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28 Apr 2008 : Column 39W—continued
| Period ending March 2007 | Total FTE( 1) | Proportion of Department (percentage) |
| (1)FTE figures and percentages may not sum due to rounding | ||
| Period ending March 2008 | Total FTE( 1) | Proportion of Department (percentage) |
| (1)FTE figures and percentages may not sum due to rounding | ||
Departmental Public Participation
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many public consultations were held by his Department in each of the last three years; and how many respondents took part in each consultation. [198636]
Mrs. McGuire: The number of public consultations conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions in the last three years has been as follows:
| Consultations launched | |
Providing a full answer to the second part of the question could be done only at disproportionate cost. The number of responses to our consultations questions varies greatly. For example, we received over 450 formal written submissions to our recent Welfare Reform Green Paper consultation, but this represents only a small part of the picture, because in addition we received over 2,000 posts in two internet-based discussion forums, and a large amount of face-to-face input at a range of different meetings. Whereas, for our more specialist, and often limited, consultations in the Private Pensions area typically between 50 and 100 responses are received.
Departmental Temporary Employment
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time posts in his Department were filled on a temporary basis for a period in excess of six months in each of the last three years. [200670]
Mrs. McGuire: Information on the number of full-time posts filled on a temporary basis, for a period in excess of six months, by the Department for Work and Pensions for each of the last three years ending 31 March is set out in the following table.
| Year end | Temporary staff (full-time equivalent) |
For years ending 31 March 2006 and 2007, the figures include all temporary staff. For the year ending 31 March 2008, members of staff with a fixed term contract in excess of 12 months have been excluded in line with revised Office of National Statistics (ONS) definitions.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the levels of public awareness of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as measured by the disability module of the Office of National Statistics Omnibus Survey. [200448]
Mrs. McGuire: Using the most up to date data available from the Office for National Statistics Omnibus Survey for between January and September 2007, 72.3 per cent. of the general population were aware of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as amended.
Disabled
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets his Department has set in relation to the employment of people with disabilities over the next five years. [199054]
Mrs. McGuire: The “10 Point Plan for a Diverse Civil Service” published in November 2005 set a target that 3.2 per cent. of senior civil service (SCS) posts were to be filled by disabled people by April 2008. In line with all civil service Departments DWP produced its own plan and targets for the period from 2005 to 2008. As well as its higher target for the SCS, the Department also set targets for the grades below the SCS. The March 2008 DWP targets and figures are in the following table:
| DWP s taff with disabilities March 2008 figures | |||
| Percentage | |||
| Grade | March 2008 | DWP 2008 targets | Civil service 2008 target |
The figures are based on the proportion of staff who have voluntarily declared themselves as being disabled. However, we are aware that not all disabled staff declare their disability for departmental records, and the true figure may be higher than the figures shown.
For example, the 2008 DWP Staff Survey (which is completed anonymously), showed that 13.6 per cent. of respondents considered themselves to have a long standing health condition or disability.
The roll out of a new computer system has meant a more accurate record of the numbers of disabled people working within the Department who made a declaration. As we rolled out the new system we asked each member of staff to check the personal information we held about them and to declare whether they considered themselves to be disabled. A further recent communications exercise has also emphasised the importance of individuals providing this information, and we will be repeating the request for people to declare their status later this year.
Although we have achieved good levels of diversity across the Department, including those for disabled people, we aim to improve this position and details of actions are in Department for Work and Pensions Race, Disability and Gender Equality Schemes 2008-11.
The Cabinet Office is currently drawing up a new diversity strategy that will build on the achievements and lessons learnt from the 10 Point Plan. Once this has been agreed the Department will be setting further targets to 2011 and the strategy for achieving them.
Fraud
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions staff employed by his Department defrauded his Department in the last 10 years. [Official Report, 3 June 2008, Vol. 476, c. 9MC.] [200839]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was created in April 2001 and information has been held centrally only from April 2003. To try to obtain information for earlier years would incur a disproportionate cost. Figures are not yet available for 2007-08.
Information is not available in the exact format requested but the figures shown in the following table show the number of instances of attempted or actual fraud where the investigation was completed in the year stated, together with the average number of staff in post in each year. The figures relate to all the benefits administered by DWP, theft of assets and financial irregularities:
| Employee fraud against the benefits system | Other fraud by employees | Staff in post | |
Housing Benefit
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of (a) workless couples and (b) workless lone parents claiming housing benefit in the last period for which figures are available. [199253]
Mr. Plaskitt: There were 430,000 workless couples and 670,000 workless lone parents in receipt of housing benefit. These represented 38 per cent. of workless couples and 78 per cent. of workless lone parents.
These estimates have been derived from information in the Family Resources Survey 2005-06.
Incapacity Benefit
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of those removed from incapacity benefit by 2015 who will (a) return to work, (b) retire and (c) move on to other benefits. [198776]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available. We do not produce off-flow forecasts broken down by reason.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2008, Official Report, column 780W, on social security benefits, how many people were claiming incapacity benefit in each year since 1998, broken down by country. [199917]
Mrs. McGuire: Information is not available prior to 2007. The available information has been placed in the Library.
Incapacity Benefit: Medical Assessments
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract signed with ATOS Origin to provide medical assessments for incapacity benefit claimants. [200191]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 21 April 2008]: A copy of the medical services contract, excluding those paragraphs which are considered commercially sensitive, has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
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