---

13 Dec 2007 : Column 796W—continued

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which telephone contact centres are the responsibility of his Department; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their effectiveness; and how many people have been employed in each of those centres in each year since they were established. [166522]

Mrs. McGuire: The information requested on the Department’s contact centres and the numbers employed in them is shown in the following tables.

The Department monitors the effectiveness of its contact centres through a scorecard that measures performance across a balanced range of measures. Performance is reported on a monthly basis to the Department’s Contact Centre Advisory Team and, each quarter, to the DWP Planning, Performance and Risk Committee. Performance is also monitored by the Contact Centre Performance Working Group whose remit is to: understand and improve performance; identify common performance pressure points, share good practice; and support common performance improvement initiatives.

In addition, each business unit employs a range of performance management measures and tools to monitor the effectiveness of its centres which, for example, include: real time and historic performance measurement; mystery shopping; and the reviewing of the performance of individual agents.

The Department also now reports on the performance of its contact centres to the Contact Council established following Sir David Varney’s recommendations in his report ‘Service transformation: A better service for citizens and businesses, a better deal for the taxpayer’.

13 Dec 2007 : Column 797W

13 Dec 2007 : Column 798W

13 Dec 2007 : Column 799W

13 Dec 2007 : Column 800W

	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01
Disability and Carers(1)
Benefit Enquiry Line	76.66	137.32	149.81	166.33	123.22	108.27	125.31	128.84
DLA/AA Helpline(2)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Child Support Agency								(3)—
Dudley	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	86.17
Hastings	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	59.89
Falkirk	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	83.57
Plymouth	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	72.46
Birkenhead and Liverpool	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	147.27
Belfast	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	82.20
Debt Management(6)
Trafford	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
The Pension Service(7)
Burnley	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Cwmbran	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Dundee	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Futures	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
International Pension Centre inc. Medical Benefits	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Leicester	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
London Pension Centre Newcastle	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Motherwell	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Seaham	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Stockport	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Swansea	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Warrington	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bath	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Birmingham	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Blackpool	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Dearne Valley	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Goole	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
National Pension Centre	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Pension Credit Application Line	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Walsall	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Winter Fuel Cardiff	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Management and Central Support	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre Directorate(10)
Annesley	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bangor	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Blackburn	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bootle	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bridgend	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Caerphilly	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Clydebank	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coventry	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Derby	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Dundee	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Exeter	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Garston	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Grimsby Europarc	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Grimsby Crown House	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Halifax	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Lincoln	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Liverpool	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Lowestoft	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Marton Mere (Blackpool)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Middlesbrough	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Preston	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Newcastle	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Paisley	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Pembroke Dock	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Poole	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Sheffield	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Southend	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Taunton	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Telford New Town House	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Telford Plaza	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Torquay	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Group Management and Central Support	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

---