Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 28 February 2008
Work and Pensions
Departmental Publications
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what public information booklets were published by his Department in 2007; and what the (a) print run and (b) cost to the Department was in each case. [185799]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions began a complete review of all its public facing leaflets during 2006. This initiative has reduced the number of leaflets published by the Department from 178 in June 2006 to just 66 today.
The Department has also procured, from July 2007, a single supplier for its print and associated services which, among other things, will enable us to capture the costs of producing material for the public in the future.
The review of all the Department's leaflets, coupled with the change of supplier, means that obtaining the costs of all of the material published in 2007 could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Disability Living Allowance: Partially Sighted
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2008, Official Report, column 61W, on disability living allowance: partially sighted, if he will include severe sight loss as a criterion for qualifying for the higher-rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance. [187951]
Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock), on 8 January 2008, Official Report, column 434W.
Housing Benefit: National Insurance
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what mechanisms the requirement for a national insurance number to make an application for housing benefit and council tax benefit was introduced. [190269]
Mr. Plaskitt: The requirement to provide a national insurance number in order to claim all social security benefits, including housing benefit and council tax benefit, was introduced from 7 November 1997 by section 19 of the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997.
Lone Parents: Employment
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to help single parents who are in employment to gain the skills to make progress in the workplace. [184665]
Mr. Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
We have a range of measures to ensure that everyone in the work force, including lone parents, has the opportunity to realise their potential and progress in their careers.
Train to Gain is the Government’s premier service to employers, helping them to improve business performance by investing in the skills of all of their employees. Employers can access full public funding for employees who undertake skills for life or a first full Level 2 qualification as well as subsidies to aid individuals progress on to higher level skills.
Individuals on a low income undertaking full time learning for their first full Level 2 or first full Level 3 qualification are eligible for the Adult Learning Grant. This pays adults (aged 19 plus) up to £30 per week, during term time to help with additional costs of learning (for example; books and travel). Adults can also access free information and advice about learning, work and careers through the national learndirect telephone and online advice service and local nextstep face-to-face service.
By 2010-11 we aim to create an adult advancement and careers service which will help people to progress their careers. We will also work with partners to develop a joined-up advice service covering issues such as housing, employment rights, child care, financial and personal advice and support as well as jobs and skills.
Mobility Allowance: Sight Impaired
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what regulation the automatic entitlement of registered blind claimants to the higher rate of mobility allowance was removed. [190268]
Mrs. McGuire: People who are registered blind have never had automatic entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance or its predecessor mobility allowance.
Pension Service: Disability and Carer's Service
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the likely effect on his Department's expenditure for the Department in each year until 2025 of merging the Pension Service and the Disability and Carer's Service. [187706]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department's three Year Business Plans for 2008-11 will be published on 28 February 2008, and will be placed in the Library. These will include information about the Department's spending on administration over that period. The business plan for the new Pension, Disability and Carers Service Agency will be published ready for its launch on 1 April 2008, and will contain information about resources.
The merging of the Pension Service and the Disability and Carers Service will create an opportunity to streamline elements of existing functions, particularly in senior management and internal support services, allowing more resource to be redirected to front-line customer service than would have been possible without the merger. Detailed plans have yet to be drawn up about the size and phasing of this redirection.
The merger itself is not expected to have an impact on expenditure on state benefits (Annually Managed Expenditure (AME)). Levels of benefit expenditure are driven principally by demography and benefit policy. It is not expected that the new Agency will execute policy in a way that will change expenditure levels from what they would have been under two separate agencies.
Pension Service: Manpower
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of staff in the Pension Service and the Disability and Carer's Service in each year until 2018. [187707]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: No estimates of work force plans to 2018 have been drawn up. The Department's three Year Business Plans for 2008-11 will be published on 28 February 2008, and will be placed in the Library. The business plan for the new Pension, Disability and Carers Service Agency will be published ready for its launch on 1 April 2008, and will contain information about resources.
