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16 Jun 2009 : Column 162W—continued
Employment Schemes
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who have completed a work trial placement in the last six months are in employment. [278880]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 June 2009]: The information requested is not available.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employers have (a) received and (b) accepted one or more applications for employment under the work trial scheme in each of the last six months. [278972]
Jim Knight [holding answer 12 June 2009]: The information requested is not available.
Employment Schemes: Finance
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the money allocated by her Department to assist people unemployed for six months, as announced on 12 January 2009, will be classified as (a) Jobcentre Plus and (b) employment programme spending for the purpose of her Department’s three-year business plan. [278086]
Jim Knight [holding answer 4 June 2009]: In the Department’s three-year business plan, the total allocation to assist people unemployed for six months as announced on 12 January 2009 is £430 million. Of this, £69 million is allocated to Jobcentre Plus and £361 million is allocated to employment programmes.
Future Jobs Fund
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much and what percentage of funding from the Future Jobs Fund has been allocated for jobs in culture, music and the creative industries. [277276]
Jim Knight [holding answer 1 June 2009]: Bidding criteria for the Future Jobs Fund were published on 13 May and are available on the Department for Work and Pensions website. The fund will operate as a “challenge fund” to which organisations can bid for funding to create new jobs. The fund will create 150,000 new jobs; 100,000 of these will contribute to a guaranteed offer of a job, training or meaningful activity for all young people who are approaching 12 months on jobseeker's allowance. As such, the funding is not allocated to individual sectors or industries. The Government would welcome bids from all industries, including the culture, media and creative industries.
Jobcentre Plus: Voluntary Organisations
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps she has taken to ensure that Jobcentre Plus staff are signposting people in urgent need of assistance to foodbanks and other community and charitable organisations which provide assistance for those in financial hardship. [278615]
Jim Knight [holding answer 8 June 2009]: Making sure people get the help they need is at the heart of Jobcentre Plus business. A key part of this involves working closely with local partner organisations and signposting people to appropriate sources of help, including charitable organisations and others that provide support services for people experiencing financial hardship.
As part of this Jobcentre Plus is currently developing an additional process for signposting Social Fund customers, who have been refused a crisis loan for living expenses, to relevant local organisations that are willing to provide assistance. To facilitate this process, Jobcentre Plus is identifying and collating details of these organisations to make sure Jobcentre Plus officers are able to signpost people to appropriate sources of help.
New Deal Schemes
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what contingency plans her Department has in place for a commencement date for the Flexible New Deal after October 2009; what the latest date is upon which a decision to invoke such plans could be made in order to prevent disruption in service delivery; and if she will make a statement; [277072]
(2) how many of the preferred bidders for Flexible New Deal contracts have requested that the delivery timetable be changed to effect delivery start dates after October 2009. [277073]
Jim Knight
[holding answer 1 June 2009]: The Government remain committed to bringing in the Flexible New Deal phase 1 from October 2009. None of the bids
received from shortlisted suppliers in the Flexible New Deal competition have indicated they could not start up by the expected date.
If a provider is unable to start delivery in October, suitable contingency arrangements will be agreed for each Jobcentre Plus district involved. Customers will continue to receive support from Jobcentre Plus and have access to the additional support at six months, until the provider is ready to accept referrals. The timing of decisions to invoke contingency arrangements would vary according to individual circumstances, but all phase 1 contract areas will be kept under continuous review before launch to ensure that any required action is identified at the earliest opportunity.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements her Department has made to compensate unsuccessful bidders for Flexible New Deal phase 1 contracts for the costs of the preparations for delivery of the contract from October 2009 they have incurred in advance of the successful bidders being notified; and if she will make a statement. [278171]
Jim Knight [holding answer 8 June 2009]: Consistent with Office of Government Commerce guidelines, the Department has made it quite clear in the Flexible New Deal Invitation to Tender documentation that it does not compensate either successful or unsuccessful bidders for any costs incurred with the preparation or submission of bids.
Woolworths: Redundancy
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to ensure that former Woolworth employees are helped back into work. [279102]
Jim Knight [holding answer 11 June 2009]: 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 about what steps are being taken to ensure that former Woolworth employees are helped back into work. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Staff in almost all of Woolworths' 800 stores were offered support through our Rapid Response Service before the stores closed. This support included:
job search information, advice and guidance, supplemented by a comprehensive job kit, which covers, for example, how to find work, CV writing and interview preparation;
one to one and group advice on jobs available in the local labour market and on training opportunities to equip them to compete in sectors that are recruiting; and
practical advice on the benefits available while looking for alternative work, which included the issue of over 8,000 clerical claim packs to speed-up the claims process.
For those who claimed Jobseeker's Allowance, a new jobseeker interview was undertaken with an adviser to discuss and agree some realistic and achievable job goals and jobsearch activities that offered the best chance of success. As part of this, the adviser provided information about access to jobs and a range of recently
enhanced opportunities to help improve job prospects and overcome things that may be making it harder to find work. This includes:
jobsearch support for people who are ready for work, but lack recent experience of current jobsearch channels and methods of recruitment;
similar support for customers with a professional or executive background, but provided by a specialist organisation offering expertise in white collar recruitment;
extra help for those people who need more intensive jobsearch support, for example individually tailored help with CVs, interview skills and job applications; and access to resources such as stationery and the Internet;
skills screening and access to provision where appropriate;
extra help through Personal Adviser caseloading for customers who are particularly disadvantaged in the labour market and unlikely to find work without more intensive support;
discretionary funding to help overcome immediate barriers to work;
access to vacancies made available through local employment partnerships;
help to pay costs for travelling to interviews; and
extra help for people with a health problem or disability, for example Access to Work, Work Step, Work Preparation and Job Introduction Scheme
Following the new jobseeker interview, ongoing support is provided through fortnightly jobsearch reviews, which are used to discuss what the customer is doing to find work and to see what further help, if any, is needed.
