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1 July 2008 : Column 820W—continued
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on consultancy fees in each of the last five years. [215377]
Mrs. McGuire: The following table provides details of expenditure on external consultants engaged by DWP in each of the last five years to 2007-08.
| DWP expenditure on external consultancy | |
| £ million, including VAT | |
Equality 2025
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget was for Equality 2025 in each of the last two years. [215344]
Mrs. McGuire: Equality 2025 expenditure in each of the last two financial years was as follows:
| £ | |
Fuel Poverty: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the number of (a) male and (b) female pensioners aged (i) 60 to 79 and (ii) over 80 years old unable to pay their full fuel bill in Leeds West constituency; and if he will make a statement. [213319]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not available.
However, the Government are concerned about the impact of rising energy prices on pensioners. That is why the Department for Work and Pensions is seeking powers in the Pensions Bill to allow it to share Government data on the poorest pensioners with the energy suppliers so that they can identify pensioners who would benefit from their social programmes, including social tariffs.
In addition the Government announced in this year’s Budget a one off additional payment to the winter fuel payment of £100 for the over 80s and £50 for the over 60s for this winter.
Housing Benefit
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much his Department allocated to each Jobcentre Plus district in the UK for the payment of discretionary housing payments in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement; [214922]
(2) how the amount allocated to each Jobcentre Plus district for the payment of discretionary housing payments is calculated; and if he will make a statement; [214923]
(3) how much of the money allocated to each Jobcentre Plus district in the UK to pay discretionary housing payments was unspent in each year since it was introduced; and if he will make a statement; [214924]
(4) whether the calculation of the amount allocated to Jobcentre Plus districts for the payment of (a) exceptional hardship payments and (b) exceptional circumstances payments takes account of average rental prices (i) nationally and (ii) in the relevant Jobcentre Plus district; and if he will make a statement; [214925]
(5) how much of the money allocated to each Jobcentre Plus district to pay (a) exceptional hardship payments and (b) exceptional circumstances payments was unspent in each year between 1991 and 2001; and if he will make a statement. [214926]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
Discretionary housing payments were introduced in 2001 and replaced exceptional hardship payments and exceptional circumstances payments. Discretionary housing payments are free-standing payments made at the discretion of local authorities.
Incapacity Benefit: Birkenhead
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2008, Official Report, column 974W, to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), on social security benefits, how many working age incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants in each ward of Birkenhead parliamentary constituency initiated their claim (a) before and (b) in or after 1997. [215347]
Mrs. McGuire: The available information is in the following table.
| Number of working age incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance claimants in the Birkenhead parliamentary constituency; by ward and duration of claim as at November 2007 | |||
| Ward | All | Under 10 years | 10 years and over |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to protect the confidentiality of claimants. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data. | |||
Income Support: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2008, Official Report, column 22W, on income support: disabled, how many people claiming income support with disability premium are classed as incapacity benefit claimants because their national insurance contributions are paid by incapacity benefit. [215343]
Mr. Plaskitt: As at November 2007, there were 1,039,210 income support claimants with a disability premium who were also claiming incapacity benefits. Of these, 680,190 were in receipt of national insurance credits only.
Pay
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average level of pay of those moving off benefits into 100 per cent. commission jobs in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [215348]
Mr. Plaskitt: I will let my right hon. Friend have such information as is available as soon as possible.
Wood
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much timber and timber products were procured by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what cost; [213707]
(2) how much timber and timber products were procured by his Department originating from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner in each of the last five years; and at what cost. [213708]
Mrs. McGuire: Land Securities Trillium provides fully serviced accommodation to the Department under a PFI contract. Timber and timber products (including furniture) for the estate are provided as part of this contract. It is Land Securities Trillium’s policy to procure only legally logged and sustainable timber. The supply chain (including independent certification) for timber has been identified, and plans are in place to move towards using only Forestry Stewardship Council certified timber. Information on the volume or cost of timber or timber products, however, is not currently collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department and Land Securities Trillium have been working closely with the Centre of Expertise for Procurement of Timber to help in the development of the FLEGT system.
Children, Schools and Families
Children: Day Care
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average salary for daycare managers in (a) maintained nurseries, (b) private, voluntary and independent nurseries and (c) Sure Start children's centres was in each year for which figures are available. [214395]
Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on the pay of staff working in childcare and early years providers. The average hourly pay for senior managers of full day care providers in 2006, by ownership of the provision is shown in Table 1. Data for previous years are not available in the format requested.
| £ | |
| Mean hourly pay | |
| Note: Excludes refusals or ‘don’t know’ responses. | |
In 2006, the average hourly pay for senior managers of full day care provision in Sure Start children’s centres was £9.30. Data are not available for previous years. Children’s Centres were included in the survey for the first time in 2006.
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average number of staff vacancies in (a) maintained nurseries, (b) private, voluntary and independent nurseries and (c) Sure Start children's centres was in each year for which figures are available. [214397]
Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on recruitment and staff vacancies in childcare and early years providers. Table 1 shows the proportion of full day care providers that were trying to recruit for vacancies in 2006, by type of staff and ownership of the provision. Data for previous years are not available in the format requested.
| Table 1: Proportion of full day care providers trying to recruit for vacancies, by staff type and ownership, 2006. | |||||
| Percentage | |||||
| Private | Voluntary | Local authority | School/ college | Other | |
| Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 per cent. due to 'don't know' responses or rounding. | |||||
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