Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 9 June 2009
House of Commons Commission
Members: Allowances
Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what allowances were available to hon. Members in each Session since 1983-84; what conditions were imposed on payments made under each such allowance in each Session; what the maximum amount claimable by an hon. Member under each such allowance was in each Session; and if he will make a statement. [278449]
Nick Harvey: A number of allowances have been available to Members since 1983-84. Information about these allowances, including the levels Members could claim, is published in regular House of Commons Library Research papers. These are available in the Library.
Allowances have included the additional costs allowance (now personal additional accommodation expenditure), office costs allowance (renamed the incidental expenses provision and then administrative and office expenditure), travel allowances and the communications allowance (now communications expenditure). Each allowance has been put in place to assist Members in carrying out their parliamentary duties and was approved by Resolution of the House.
The conditions relating to each of the allowances have been published in the Green Book, the first edition of which was published in 1987. These are available in the Library. Prior to 1987, Members were able to ask for advice from the then Fees Office. No records exist of the conditions imposed at this time.
Communities and Local Government
Flood Control
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate has been made of the number of vacancies for (a) flood risk engineers, (b) flood risk planners, (c) flood risk project managers and (d) other flood risk management posts in local authorities. [277399]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
We have not specifically sought to estimate the number of vacancies with local authorities relating to flood risk. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in association with the Local Government Association, conducted a survey of all local authorities in autumn 2008 to make an initial assessment of existing local authority capacity and expertise. The survey revealed some encouraging evidence of existing levels of capacity that could be built upon and also identified that this was not a consistent picture across all authorities. The survey also confirmed that additional capacity would be required to take on proposed new duties from the Pitt Review and that recruitment difficulties and the availability particularly of technical skills would need to be addressed.
The survey asked local authorities how easy it was for them to recruit the technical staff they needed. 59 per cent. said this did not apply or they did not know, which could be interpreted as meaning that they were not recruiting or had not tried recently. 27 per cent. reported having some difficultly. The main reasons given for recruitment difficulties were a lack of suitably qualified applicants (77.8 per cent. of authorities had experienced difficulties), applicants lacking relevant experience (68.1 per cent.), and inadequate pay (63.9 per cent.). Other commonly cited reasons were competition from private sector employers (47.2 per cent.), competition from other local authorities (44.4 per cent.) and competition from other public sector employers (31.9 per cent.).
The findings of the survey together with three workshops with local authorities have informed work on developing capacity for local authorities on flood risk management. DEFRA is currently undertaking a scoping study on broad local authority capacity building options and this will report in July 2009. We are also working closely with the Environment Agency, Local Government Association and relevant sector skills councils to develop skills availability in the wider market place and links to education.
Housing: Insulation
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) lofts and (b) cavities were insulated through the Decent Homes programme in each of the last three years. [277823]
John Healey: At the end of each financial year local authorities complete statistical returns on the number of dwellings that have received insulation measures but these figures are not broken down by type.
| Number of local authority dwellings receiving insulation works by year | |
| Source: Data from the Business Plan Statistical Appendix. | |
The Department does not collect data on insulation works by registered social landlords.
Transport
Blue Badge Scheme
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether those diagnosed with myasthenia gravis are eligible to participate in the Blue Badge parking scheme; and if he will make a statement. [278653]
Paul Clark: In order to qualify for a Blue Badge a person needs to meet one of the eligibility criteria prescribed in the regulations that govern the Blue Badge Scheme.
One of the key criteria to qualify for a badge under these regulations is that a person has a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking. People diagnosed with myasthenia gravis will therefore only be eligible for a badge if their walking ability is affected to the required
extent, or if they meet one of the automatic eligibility criteria, such as being in receipt of the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance.
Crossrail Line: Finance
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport in what year he estimates his Department’s proportion of funding for Crossrail will be fully drawn down. [278574]
Paul Clark [holding answer 8 June 2009]: Crossrail is due to commence operations in 2017, and the Department for Transport’s committed funding contribution to Crossrail will be fully drawn down in 2016.
Driving Tests: Essex
Mr. Burns: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average waiting time was for a driving test for applicants in (a) West Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [278395]
Paul Clark [holding answer 8 June 2009]: The information is as follows:
(a) The average waiting time in weeks for a driving test in the West Chelmsford constituency in each of the last five years was:
| Bike | Car | Voc( 1) | |
(b) The average waiting time for a driving test at each test centre in Essex in each of the last five years was:
| Bike | Car | Voc( 1) | |
| (1) Voc = Lorry/Bus. | |||
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what funding will be provided for Highways Agency major road schemes in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14; and what such schemes will be funded in each of those years. [278575]
Paul Clark [holding answer 8 June 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon), on 15 January 2009, Official Report, column 355, and to the Department for Transport’s publication “British Transport Infrastructure Motorway and Major Trunk Roads” copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House. It is also available on the Department’s website at:
The publication sets out a programme of investment on national major road schemes of up to £6 billion for the period up to 2015 and which will be carried out by the Highways Agency. The schemes are listed in the publication.
The funding is in addition to the £3 billion allocated to strategic regional roads before 2015-16 through the Regional Funding Allocation process. Regions have recently provided an updated programme of priorities and spend on these and we are currently considering their advice. Decisions are expected in the summer.
For 2009-10 the Highways Agency has an indicative budget of £0.9 billion for capital expenditure on national and regional major road schemes. Budgets for future years will be settled annually and will depend on decisions and progress made on individual schemes.
Work and Pensions
Departmental Finance
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the cost (a) in total, (b) per head and (c) per job of each of her Department’s employment programmes in (i) pilot and (ii) full form in each year from 2008 to 2015. [266109]
Jim Knight: The following table shows the relevant planned expenditure for the financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11 inclusive. Figures for 2008-09 represent estimated outturn—actual expenditure will be published in the Departmental Report later this year. Estimates have not been made beyond the current Spending Review period, so no figures are available for years from 2011 to 2015. Information per head and per job is not available.
| £ million | |||
| Estimated outturn | Budgets | ||
| Programme | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Notes: 1. Other Employment programmes covers categories of provision with local or skills drivers. 2. 2008-09 estimated outturn is subject to audit. | |||
Jobcentre Plus: Manpower
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2009, Official Report, columns 572-74W, on Jobcentre Plus: recruitment, how many of the 6,000 extra staff to be recruited by Jobcentre Plus will be working as personal advisers; and how many of these will be recruited on (a) part-time and (b) temporary contracts. [261988]
Jim Knight: 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 how many of the 6,000 extra staff to be recruited by Jobcentre Plus will be working as personal advisers; and how many of these will be recruited on (a) part-time and (b) temporary contracts. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
In line with the recent Budget announcements, Jobcentre Plus will be able to recruit up to 10,000 more staff. This is on top of the 6,000 new staff already announced in pre-Budget report. From October 2008 until the end of April 2009 Jobcentre Plus has recruited over 6,000 new staff.
All of these new people will be employed on customer-facing services. More than half of these will be personal advisers with the rest in customer intervention and support roles within our customer service operations.
It is not possible to estimate at this stage how many recruits will be part-time but it is envisaged that most of them will be recruited into fixed term appointments.
In addition to external recruits, we aim to absorb some surplus people from other Government Departments on a permanent basis.
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