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11 Mar 2008 : Column 204W—continued
Pay: Courts
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet Ministerial colleagues to discuss the effects of the introduction of regional pay in the Courts Service in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [192364]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss matters of importance in Wales.
Regional pay is not a new development—it is a reality in the economy as a whole, and HMCS is reacting to regional pay, rather than creating it. The Government’s policy is that pay should reflect local labour market conditions. Key to addressing this is to foster and encourage the development of a strong private sector with well paid jobs in Wales, so the pay arrangements in HMCS should reflect the wider labour market fundamentals for this work force, especially recruitment and retention. But I am aware that our approach needs to ensure careful consideration of all the potential effects of regional pay, to ensure that our pay policy promotes economic growth in regions.
Unemployment
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the level of economic inactivity in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [192084]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues including the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on a range of issues affecting Wales, including the economy and related matters.
In February 2008, the economic inactivity level in Wales fell by 9,000 to 439,000, while the economic inactivity rate in Wales was 24.6 per cent., down 0.5 percentage points from a year earlier.
Work and Pensions
Boilers: Safety Measures
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what informal action the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) took following July 2003 in relation to faulty water heaters referred to in the HSE press release of 19 July 2007. [192409]
Mrs. McGuire: HSE took a number of actions concerning its investigation into the scalding and subsequent death of Sharon Minister on 10 June 2002:
1. In August 2003 HSE provided officials at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister with a report prepared for the coroner, in response to their request;
2. HSE contacted the British Standards Institution and agreed an amendment to the wording of warning labelling for thermoplastic cold water cistern tanks (BS4213:2004 Systems for domestic use. Cold water storage and combined feed and expansion (thermoplastic) systems up to 500I. Specification.);
3. HSE worked with the Government News Network to issue a press release about the cause of the scalding to the heating and ventilation trade press;
4. Following its investigation, HSE provided advice to the housing association responsible for the rented accommodation in which Mrs. Minister was injured.
Crime: Death
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fatalities relating to falls from height were incurred as a result of felonious activity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [190839]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 29 February 2008]: National Statistics on work-related accidents are derived from reports made under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). The types of incidents described, involving deaths resulting from deliberate criminal activity, would not normally be reportable and so statistics are not available. For a death to be reportable it must arise out of or in connection with a work activity. A death of an adult, who is not at work, that results from their own deliberate criminal acts would not normally be regarded as arising from a work activity.
Housing Benefit: Waiting Lists
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the average time taken to process a housing benefit claim had been reduced to (a) 48 days nationally and (b) 55 days across the bottom performing 15 per cent. of local authorities by March 2008. [193226]
Mr. Plaskitt: Yes. In 2006-07, the average time taken to process a new housing benefit and council tax benefit claim was 33 calendar days nationally and 54 days for the bottom 15 per cent.
The national average for the first six months of 2007-08 was 28 days, and the bottom 15 per cent. took an average of 39 days.
Industrial Health and Safety: Materials Handling Equipment
Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many deaths were recorded in incidents involving cranes or lifting equipment on construction sites in each of the last five years. [192544]
Mrs. McGuire: Over the last five full reporting years, the number of fatal injuries in construction sustained in incidents involving cranes or lifting equipment, reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), is provided in the following table. It includes workers and members of the public.
| 1 April to 31 March | Agent | Fatalities |
| (1) Figures for 2006-07 are provisional until the release of 2007-08 figures in July 2008. Reporting years run from 1 April to 31 March each year. | ||
Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many deaths were recorded on construction sites resulting from (a) falls, (b) collapses, (c) accidents involving vehicles and (d) other causes in each of the last five years. [192545]
Mrs. McGuire: Over the last five full reporting years the number of fatal injuries sustained from falls, collapses, accidents involving vehicles and other causes in construction, reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), is provided in the following table. They include workers and members of the public.
| 1 April to 31 March | Falls | Collapses | Vehicles | Other | Total |
| (1) Figures for 2006-07 are provisional until the release of 2007-08 figures in July 2008. Reporting years run from 1 April to 31 March each year. | |||||
Pension Service: Telephone Services
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the revenue received from customers telephoning on telephone numbers beginning with 08 by the Pension Service in the last five financial years. [183041]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: This figure is a lump sum and BT do not break it down by Agency. However the Department’s use of 0845 numbers did attract a rebate from BT which was running at approximately £0.5 million per annum, this being offset against DWP telephony costs. The rebate ceased on 14 December 2007.
Pensioners: Low Incomes
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency received assistance under the minimum income guarantee in the most recent period for which figures are available. [191960]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency 2,050 households were in receipt of the pension credit guarantee credit as at August 2007—of which 790 households were in receipt of the guarantee credit only and 1,260 households were in receipt of both the guarantee credit and savings credit.
Notes:
1. The figures provided are estimates. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided is the latest available figure, which is taken from the GMS scan at 31 August 2007. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
2. We have taken the minimum income guarantee to mean the pension credit guarantee credit.
3. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.
4. Households are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
Pensions: Widowed People
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to disregard widow and widowers pensions from pension credit calculations. [188246]
State Retirement Pensions
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have had their UK state pensions frozen since 2000; how many had their pensions frozen in 2007; and if he will make a statement. [189432]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: As at March 2007 there were 530,600 state pensions in payment at a frozen rate, of which 185,300 had been frozen on or after 1 April 2000.
Notes:
1. Data are taken from 5 per cent. extract of PSCS, therefore figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. They are also adjusted to be consistent with the overall caseload from the WPLS.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
3. Figures are based on the live caseload as at March each year where the pension in payment is at the frozen rate.
4. Figures for 2007 are not available.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample data
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming their state pension who have never worked and have claimed out-of-work benefits. [190053]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the form requested.
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