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6 May 2009 : Column 315W—continued
Hazardous Substances: Aviation
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether aircraft (a) static on the ground and (b) travelling through UK airspace are subject to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. [273036]
Jonathan Shaw: Aircraft either static on the ground or travelling through UK airspace are subject to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended).
Housing Benefit
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have claimed housing benefit at least once in (a) the UK, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years. [271349]
Kitty Ussher: Information is not available on the number of times people have claimed housing benefit.
Housing benefit information is not available at constituency level.
The available information is in the following table.
| Number of housing benefit recipients in Great Britain and the north-east 1997 to 2007 | ||
| Great Britain | North East | |
| Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. The totals for Great Britain include estimates for local authorities that have not responded. 4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 5. From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed HB/CTB data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics. However, the new data have not yet been fully quality assured to National Statistics standards, the most recent summary statistics available are for August 2007. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 1997 to 2007. | ||
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average amount claimed by a housing benefit recipient was in each of the last three years. [272216]
Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the following table.
| Average amount of housing benefit in each of the last three years for which figures are available—Great Britain 2005-07 (weekly). | |
| Great Britain (£) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 2. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 3. Average amounts are rounded to the nearest penny. 4. From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed HB/CTB data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics. However, until the new data have been fully quality assured to National Statistics standards, the most recent summary statistics available are for August 2007. 5. This information is available online at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbctb.asp. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 percent caseload stock-count taken in August 2005, 2006, and 2007. | |
Incapacity Benefit
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been removed from incapacity benefit because they do not have enough points to continue to qualify in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [270003]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 22 April 2009]: The available information is in the following table.
| The number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance benefit terminations in the most recent 12 month period | |||
| All | Other reasons | Failed either own occupation test or Personal Capability Assessment | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide. 2. These figures have been updated to include late notified terminations. 3. Personal Capability Assessment was formerly the ‘All Work Test’. 4. Due to operational procedures a small number of Personal Capability Assessment terminations appear in ‘Other reasons’. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and total may not sum due to rounding. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate 5 per cent. terminations dataset | |||
Income Support: Mortgages
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in North East Fife constituency have received assistance from his Department with the cost of meeting mortgage interest repayments in the last 12 months. [270858]
Kitty Ussher: Information on mortgage interest repayments is not available at constituency level.
Jobcentre Plus
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people have been helped into work by Jobcentre Plus in each (a) regional and (b) Jobcentre Plus district in each (i) year since its job outcome target was launched and (ii) of the last 24 months. [264241]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked the acting chief executive to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many and what proportion of people have been helped into work by Jobcentre Plus in each (a) regional and (b) Jobcentre Plus district in (i) each year since its job outcome target was launched and (ii) each of the last 24 months. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mel Groves as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. Mel Groves is currently on Annual Leave and I am replying in his absence.
The Job Outcome target was introduced in April 2006. It measures the number of people who move into work after help from Jobcentre Plus or one of its partners. It uses HMRC tax data to identify job outcomes and awards points accordingly to the position of the customer in the labour market, allowing us to accord priority to those customers in most need of our help. It includes a broad range of customers, not just those who are unemployed. The type of support our customers require and indeed receive will vary depending on the individuals themselves. The latest data available is to August 2008.
I have placed in the Library the available information regarding the annual and monthly performance of Jobcentre Plus against its Job Outcome Target broken down by region and district. The data reflects the number of people helped into work, not achievement against the Job Outcome Target which is points based.
Jobcentre Plus: Complaints
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what grounds formal complaints were made to Jobcentre Plus in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [269756]
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 grounds formal complaints were made to Jobcentre Plus in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement’. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus operates a three-level feedback process in response to issues raised by customers:
Level 1—feedback received by a specific business area that relates solely to Jobcentre Plus business;
Level 2—feedback received direct by a District Manager, or that relates to another business area, for example Local Authorities, or feedback not resolved at level 1; and
Level 3—feedback received direct by the Chief Executive, or feedback not resolved at level 2.
Our customer complaints are then categorised according to the nature of the complaint.
Services—e.g. advisory services, benefits, job broking;
Standards—e.g. waiting times, office environment, information quality; and
Treatment—e.g. equal treatment and helpfulness of staff.
There are currently 48 sub categories which fall under the three standard headings. In the main these cover the primary benefits administered by Jobcentre Plus, staff behaviour and treatment of customers, Jobcentre Plus interventions, Jobcentre Plus programmes and job broking services.
There was no centralised recording of level 1 and 2 complaints before April 2005. The current categories have been in place since then.
Jobcentre Plus: Manpower
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent customer-facing Jobcentre Plus staff there were on average in each (a) region and (b) Jobcentre Plus district since November 2008; and if he will make a statement. [269758]
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.
Letter from Mel Groves, 6 May 2009:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many full-time equivalent customer-facing Jobcentre Plus staff there were on average in each (a) region and (b) Jobcentre Plus district since November 2008. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The table below gives the average number of full-time equivalents for customer-facing Jobcentre Plus staff by Region and District between November 2008 and February 2009.
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