| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 Apr 2009 : Column 138W—continued
| Seasonally adjusted | |
| UK | |
| (1) Job vacancies for Copeland parliamentary constituency and Cumbria are live unfilled vacancies from the Jobcentre Plus administrative data. These are inconsistent with the UK figures from the ONS Vacancy Survey. Source: Vacancy Survey, ONS. | |
Vacancies: Marketing
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints regarding the advertising of vacancies within the adult entertainment industry have been received from (a) pressure groups, (b) jobseekers who have seen the vacancies advertised, (c) jobseekers who have applied for such vacancies and (d) members of staff in each year since 2003 for which information is available. [243219]
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 complaints regarding the advertising of certain vacancies from within the adult entertainment industry have been received from (a) pressure groups; (b) jobseekers who have seen the vacancies advertised; (c) jobseekers who have applied for such vacancies; and (d) members of staff in each year since 2003 for which information is available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
I am only able to provide you with the level of information you require from 2006 onwards. Prior to that the information is limited. The available information is in the table below.
| Recorded complaints received regarding the advertising of adult entertainment industry vacancies | |||||||
| Number | |||||||
| Category | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Total |
| n/a = Not available. Source: Jobcentre Plus. | |||||||
Vocational Training
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps have been taken to assist single parents in finding work. [268057]
Kitty Ussher: Lone parents are supported by a wide package of pre-employment and in-work support measures to help them move into paid work; make work pay, and help sustainability and progression in work.
From November 2008 customers who claim benefit solely on the grounds of being a lone parent and have a youngest child aged 12 or over, and who are capable of work, will claim jobseeker's allowance. This will be followed by lone parents with a youngest child aged 10 or over from October 2009, and aged seven or over from October 2010.
On 28 January 2009 we published the discussion document “Realising Potential: Developing Personalised Conditionality and Support”. This set out our proposals
for how we plan to run Pathfinders in income support which will require parents with a youngest child aged three to six to work closely with their personal adviser and design their own routeway back to work through work-related activity, including training, if appropriate.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps have been taken to assist low-skilled people in finding work. [268060]
Mr. McNulty: We work with jobseekers from day one to help them identify and get the skills they need to enter work and remain there. We continue to focus particular help where people have basic skills needs and enable them to train from the beginning of their claim. Jobcentre Plus personal advisers are also able to agree early access to the job-search and training support offered by the New Deal for people whose circumstances may make it particularly hard to find work. The introduction of the Flexible New Deal will establish a new, individually-tailored approach for all job seekers, whatever their age, skills or barriers to work.
In autumn 2008 the Government announced that additional funding of £158 million has been made available through the European Social Fund for the Learning and Skills Council's Train to Gain programme. This will enable the newly unemployed or those facing redundancy to undertake training linked to opportunities in the local labour market for up to two weeks full time or eight weeks part time. This includes funding of up to £29 million to enable the “nextstep” service to increase its support to people who are facing redundancy, are newly redundant or who are further disadvantaged as a result of the current economic downturn.
On 6 April we launched a significant package of help for jobseekers, including those with lower level skills, who find themselves out of work for six months or more. Most people are still leaving benefit quickly—75 per cent. of people move off jobseeker's allowance within six months. For those who do not, an enhanced offer is now available which includes:
Personalised support from a Jobcentre Plus adviser who will work with customers to identify the steps appropriate to enable a swift return to work;
A recruitment subsidy, or “golden hello”, for employers worth £2,500—which is made up of a £1,000 subsidy plus access to up to £1,500 worth of in-work training, dependent on location.
Support for those who want to become self-employed with advice on creating a business plan and employment credit of £50 per week for up to 16 weeks so that they have financial support during the early days and months of trading;
Access to 75,000 new work-focussed training opportunities to help customers significantly increase their skills in order to enter work. The training, delivered on a part-time or full-time basis, will allow people to progress to a full qualification whether they are in or out of work;
Work-focused volunteering placements—to help JSA claimants develop or maintain skills while looking for a job. Third sector partners in England, Scotland and Wales will broker work-focused volunteering opportunities for JSA claimants interested in volunteering.
The Government has pledged £0.5 billion over two years from April 2009 to fund this programme. We estimate that the package will fund around 500,000 opportunities within the new options over the two years.
In addition, Government continue to support jobseekers with lower level skills through a range of measures, including the Employability Skills Programme (ESP) in England and Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs).
ESP enables people to train full time from day one of a jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claim and offers learners basic skills qualifications at Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2 alongside an employability award at Entry Level 3 and Level 1.