Social Security Benefits: Tranquillisers
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many tranquiliser addicts are in receipt of disability benefits. [190357]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available.
Winter Fuel Payments
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received winter fuel payments in West Lancashire constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available. [189826]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In winter 2006-07, 20,270 people in the West Lancashire constituency received a winter fuel payment. We expect the number to be similar for this winter.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
Source:
Information directorate 100 per cent. data.
The following questions and answers were received for publication on 14 January 2008.
Aviation
Chris Huhne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many miles he and other Ministers in his Department travelled on short haul
flights in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon emissions produced as a result of these flights; [172565]
(2) how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in his Department in each year since 2000; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result. [172240]
Mrs. McGuire: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial code.
All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
In addition, offsetting the flights of Departmental for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, and the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005.
A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available at:
Carers’ Allowances
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is his policy to maintain the value of the carer's allowance in real terms. [177029]
Mrs. McGuire: Carer's allowance is increased every April in line with movement in the retail prices index and there are currently no plans to change these arrangements. However, the future of carer's allowance is now being examined as part of the review of the Prime Minister's 1999 national carers’ strategy. The review is due to be published in spring 2008.
Child Support Agency
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many child support cases have been passed to the clerical team in Bolton Child Support Agency Office to progress from (a) the Vale of York and (b) England; and if he will make a statement; [167257]
(2) what the average length of time was taken by the clerical team in Bolton Child Support Agency Office (a) to progress to each stage and (b) to resolve a child support case passed to them from another area was in the last period for which figures are available; [167258]
(3) how many people work at the (a) Falkirk and (b) Bolton office of the Child Support Agency. [167260]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive.
He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty , dated 11 January 2008 :
In reply to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many child support cases have been passed to the clerical team in Bolton to progress from (a) the Vale of York and (b) England; and if he will make a statement. [167257] and
What the average length of time taken by the clerical team in Bolton (a) to progress to each stage and (b) to resolve a child support case passed to them from another area was in the last period for which figures are available. [167258] and
How many people work at the (a) Falkirk and (b) Bolton office of the Child Support Agency. [167260]
The Agency contracted out the management of its clerical cases to Vertex Data Science Ltd in September 2006. They process this work on our behalf at the Bolton site. The Agency's six regional centres refer clerical cases to the Bolton site. Each of these centres are responsible for clients within regions that are not determined by parliamentary constituency or national boundaries. The information you request on the number of cases referred to the Bolton site is therefore not available. However, what I can tell you is that there are around 23,400 live cases in Bolton.
Child maintenance applications are processed clerically where, due to technical issues, they cannot be advanced on our computer system. The point at which this occurs, and the activity required to work the case through to a successful outcome for clients, varies significantly. Cases processed on the computer system are automatically monitored and information recorded. The extra resources required to replicate this for clerical cases, has instead been focused on improving maintenance outcomes for children. The information you requested on the time taken to progress to each stage is therefore unavailable.
There are currently around 1,035 Agency people in the Falkirk Centre, of whom 106 are currently working on clerical cases. Vertex Data Science Ltd is responsible for employing the necessary staff to deliver the clerical case service from the Bolton site.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Child Support Agency Office
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last visited a Child Support Agency office. [172131]
Mr. Plaskitt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not visited any Child Support Agency offices since his appointment in June 2007, but has planned visits in the new year. However, both myself and my noble Friend Lord McKenzie of Luton made several visits to Child Support Agency offices in 2007.
Child Support Agency: ICT
Danny Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the specification for the CS2 IT project entered into with EDS in
September 2000 was changed in each year since 2000. [165077]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 11 January 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times the specification for the CS2 IT Project entered into with EDS in September 2000 was changed in each year since 2000. [165077]
The Child Support Agency has requested a total of 130 detailed changes since 2000. The annual breakdown is set out in the table below:
| Number | |
I hope you find this answer helpful.
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