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17 Jun 2008 : Column 911W—continued
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Benefit Fraud Hotline and associated services cost in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [206007]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
| National benefit fraud hotline costs | |
| £ | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000. 2. The costs above are for the national benefit fraud hotline (NBFHL) and related services. These are in nominal terms. 3. The costs for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are the same as the costs used in a recent NAO report on the benefit fraud hotline. 4. At the start of 2005-06, Jobcentre Plus implemented a new accounting system for recording any costs from 2005-06 onwards. The costs for 2004-05 and prior years have therefore been extracted using archived data sources from a closed accounting system. 5. The costs above include staff and non staff costs. Non staff costs primarily include telephony related costs. 6. The national benefit fraud hotline was transferred to the contact centre directorate in 2005-06. The reported costs will therefore include the effect of any re-organisation to NBFHL over the last five reported years. Source: National benefit fraud hotline. | |
Duchy of Lancaster
Armed Forces: Influenza
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007, Official Report, columns 1447-8W, on Armed Forces: Influenza, if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) agendas and (b) minutes of the meetings of the (i) MISC 32 Flu Working Group and (ii) the Pandemic Implementation Group. [208986]
Mr. Watson: Information relating to the proceedings of the MISC 32 Cabinet Committee and the Pandemic Flu Implementation Group is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion and the formulation or development of Government policy.
Civil Servants: Holiday Leave
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many privilege holidays civil servants in the Cabinet Office are entitled to; and on what days of the year. [210873]
Mr. Watson: Cabinet Office civil servants are entitled to 2.5 privilege day holidays annually. These are normally taken on
Maundy Thursday afternoon.
The Tuesday after the late May bank holiday to mark the Queen's official birthday.
The last working day before Christmas Day or the first working day after Boxing Day.
Cabinet Office civil servants can arrange with their managers to work an alternative day within 12 months of the designated day if, for example, they wish to use their Christmas or Maundy Thursday privilege day entitlement for other religious festivals.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many times his Department was found to be in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 by the Information Commissioner in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [208760]
Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office has not been found in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 by the Information Commissioner in any of the last five years.
Departmental Manpower
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of staff in the Prime Minister's Office are (a) male, (b) female, (c) from an ethnic minority, (d) disabled and (e) not heterosexual; and if he will make a statement. [208399]
Mr. Watson: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
The latest available data on the disability status and ethnic background of civil servants in the Cabinet Office are as at 30 September 2006 and are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as ‘Civil Service Statistics 2006’. This can be accessed from the following web-site address:
A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House.
Declaration of ethnic background and disabled status is voluntary. The latest available data on the gender of civil servants are as at 31 December 2007 and are also published by ONS, as part of its wider Quarterly Public Sector Employment Statistics (QPSES). This can be accessed via the following web-site address:
A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House.
Information on civil servants’ sexual orientation is not currently compiled or published.
Departmental Pensions
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the (a) rate and (b) cost was of employer contributions for each public-sector pension scheme for which his Department has responsibility in each year since 1990-91; and if he will make a statement. [200748]
Mr. Watson: Since the introduction of resource accounting in 1999-2000, the amount of the employer contributions made is published each year in the resource accounts of Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. The amount of the employer contributions made for the years 1995-1996 (when the Cabinet Office became the scheme manager) to 1998-1999 is available in the Cabinet Office Appropriation Accounts, copies of which are also available in the Library of the House.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public-sector pensions of the 10 highest paid members of staff in his Department and its executive agencies; and if he will make a statement. [200750]
Mr. Watson: The cash equivalent transfer value for the Department's most senior staff is set out in the departmental resource accounts that are published on the Cabinet Office website at
Copies are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
Departmental Vocational Training
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for what proportion of the staff of the Prime Minister's Office vocational training has been provided in the last three years. [209438]
Mr. Watson: The Prime Minister's Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office is committed to giving all its employees equal access to learning and development opportunities, and all staff are entitled to a minimum of five days’ development each year.
Intelligence Services: Data Protection
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether any officials of (a) M15, (b) M16 and (c) the Special Branch (i) have been suspended and (ii) have resigned following the loss of secret papers on 10 June 2008; [211531]
(2) following the loss of secret papers on 10 June 2008, if he will improve the arrangements for parliamentary scrutiny and oversight of the security and intelligence services; and if he will make a statement; [211532]
(3) if he will make a statement on the loss of secret papers on 10 June 2008. [211533]
Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made in the House on 12 June 2008, Official Report, columns 485-494.
Migration
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the percentage change in net UK migration was in each of the last three years. [211983]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 17 June 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question about the percentage change in net UK migration in each of the last three years. (211983)
The annual percentage changes, in UK immigration, emigration and net migration, are shown in the table below:
| Inflow | Outflow | Net migration | ||||
| Number | Percentage change | Number | Percentage change | Number | Percentage change( 1) | |
| (l.) When analysing migration, ONS seeks to avoid using percentage changes in net migration, instead preferring to quote percentage changes of immigration and emigration data separately. Percentages based on the differences between immigration and emigration can give a misleading impression of the scale of change, particularly when net migration in the base year in the calculation is close to zero. | ||||||
These are the latest available official estimates.
Parliament: By-Elections
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance exists on the conduct of civil servants, special advisers and Ministers during a parliamentary by-election period. [210862]
Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Secretary wrote to Departments on 8 May 2008 reminding them of the principles that apply to a constituency where a parliamentary by-election is taking place. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library of the House for the reference of Members.
Welsh Language
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent assessment he has made of the level of demand for the services provided by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental bodies to be provided in the Welsh language; and if he will make a statement. [210550]
Mr. Watson: The Cabinet Office has recently reviewed the need to translate material into Welsh to inform its discussions with the Welsh Language Board about its Welsh language policy.
Consideration is given to translating material into Welsh by the Cabinet Office and its non-departmental bodies when their activities in Wales involve direct dealings with the public. For example, the forms, publication and web pages associated with the recent campaign to encourage people to nominate ordinary people for honours were made available in Welsh.
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