LEPs ensure that disadvantaged customers get the preparation and training that enables them to meet employers' needs and expectations. LEPs involve every sector from manufacturing to retail and services. They provide support to get people ready to fill a role and help employers give people a fair chance at a job.
Welfare to Work
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) incapacity benefit have been referred to welfare to work providers and have subsequently been discovered to be deceased in each of the last four years. [268048]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 31 March 2009] : The information is not collated centrally.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of overpayments made by the Winter Fuel Payment Centre in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [248818]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for variations in levels of overpayment of the winter fuel payment in each of the last 10 years. [262338]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Winter fuel payments are made to customers aged 60 and over and are based on their personal circumstances in the qualifying week. Any overpayment of winter fuel payment is recoverable if it arose in consequence of a misrepresentation of, or failure to disclose a material fact.
There are variations in the levels of winter fuel overpayments which have been recorded over the last five years. Of £886,855 winter fuel overpayments in 2007-08 a total of £403,568 related to overpayments from October 2005 to March 2007. This is because the recoveries for this period were recorded on an interim Overpayment Recovery System which were then migrated and brought to account on the Debt Manager System in December 2007 and appear in the figure for 2007-08.
Calculation and recovery action was pursued on all cases in accordance with the Overpayments Recovery Guide.
Information is not available to enable an assessment of the reasons for any variations in levels of winter fuel payments for the period beyond the last five years.
Workstep
Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings his Ministers and officials have held with the Royal London Society for the Blind on the impact of changes for blind and partially-sighted employment support projects under the Workstep programme in London. [261780]
Jonathan Shaw: Neither Ministers nor officials have held any meetings with the Royal London Society for the Blind concerning the Workstep programme in London.
Voluntary Work
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements his Department has put in place for jobseekers in Oxfordshire to access work-focused volunteering opportunities as part of their job search. [262956]
Mr. McNulty: We believe that volunteering alongside looking for work can help to develop useful skills for work and keep jobseekers in touch with the labour market. Provided jobseekers are available for and actively seeking work, they can take part in unlimited volunteering work.
Jobcentre Plus has over 2,400 partnerships with local third sector organisations across the country. These complement the service Jobcentre Plus offers, providing customers access to additional advice and support. Personal advisers in Oxfordshire have five main websites that they use and share with customers who would benefit from doing voluntary work. They are: Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA), Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Volunteers, Smart, Do-it and the Oxfordshire county council website.
In addition to these existing partnerships, new measures to encourage volunteering as a means of developing skills for work are being introduced as part of the jobseeker's support at six months package from April 2009. Through this package, those who have been unemployed and claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months or more will have access to a range of support including recruitment subsidies, work-focused training, help to start a new business and access to work-focused volunteering placements delivered through third sector partners.
Jobseekers who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months and would like to volunteer to maintain or develop their skills for work can discuss with their Jobcentre Plus personal adviser how they can make use of the extra support on offer from April 2009.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 20 April 2009
Home Department
Airguns: Young People
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review the legislation relating to the control and ownership of air rifles, with particular reference to young people, with a view to introducing stricter controls. [268003]
Mr. Woolas: The Government have no objection to young people using air weapons provided it is done in a safe and responsible way. This is reflected in the law which makes it an offence for someone under 18 to have an air weapon with them unless they are supervised by someone aged 21 or over. Other than that, they may only use an air weapon for target shooting at an approved shooting club or at a miniature shooting gallery; or if they are aged 14 or over and are on private premises with the consent of the occupier.
The Government have the deepest sympathy for the family and friends of those who are killed by air weapons. Such tragic incidents are rare but we keep the law under review in case the controls on usage need to be tightened further.
Alcoholic Drinks: Crime
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) under 10 years, (ii) 10 to 13 years, (iii) 14 to 17 years and (iv) 18 years and over were (A) arrested, (B) cautioned and (C) prosecuted for alcohol-related offences in (1) each region and (2) each constituency in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement; [262266]
(2) how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) under 10, (ii) 10 to 13, (iii) 14 to 17 and (iv) 18 years and over were convicted for alcohol-related offences in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [262491]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The number of males and females cautioned, proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for alcohol-related offences, by age group (the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10) and Government office region (GOR), from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is given in tables 1 and 2 respectively, which have been placed in the Library.
The number of persons issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for alcohol-related offences from 2004 to 2007 by GOR, age group (data are available for persons aged 16 and over) and sex are given in table 3, which has been placed in the Library.
The PND scheme was implemented in all 43 police force areas in England and Wales in 2004.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |