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11 May 2009 : Column 560W—continued
Regional Development Agencies: Empty Property
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by each of the regional development agencies is in 2008-09. [258532]
Mr. McFadden: The table illustrates the estimated costs of empty property business rates for RDA properties recorded on the e-PIMS database.
RDAs are required to record operational properties on e-PIMS but do not have to record Regeneration properties where these are intended to be held by the Agency on a temporary basis.
The LDA is not required to use e-PIMS—it provides data to the Greater London Authority.
Regional Planning and Development
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding each regional development agency has given to each regional health Brussels office in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [269969]
Mr. McFadden: No RDA has provided funding to a regional health Brussels office.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding had been allocated to each regional cultural observatory from regional development agencies for 2009-10. [270125]
Mr. McFadden: No RDA has allocated funding to a regional cultural observatory in 2009-10.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals for enabling regional development agencies to delegate responsibility for funding decisions to local authorities. [272343]
Mr. McFadden: The Government’s response to the consultation on the SNR recognised that much of the original policy intention could be met under existing legislation by encouraging closer working between RDAs and local authorities in planning how the regional strategy would be implemented. By taking a joint approach to planning investment in the region, it will be possible for local authorities to take on a large degree of responsibility for delivering agreed programmes and projects in their area. Revised guidance will be issued shortly to make this clear.
Work and Pensions
Local Housing Allowance
12. Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of local housing allowance. [273496]
Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie) today.
New Claimants
13. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides for the newly unemployed. [273497]
16. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides through Jobcentre Plus to assist newly unemployed people. [273500]
Mr. McNulty: The Government are doing everything they can to help people get back into work as quickly as possible. Since last autumn, the Department has put in place a substantial package of support for the newly unemployed, including help with modern job search techniques for professionals and executives, as well as increasing funding for the Rapid Response Service by 400 per cent. and expanding Local Employment Partnerships, the Adviser Discretion Fund and Access to Work.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what further provision he plans to introduce to support newly unemployed people. [273505]
Mr. McNulty: We recognise the importance of providing customers with targeted support early in their claim.
This is why we introduced a substantial package of extra support for newly unemployed people, including help with latest jobsearch techniques for professionals, and the extension of local employment partnerships, the Adviser Discretionary Fund and Access to Work.
Jobcentre Plus is in the process of recruiting additional staff to ensure service levels are maintained through the current downturn.
Winter Fuel Allowance
14. Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the criteria for eligibility for winter fuel allowance were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement. [273498]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We keep the eligibility criteria for winter fuel payments under review.
Pensioner Assistance
15. Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department provides to people who receive pension credit in relation to payment of council tax. [273499]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to ensuring that pensioners receive the support they are entitled to. We have already simplified the claims process so that pensioners can claim state pension, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit in one phone call and we continue to look at ways of making further improvements.
Jobcentre Plus
17. Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much additional funding he plans to provide for Jobcentre Plus to meet demand for its services in 2009-10. [273501]
Mr. McNulty: The additional funding for Jobcentre Plus to meet the demand for its services in 2009-10 is expected to be around £700 million.
Flexible New Deal
18. Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his plans are for the future operation of the flexible new deal; and if he will make a statement. [273502]
Mr. McNulty: Thanks to significant additional funds committed at the pre-Budget report and the Budget, the Department is on track to deliver flexible new deal in phase 1 areas from October 2009.
It is envisaged that jobseekers in phase 2 areas will be referred to flexible new deal from October 2010.
Incapacity Benefit Claimants
19. Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to assist long-term incapacity benefit claimants into work. [273503]
20. Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to assist long-term incapacity benefit claimants into work. [273504]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State earlier.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
22. Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the population in the West Midlands is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. [273506]
Mr. McNulty: In March 2009 the proportion of the working-age population in the West Midlands claiming jobseeker’s allowance was 5.3 per cent.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of jobseeker's allowance claimants undertaking mandatory Jobcentre Plus training courses at six months found sustainable jobs of 26 or more weeks duration on completion of their courses in the latest period for which figures are available. [269088]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 20 April 2009]: The information requested is not collated centrally.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 18 and 24 years claimed jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years; and what proportion of the 18 to 24 years age group in (a) the UK, (b) each of the Scottish regions and (c) North East Fife constituency claimed the allowance in each year. [270856]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is shown in the following table.
Population estimates for parliamentary constituencies in Scotland are published by the General Register Office for Scotland. The age breakdown provided is for five-year age groups. No estimate is available for the age group 18-24, therefore the proportions requested cannot be calculated.
| Jobseeker’s allowance claimants aged 18-24 in UK, Scotland by local authority area, and North East Fife parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years | ||||||||||
| Area | March 2005 | % of pop. | March 2006 | % of pop. | March 2007 | % of pop. | March 2008 | % of pop. | March 2009 | % of pop. |
| Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 5. 2. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. 3. Figures include clerically held cases. 4. Claimant count data are published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk Source: 100 per cent. count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems, and Population Estimates Unit, ONS. | ||||||||||
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