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10 July 2008 : Column 1763W—continued
unlike the majority of jobseekers who must be immediately available for an interview and for full-time employment, people who are volunteers must be able to attend an interview at 48 hours notice and, if successful, start work within one week; and
volunteers should neither gain nor lose financially as a result of their volunteering, so money paid to refund expenses incurred or expected to be incurred through volunteering, e.g. travel costs, meals, cost of child care, special clothing and overnight accommodation, will be disregarded for benefit purposes.
Further information is in the leaflet ‘Volunteering While Unemployed Helps Others and Can Help You’, which is available through Jobcentres and is currently being updated; and the DWP publication ‘A Guide to Volunteering While on Benefits’, which is available at
I hope this information is helpful.
National Insurance
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2008, Official Report, column 1283W, on national insurance, what proportion of national insurance registrations were held by (a) EU and (b) non-EU nationals in each year since 1987. [205865]
Mr. Plaskitt: Information on adult foreign national registrations and total national insurance number registrations is not produced on the same basis. It is not therefore possible to provide an exact proportion of the total number of registrations held by EU and non-EU nationals.
For the available information on the total national insurance number registrations, I refer the hon.
Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 9 May 2008, Official Report, column 1284W.
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 the hon. Member have such information as is available as soon as possible.
Substantive answer from James Plaskitt to Frank Field:
The information is not available.
Social Fund
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) crisis loans, (b) budgeting loans and (c) community care grants have been granted by Jobcentre Plus to people in (i) each Jobcentre Plus district and (ii) each region of the UK in each month since October 2003; and if he will make a statement. [214918]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information has been placed in the Library.
Social Fund: Manpower
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of staff that will be employed in running the Social Fund, broken down by site and scheme, in each month until December 2009; and if he will make a statement; [215983]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of staff to be employed to process (a) crisis loans, (b) budgeting loans and (c) community care grants in each month until December 2009, broken down by location of employment; and if he will make a statement. [216053]
Mr. Plaskitt: 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 Lesley Strathie, dated 10 July 2008:
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your questions on what estimate he has made of the number of staff that will be employed in running the Social Fund, broken down by site and scheme, in each month until December 2009; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff to be employed to process (a) crisis loans, (b) budgeting loans and (c) community care grants in each month until December 2009, broken down by location of employment. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
It is not possible to provide site deployment information in the format requested. Future staffing levels will depend on workloads and available resources.
At the start of this operational year we employed:
1,100 staff on Crisis Loans,
548 on Budgeting Loans,
530 on Community Care Grant work,
168 on Sure Start Maternity Grants and
125 on Funeral Payments within Benefit Delivery Centres.
There are approximately 200 Crisis Loans Decision Makers employed in Jobcentres in London.
In addition we have trained and deployed an extra 185 Contact Centre staff as Crisis Loans Decision Makers and intend to train a further 460 staff before December 2008. Many of these staff are trained on more than one element of the Social Fund and in the course of a working day will work on different elements depending on that day's workload.
I hope this information is helpful.
Social Security Benefits
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many and what proportion of claimed benefits were dealt with through (a) benefit call centres, (b) Jobcentre Plus offices, (c) by home appointment, (d) via the internet and (e) other (i) in total and (ii) broken down by type of benefit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215894]
(2) how many and what proportion of applications for each type of claimed benefit delivery were dealt with (a) through benefit call centres, (b) through Jobcentre Plus offices, (c) by home appointment, (d) over the internet and (e) by another means in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [216981]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available as we do not collect information centrally on the number or proportion of benefit claims dealt with through different channels.
Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of calls to benefit delivery centres were (a) answered by an operator, (b) discontinued before being answered by an operator and (c) answered by an operator within (i) one minute, (ii) five minutes and (iii) 10 minutes of calling in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [215754]
Mrs. McGuire: 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 Lesley Strathie, dated 10 July 2008:
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your question on how many and what proportion of calls to benefit delivery centres were (a) answered, (b) discontinued before being answered by an operator and (c) answered by an operator within (i) one minute, (ii) five minutes and (iii) 10 minutes of calling in the latest period for which figures are available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The information you have requested is not currently available because the Management Information on telephony performance for Benefit Delivery Centres is limited. An enhanced telephone service with improved Management Information will be implemented in Benefit Delivery Centres by the end of this operational year.
Winter Fuel Payments: Overseas Residents
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008, Official Report, columns 578-9W, on winter fuel payments, how much was spent on winter fuel payments to pensioners living in each country outside the UK in each year since the payment was introduced. [194665]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 28 February 2007, Official Report, column 1414W, and on 19 February 2008, Official Report, columns 578-79W, to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone).
Home Department
Animal Experiments: Primates
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations her Department has received on the proposal to ban the use of great apes for experimental and other scientific purposes in the proposed revision of Directive 86/609 EEC; and if she will make a statement. [217219]
Meg Hillier: We have received 110 letters from the general public asking the Government to support EU Written Declaration 40/2007, which urges the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament to use the revision of Directive 86/609/EC as an opportunity to make ending the use of apes in scientific experiments an urgent priority. Great apes have never been used as laboratory animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and in 1997 we gave a commitment that we will not allow their use in the future. This remains our position.
Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to encourage local communities to get involved in tackling antisocial behaviour. [217645]
Mr. Coaker:
We encourage local communities to get involved in tackling antisocial behaviour by asking them to report incidents of antisocial behaviour to local agencies such as the police and local authorities. Since April 2008 there has been a neighbourhood policing team in every area. These teams are now increasing their focus on working with local communities to identify and tackle local problems together, while continuing to provide high visibility policing, reducing antisocial behaviour and the fear of crime. It is the partnership between local people and local agencies that helps make the real difference in freeing areas from problem behaviour. We also announced plans to better engage communities in the fight against crime on 18 June following the review by Louise Casey "Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime". Louise Casey is taking on the role of
Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Adviser and will work to improve neighbourhood policing across the country.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information she holds on the use of mosquito devices by police forces. [218378]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not hold any information on the use of mosquito dispersal devices by police forces.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of mosquito dispersal devices that have been supplied to each (a) police force and (b) local authority in the last 12 months; and which (i) police forces and (ii) local authorities have deployed mosquito devices in that period. [217023]
Mr. Coaker: Information on the use of mosquito dispersal devices is not collected centrally by the Home Office.
Genetics: Databases
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes have been solved using the DNA database where the perpetrators were not previously convicted persons. [212265]
Meg Hillier [holding answer 19 June 2008]: Information on the number of crimes that have been detected using DNA subject sample profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) taken from persons with no previous convictions is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The NDNAD holds DNA profiles taken from persons arrested for a recordable offence but does not hold data on their criminal histories; this information is held on the Police National Computer (PNC).
Some research information is, however, available on the number of DNA profiles taken from those arrested but not charged and from those arrested, charged but not convicted of an offence that have resulted in a DNA match, thus providing the police with an intelligence link on the possible identity of the offender and assisting in the detection of crimes. In April 2004, an amendment to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 came into effect which enabled the police to take and retain DNA and fingerprints from persons who had been arrested for a recordable offence. In the period April 2004 to December 2005, the retention of DNA profiles of arrested persons who had not been charged or proceeded against had resulted in matches with crime scene profiles from over 3,000 offences including 37 murders, 16 attempted murders and 90 rapes.
In May 2001, an amendment to PACE 1984 came into effect which enabled the police to retain DNA samples taken from persons who had been charged but not convicted of an offence. In the period May 2001 to December 2005, an estimated 200,000 DNA samples taken from people charged with offences had been retained on the NDNAD, which would previously have had to be removed because of the absence of a conviction. From these, approximately 8,500 profiles of
individuals have been linked with crime scene profiles, involving nearly 14,000 offences. These offences included 114 murders, 55 attempted murders, 116 rapes, 68 sexual offences, 119 aggravated burglaries and 127 of the supply of controlled drugs.
Government Departments: Data Protection
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Government databases are protected in the same manner as that designed to protect the National Identity Register. [202758]
Meg Hillier: The National Identity Register will be highly protected—to the same level as some military databases. The security protections around the Register, both technical and physical, are being designed to meet the specific requirements of the National Identity Register so cannot be compared effectively to those in place for other Government databases.
It will also be protected by provisions in the Identity Cards Act, Official Secrets Act, Computer Misuse Act and Data Protection Act, bringing penalties, including criminal sanctions, against anyone interfering with the Register.
Human Trafficking
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department expects the results of Operation Pentameter 2 to be fully analysed; and if she will publish those elements of the findings that will not prejudice or hinder the police and other law enforcement operations in human trafficking operations. [214539]
Mr. Coaker: We announced the results of Operation Pentameter 2 on 2 July. All the lessons learned, good practice identified and operational opportunities will be taken forward by the UKHTC as part of its ongoing work as a central point for the development of expertise and operational co-ordination in relation to the trafficking of human beings.
Human Trafficking: Children
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the children found during Pentameter 2 have been provided with guardians. [217966]
Mr. Coaker: None of the children found during Operation Pentameter 2 have been provided with guardians, but for the duration of the operation the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) provided an advocacy service to assist police and local authorities to ensure that the children were safeguarded and their welfare promoted.
Hunting
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department monitors levels of compliance with provisions of the Hunting Act 2004. [217262]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not monitor levels of compliance with provisions of the Hunting Act 2004 but information collected centrally indicates that in 2005 and 2006, 14 people were proceeded against in England and Wales for offences under the Hunting Act 2004.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an assessment of compliance with the provisions of the Hunting Act 2004 in respect of (a) fox hunting, (b) hare coursing and (c) deer hunting. [217263]
Mr. Coaker: Responding to incidents of law breaking is an operational matter for Chief Officers of Police. Information collected centrally indicates that in 2005 and 2006 14 people were proceeded against in England and Wales for offences under the Hunting Act 2004.
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