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18 Oct 2007 : Column 1254W—continued
Palestinians: International Assistance
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 138W, on Palestinians: international assistance, what agreement has been reached on EU financial assistance for the Palestinian Emergency Government; and if he will make a statement. [157531]
Mr. Malik: On 24 July, the European Commission announced $123 million (£62 million) of assistance for 2007. EU donors including the UK, Sweden and France have already committed direct financial support to the PA.
Work and Pensions
Child Benefit
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of paying child benefit to households in the (a) £0-£10,000, (b) £10,001-£20,000, (c) £20,001-£30,000, (d) £30,001-£40,000, (e) £40,001-£50,000 and (f) over £50,000 per annum income brackets in the latest period for which figures are available. [157394]
Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
The following table shows the estimated expenditure on child benefit in 2005-06, broken down by gross family income.
Commission for Equality and Human Rights: Manpower
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to reach its full staffing complement. [157816]
Barbara Follett [holding answer 10 October 2007]: The Commission has commenced the recruitment of staff. The timing of meeting the full complement will depend on the outcomes of recruitment exercises and the availability of suitably qualified staff.
Departments: Departmental Records
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 84W, on departments: departmental records, what the reasons are for the difference in the number of files and the number of claimants. [153703]
Mr. Plaskitt: It is quite legitimate for a customer to have more than one DWP record file. At any given time an individual may be in receipt of injury benefit, income support, disability living allowance, social fund payment(s). It should be noted that each social fund claim generates a new file. It is also feasible that CSA, debt management and fraud hold files on the individual as well as dormant records for jobseekers allowance and the labour market unit. Other benefits for which individual records are kept include retirement pension, attendance allowance and industrial injuries disablement benefit.
Not all files held are benefit files. There are also registered files and personnel files.
Departments: Public Bodies
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list his Department’s (a) executive agencies, (b) executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), (c) advisory NDPBs, (d) tribunal NDPBs, (e) trading funds and (f) public corporations for each financial year since 2005-06. [156619]
Mrs. McGuire: Details of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) for each financial year since 2005-06 are set out as follows:
Jobcentre Plus
The Pension Service
Child Support Agency
Disability and Carers Service
The Appeals Service
The Rent Service
Disability Rights Commission
Health and Safety Commission
Health and Safety Executive
Independent Living Funds
The Pensions Regulator
Disability Employment Advisory Committee
Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board
Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
National Employment Panel
Social Security Advisory Committee
Appeals Service
Pensions Ombudsman (was incorrectly recorded as an Advisory Body in the publication Public Bodies 2006)
Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman
None
Pensions Protection Fund
Remploy Ltd
Jobcentre Plus
The Pension Service
Child Support Agency
Disability and Carers Service
The Rent Service
Disability Rights Commission
Health and Safety Commission
Health and Safety Executive
Independent Living Funds
National Employment Panel Ltd
The Pensions Advisory Service
The Pensions Regulator
Disability Employment Advisory Committee
Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board
Equality 2025
Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
National Employment Panel
Social Security Advisory Committee
Pensions Ombudsman
Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman
None
Pensions Protection Fund
Remploy Ltd
Additional information regarding the Department’s Agencies and non-departmental public bodies is available from a number of published documents and other sources. The Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies 2006(1) contains information on the Department’s non-departmental public bodies in 2005-06 while information regarding 2006-07 is available from the Department’s internet site(2). Information regarding the Department’s executive agencies can be found within the DWP Departmental Framework(3) and the Departmental Reports for 2006(4) and 2007(5).
Deprived Areas Fund
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) areas and (b) parliamentary constituencies the deprived areas fund applies to; how much the fund is; and what its purpose is. [154669]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information about the areas and parliamentary constituencies to which the deprived areas fund applies is lengthy and has been placed in the Library.
The deprived areas fund was £19.3 million for the third and fourth quarters of 2006-07 and is £59.1 million in 2007-08.
The deprived areas fund is an area based initiative which aims to improve the employment rate across all areas of the country and, in particular, on narrowing the gap between those areas with the lowest employment rates and the overall national rate.
Employment Schemes: Luton
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which organisations are assisting (a) long-term unemployed and (b) disabled people into work in Luton under contract with his Department. [149423]
Caroline Flint: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 18 October 2007:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking which organisations are assisting long term unemployed and disabled people into work in Luton under contract with his Department. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Our main contracted provision for long term unemployed customers receiving Jobseeker's Allowance is through our New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus programmes. The Training Network Group is contracted to deliver these programmes in Luton, and they also deliver English for Speakers of Other Languages work placements and additional training for customers who have completed New Deal but have no job to start in the next four weeks.
New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus customers can also access:
New Deal Self Employment, contracted to Norfolk and Waveney Enterprise Services (NWES);
New Deal Mentoring which is contracted to Armstrong Learning;
New Deal for Musicians which is also contracted to Armstrong Learning; and
Progressive Steps, a European Social Fund contract, which addresses customers’ barriers to work. SEETEC deliver this contract.
We also contract a range of provision for people with disabilities. Through our New Deal for Disabled People, we have contracts with the following Job Brokers: SEETEC, Royal British Legion Industries and Futura.
Work Preparation helps customers who have been out of work for a long time due to a disability or illness to help overcome any difficulties they might face when they return to work. Work Preparation is contracted to North Hertfordshire College and delivered by Dunstable College for Luton customers.
Disabled people can also access our WORKSTEP provision, delivered by Bedfordshire County Council, Watford Sheltered Work Shop, Papworth Trust, Shaw Trust, Remploy, Scope, Employment Opportunities and Royal British Legion Industries. WORKSTEP is a flexible programme designed to meet the individual needs of customers with disabilities and their employer.
People with disabilities can also be referred to a Disability Employment Adviser or Work Psychologist employed by Jobcentre Plus.
My District Manager for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, Carolyn Taylor, would be happy to brief you in more detail on the range of provision available in the Luton area. Carolyn can be contacted by post at Jobcentre Plus, Beauver House, 6 Brickett Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3JU, by telephone on 01727 773426 or by email at carolyn.taylor@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk.
I hope this is helpful.
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