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16 Dec 2008 : Column 632W—continued
Unemployment: Construction
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people currently unemployed who were previously employed in the construction industry. [242467]
Kevin Brennan: 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 December 2008:
As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has made of the number of people currently unemployed who were previously employed in the construction industry (242467]
According to the latest Labour force Survey (LPS) estimates for the three months to September 2008. 139,000 people were unemployed who stated that within the past 8 years their last paid employment was in the construction industry. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
The figures are derived from the LFS microdata which arc weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. They are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.
Winter Fuel Payments
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claim forms were received for winter fuel payments in 2007-08. [242516]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The vast majority of winter fuel payments are made automatically but people who are newly eligible and not in receipt of a social security benefit or those who only receive housing benefit, council tax benefit or child benefit need to claim.
In 2007-08 we received 458,334 claim forms in respect of winter fuel payments.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for winter fuel payments were made by households in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point in each of the last five years. [243901]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on winter fuel payment claims made by households in Essex and Castle Point is not available. Information about the number of payments made to households in those areas is in the table. 2006-07 is the latest year for which information is available.
| Winter fuel payments to households | ||
| Essex | Castle Point | |
| Notes: 1. Figures from 2002-03 to 2004-05 are rounded to the nearest five 2. Figures from 2005-06 are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data. | ||
Winter Fuel Payments: Cancer
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend eligibility for winter fuel payments to cancer patients aged under 60 years. [241931]
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend eligibility for the winter fuel allowance to all cancer patients. [242941]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60 and over because they are particularly vulnerable to the effects of cold weather during the winter months. The structure of the scheme, which provides for an annual lump sum payment, is not appropriate for the needs of cancer patients whose extra heating needs can arise at any time of year, not just in the winter months.
Help is already available through the disability benefits and the disability premiums in the income-related benefits in recognition of the extra costs, including heating, which people with cancer may have. These are spread over a 52-week period and can have a substantial annual value, up to around £8,000.
The Government believe that the existing help currently provided is the best way to help meet individuals’ needs and there are no plans to extend winter fuel payments to other vulnerable groups.
Winter Fuel Payments: Finance
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse was of winter fuel payments in the last financial year. [242847]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of winter fuel payments in winter 2007-08 was over £2 billion.
Winter Fuel Payments: Telephone Services
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls were made to the winter fuel payment helpline in each of the last 10 financial years. [242845]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Statistics on the number of calls made to the winter fuel payment helpline are only available from the year 2000, the year the winter fuel payment helpline was set up.
| Period: May to April | Calls | Notes |
|
Calls answered (figures for calls received are not available). | ||
|
This exercise is still ongoing and full information is not available. |
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Overseas Students: Scholarships
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many publicly-funded scholarships are expected to be available for doctoral students from Commonwealth countries to study at UK universities in each year between 2008-09 and 2012-13. [243996]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office fund doctoral awards through the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP). These include split site awards, where the student comes to the UK for doctoral study for one year. 320 scholars are currently receiving awards through the CSFP. For 2008-09 there are 135 new awards. This includes 16 new awards for developed Commonwealth countries, 94 for developing Commonwealth countries and 25 awards for split site doctoral study for scholars from developing countries. In 2009-10 there will be 146-148 new awards and in 2010-11 there will be 121-123.
In 2008-09 it is anticipated that there will be 15 new Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards for doctoral students from Commonwealth countries. Funding for these awards also comes from private sponsors. On the basis of Research Council planning figures for 2009 scholar starts there may be up to 15 commonwealth new scholars supported per annum in future years, depending on securing sufficient private sponsors for the scheme.
The Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORSAS) is an independent HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) scheme. A block grant is given to universities and information on which countries the students come from is not available. HEFCE decided earlier this year that continued investment after 2010-11 could not be justified given other competing priorities for funding. PQ 233995 also refers.
We do not know how many scholarships will be available in 2012-13 as this is in the next spending review period.
Treasury
Absenteeism
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the economy of absenteeism among workers as a result of headaches. [241420]
Mr. McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
No data exists which would allow us to reliably estimate the cost to the economy of absenteeism among workers as a result of headaches.
Banks: Iceland
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many inquiries (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have received regarding wholesale deposits in (i) Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, (ii) Heritable and (iii) the UK branch of Landsbanki since 1 September 2008. [242230]
Ian Pearson: To identify the number of inquiries which we have received would incur disproportionate costs.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many inquiries the Financial Services Authority has received regarding wholesale deposits in (a) Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, (b) Heritable and (c) the UK branch of Landsbanki since 1 September 2008; [242231]
(2) what advice the Financial Services Authority has offered to UK companies which had wholesale deposits with (a) Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, (b) Heritable and (c) the UK branch of Landsbanki. [242232]
Ian Pearson: These are matters for the Financial Services Authority.
Banks: Regulation
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance the Financial Services Authority has given to those banks in receipt of public money to assist their liquidity on building up their balance sheets. [244459]
Ian Pearson: The matters raised in this question are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, whose day to day operations are independent from Government control and influence.
Business: Bank Services
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what support (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs offer to UK companies which had wholesale deposits with (i) Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, (ii) Heritable and (iii) the UK branch of Landsbanki; [242229]
(2) what advice (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has issued to UK companies which had wholesale deposits with (i) Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, (ii) Heritable and (iii) the UK branch of Landsbanki. [242233]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Chancellor on 8 October 2008, Official Report, columns 279 and 280, and on 13 October 2008, Official Report, column 548.
Additionally, as part of a substantial package of support the Chancellor announced in PBR 2008 that HMRC had introduced a new Business Payment Support Service. Businesses in genuine but temporary financial difficulty will be offered a fast and streamlined service for arranging to pay their HMRC tax bill to a timetable they can afford. HMRC will offer further practical help by not imposing additional surcharges on the tax within a time to pay arrangement.
Departmental Public Consultation
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which occasions his Department has convened a citizens' jury or randomly-drawn panel of people to aid the Department's policy-making since 2000; whether the participants were paid in each case; and if he will make a statement. [243043]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 1392W, to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).
Equitable Life
Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Government plan to publish their response to the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report on Equitable Life. [244483]
Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 11 December 2008, Official Report, column 261W.
EU Budget
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's estimated (a) net contribution, (b) gross contribution and (c) gross contribution after abatement to the EU will be in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010, calculated on the basis current exchange rates. [243023]
Ian Pearson: The Government's latest forecast of UK net contributions to the EC Budget for the period 2007-08 to 2010-11 were included in Table B16 (page 210) of the pre-Budget report (Cm 7484) published on 24 November 2008.
Excise Duties: Biofuels
Ms Dari Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the written ministerial statement of 13 November 2008, Official Report, columns 66-7WS, on the Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2009, if he will
reassess the merits of his plans to remove the fuel duty rebate for biofuels in 2010-11 following the discovery of the drafting error in the 2007 Order. [244548]
Angela Eagle: The Department for Transport is currently consulting on the Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2009, which closes on 17 December 2008. The amendment being consulted upon does not affect the long term future of biofuels in the UK.
The Government's policy to remove the fuel duty differential from 2010-11, and to encourage the development of the cleanest, most sustainable biofuels through the RTFO, remains unaffected.
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