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27 Mar 2008 : Column 387W—continued
We do not have any projections of the number of children in low income households on an after housing costs basis in each of the next five years.
A projection of the number of children in relative low income, on a before housing costs basis, made using the Department for Work and Pensions’ microsimulation model, is outlined in the Marker Review (Delivering on Child Poverty: What Would It Take? DWP November 2006). This is available in the Library. It is important to note that there are many uncertainties around such projections and they should be treated as wide estimates.
There have been further policies announced since the Review was published. Progress in reducing the number of children is Policies announced in Budget 2007, the pre Budget report and Budget 2008 will help lift over 500,000 more children out of poverty from 2010-11 than otherwise on a before housing cost basis. In addition, the Government have announced further measures to improve parental employment since that projection was made.
Civil Service Appeal Board
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of appeals by employees of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies were (i) heard and (ii) upheld by the Civil Service Appeal Board in each of the last 10 years; how much was awarded in compensation by the Board to each successful appellant in each year; what the reason was for each compensation award; how many appellants were reinstated by the Board in each year; and what the reason was for each (A) dismissal and (B) reinstatement. [192507]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions does not collate a central record of data in respect of appeals to the Civil Service Appeal Board.
Copies of the outcome of the board's decision are informed to departmental officials dealing with the case on an individual basis. The cost of trying to extract this information from individual clerical records for the period requested would be at a disproportionate cost.
Statistics on appeals heard for each of the last 10 years can be found in Appendix 2 of the Civil Service Appeal Board's annual reports. These are available on the Board's website at:
Copies are also available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Labour Turnover
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the turnover rate of staff in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in each year since 2004-05. [195386]
Mrs. McGuire: The percentage turnover of staff in the Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies for each year ending 31 March since 2004-05 is in the following table.
| Percentage | |||
| Turnover 12 months ending: | |||
| 31 March 2007 | 31 March 2006 | 31 March 2005 | |
| Note: The Appeals Service transferred to the Department for Constitutional Affairs on 1 April 2006. | |||
Departmental Public Expenditure
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008, Official Report, column 570W, on departmental public expenditure, whether HM Treasury has agreed to treat savings in annual managed expenditure arising from other programmes in the same way. [193937]
Mrs. McGuire: In Budget 2008 the Government announced their intention to explore using a new funding mechanism to reward private and voluntary sector specialist providers for investing in helping long-term incapacity benefit claimants to return to work. Detailed proposals will be announced in due course.
Departmental Video Conferencing
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set a target to increase the use of video-conferencing by his Department to reduce the need to travel to meetings. [195883]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has in excess of 250 video-conferencing systems located throughout its office network. As part of an initiative to reduce business travel, there is an existing programme, established in November 2007, to improve video-conferencing facilities as well as the number of systems deployed. This programme is supported by numerous communication events to heighten awareness of managers and staff. The Department is tracking usage of both video and audio conferencing facilities but has not set arbitrary targets. An additional conferencing tool will also be provided later in 2008 and this is expected to help provide further options to conduct more business from home offices and as a consequence reduce the amount of business travel.
Discrimination: Special Educational Needs
Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases have (a) been brought under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination Act 2001 and (b) been ruled unlawful confirming that less favourable treatment has taken place; and how many of these cases have been brought against universities. [176803]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
The number of claims of disability discrimination made in England and Wales dealt with by special educational needs (SEN) and disability tribunals are detailed in the following table.
| Claims and outcomes at SENDIST from 2002-07 | ||||
| Claims | Decided | Upheld | Dismissed | |
None of the claims in the table includes cases against universities, which are not covered by SENDIST —special educational needs and disability tribunal— jurisdiction.
Higher education institutions such as universities are independent autonomous organisations who are responsible for ensuring that their policies and practices fully comply with disability discrimination legislation. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills does not hold any information centrally on the number of cases brought against universities in respect of this legislation.
In Scotland, claims of unlawful disability discrimination in relation to school education are brought as civil proceedings in the sheriff court. Such data is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Universities in respect of this legislation.
In Scotland, claims of unlawful disability discrimination in relation to school education are brought as civil proceedings in the sheriff court. Such data is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Drinking Water
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on bottled water in the latest period for which figures are available. [189751]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions currently has a single contract to supply DWP offices with water coolers and associated services and equipment. Bottled water may also be provided for business meetings but is sourced from a variety of contracts and is not accounted for separately.
From April 2006 to March 2007, DWP spent £880,546 on bottled water. So far this year, from April 2007 to January 2008, DWP has spent £746,983. These costs include the provision of cups and sanitisation of the installed water coolers in addition to the bottled water itself.
DWP is committed to phase out the use of bottled water for all business meetings and replace it with tap water. We are aiming to have this process in place by the summer of 2008.
Income Support: Lone Parents
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in which the first child is now older than 11 years have made a continuous claim for income support for lone parents since 1997. [185861]
Mr. Timms: Information on whether people have claimed continuously as lone parents could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the proposed closure of the Jobcentre Plus office in Shepherds Bush; and if he will make a statement. [194332]
Mr. Timms: 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 27 March 2008:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the reasons for the proposed closure of the Jobcentre Plus office in Shepherds Bush. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus needs to constantly look at how it delivers its business to ensure that it is making best use of resources to deliver Jobcentre Plus services.
We are near to completing the rollout of the Jobcentre Plus Network and are therefore reviewing how we deliver services to customers. The investment in new technology and increased availability of Contact Centre facilities mean that increasing numbers of customers, including employers, access services via telephone and e-channels, such as the internet. This has changed the work of Jobcentres and we need to adapt to meet these changes. At the same time, we need to make best use of the
resources available to us, and to provide value for money to the taxpayers, especially given the high cost of the London estate.
The Jobcentre Plus London network was planned some time ago on the original business model and customer base. With the current business model we need significantly less office space than we currently occupy and we can deliver a more effective and efficient service by consolidating our operations in a smaller number of large sites.
A consultation exercise on the proposed closure of Shepherds Bush Jobcentre is in progress. The views of local stakeholders will be taken into account and no decisions will be made until the Minister has seen the outcome of the consultation. Customers in the area will still be able to access a face to face Jobcentre Plus service at Acton and Hammersmith Jobcentres.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer the letter to his predecessor of 14 January 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Timothy Gordon. [195387]
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 will answer the letter of 1 February 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Ms Claudette Murphy. [195389]
Mrs. McGuire: I can confirm that a response to this letter was issued to the right hon. Member on 19 February 2008.
New Deal Schemes: Lancashire
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those participants who have taken part in (a) the new deal for young people, (b) new deal 25 plus, (c) new deal 50 plus, (d) new deal for lone parents, (e) new deal for disabled people, (f) new deal for parents in West Lancashire constituency have (i) entered employment and (ii) entered sustainable employment. [194833]
Mr. Timms: The available information is in the following table.
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