Even in the current economic climate, over three quarters of people leave Jobseeker's Allowance within six months. For those who do not, we provide more help through the recently announced six-month offer, which includes regular and frequent contact with a personal adviser to help plan and follow-though a course of action that will increase the chances of finding and keeping work. As part of this, the customer has access to a range of employment-related opportunities, including a job subsidy, help for those wishing to become self-employed, volunteering placements and full-time training.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
1 Carlton Gardens
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the function rooms in 1 Carlton Gardens have been used for (a) drinks receptions and (b) dinners since July 2007. [279644]
Chris Bryant: Since July 2007 the function rooms in 1 Carlton Gardens have been used for 26 dinners and 14 drinks receptions.
British Overseas Territories: Nature Conservation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2009, Official Report, column 505W, on British Overseas Territories: nature conservation, which projects in the British Overseas Territories have been in receipt of the funding granted since 2006. [279074]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
The following Main-Round Darwin projects have been granted funding under the Darwin Initiative since 2006:
a cross-Caribbean Overseas-Territories project, starting in 2009, aiming at building civil-society capacity for conservation in the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories. The UK institution running this project is the Commonwealth Foundation, and total funding commitment amounts to £262,755;
a project in Tristan da Cunha, starting in 2007, aiming to enable the people of Tristan to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity in the marine environment. This is being carried out by the RSPB, and amounts to £75,971; and
a project in Montserrat to reduce the impact of feral livestock in and around the Centre Hills. This project is being carried out by the RSPB, and amounts to £144,236.
The following Scoping Project awards have been granted in the current round:
a project in the Falkland Islands aiming at scoping the development of conservation strategies for Falkland Islands freshwater-fish biodiversity. The project is being led by the University of Wales, and will amount to £2,962;
a project in St Helena scoping work in St Helena's Millennium Forest, taking account of conservation, evolution and a changing climate. This is being led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and will amount to £3,000;
a project in Bermuda to assess and conserve critical pollinator communities in Bermuda. This is being led by the University of Leeds, and will amount to £2,200; and
a project in the Falkland Islands to scope the development of a biodiversity and conservation inventory in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. This is being led by the Wales Environment Research Hub, and will amount to £3,000.
British Overseas Territories: Young Offenders
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many of the personal records held on the Overseas Territories Regional Crime Intelligence System relate to persons aged 16 years and under; [279058]
(2) whether records of DNA profiles are held on the Overseas Territories Regional Crime Intelligence System. [279080]
Chris Bryant: The Overseas Territories Regional Criminal Intelligence System (OTRCIS) is a networked computer system set-up in 1996 at the office of the Overseas Territories Law Enforcement Adviser, British Consulate General, Miami. OTRCIS provides the police, customs and immigration departments of the UK’s Caribbean Overseas Territories with a crime intelligence and information analysis secure data system. Similar systems are used by the US Military, US State Law Enforcement Agencies, UK, Australian and European local and national law enforcement agencies. There are 1,406,891 records stored on the Overseas Territories Regional Crime Intelligence System.
The number of records on the Overseas Territories Regional Criminal Intelligence System that relate to persons aged 16 and under is 2,578.
There are no records of DNA profiles held on the Overseas Territories Regional Criminal Intelligence System.
Departmental Surveys
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department last commissioned a staff survey; and which organisation was engaged to conduct that survey. [279804]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office last commissioned a staff survey in 2008. The period during which the survey was available for staff to respond to was 24 November to 12 December 2008.
ORC International were contracted to conduct the survey.
Gibraltar
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether power generation from renewable energy sources has been trialled in Gibraltar. [279092]
Chris Bryant: This is a matter for the Government of Gibraltar. The request for information may be directed to the Government of Gibraltar office in London in the first instance.
Kosovo
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of (a) Orthodox churches in Kosovo which have been destroyed or damaged since the entry of the NATO Kosovo Force into that country, (b) perpetrators which have been arrested and (c) convictions of persons held responsible. [279920]
Chris Bryant: Records produced by the Serbian Orthodox Church, compiled using information from UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) reports from the time, show that 76 Orthodox churches were destroyed or damaged during the conflict in 1999, and 30 during riots in March 2004. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and UNMIK estimate that, since 1999, a total of 155 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries, 250 cemeteries, and approximately 6,750 gravestones have been destroyed or damaged.
Exact figures for the number of perpetrators arrested for acts committed in 1999 are not available, as all damage was recorded as common crime. According to the UNMIK Department of Justice and the Kosovo Judicial Council, during the period December 2005 to March 2006 local prosecutors brought charges against 206 defendants for the destruction of churches in 2004. Of these, 150 were convicted in either municipal or district courts. Separately, international judges and prosecutors handled seven cases relating to destruction of churches in 2004, involving 18 defendants. Of these, 17 were convicted and one acquitted, with sentences ranging from 21 months to 16 years.
Lord Davies of Abersoch
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of Lord Davies of Abersoch's time devoted to ministerial duties is spent on matters relating to his Department. [279805]
Chris Bryant: Lord Davies of Abersoch is the Minister for Trade, Investment and Business. He is a Minister for both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
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