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19 May 2008 : Column 137W—continued
Income
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK with an income of (a) £100,000 or more and (b) £12,000 or less gross per annum in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2007. [203227]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 1 May 2008]: The available information is shown in the following tables. Individual gross income has been used.
| Table 1: Number of UK taxpayers (million) with gross annual incomes of £100,000 or more | |
| Source: Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) 2002-03 and 2005-06, HMRC | |
| Table 2: Number of people (million) in the UK with gross annual incomes of £12,000 or less in 2002-03 and 2005-06 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures in the tables compare reported gross annual incomes, except for the estimate for 2007-08 in Table 1 which is based on projected incomes from the 2005-06 SPI. 2. The figures in Table 2 for 2005-06 are the latest available data. 3. SPI data are published by HMRC and FRS data are published by DWP. It has been assessed that the SPI is the most reliable data source for annual incomes of over £100,000, while the FRS is the best source for incomes below £12,000. 4. The information shown is for the UK. The SPI figure in Table 1 is given for all UK taxpayers regardless of place of residence, not just those in the UK. 5. Figures are given in millions rounded to the nearest 100,000 persons. 6. The FRS estimates are sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using multipurpose grossing factors that, in the case of the FRS, control for tenure, Council Tax band and a number of other variables. Estimates are subject to both sampling error and to variability in non-response. The income measure used is annual gross individual income. 7. The SPI is a sample survey of information held by HMRC tax offices on persons who could be liable to UK tax. It is carried out annually and covers the income assessable for tax in each tax year. As with all sample surveys, estimates from the SPI have a sampling error attached to them. Source: Family Resources Survey (FRS)2002-03 and 2005-06, DWP. | |
Jobcentre Plus: North West
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people in the North West used the out of hours evening service operated by Jobcentre Plus in the last three years; [204197]
(2) what representations he has received on the decision by Jobcentre Plus North West to discontinue its out of hours evening service; and if he will make a statement. [204198]
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 my hon. Friend with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 19 May 2008:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking how many people in the North West used the out of hours evening service in the last three years and what representations he has received on the decision by North West to discontinue its out of hours evening service. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Between April 2006 and March 2008 the North West region received 5743 week day evening calls and 2522 resulted in a home visit, the majority of visits resulting in a payment. We do not have complete figures for April 2005 to March 2006.
As a result of the enhanced service now offered by The Pension Service in terms of its opening hours and the vastly improved access to Crisis Loans, a national internal review of the out of hours service was undertaken. We have decided that the service should in future operate to provide emergency cash payments only on days when no normal service is available (weekends and public holidays in the main).
Under the current arrangements, approximately 15% of the weekly referrals are received between Monday and Thursday resulting in only around 40 visits nationally, compared to 10,000 crisis loan applications we receive per day. Delivering an out of hours service on weekday evenings to such small numbers of customers is not cost effective.
Local customer stakeholders were informed in each of the regions in advance of the new arrangements and two representations have been made from organisations in the North West. Local managers have made arrangements with these organisations to discuss the new processes.
Location
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many posts his Department were relocated from London and the South East in each year between 2004 and 2007; how many it plans to relocate in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009; and what financial savings as a result of such relocations were made by his Department in each year since 2004, broken down by budgetary heading. [200464]
Mrs. McGuire: The following table shows the number of posts relocated from London and the South East.
| Period | Number of posts relocated away from London and the South East |
| (1) HM Treasury agreed a baseline date of 1 June 2003 for the Department’s Lyons Public Sector Relocation programme. This was to reflect early progress of relocating 1,954 posts away from London and the South East between the Department submitting its relocation proposals to the Lyons Review and December 2003. | |
The target date set by the Lyons Review for completing the relocations was March 2010 but the Department agreed to meet the target by March 2008 as part of the 2004 Spending Review. The target was in fact met by December 2007.
The Lyons Review did not require Departments to report costs or savings of relocating posts and consequently that information has not been centrally maintained.
Lost Working Days
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many working days were lost due to work-related ill health and injury per worker in each year since 2004; and what progress has been made towards meeting his Department’s Public Service Agreement target 5. [200444]
Mrs. McGuire: The following table sets out the published statistics for the years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. The provisional figures for 2007-08 will be published in autumn 2008.
| Estimated average days lost per worker due to work-related illness and workplace injury | |||
| Days lost per worker | |||
| 95 per cent. C.I. | |||
| Central | Lower | Upper | |
| Note: 95 per cent. C.I.: 95 per cent. confidence interval, the range within which we are 95 per cent. confident that the true value lies in the absence of bias. | |||
“By 2008, improve health and safety outcomes in Great Britain through progressive improvement in the control of risk in the workplace”.
