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23 Feb 2009 : Column 75W—continued
| Savings arising from office closures including any savings arising from new investment to existing estate for modernisation | |
| £ million | |
| Note: All figures rounded to the nearest million. Source: Jobcentre Plus reports for the DWP Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Return. | |
Jobcentre Plus: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints Jobcentre Plus have received from customers on the physical inaccessibility of Jobcentre Plus offices and facilities in each year since 1997. [249631]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 20 January 2009]: The information is not available.
Jobcentre Plus: Manpower
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria will be used to allocate the additional 2,000 staff at Jobcentre Plus offices proposed in the pre-Budget report; what the timetable for their recruitment is; how many staff have been recruited; how many additional staff will be allocated to the Sutton Jobcentre; whether a Rapid Response manager has been appointed in each district; and if he will make a statement. [254511]
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 criteria will be used to allocate the additional 2,000 staff at Jobcentre Plus offices proposed in the pre-Budget report; what the timetable for their recruitment is; how many staff have been recruited to date; how many additional staff will be allocated to the Sutton Jobcentre; if a Rapid Response manager has been appointed in each district. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
In October 2008 the Secretary of State announced that Jobcentre Plus would retain 2,000 more staff than originally planned in 2008-09. In November 2008, following the pre-Budget report, the Secretary of State announced that there will be an extra 6,000 staff in place in Jobcentre Plus for the 2009-10 financial year.
Jobcentre Plus will allocate the additional staff on a proportionate basis between our Jobcentres, Contact Centres and Benefit Delivery Centres. My operational directors will use their judgement and workload information to decide where to deploy the resources.
Since November we have recruited 2,700 additional staff nationally and plan to recruit at least 1,200 a month until we reach the right level. We have already placed an additional ten staff in Sutton Jobcentre and are in the process of recruiting further staff. The precise number of extra staff who will be placed in Sutton Jobcentre is not yet known.
I can confirm that each Jobcentre Plus district has a named Rapid Response Manager. When redundancies in local businesses become known, this Manager co-ordinates the Jobcentre response and support. I am pleased to report that since November over 650 employers have accepted help from Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus: Sutton
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) staffing and (b) office space capacity of the Jobcentre Plus office at Helena House, Sutton, in connection with increased demand resulting from (i) the economic downturn, (ii) changes to incapacity benefit and (iii) changes to other welfare benefits; and if he will make a statement. [254512]
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 on what assessment has been made of the need for additional staff and office accommodation at Sutton Jobcentre in connection with increased demand resulting from the economic downturn, changes to incapacity benefit and other welfare benefits. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
We have already placed an additional ten staff in Sutton Jobcentre and are in the process of recruiting further staff. We are currently looking at the possibility of taking on an extra floor at Helena House to give us extra capacity. I am unable to provide a firm timescale at this stage as the space we are seeking is currently occupied by another Government Department. I have asked my District Manager for South London, Chris Nichol, to keep you updated with progress on this and related work to respond to the rise in unemployment in Sutton, and changes to the welfare system.
Jobcentre Plus: Temporary Employment
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the policy of Jobcentre Plus on the employment of temporary staff (a) up to and (b) beyond 52 weeks is; and if he will make a statement. [245446]
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 is the policy of Jobcentre Plus on the employment of temporary staff up to and beyond 52 weeks. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The Department for Work and Pensions policy, which applies in Jobcentre Plus, is that in normal circumstances we recruit temporary staff for up to 39 weeks. In very exceptional circumstances they can be extended up to a maximum of two years.
I hope this is helpful.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contribution-based claimants of jobseeker’s allowance who were entitled to receive an income-based allowance after 182 days experienced a gap in payments before receiving an income-based allowance, in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [255557]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 9 February 2009]: The information is not available.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department plans to respond to the letter of 19 September 2008 from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight on unemployment and the Isle of Wight economy. [247039]
Mr. McNulty: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 26 January 2009.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when he expects to reply to the letter of 12 December 2008 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on benefits; [256811]
(2) when the Minister of State plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 12 December 2008, on benefits. [256924]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 12 February 2009]: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 11 February 2009.
