.1
Summer 1992	1,306,000	23.5
Autumn 1992	1,173,000	21.3
Winter 1992	1,170,000	21.4
Spring 1993	1,174,000	21.0
Summer 1993	1,261,000	23.5
Autumn 1993	1,130,000	21.3
Winter 1993	1,065,000	20.3
Spring 1994	1,065,000	19.8
Summer 1994	1,244,000	24.2
Autumn 1994	1,028,000	20.2
Winter 1994	993,000	19.1
Spring 1995	958,000	18.6
Summer 1995	1,093,000	21.4
Autumn 1995	982,000	19.4
Winter 1995	897,000	17.9
Spring 1996	860,000	17.3
Summer 1996	956,000	19.5
Autumn 1996	863,000	17.7
Winter 1996	805,000	16.6
Spring 1997	759,000	15.7
Summer 1997	871,000	18.2
Autumn 1997	706,000	14.8
Winter 1997	709,000	14.9
Spring 1998	699,000	14.7
Summer 1998	795,000	16.8
Autumn 1998	710,000	15.0
Winter 1998	705,000	14.8
Spring 1999	667,000	14.0
Summer 1999	781,000	16.3
Autumn 1999	678,000	14.2
Winter 1999	692,000	14.5
Spring 2000	665,000	13.9
Summer 2000	746,000	15.6
Autumn 2000	673,000	14.0
Winter 2000	681,000	14.1
Spring 2001	655,000	13.5
Summer 2001	740,000	15.2
Autumn 2001	708,000	14.5
Winter 2001	701,000	14.3
Spring 2002	685,000	13.9
Summer 2002	787,000	15.9
Autumn 2002	699,000	14.0
Winter 2002	710,000	14.2
Spring 2003	703,000	14.0
Summer 2003	803,000	15.9
Autumn 2003	702,000	13.8
Winter 2003	672,000	13.2
Spring 2004	682,000	13.3
Summer 2004	805,000	15.7
Autumn 2004	749,000	14.6
Winter 2004	736,000	14.3
Spring 2005	752,000	14.6
Summer 2005	831,000	16.0
Autumn 2005	801,000	15.4
Winter 2005	792,000	15.2
Spring 2006	780,000	14.9
(1) Rounded to the nearest thousand. Note: NEET numbers are calculated using the DFES statistical definition. These data are seasonally unadjusted and so any comparisons should be made on a year to year basis. Source: Labour Force Survey

State Retirement Pensions

Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the first payment of a state pension is made from the nearest Monday to a pensioner’s qualifying birthday. [143691]

James Purnell: Entitlement to a state pension begins on the payday on or following the day on which a person reaches pension age. Historically pensioners had a Thursday payday, but it was changed to a Monday for new claimants in September 1984 to spread the flow of customers using Post Offices more evenly. In some circumstances pensioners can be given a different payday.

Tax Credit

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what kind of prior consultation occurred between the Treasury and the Department for Social Security in respect of the 1997 Budget changes to dividend tax credits. [143547]

Ed Balls: I have been asked to reply.

21 Jun 2007 : Column 2248W

Treasury Ministers and officials have always been in regular and frequent contact with their counterparts in other Departments on a wide range of issues.

Working Conditions: Temperature

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance or regulations the Health and Safety Executive has made for the maximum and minimum acceptable temperatures in which people can work. [143584]

Mrs. McGuire: The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to provide a reasonable temperature in all indoor workplaces. These Regulations are accompanied by an Approved Code of Practice and guidance. HSE recommends a lower temperature of 16 degrees Celsius unless the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also require employers to undertake a risk assessment, which includes assessing the risks of working in very hot or cold workplaces. Where risks are identified, proportionate action must be taken by the employer to meet the legal requirements.

Further guidance and advice is available on HSE’s website covering a wide range of sectors. It also provides a step-by-step approach to help employers and employees manage excessive temperatures in the workplace including guidance on how to avoid heat stress, (http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature).

Workstep

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to extend the Workstep programme beyond April 2008. [142537]

Mrs. McGuire: The current WORKSTEP contracts have already been extended until the end of March 2008. We are currently looking at future contracts, but no decisions have yet been made.

Youth Unemployment

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people aged (a) 16 to 17 and (b) 18 to 24 years were (i) economically inactive and not in full-time education and (ii) unemployed in each year since 1997, broken down by region. [130033]

Mr. Jim Murphy: The available information has been placed in the Library.

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