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16 Jun 2008 : Column 733W—continued
Eyesight: Surgery
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints have been received by the Health and Safety Executive about non-surgical laser and intensive pulsed light treatments in the last five years. [210100]
Mrs. McGuire: Health and Safety Executive would not be the recipient of such complaints as premises where non-surgical laser and intensive pulsed light treatments are undertaken are regulated by local authorities or in some cases the Healthcare Commission.
Food: Prices
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of changes in the price of food on benefit claimants; what consideration he has given to increasing benefit levels outside the annual uprating; and if he will make a statement. [205027]
Mr. Plaskitt: There is a statutory requirement to review all social security benefits each year and to increase certain benefits from April of the following year.
The new rates are calculated for most benefits using the increase in the retail prices index for the 12 months ending in the preceding September. This measure is based on a year-on-year comparison of prices. Therefore any fluctuations in food prices will be taken into account in the benefit increases that will take effect from April 2009.
Housing Benefit
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by each local authority on backdated payments of (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit in each of the last five years. [200096]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information has been placed in the Library.
Incapacity Benefit: Employment
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of jobs appropriate for incapacity benefit claimants coming off the benefit which will be available in each local authority area in Hampshire in 2010. [210717]
Mr. Plaskitt: We do not make assessments of what job opportunities are appropriate for those who leave incapacity benefit. Nor do we forecast the future availability of jobs. However, we are introducing reforms, such as the introduction of employment and support allowance, which mean the benefit system will be better placed to help claimants back into work and to find appropriate employment.
Incapacity Benefit: Standards
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what interim targets on reducing the number of incapacity benefit claimants he has set within the overall 2015 target; and if he will make a statement. [198773]
Mrs. McGuire: We are committed to meeting our stretching long-term goal, and believe it will support the delivery of real change over the coming years. Our upcoming Green Paper will consult on how best to build on our progress so far.
Income Support: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people started a claim for income support with disability premium in each of the last five years. [210198]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 11 June 2008]: The available information is in the following table.
Industrial Accidents: Wind Power
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fatal accidents were recorded in relation to the operation of wind turbines in (a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [209566]
Mrs. McGuire: Since 1997, HSE is aware of two fatalities related to the operation of the UK's wind energy industry. In Scotland in May 2007, a construction worker fell from height inside a wind turbine tower; and in Wales in March 2008 a worker who struck by a moving vehicle on a wind farm access road.
HSE is not the regulator for Northern Ireland (NI) but I am advised that there have been no fatalities related to wind turbines in NI since 1997.
Jobcentre Plus: Finance
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funding Jobcentre Plus provides for computer training at home. [206612]
Mr. Timms: Jobcentre Plus does not provide funding for computer training at home. The overall strategy for contracted welfare to work training is based on improving the employability skills of unemployed customers by ensuring that provision is delivered by experts, in a structured manner and in a work-like environment. There are, however, opportunities for individuals to undertake computer-based home training which might be funded by other agencies, including the third sector.
There are currently no plans to change this policy. However, DWP will continue to undertake reviews of funding for, and the effectiveness of, its contracted employment provision.
Jobcentres
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will review arrangements for travel expenses for clients where no local Jobcentre Plus office exists; and if he will make a statement; [208902]
(2) if he will make it his policy to (a) permit telephone or postal signing on and (b) provide assistance towards travel expenses to allow claimants to sign on in person where local Jobcentre Plus offices have closed and claimants do not live near another office. [209752]
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 Mel Groves, dated 16 June 2008:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking if he will review arrangements for travel expenses for clients where no local Jobcentre Plus office exists; and if he will make a statement; and if he will make it his policy to (a) permit telephone or postal signing on and (b) provide assistance towards travel expenses to allow claimants to sign on in person where local Jobcentre Plus offices have closed and claimants do not live near another office. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Ms Strathie as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. I am replying in her absence as Acting Chief Executive.
There are circumstances in which it is unreasonable to expect people to attend the Jobcentre and where reimbursement of travel expenses is appropriate.
