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25 Jun 2008 : Column 326W—continued
Lorries: Driving Instruction
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial help is made available by his Department for unemployed people who wish to undertake HGV training. [212019]
Mr. Timms: Support for work-focused training can depend both on locality and a customer’s individual circumstances. Jobcentre Plus makes every effort to offer a flexible system of job seeking that is responsive to both the needs of the individual and the needs of the local labour market.
Employment training funded by the Department is generally limited to new deal programmes. The courses available are decided by each Jobcentre Plus district and will be not be the same around the country. Training allowances are payable to job seekers participating in full-time training in the options stage of new deal for young people or the intensive activity period stage of new deal 25 plus.
For Jobcentre Plus customers who are not eligible for the new deal, or in districts where Heavy Goods Vehicle training is not supported, Career Development Loans are available to help people overcome financial barriers to training.
Under the flexible new deal, which will replace existing provision for jobseeker’s allowance customers from next year, providers will be free to offer any support they deem appropriate for a customer if they decide it would help the customer enter and sustain employment.
Post Office Card Account
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to announce who will administer the successor product to the Post Office Card Account. [212211]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Sir Robert Smith) on 12 June 2008, Official Report, columns 428-29W.
Sick Leave: Mentally Ill
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people took leave from work due to mental illness in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) sex and (b) type of illness. [208067]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
Information is not collected centrally about diagnoses for any condition in primary care, so reliable data are not available about the number of people who took leave from work due to mental illness.
Social Security Benefits: Elderly
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to answer Question 195735, on pensioners eligible for means-tested benefits, tabled by the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey on 17 March 2008. [207162]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I replied to the hon. Member on 16 June 2008, Official Report, column 739W
Social Security Benefits: EU Action
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the effect of the European Court of Justice ruling C299/05, on special non-contributory benefits. [212357]
Mrs. McGuire: As a result of the European Court of Justice decision C299/05, the special non-contributory benefits disability living allowance (care component), attendance allowance and carer's allowance were classified as sickness benefits under European law. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 3 April 2008, Official Report, columns 83-84WS.
Welsh Language
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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. [210537]
Mrs. McGuire:
My Department has adopted a Welsh language scheme approved by the Welsh Language Board on 13 July 2004 and is committed to treating the Welsh and English languages on a basis of equality when providing a service to the public in Wales. The scheme
covers both the main departmental businesses and all sponsored bodies that do not have separate schemes of their own. The main DWP Scheme is currently being formally reviewed at the request of the Welsh Language Board.
My officials regularly and continuously monitor the use made of the Welsh language services we provide for the public in Wales. They also ensure that suitable Welsh language provision is built in to all new services and benefits being developed by the Department. In addition, each year officials in the main customer-facing businesses in Wales carry out voluntary staff audits to confirm that there are sufficient members of staff who are able to conduct business in Welsh.
The Welsh Language Board is satisfied that my Department is fully meeting the commitments set out in the scheme.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Departmental Furniture
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many (a) chairs, (b) desks and (c) other office furnishings have been purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; and at what cost in each case. [211758]
Mr. Thomas: This Department’s published “Annual Report and Accounts” contains information on its tangible fixed assets, which includes an additions category entitled “furniture, fixtures and fittings”.
These accounts can be found on the BERR website at the following address:
The following years accounts are on the website:
DTI Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07 (HC 584)—Chapter 5—Note 14
DTI Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06 (HC 1461)—Note 14
DTI Annual Report and Accounts 2004-05 (HC 612)—Note 13
DTI Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04 (HC 26)—Note 14
The 2007-08 Annual Report is due to be published in Mid-July 2008
I have approached the Chief Executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 23 June 2008:
The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of the Insolvency Services in respect of your question (2007/3018) how many (a) chairs, (b) desks and (c) other office furnishings have been purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; and at what cost in each case.
Please see table below for the figures of the last five years 2003-2007.
| Desks | Chairs | Others (storage) | ||||
| Numbers | £ | Numbers | £ | Numbers | £ | |
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 23 June 2008:
I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Companies House has purchased chairs, desks and other office furnishings in each of the last five years as follows:
| Chairs | Desks | Other furnishings | |||
| Financial year | Number | Cost (£) | Number | Cost (£) | Cost (£) |
Other furnishings include costs for cupboards, filing cabinets, storage units, desk pedestals and meeting tables. Numbers are not available.
Morning Star
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many copies of the Morning Star publication his Department and each of its agencies procures each week; and at what cost. [211002]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has only one subscription for the Morning Star: this is ordered by the Employment Relations policy team. The cover price is 60p and the subscription merits a 15 per cent. discount.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 23 June 2008:
The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2007/2953) how many copies of the Morning Star publication his Department and its agency subscribes to each week; and at what cost.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform had no subscriptions to The Morning Star publication in the last 5 years.
Letter from Tim Moss, dated 23 June 2008:
I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform,
Companies House does not subscribe to the Morning Star publication.
Post Office Card Account
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what estimate he has made of the number of post offices that are likely to close if the contract for the successor product to the Post Office Card Account does not go to Post Office Ltd.; [212233]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to Post Office Ltd. of not securing the contract for the successor product to the Post Office card account. [212234]
Mr. McFadden: The Department for Work and Pensions is currently managing a competitive tender process for the successor product to the Post Office Card Account and an announcement is expected later in the year. A number of bids are being considered, including one submitted by Post Office Ltd. In advance of the procurement decision being announced, it would not be appropriate for the Government to speculate on the consequences of any individual bidder failing to secure the contract.
The Government remains committed to allowing people to access their pension and benefit in cash at the post office if they choose to do so, and there are around 25 accounts which make that possible still generating income for Post Office Ltd. and sub-postmasters.
Post Offices: Closures
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what environmental impact assessment has been made of the proposed closure of Hinton St George post office in Somerset; and if he will make a statement. [212248]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the public transport connections to other post offices in the area around Hinton St George post office, Somerset; and if he will make a statement. [212250]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what effect on annual costs is forecast to arise from the proposed closure of the post office at (a) 173 Church Road, Thundersley and (b) Daverrell Road, Canvey Island. [212268]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 19 June 2008]: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of post offices proposed for closure in a proposed local area plan have been kept open following the local public consultation; and if he will make a statement. [212269]
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