The PSA target is measured against six sub-targets, including one for working days lost—a 9 per cent. reduction in the 2004-05 baseline. The Health and Safety Executive publishes a statistics progress report annually. The latest report for the period 2006-07 indicates that for working days lost, HSE is not on track to meet the PSA target.
Occupational Health
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people made unwell by their work conditions in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [204902]
Mr. Timms: From the latest available data for 2006-07, an estimated 646,000 people in Great Britain developed ill health they believed was caused or made worse by their work. This estimate is based on responses to questions in the labour force survey. The results have an associated 95 per cent. confidence interval and could thus be between from 627,000 to 697,000. The figures for 2007-08 will be published in the autumn.
Occupational Pensions
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of members of defined-benefit occupational pension schemes in each year since 1997. [203264]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government are committed to supporting existing high quality occupational pension provision. That is why we commissioned a rolling deregulatory review to look at how the private pensions regulatory framework can be made simpler and less burdensome. The decline in membership of defined benefit schemes is a long-term trend and is due to a number of complex factors.
Information on membership of defined benefit occupational pension schemes is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is presented in the following table:
| Estimates of the numbers of active members of defined benefit occupational pension schemes, by year | |
| Active members of defined benefit occupational pension schemes (million) | |
| Notes: 1. Pension scheme membership figures were taken from the Occupational Pension Scheme Survey. Data for years 1991, 1995, 2000 and 2004 were produced by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD). Data for 2006 were produced by the Office for National Statistics. 2006 is the latest year published. The coverage of the survey is the UK. 2. Figures presented are totals for private and public sector defined benefit occupational pension scheme membership. 3. Active members are current employees who would normally contribute (or have contributions made on their behalf) to the pension scheme. 4. To be eligible for membership of an occupational pension scheme, including defined benefit schemes, a person must be an employee working for an employer offering such a scheme. | |
Pathways to Work: Greater London
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provision the Pathways to Work programme will make for cognitive behavioural therapy in North East London in 2008-09. [204660]
Mr. Timms: Pathways to Work in North and North East London is delivered by Reed in Partnership on behalf of the Department. Reed delivers cognitive behavioural therapy as part of the Condition Management Programme, which is a standard element of the Pathways to Work service, offered to people who need help in better their health condition or disability in order to return to work or retain their job. Reed and their subcontractors adapt the programme to meet customers’ individual needs, as part of which cognitive behavioural therapy can include a personalised programme of interventions; one-to-one coaching with guided self-help offered where needed; weekly facilitated experiential group support; assertiveness and self-esteem modules and computer-based training.
More severe mental health issues will be referred to a team of cognitive behavioural therapy psycho-therapists.
Pension Credit: Lancashire
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people in West Lancashire constituency receive pension credit; [204216]
(2) how many pensioners in West Lancashire constituency received assistance under the minimum income guarantee in the most recent period for which figures are available. [204217]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In West Lancashire constituency 4,890 households were in receipt of pension credit. Of this 1,280 households were in receipt of the guarantee credit only, 2,520 households were in receipt of both the guarantee credit and savings credit, and 1,090 on the savings credit only.
Notes:
1. The figures provided are early 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. The minimum income guarantee was replaced by the pension credit guarantee credit in 2003.
3. Case loads 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.
Social Security Benefits: Earnings Rules
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will give consideration to increasing the permitted earnings disregard; and if he will make a statement. [203684]
Mrs. McGuire: Since 2002 the higher permitted work limit in incapacity benefit of £88.50 has been increased each October in line with the national minimum wage. The £20 lower permitted work limit has remained unchanged since it was introduced in 2002.
From October 2008, when employment and support allowance is introduced the higher permitted earnings level will be extended to income-related beneficiaries as well as those entitled to contributory benefit. The rate will be the same as for incapacity benefit.
Winter Fuel Payments: Eltham
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Eltham received the winter fuel payment in 2007-08; and how many he estimates will receive the extra £50 in 2008-09. [205336]
Mr. Plaskitt: Figures for winter 2007-08 are not yet available. In winter 2006-07 we made winter fuel payments to 11,080 households in the Eltham constituency of which 2,920 went to households with someone aged 80 or over. We expect the numbers for winter 2007-08 to be similar. We also expect that similar numbers will receive the additional payment of £50 to households with someone aged 60 to 79 and 100 to households with someone aged 80 or over in winter 2008-09.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
Source:
Information directorate 100 per cent. data.
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