National Insurance: Foreigners
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance number registrations have been granted to (a) non-UK EU and (b) non-EU citizens in each quarter since 1 April 2005. [248439]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is in the following table:
| National insurance n umber registrations to adult overseas nationals entering the United Kingdom by quarter of regis tration and EU/Non EU status | ||
| Thousand | ||
| EU Nationals | Non EU nationals | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten and displayed in thousands. 2. There are a small number of registrations where citizens’ nationalities are unknown, these are not included. 3. Registration date is derived from the date at which a national insurance number is entered on the National Insurance Recording System. 4. When presenting the EU time series, countries which joined the EU during the time series have been included in the EU for the whole of the time series, to facilitate comparisons over time. 5. The EU time series excludes national insurance numbers registered to UK nationals. 6. The figures do not include any national insurance numbers that may have been issued to young foreign nationals under Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs juvenile registration scheme. Source: 100 per cent. extract from National Insurance Recording System This information is taken from a table published on the DWP website at: http://83.244.183.180/mgw/final/final/qtr/world/a_stock_r_qtr_c_world_apr08.html | ||
Natural Gas: Safety
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to raise public awareness of the fact that CORGI is no longer the body responsible for gas safety; and if he will make a statement. [249900]
Jonathan Shaw: As part of its contract with HSE, Capita are responsible for promoting and communicating the new Gas Safe Registerā"¢ brand to installers and the general public. Capita have a Key Performance Indicator to achieve at least 40 per cent. unprompted brand recognition of the New Gas Safe Registerā"¢ among gas consumers by the end of October 2009, rising to 75 per cent. by 2011. HSE also plans to communicate directly with gas installers and through the trade press to make clear that, from 1 April 2009, the Gas Safe Register is the only register approved by HSE for gas work under gas safety law, and that the CORGI register will no longer count for these purposes.
New Deal Schemes
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the letter recently sent by his Department to bidders for Flexible New Deal contracts regarding the Department's revised assumptions for customer volumes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter. [254959]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 9 February 2009]: A letter was issued to shortlisted bidders in the Flexible New Deal competition on 30 January. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what timetable he has set for awarding contracts for providers under the flexible new deal; and if he will make a statement. [256607]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 12 February 2009]: The competition for contracts to deliver Flexible New Deal is under way; 124 bids were submitted and these are being evaluated. The number of people expected to start the programme is likely to increase from the numbers provided to bidders earlier in the competition. DWP believe it prudent to now ask bidders to submit an additional bid.
This consultation will delay the announcement of preferred bidders. However the Government remains committed to bringing in the Flexible New Deal phase 1 from October 2009.
New Deal Schemes: Per Capita Costs
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on average per claimant on the New Deal for (a) Young People, (b) 25 Plus, (c) 50 Plus, (d) Disabled People, (e) Lone Parents, (f) Partners and (g) Musicians in each year since each scheme was established; and if he will make a statement. [246790]
Mr. McNulty: Available information is shown in the following table:
| Amount spent on average per claimant on the New Deals in each year since each scheme was established | |||||
| £ | |||||
| New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 Plus combined | New Deal 50 Plus | New Deal for Disabled People | New Deal for Lone Parents | New Deal for Partners | |
| Notes: 1. The average cost has been calculated by dividing the total expenditure each year by the number of customers joining the programme within that year. This provides a good approximation, but since the costs for any one individual occur over a period of time (and are not possible to track) the figures will not be exact. 2. Expenditure figures exclude administration costs as they cannot be identified since 2002-03 when 'ring fences' were removed with agreement from HM Treasury. 3. In the case of New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 Plus, the expenditure does include associated Annually Managed Expenditure (weekly training allowance). 4. New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 Plus started in 1998, with phased introduction between January and July. Average expenditure per customer on New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 Plus has reduced year on year since 2005-06 due to changes to New Deal from April 2004 (which included reducing the length of the options period to 13 weeks). The full impact of this change did not take effect until 2005-06. 5. New Deal 50 Plus started in 2000. Performance information is not available until 2003-04. New Deal 50 Plus costs reduce after 2002-03 as the employment credit element of ND50+ (funded by DWP) ceased and was replaced by the 50 plus element of the working tax credit (funded by HMRC). The small residual spend relates to the New Deal 50 Plus Training Grant. 6. New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) started in 2001. Spend prior to this date is for pilots in selected areas. Performance information is not available until 2001-02. Both costs and participant numbers have risen significantly following re-tendering in 2004. As participants can stay on the programme for longer than a year, dividing spend by starts is not really a valid comparison of spend per person. Furthermore, NDDP is no longer a national programme (it only operates in 18 districts) so costings would be further affected since the programme was subsumed by provider led Pathways from December 2007. 7. New Deal for Lone Parents started in 1998. Average expenditure per customer on the New Deal for Lone Parents programme increased from 2006 due to the additional help available by way of in work credit, child care costs and the increased availability of training opportunities. 8. New Deal for Partners started in 1999 and was re-launched in 2004. Performance information is not available until 2004-05. 9. New Deal for Musicians started in 1999. Performance information is not available for the New Deal for Musicians Programme. Sources: 1. DWP financial systems (numerator). 2. DWP Tabulation Tool (denominator). | |||||
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