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4 Feb 2009 : Column 1258W—continued
Work and Pensions
Charities
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to which (a) charities and (b) voluntary organisations his Department has provided funding in the last five years; and how much funding was provided to each. [247367]
Jonathan Shaw: The Department pays a variety of providers from the private, public, voluntary and charitable sectors for the provision of employment programmes.
The information requested, however, is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.
The Department and its agencies work in close partnership with charities and voluntary sector organisations to help people access the services and benefits to which they are entitled.
Climate Change
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of its capacity to adapt to climate change; and what plans he has to publish a climate change adaptation strategy. [241171]
Jonathan Shaw: In July 2008, the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme published Adapting to Climate Change in England—a framework for action which set out the Government’s strategy for adaptation and the work-plan for the cross-Government Programme for the next three years. This programme increases Government’s capacity to adapt by ensuring a coordinated approach across all Departments and the public sector, and overall responsibility for it rests with DEFRA. Information about the programme can be found at
This includes taking forward work flowing from the Climate Change Act 2008—including a national Climate Change Risk Assessment and cost benefit analysis which will inform future priorities for the statutory adaptation programme beginning in 2012.
The Government’s longer term strategy on adapting to a changing climate will be set out in this statutory National Adaptation Programme, which will be reviewed and updated on a five year rolling basis in response to updated risk assessments, and reported to Parliament.
DWP recognises that the most vulnerable in society may be disproportionately affected by climate change. As such, we consider it important to take steps to adapt to the short, medium and long-term risks and impacts.
In 2003, DWP undertook some initial exploratory work, updated it late last year, and commissioned the Meteorological Office to undertake a review of the impacts of climate change on the Department’s policies and operations. The Meteorological Office report was received earlier this year and its findings are now being taken into consideration in formulating the future programme of climate change adaptation work, based on the priorities identified. The Department’s Planning Performance and Risk Committee is leading on this work and has endorsed the initial findings of the review. An update to the review will be commissioned once the revised UK Climate Projections are published in the new year.
The Department continues to build climate change into its contingency planning work, and works closely with colleagues from other Government Departments to develop a joint coordinated approach to adapting to climate change. We also sit on the pan-government Domestic Adaptation Programme Board.
Departmental Furniture
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. [244359]
Jonathan Shaw: The Department has a PFI contract with Land Securities Trillium for the provision of fully serviced accommodation, including the provision of furniture, and for which an all inclusive unitary charge is paid. It is not possible to provide separate details of expenditure which relates solely to furniture from within this amount. The information that is available is provided in the following table. The figures in the table relate solely to expenditure on furniture for projects (including the roll-out of the new Jobcentre Plus network and other departmental initiatives in the Pension Service and Debt Management, which is procured and paid for separately by the Department.
| DWP expenditure on furniture (1 April 2000 to 31 March 2008) | |||
| £ million | |||
| Financial year | Furniture made by British firms | Furniture made by Remploy | Furniture made by over seas firms |
Departmental Marketing
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on advertising in the last 12 months. [243713]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr Evans) on24 November 2008, Official Report, column 981W.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 5 November 2008, Official Report, column 552W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008. [251325]
Jonathan Shaw: Other Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
Action Learning Set: 1 Minister
Financial Management: 1 Minister
Governance and Public Accountability: 1 Minister.
Departmental Travel
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years. [251867]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Employment Schemes
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workshops had been held as part of his Department's Employ ability programme at the latest date for figures are available; how many people attended each such workshop; and how many employers in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow and (c) Scotland attended an Employ ability workshop in 2008. [252562]
Mr. McNulty: 13 workshops have been held between 29 November 2007 and 28 January 2009.
Number of people attending each workshop:
| Number | |
Number of employers attending workshops in 2008 from:
| Number | |
Employment Schemes: Contracts
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what employment rates were achieved in each region by (a) private and (b) voluntary sector employment service contractors under each (i) New Deal, (ii) Employment Zone and (iii) Pathways to Work programme in each of the last eight years; and if he will make a statement. [246570]
Mr. McNulty: The cost of complying with the request is disproportionate.
Employment Schemes: Finance
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much had been spent on his Department's Employ ability programme at the latest date for which figures are available; and how much of the expenditure had been used for the purposes of advertising the programme. [252563]
Mr. McNulty: Employ ability is a communications campaign that aims to challenge attitudes among SME employers towards recruiting and retaining disabled people and those with long term health conditions. The campaign was piloted in four cities from September to December 2007 and rolled out to 10 UK areas between March 2008 and the present day.
The campaign is delivered through the following activity:
Advertising and advertorials in trade and regional press;
Billboard posters;
Media liaison and PR;
How to Employ ability workshops;
Web pages on DWP website;
E-marketing;
Direct mail and telemarketing;
Stakeholder engagement.
The total amount spent on the campaign to date is £3,892,180.
The amount spent on advertising to date is: £2,237,279.
Invest To Save Budget
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) which organisation led each Invest To Save project which has been sponsored by his Department since 1998; and if he will make a statement; [247057]
(2) how many of the Invest To Save projects sponsored by his Department in each year since 1998 (a) have completed their initial stage and have been continued, (b) have completed their initial stage and been discontinued and (c) are in progress; and if he will make a statement; [247058]
(3) how many Invest To Save projects have been sponsored by his Department in each region in each year since 1998; what the cost of each such project was; and if he will make a statement. [247059]
Jonathan Shaw: The Invest to Save Budget (ISB) was a cross-Government funding stream that was launched by HM Treasury in 1998 to foster innovation within the public sector and promote the joined-up delivery of public services through greater partnership working.
Many lessons were learnt from the DWP-sponsored projects and the outcomes of the initial stages informed the effective delivery of services and products to DWP’s customers. A 2007 review of the ISB drew particular attention to the success of the ONE project. This piloted the requirement of benefit claimants to consider their work potential before making a claim and heavily influenced the design and roll-out of Jobcentre Plus.
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table. The table shows the ‘Invest to Save’ funding allocated to each project. Information on costs is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
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