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15 Jan 2009 : Column 967Wcontinued
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding streams he plans to include in the personal health budgets due to be piloted from 2009; and if he will make a statement. [247735]
Mr. Bradshaw: The focus of the pilots will be the use of national health service funds.
Where appropriate, we hope personal health budgets will align with personal budgets for those eligible for social care so that the budget appears as seamless as possible to the individual using health and social care services, and to support a holistic approach to the planning of care and support. One of the goals of piloting personal health budgets is to understand how this could work and we hope local authorities and primary care trusts will work closely together on this issue.
The Government will shortly be launching the personal health budget programme formally, seeking expressions of interest in the pilots and local proposals for how personal budgets could work.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of treating shingles and post herpetic neuralgia in people over 50 years of age in the most recent period for which figures are available. [247535]
Dawn Primarolo: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is currently in the process of estimating the cost of treating shingles and post herpetic neuralgia (PHN) within the wider context of the benefits of shingles vaccination, including whether a vaccination programme would be cost effective. It will provide advice in due course.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with the Treasury on the effects on the level of use of sun protection products for (a) children and (b) adults of the rate of value added tax charged on such products; [247083]
(2) what guidance his Department issues to (a) parents in respect of their children and (b) adults on the use of sun protection lotions; and if he will make a statement. [247084]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government keep taxes under review and introduce reduced VAT rates only where they offer the best targeted and most cost-effective support for its objectives. The Government also work in partnership with Cancer Research UK, which runs SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention and sun protection campaign, on behalf of the UK Health Departments. The campaign aims to raise awareness and provide information on the risks to health related to ultraviolet radiation exposure.
To enjoy the sun safely, the SunSmart code recommends:
S pend time in the shade between 11 and 3;
M ake sure you never burn;
A im to cover up with a hat, t-shirt and sunglasses;
R emember to take extra care with children; and
T hen use factor 15+ sunscreen or higher.
Further information about sunscreen advice is available on the Cancer Research UK website at:
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on making the purchase of cigarettes under age a criminal offence; and if he will make a statement. [248645]
Dawn Primarolo: We published a report on the Consultation on the future of tobacco control on 9 December last year. A copy has already been placed in the Library. This summarised responses, and noted that some respondents suggested there should be new offences for those underage who try to buy tobacco, or who smoke in public.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the two major projects on child maintenance debt referred to by the Comptroller and Auditor General in July 2008 have now been completed; what their main findings were; and if he will place in the Library copies of each project. [241560]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 9 December 2008]: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the two major projects on child maintenance debt referred to by the Comptroller and Auditor General in July 2008 have now been completed; what their main findings were; and if he will place in the Library copies of each project. [241560]
In response to the annual audit of its client funds accounts the Child Support Agency commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to lead two reviews of how the Agency reported child maintenance debt in its Annual Report and Accounts. The first review concerned the accuracy of the reported debt balance and the associated receipts and payments. The second review concerned the collectability of the child maintenance debt balance as reported in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts.
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, which is now responsible for the Child Support Agency has yet to receive the final reports. The Commission expects to be in a position to make the outcome of these reports available in the first quarter of the New Year.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many British citizens did not pass the habitual residency test in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [241561]
Mr. McNulty
[holding answer 9 December 2008]: In the 12 months to the end of November 2008, 2,948 habitual residence tests were failed by British nationals.
Note:
Data based on clerical inputs and therefore subject to input error.
Source:
DWP Management information.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) fixed-term and (b) casual temporary staff Jobcentre Plus employs. [245451]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many (a) fixed term temporary staff and (b) casual temporary staff Jobcentre Plus employs. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
As at November 2008 Jobcentre Plus employed 1443 full time equivalent fixed term staff and 1336 full time equivalent casual temporary staff. The Office of National Statistics criteria define those staff on a fixed term contract of less than 12 months as temporary and those on a contract over 12 months as permanent. Therefore, of the 1443 fixed term appointments, 1108 are defined as temporary and 335 as permanent.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Job Centre Plus has spent on staff overtime payments (a) in each of the last three financial years and (b) in 2008-09 to date. [245455]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive, Mel Groves. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how much Jobcentre Plus has spent on staff overtime payments in each of the last three financial years and in 2008-09 to date. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The details of expenditure on staff overtime payments for the requested years are set out below:
Period | Amount (£ million) |
Note: 2008-09 covers period from 1 April 2008 to 30 November 2008 Source: DWP financial system |
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where each call centre used to answer telephone calls from members of the public to Jobcentre Plus helplines is located; and if he will make a statement. [245447]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking where each call centre used to answer telephone calls from members of the public to Jobcentre Plus helplines is located; and if he will make a statement. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus has 31 Contact Centres which are used to answer telephone calls from members of the public. They are at the following locations:
Annesley
Bangor
Blackburn
Bootle
Bridgend
Caerphilly
Clydebank
Coventry
Derby
Dundee
Exeter
Garston
Grimsby Crown House
Grimsby Europark
Halifax
Lincoln
Liverpool
Lowestoft
Marton Mere
Middlesbrough
Newcastle
Paisley
Pembroke Dock
Poole
Preston
Sheffield
Southend
Taunton
Telford Newtown House
Telford Plaza
Torquay.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what performance targets have been set to measure the quality of service given to members of the public calling Jobcentre Plus helplines; and if he will make a statement. [245448]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what performance targets have been set to measure the quality of service given to members of the public calling Jobcentre Plus helplines; and if he will make a statement. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Contact Centres are measured against a range of internal performance indicators which support and underpin the Jobcentre Plus targets. All Contact Centre Customer Service Agents have key work objectives which are put in place to support, contribute and feed into the achievement of the following six national Jobcentre Plus targets:
Job Outcome TargetThis is the measure of our success in helping people in to work. It is based on an automated reporting system, which reports movements into work and off benefit by matching Jobcentre Plus and HMRC data.
Customer Service TargetThis measures Jobcentre Plus' performance in meeting the standards and commitments set out in the organisation's customer and employer charters.
Monetary Value of Fraud and ErrorContact Centre Directorate has a direct impact on this target by taking appropriate action when fraud is suspected during interaction with the customer and more specifically through the referrals that are generated from calls to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline.
Average Actual Clearance TimesThis is measured through the processing of claims within specified average actual clearance times, for Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance18 days, 11 days and 12 days respectively.
Employer Engagement TargetThis is measured by mystery shopper calls made by an independent organisation and is a measure for professionalism and information provided over the phone.
Interventions Delivery TargetThis is a measure of the efficiency of Jobcentre Plus in booking customers in for work-focused interviews within set timescales to provide effective employment support and advice.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the policy of Jobcentre Plus is on the use of recorded messages on helplines used by members of the public. [245453]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking, what the policy of Jobcentre Plus is on the use of recorded messages on helplines used by members of the public. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus has standard messages on all its 0845 and 0800 numbers that conform to recognised business telecom practices. This ensures that messages are coherent and that there is consistency in greeting which includes information to customers concerning call costs and why calls are monitored and recorded, whilst taking into account customers with accessibility and diversity needs. Messages are kept as short as possible, while ensuring customers are directed to the most suitable source of help for their needs.
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