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15 Jan 2009 : Column 980W—continued
Social Security Benefits: Administration
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been allocated to cover the costs of processing applications for each benefit that the Department administers in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [246628]
Kitty Ussher: The Department's published three year plan is available in the Library and sets out the planned expenditure of Jobcentre Plus and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service over the CSR2007. The Pre-Budget Report announced additional funding for the Department over the CSR2007 to continue delivering effective support for the unemployed to find a job. The Department will publish a revised plan before the end of the current financial year providing further details of its plans, which will include planned Jobcentre Plus and Pension, Disability and Carers Service expenditure.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost to his Department is of processing a benefit application for each benefit that his Department administers; and if he will make a statement. [246629]
Kitty Ussher: Information on the staff costs of processing a new claim for each benefit in 2007-8 is provided in the following tables:
| £ | |
| Source: Jobcentre Plus ABM systems | |
| £ | |
| Source: Pensions, Disability and Carers Service ABM systems. | |
Social Security Benefits: Databases
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether benefit payment systems are able to record total benefits received by (a) individuals and (b) households. [246684]
Jonathan Shaw: The Department has a number of systems which are used in the administration of the various benefits for which it is responsible. Where appropriate, officials can establish which benefits are paid to an individual or their dependants and at what rate. However, information is not recorded by household.
Additionally, housing benefit and council tax benefit are administered by over 400 local authorities, each of which is responsible for its own systems. Arrangements are in place that allow officials to establish the amount of local authority administered benefits in payment to an individual where there is a legitimate reason to do so.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the amount lost by his Department as a result of (a) benefit fraud and (b) administrative error in Torbay constituency in each of the last five years. [244539]
Mr. McNulty: The information is not available in the format requested.
DWP Fraud and Error estimates, published in the Fraud and Error in the Benefit System series, provide fraud and error estimates at a national level. The estimates are derived from the examination of a sample of benefit
payments. The sample sizes are too small to produce valid estimates below the national level. Estimates are therefore not available at constituency level.
Social Security Benefits: Interviews
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work-focused interviews for each category of benefit he estimates will be conducted in each of the next five years. [244201]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not available.
Social Security Benefits: Overseas Residence
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008, Official Report, column 420W, on social security benefits: overseas residence, how many of the 1,700 requests for payment of (a) the core component of disability living allowance, (b) attendance allowance and (c) carer’s allowance from those who had previously lived in the UK and are now living in another EEA state or Switzerland have been granted. [245824]
Jonathan Shaw: As explained in my written answer of 15 December 2008, Official Report, column 420W, we are still considering the implications of the European Court’s decision on paying disability living allowance, attendance allowance and carer’s allowance to people who claim from another EEA state or Switzerland. We will publish the entitlement criteria on the Directgov website as soon as the details have been finalised. As a result, we are not yet in a position to make decisions on individual awards for these customers.
Social Services: Finance
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which funding streams he plans to include in the individual budget pilots due to be tested in trailblazer public authorities from 2010; and if he will make a statement. [247734]
Jonathan Shaw: The Welfare Reform Bill introduced on 14 January 2009 sets out the framework for a new legislative right for disabled people. The Bill enables the Secretary of State to make regulations to give disabled people greater choice and control over support provided by the state. This will be referred to as the right to control.
The right to control will be tested in a small number of trailblazing public authorities in England from 2010.
We will consult on how Department of Work and Pensions funding, particularly Access to Work, the Independent Living Fund and elements of our specialist disability employment programmes, could be included in the trailblazers. The inclusion or alignment of further Government services, including the Disabled Facilities Grant and Adult Social Care, will be considered during this phase.
We will also consult locally and nationally ahead of the trailblazers to investigate which other sources of support could be included. The services and funding streams to be included in the pilots will be set out in secondary legislation.
Unemployment: Coastal Areas
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of all benefit claimants have been out of work for more than 10 years in (a) each of the principal seaside towns of England and Wales and (b) each lower layer super output area (LSOA) of the seaside towns of England and Wales, giving each LSOA area. [244296]
Mr. McNulty: The information is not available.
Unemployment: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are unemployed in (a) the North East and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency; and what estimate his Department has made of projected trends in these levels in each of the next 12 months. [244932]
Mr. McNulty: In November 2008 there were 61,815 jobseeker's allowance claimants in the north-east Government office region and 2,185 in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland parliamentary constituency.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
2. Data are published at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
Source:
100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems.
While we do not predict future levels of unemployment, we are planning for the impact of higher levels of jobseeker's allowance claims in the coming months. Clearly this is a sensible approach given the expected trends during a time of slower economic growth.
Home Department
Alcoholic Drinks: Young People
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) individuals and (b) establishments have been prosecuted for selling alcohol to under-age people in (i) Stockport Metropolitan borough, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) the North West in each of the last five years. [246070]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The number of persons and other defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to selling alcohol to under age persons in the Greater Manchester police force area and the North West region, from 2003 to 2007, the latest available, are given in table 1. The number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued to persons for this offence are given in table 2 from 2004, when the scheme commenced, to 2007.
The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same
disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Data collected centrally are available at police force area level only; therefore data for Stockport Metropolitan borough cannot be supplied.
| Table 1: The number of persons and the number of other defendants( 1) proceeded against at magistrates' courts for( ) offences relating to selling alcohol to under age persons( 2 ) in the Greater Manchester Police Force Area and the North West Region( 3) , 2003-07( 4,5,6) | ||||
| Greater Manchester Police force Area | North West Region | |||
| Proceeded against | Proceeded against | |||
| Persons | Other | Persons | Other | |
| 1 Figures for Other includes: Public bodies, companies, organisations 2 Data includes the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises. Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(1). Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(1). Sale of alcohol to a person under 18 Licensing Act 2003 S.146(l) Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Licensing Act 1964 Sec 181A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 Sec 17. Allow sale of alcohol to an individual under 18. Licensing Act 2003 Sec 147(1) & (5) 3 Includes, Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside police force areas. 4 These data are on the principal offence basis. 5 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 6 The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005. Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit. | ||||
| Table 2: The number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) issued to persons for "sale of alcohol to persons under 18" in the Greater Manchester Police Force Area and the North West Region( 1) , 2004( 2) to 2007( 3) . | ||
| Greater Manchester Police Force Area | North West Region | |
| (1) Includes, Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside police force areas. (2) Commencement of the PND scheme. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit. | ||
Borders: Personal Records
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the e-borders programme to be fully operational. [247158]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 14 January 2009]: The e-Borders programme is being rolled out in phases.
By December 2010, the e-Borders system will be receiving and processing at least 95 per cent. of passenger and crew movements in advance of travel into the UK. The system will be fully operational, processing 100 per cent. of passenger and crew movements, by March 2014.
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