Where it is unreasonable to expect someone to attend their nearest Jobcentre Plus office, we have long-standing arrangements that allow people to maintain their claim by post. These arrangements apply:
if the customer lives more than one hour (door to door) by public transport from the nearest office;
if attendance means being away from home in excess of four hours;
if the customer has a mental or physical disability that restricts mobility; and
in other exceptional circumstances for example, the customer would have to use a form of transport they would not ordinarily be expected to use on a regular basis, i.e. an inter-city train, ferry or plane.
Personal Adviser interviews for customers claiming Jobseekers Allowance are nearly always timed to coincide with regular jobsearch review appointments, so additional costs are not incurred for attending. We do pay travel expenses if a personal adviser appointment is:
in an office other than their normal office of attendance and they incur additional expenses for attending; or
in their normal office of attendance, but not on their normal day of attendance.
For customers claiming benefits other than Jobseekers Allowance, travel expenses are reimbursed for pre-arranged interviews, medical services examinations, work-focused interviews, new deal interviews and other work-related events.
These arrangements ensure people are only required to attend the Jobcentre where it is reasonable to expect them to do so and travel costs are reimbursed in appropriate circumstances. I therefore have no plans to review these existing arrangements.
I hope this is helpful.
Jobseekers Allowance: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the number of people claiming jobseekers allowance in (a) Leeds metropolitan district and (b) Leeds West constituency. [209218]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
| Jobseeker's allowance claimants: April 2008 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are unrounded. 2. Figures include clerically held cases. Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems. | |
Local Housing Allowance
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his estimate is of the number of cases in the deregulated private rented sector that will be in receipt of local housing allowance in 2008; [200459]
(2) what his estimate is of the number of cases that will be in receipt of the local housing allowance where the rent is paid directly to the claimant in 2008. [200460]
Mr. Plaskitt: The local housing allowance applied nationally to new claims and to those who move address from 7 April 2008. The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that 45 to 60 per cent. of Housing Benefit cases in the deregulated private rented sector will be subject to the local housing allowance in 2008-09. This would represent between 370,000 and 500,000 housing benefit cases.
In the local housing allowance pathfinder areas direct payments to claimants rose from 50 to 84 per cent. If direct payments to claimants rise nationally to a similar extent (for example to 80 per cent.), we expect approximately 300,000 to 400,000 local housing allowance cases will be paid their rent directly.
National Insurance: Foreigners
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers have been issued to migrants from EU A8 countries in each constituency in (a) the East of England and (b) the East Midlands in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [202447]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 29 April 2008]: The available information has been placed in the Library.
Part-Time Employment: Parents
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of parents with children under the age of 16 years who work only during school terms. [210103]
Mr. Watson: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 June 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number and proportion of parents with children under 16 years of age who work only during school terms. (210103)
In April-June 2007, an estimated 542,000 parents in employment with at least one child under 16 had an agreed ‘term-time’ working arrangement. This figure accounts for 7 per cent. of parents in employment with children under 16. Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) household datasets. They are weighted to the population estimates published by ONS in February and March 2003. They do not incorporate the more recent population estimates used in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release.
In calculating the percentage, people who did not answer the LFS question about flexible working arrangements have been excluded.
The LFS is a sample survey covering over 52,000 households in the United Kingdom in each three month period. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Pension Credit
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on recipients of reducing the length of time for which pension tax credit may be backdated from 12 to three months. [209799]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 9 June 2008]: The Department has conducted an equality impact assessment in respect of the proposed changes to the time for claiming pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit for those of pension credit age from 12 to three months and of the proposed change to the backdating period allowed within housing benefit and council tax benefit for working age customers from 52 weeks to three months. The equality impact assessment has been published on the Department for Work and Pensions website and can be accessed using the following link.
Pensions
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on the financial impact on participating companies of the Pension Protection Fund; and if he will make a statement. [210760]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I receive representations about the financial impact of the Pension Protection Fund on a routine basis.
The calculation of the pension protection levy is a matter for the board of the PPF under section 175 of the Pensions Act 2004, subject to the limits set by Parliament. PPF is currently seeking to collect £675 million for 2008-09 within a ceiling of £833,410,200. The board has decided that for 2008-09 no bill should exceed one per cent. of liabilities (a reduction from 1.25 per cent. for the previous year).
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