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14 May 2008 : Column 1614W—continued
| Housing benefit paid to tenants of local authorities and registered social landlords (RSL) | |||||
| £ million | |||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 20005-06 | 20006-07 | |
| Notes: 1. The figures are nominal costs for the whole of Great Britain. 2. The figures are total amounts paid to beneficiaries, irrespective of the source of funding, and include benefit spending reimbursed by DWP, spending on rent rebates financed within local authorities' housing revenue accounts, and benefit spending financed from local authorities' general funds. 3 The figures reflect the latest benefit-by-benefit estimate of out-turn, and not the amounts voted by Parliament. 4. Figures for 1999-2000 onwards are on a resource accounting and budgeting basis. There may be differences between figures quoted in these tables and those quoted in Department for Work and Pensions accounts. 5. Figures for past years may have changed since previous publication due to changes in methodology and the incorporation of more up-to-date information. 6. Figures exclude asylum seekers from April 1999, since when the National Asylum Support Service has reimbursed DWP for benefits paid to asylum seekers. 7. Separation of rent allowance into private rental sector and registered social landlord elements is an estimate derived from the quarterly administrative data on caseloads and average awards, and the figures should therefore be treated as indicative. | |||||
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse in additional housing benefit payments which would arise from each £1 increase in council and registered social landlord rents. [203664]
Mr. Plaskitt: The increased yearly cost in additional housing benefit payments for each £1 increase in council and registered social landlord rents is estimated to be around £165 million.
Notes:
1. The estimated cost is rounded to the nearest £5 million.
2. The estimated cost is based on a £1 increase in weekly rent.
3. The estimated cost does not include floaters-on as a result of a £1 increase in rent.
Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in February 2007.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit have had their benefit backdated by between three and 12 months. [203685]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Our ability to provide this breakdown is restricted by the breadth and reliability of the data available to us.
As part of the Equality Impact Assessment, we have provided an estimate of the proportion of housing benefit and council tax benefit case loads affected by the proposals to reduce the backdating facilities to three months. There are, however, important caveats to these estimates which must be noted.
A copy of the Equality Impact Assessment has been placed in the Library. It is also available on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
Figures on the number of successful backdating claims are derived from the Single Housing Benefit Extract (HBSD-IAD scan). The backdating variable in the Single Housing Benefit Extract was introduced relatively recently in April 2007 and accordingly we have no means of corroborating the data’s robustness against historical data. Furthermore, given that the data only goes back six months, we currently have an insufficient pool of evidence to derive reliable figures from the data. These concerns should be allayed with time as the scan data improves.
Based on the first six months of data available, it is estimated that approximately 0.2 per cent. of new housing benefit and council tax benefit claims would be affected. These figures may be subject to revision as more data becomes available.
Industrial Health and Safety: Construction
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of workplace deaths in the construction industry resulted in (a) prosecution and (b) conviction in each year since 1997. [198837]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is as follows:
(a) The most up-to-date figures on the percentage of construction industry workplace deaths in Great Britain, for each of the years between 1999-2000 to 2006-07, that have resulted in a prosecution, are shown in the following table.
| Number of deaths | Number of deaths resulting in a prosecution | Percentage | |
The numbers of prosecutions for later years, particularly 2005-06 and 2006-07, will increase as it can be a number of years after the fatality before the resulting prosecution comes to court.
The fatality figures are based on deaths reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
(b) The most up-to-date figures on the percentage of convictions (based on the numbers of prosecution cases raised), relating to the above construction industry fatalities in Great Britain, are shown in the following table.
| Number of prosecution cases raised | Number of guilty convictions | Percentage | |
These figures show the numbers of prosecution cases which have been raised and convictions for those cases completed. For a number of deaths, more than one prosecution case has been raised.
The numbers of cases raised and number of convictions for later years, particularly 2005-06 and 2006-07, will increase as it can be a number of years after the fatality before the related prosecution cases are heard by the courts.
All current prosecution cases relating to fatalities in 2006/07 are still progressing through the courts and have not yet reached a verdict.
Detailed information is only available in the form requested from 1999-2000 onwards and published figures for fatalities in 2007-08 are not yet available.
International Labour Organisation: Anniversaries
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made on the development of plans to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the International Labour Organisation in 2009. [203771]
Mr. Plaskitt: We have held initial discussions with the International Labour Organisation on how we might commemorate its 90th anniversary, and are currently considering how best to develop our ideas.
Jobseekers Allowance
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the (a) mean and (b) median length of a claim for jobseekers allowance; [203268]
(2) what estimate he has made of the (a) mean and (b) median length of a claim for jobseekers allowance for a claimant who has (i) a drink or drug addiction and (ii) a mental health condition. [203269]
Mr. Plaskitt: Information on average durations of jobseeker's allowance claims is not available broken down by medical condition. The available information is in the table.
| Average claim durations of jobseeker's allowance leavers —March 2008 | |
| Weeks | |
| Notes: 1. Median and mean durations are rounded to one decimal place. 2. Mean durations are not recommended to be used when dealing with skewed distribution such as duration of claim. In these cases, the median is a better measure of ‘average’ than the arithmetic mean. Source: Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only). | |
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will arrange for the Child Support Agency to send a reply to the hon. Member for Walsall North’s letter of 31 March 2008 concerning a constituent, ref: JC962664A. [202908]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 1 May 2008]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
Letter from Susan Park, dated 14 May 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. As the Chief Executive is currently on annual leave, I am responding, with his authority on his behalf.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will arrange for the Child Support Agency to send a reply to the hon. Member for Walsall North’s letter of 31st March 2008 concerning a constituent ref: JC962664A. [202908]
As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.
Pension Disability and Carers Service: Public Appointments
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 1 May 2008, Official Report, columns 589-90W, on Pension Disability and Carers Service: public appointments, if he will break down the £2,350 spent on recruiting the chief executive. [204471]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 9 May 2008]: The expenditure of £2,350 comprised a professional fee of £2,000 plus £350 VAT for the psychometric assessment of shortlisted candidates.
Remploy
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to ensure that Remploy’s procurement targets are being met. [202900]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 1 May 2008]: It is Remploy’s responsibility to ensure its procurement targets are met.
However, the Department is leading work with Remploy, Trade Unions, Office of Government Commerce and British Association for Supported Employment using Article 19 of the new public sector procurement Directive as a means of securing more public sector contracts for
Supported Businesses including Remploy through the Public Procurement Regulations.
The Department has established an Implementation Monitoring Group which includes representatives from Remploy, Trade Unions and the Department. The group tracks progress against the modernisation plan, including procurement.
Officials also chair a quarterly review meeting with the Remploy executive team to discuss performance against targets.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what cost savings were made by Remploy management in each of the last five years. [202901]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 1 May 2008]: The changes in the total costs of Remploy businesses and central costs (outturn prices) since April 2003 are in the table.
| £ million | |||
| Total costs | Cumulative change since 2003 +/- | Yearly changes in costs +/- | |
| Source: Remploy Management Information | |||
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