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20 Mar 2008 : Column 1397W—continued
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the compensation and costs associated with the 497 staff in Jobcentre Plus who have been dismissed between October 2006 and September 2007 due to their attendance record. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as chief executive of Jobcentre Plus.
You asked how much compensation has been paid to the people in question. This information is not available. Compensation could be payable if poor attendance was the consequence of a medical condition or disability or, with good reason, the employee is not able to return to work. Our management information systems are unable to identify the individual records that would be necessary to establish whether compensation had been paid to any of those affected and if so how much.
You asked what the costs were to Jobcentre Plus of the attendance management procedures involved in these cases. Attendance management is a regular and routine responsibility of all line managers in Jobcentre Plus as part of their performance management responsibilities and is therefore not accounted for separately.
Finally you asked what employment tribunal and legal fees were incurred by Jobcentre Plus arising from the dismissal of the 497 people in question. We are unable to directly attribute employment tribunal costs and legal fees to the 497 people dismissed.
Jobseeker’s Allowance: Employment
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many recipients of jobseekers allowance have refused at least three reasonable job offers in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [193715]
(2) how many of those in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance have refused at least one reasonable job offer in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [193716]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
| Number of individuals referred for varied length jobseeker's allowance sanctions for refusal of employment—1 August 2004 to 31 July 2007 | |||
| Number of individuals | |||
| Number of jobs refused | 1 August 2004 to 31 July 2005 | 1 August 2005 to 31 July 2006 | 1 August 2006 to 31 July 2007 |
| (1) The figures for three or more jobs refused are included in the figures for one or more jobs refused, therefore the two figures should not be added together. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Jobseeker's Allowance Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database. | |||
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to answer the letter to his predecessor of 14 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Timothy Gordon. [192003]
Mrs. McGuire: I can confirm that a response to this letter was issued to the right hon. Member on 13 March 2008.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to answer the letter to his predecessor of 17 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Y. Aezal. [192004]
Mrs. McGuire: I can confirm that a response to this letter was issued to the right hon. Member on 13 March 2008.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer the hon. Member for Peterborough’s letter of 4 February 2008 on his constituent Mr. Plummer and his dispute with the Child Support Agency. [194339]
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 20 March 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to answer the Hon. Member for Peterborough’s letter of 4(th) February 2008 on his constituent Mr Plummer and his dispute with the Child Support Agency. [194339]
As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.
National Insurance: Databases
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's staff have been disciplined for inappropriate use of the national insurance number database in each of the last five years. [189293]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department does not collect information in the format requested. The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Occupational Pensions
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many defined benefit occupational pension schemes have wound up since 1997; and how many are in the process of winding up. [191150]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The following information was provided by the Pensions Regulator:
Records show that 7,538 defined benefit occupational schemes have a ‘wound up’ status with an effective date of 1 January 1997 or later.
Records show that 1,114 defined benefit schemes have a ‘winding up’ status.
Notes:
1. Data supplied by the Pensions Regulator is current as at 3 March 2008.
2. A scheme with ‘wound up’ status is one which has notified the Pensions Regulator that it has completed winding up procedures.
3. A scheme with ‘winding up’ status is one which has notified the Pensions Regulator that it has commenced winding up procedures.
Pensioners
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his estimate is of the number and proportion of pensioners who will have on retirement private savings and still be eligible for council tax benefit in each year until 2050; and what average amount of savings he estimates such pensioners will have; [185130]
(2) what his estimate is of the number of people who will be entitled to the basic state pension in each year until 2050; [185092]
(3) what his estimate is of the number and proportion of women over state pension age who will not be entitled to the full basic state pension in each year until 2050; [185094]
(4) what his estimate is of the cost of paying housing benefit to people over the state pension age in each year until 2050; and how many and what proportion of pensioners he estimates will receive housing benefit in each of those years; [185114]
(5) what his estimate is of the cost of paying council tax benefit to people over the state pension age in each year until 2050; and how many and what proportion of pensioners he estimates will receive council tax benefit in each of those years; [185115]
(6) what his estimate is of the number and proportion of pensioners who on retirement will have access to private savings in each year until 2050; and what his estimate is of the average amount of savings such pensioners will have; [185116]
(7) what his estimate is of the number and proportion of pensioners who will have (a) an occupational pension scheme in payment and (b) a private pension scheme in payment in each year until 2050; and what his estimate is of the average weekly sum pensioners will receive from each type of scheme; [185131]
(8) what his estimate is of the cost of paying the savings credit element of pension credit in each year until 2050; and how many and what proportion of pensioners he estimates will receive savings credit in each of those years; [185097]
(9) what his estimate is of the number and proportion of pensioners who will have on retirement private savings and still be eligible for the guarantee credit element of pension credit in each year until 2050; and what average amount of savings he estimates such pensioners will have; [185117]
(10) what his estimate is of the cost of paying the guarantee credit element of pension credit in each year until 2050; and how many and what proportion of pensioners he estimates will receive guarantee credit in each of those years; [185098]
(11) what his estimate is of the number and proportion of pensioners who will have on retirement private savings and still be eligible for the savings credit element of pension credit in each year until 2050; and what average amount of savings he estimates such pensioners will have; [185118]
(12) what his estimate is of the number and proportion of pensioners who will have on retirement private savings and still be eligible for housing benefit in each year until 2050; and what average amount of savings he estimates such pensioners will have; [185129]
(13) what his estimate is of the cost of paying state second pension entitlements in each year until 2050; and how many and what proportion of pensioners he estimates will receive payments in each of those years; [185095]
(14) what his estimate is of the cost of paying state earnings related pension entitlements in each year until 2050; and how many and what proportion of pensioners he estimates will receive payments in each of those years. [185096]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information available has been placed in the Library.
