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17 Jun 2009 : Column 354W—continued
Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian aid (a) his Department, (b) the EU and (c) the UN has delivered to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [280304]
Mr. Michael Foster: The information is as follows:
(a) Over the last 12 months the Department for International Development (DFID) has allocated £12.5 million of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka. Of this approximately £6 million remains to respond rapidly to further needs on the ground and for early recovery when the displaced population are able to return home. All of DFID's humanitarian funding to Sri Lanka is channelled through impartial humanitarian agencies.
(b) For 2009 the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has pledged US$ 3.952 million for humanitarian aid for victims of conflict in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
(c) The UN has received contributions of US $155,122,669 for the UN Consolidated Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) 2009 for Sri Lanka. This includes contributions for both UN and non-governmental organisations.
Work and Pensions
Connexions
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many referrals from Jobcentre Plus to Connexions services were made (a) in the 2007-08 academic year and (b) in the latest period for which figures are available. [254185]
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 asking how many referrals from Jobcentre Plus to Connexions services were made (a) in the 2007-08 academic year and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus does not record information about the number of customers it refers to Connexions. Jobcentre Plus refers young people to Connexions where it is appropriate, for example, most 16 and 17 year olds claiming a Jobcentre Plus benefit are required to register and attend at Connexions as a condition of their claim.
All other referrals between Jobcentre Plus and Connexions are made on a more informal and voluntary basis where a Jobcentre Plus adviser believes that Connexions are better placed to provide the help required.
Departmental Pay
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff employed in London on work contracted out by her Department earn less than £7.45 per hour. [273878]
Jim Knight: The number of staff employed in London on work contracted out by the Department for Work and Pensions who earn less than the London living wage of £7.45 is 673.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what expenditure her Department has incurred in the provision of programme centres, excluding expenditure on New Deal programmes, in each of the last 10 years. [271699]
Jim Knight: Expenditure incurred in the provision of programme centres excluding expenditure on New Deal programmes in each of the last 10 years is as follows:
| Financial year | Total programme centre spend (£ million) |
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget for programme centre provision was in 2008-09; and what budget has been set for (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12. [271703]
Jim Knight: The budget for programme centre provision for 2008-09 was £16.7 million and the estimated expenditure, pending audit was £12.3 million.
The total budget for programme centre provision in 2009-10 is £23.7 million. This figure includes the budget of £13 million for new provision for newly unemployed (non-professional) support delivered by programme centres.
Budgets for years from 2010-11 onwards have not yet been set.
Disability Living Allowance
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland are claiming disability living allowance; and at what estimated cost in 2009-10. [280143]
Jonathan Shaw: Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the following table.
| Disability living allowance: cases in payment, November 2008, and estimated cost in 2009-10 | ||
| Country | Disability living allowance, cases in payment, November 2008 ( T housand) | Estimat ed cost in 2009-10 cash prices, (£ billion) |
| Notes: 1. Cases in payment are caseload totals. These show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. The latest available data is presented here. 2. Expenditure is forecast for Great Britain only and not for individual countries. Estimated costs have been derived by applying estimated country shares to forecast Great Britain spending in 2009-10. Forecast Great Britain spending is at Budget 2009. Estimated out-turn country shares for 2008-09 are the average of country shares of spending at August and November 2008. Sources: 1. Cases in Payment: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 2. Estimated Cost: Budget 2009 expenditure forecast distributed across countries in line with estimated out-turn for 2008-09, using statistical estimates for August and November 2008. | ||
Employment Schemes
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans she has had to review the scheme for providing businesses with recruitment subsidy via Jobcentre Plus. [278477]
Jim Knight: The Policy Studies Institute has been commissioned by DWP to undertake an independent evaluation of the entire six month offer of extra support for jobseekers, of which the recruitment subsidy is one element. Findings will inform understanding of the operation and effectiveness of the recruitment subsidy. The first published report from the evaluation will be available in December 2009.
As we do for all our initiatives, the Department will continue to monitor the recruitment subsidy and in light of this, and information emerging from the evaluation, will make any necessary adjustments to the recruitment subsidy.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have applied for a work trial placement in each of the last six months. [278851]
Jim Knight: Information on the number of people who have applied for a work trial in each of the last six months is not available. This is because customers do not, in the commonly accepted sense, ‘apply’ for a work trial. A work trial may be arranged by Jobcentre Plus if, at the end of the normal recruitment process for a current vacancy, either the employer or customer (or both) has any lingering doubts about suitability.
Information on the number of work-trial starts in each of the last six months is available and is shown in the following table.
| Number of work trial starts in each of the last six months | |
| Month | Number of starts |
| Source: BOXI Management Information | |
Employment Services
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Jobcentre Plus Support contracts will replace (a) new provision for newly unemployed (non-professional) support delivered by programme centres and (b) support for newly unemployed professional and executive customers. [271705]
Jim Knight: The Jobcentre Plus Support Contract is planned to commence in December 2009. It will replace the new provision for newly unemployed customers (non professionals). Support arranged for newly unemployed professionals will not be affected by this change. Approximately 15-20 per cent. of the overall budget for the period December 2009 to March 2010 for support contracts is expected to be spent on support for the newly unemployed.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of the Jobcentre Plus support contracts in each of the next three years. [271706]
Jim Knight: Current estimates are shown in the following table:
| £ million | |
These figures are based on assessments made prior to the 2009 Budget. The Jobcentre Plus support contract is currently half way through a two stage procurement process. Detail on the breakdown of funding was set out in the Pre Qualifying Questionnaire (PQQ) information. Funding levels can be adjusted by DWP to reflect increased or decreased volumes.
Employment Services: Finance
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what budget her Department has allocated for (a) new provision for newly unemployed (non-professional) support delivered by programme centres and (b) support for newly unemployed professional and executive customers in 2009-10. [271704]
Jim Knight: The total budget allocated for (a) new provision for newly unemployed (non-professional) support delivered by programme centres and (b) support for newly unemployed professional and executive customers in 2009-10 is £17.0 million (£13.0 million for contracted one-day seminars and £4 million for Jobcentre Plus Group information sessions and follow-up interviews) and £3.0 million respectively. From December 2009 provision for newly unemployed (non-professional) support will be delivered via the new Jobcentre Plus support contracts and therefore a proportion of this budget will be used to fund the new contracts from this date.
Employment Tribunals Service
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many actions under employment law have been brought against her Department in each of the last three years; how many such actions were brought under each category of action; and how many such actions were contested by her Department at an employment tribunal. [277424]
Jim Knight: Our records show the following actions under employment law in the Employment Tribunal brought against the Department for Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus) in England, Wales and Scotland in each of the last three years:
252 cases in total, of which:
78 were settled
112 were withdrawn by the Claimant or dismissed by the Tribunal
17 were won by the Department at hearing
5 were lost (i.e. findings against the Department) at hearing
28 were struck out
1 where advice was given
5 are ongoing; and
6 outcomes which are unknown/unrecorded
295 cases in total of which:
90 were settled
106 were withdrawn by the claimants or dismissed by the Tribunal
23 were won by the Department at hearing
3 were lost (i.e. findings against the Department)
23 were struck out
1 multiple claims was part won/part lost;
49 claims are ongoing
255 cases in total of which:
35 were settled
45 were withdrawn by the Claimant or dismissed by the Tribunal
11 were won by the Department at hearing
6 were lost (i.e. findings against the Department)
8 were struck out
1 in which advice was given; and
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