Pensions: Northern Ireland
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the policy areas covered by the draft statutory instruments relating to occupational pension schemes and the Pension Protection Fund, considered in the Second Delegated Legislation Committee on 17 March 2008, in so far as they relate to Northern Ireland, are matters for the Northern Ireland Assembly; and if he will make a statement. [195795]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Social security and pensions are transferred matters under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Section 323 (Extent) of the Pensions Act 2004 therefore sets out which provisions of the Act apply in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Section 323(2)(b) lists those provisions relating to part 2 (the Board of the Pension Protection Fund) which extend to Northern Ireland.
The draft Pension Protection Fund (Pension Compensation Cap) Order 2008, the draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Levies) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 and the draft Occupational Pension Scheme (Levy Ceiling) Order 2008, considered in the Second Delegated Legislation Committee on 17 March 2008, do not fall under any of these provisions and therefore apply to Great Britain only.
I understand that the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland proposes to make corresponding statutory rules for Northern Ireland.
Social Fund
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of payments made from the social fund were made to people who were awaiting the outcome of benefit applications in the last five years; and what consideration his Department has given to the idea of introducing advance payments for people awaiting the outcome of benefit applications. [190309]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 20 March 2008:
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question asking what percentage of payments made from the Social Fund were made to people who were awaiting the outcome of benefit applications in the last five years: and what consideration the Department has given to the idea of introducing advance payments for people awaiting the outcome of benefit applications. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Information on the percentage of payments made from the Social Fund made to people who were awaiting the outcome of benefit applications is not available.
With reference to what consideration the Department has given to the idea of introducing advance payments for people awaiting the outcome of benefit applications, Jobcentre Plus have recently completed a full investigation into the feasibility of introducing Advance Payments. This concluded it would require substantial changes in primary legislation and major IT changes therefore making it unfeasible.
Our aim is to ensure that benefit applications are processed efficiently. We continue to make interim payments available to those customers who have an underlying entitlement to benefit but are experiencing delay in payment of that benefit.
Social Security Benefits: Expenditure
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the distribution by income decile of the expenditure arising from (a) carer’s allowance, (b) attendance allowance, (c) disability living allowance, (d) incapacity benefit, (e) income support and (f) winter fuel allowance in each year since 1997. [186979]
Mrs. McGuire: Information is not available for winter fuel payments. The available information has been placed in the Library.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost was of running the Fraud Investigation Service in the financial year 2006-07. [180977]
Mr. Plaskitt: The budget for the Fraud Investigation Service in the financial year 2006-07 was £106.8 million, of which £93.6 million represents staffing costs. As at April 2007, there were 2,926 people employed by the Fraud Investigation Service.
Social Security Benefits: Personal Records
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2008, Official Report, column 574W, on social security benefits: personal records, (1) what percentage of successful applicants have their criminal records checked; [181268]
(2) how many (a) successful applicants and (b) criminal records checks there were in each of the last 10 years; [181269]
(3) whether all those with access to the entire database have had their criminal records checked; [181270]
(4) how many successful applicants were found to have a criminal record after a criminal records check took place in each of the last 10 years; [181271]
(5) whether the selection of successful candidates who will undergo a criminal records check is random or targeted; and if he will make a statement. [181272]
Mrs. McGuire: Prior to April 2007, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, all prospective candidates for employment in the Department were required to complete a declaration in which they had to state whether they had any convictions for offences which were unspent (within the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act). Additionally, criminal records checks were carried out where employees were appointed to sensitive posts.
Since April 2007 all successful candidates for posts have been subject, prior to appointment, to an additional random 10 per cent. check of their criminal record declarations.
Between April 2007, and 31 December 2007, 567 candidates had their criminal records checked in this way. These checks revealed that seven candidates had a criminal record. Following the completion of these checks, decisions on whether or not to appoint were made on a case-by-case basis and, after careful consideration, it was decided that, in two of these cases, the candidate’s appointment should be confirmed.
In the light of this experience, my Department has decided to implement criminal record checks of all successful candidates for posts. This will be introduced on a phased basis.
No centrally held information is available on the number of employees whose criminal records were checked for the nine years prior to April 2007, and it would be disproportionately expensive to obtain this information.
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