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21 July 2009 : Column 1308W—continued
The Social Security (Flexible New Deal) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No. 480) were laid in March 2009 and the new regime was launched in phase 1 areas from 6 April 2009.
Since April 2009, the Department has also introduced a number of measures to provide extra support to jobseekers in light of the economic downturn in addition to that already provided in the Jobseeker's Regime.
On 6 April 2009, the Department introduced targeted support for the newly unemployed, including support tailored to professionals to enable them to refresh their job search skills.
On the same day, the Department introduced an offer of extra support for customers who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months (Stage 3 of the Jobseeker's Regime). This includes access to recruitment subsidies, work-focused training, help to become self-employed and volunteering opportunities.
The Government also recently announced a Young Person's Guarantee: a guaranteed offer of a job, work-focused training or work experience placement for young jobseekers. This will be available from January 2010 to all Jobseeker's Allowance customers aged 18 to 24 who are approaching 12 months of their claim.
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what criteria apply for jobseeker's allowance claimants to be fast-tracked to the gateway period of the Flexible New Deal; [287314]
(2) how many and what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants she expects to be fast-tracked to the gateway stage of the Flexible New Deal in each of the next 12 months. [287315]
Jim Knight: As part of the refreshed jobseeker's allowance regime, some jobseekers will be fast-tracked to the supported jobsearch stage (Stage 3) of the regime at the start of their claim. Stage 3 is normally reserved for customers out of work for six months, and comprises more intensive adviser-led support, and access to the new package of support at six months, comprising recruitment subsidies, help to become self-employed, and access to training and volunteering opportunities.
The refreshed jobseeker's allowance regime was launched in Phase One areas in April this year; we expect it to be launched in Phase Two areas in April next year.
Customers with a history of claiming benefit who have spent 22 of the previous 24 months on Jobseeker's Allowance;
18 year olds who have been continuously out of employment, education or training for six months prior to making a claim, or whose period out of employment, education or training and Jobseeker's Allowance claim together reach six months.
Other disadvantaged groups can volunteer for early entry to Stage 3, at adviser discretion and subject to capacity.
We have placed no limit on the number of people fast-tracking will apply to, nor are we subject to limitations about the overall proportion of customers to whom the measures will apply.
New Deal Schemes: Hemsworth
Jon Trickett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 18 and 24 in Hemsworth constituency have received assistance
under the New Deal since 1997; and how many such people have moved into employment. [288786]
Jim Knight: People aged between 18 and 24 can benefit from the New Deal for Young People, which was rolled out nationally from April 1998. In the Hemsworth constituency 2,430 young people entered the New Deal up to February 2009 and 1,640 people went on from the New Deal into work up to November 2008, which is the latest date for which data are available.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate
New Deal Schemes: Lancashire
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency have received assistance through New Deal schemes in each year since 1997. [288443]
Jim Knight: The information requested is in the following tables:
| Time series of starters (individuals), people starting all new deal programmes in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency | |
| Number of people | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituency (post May 2005) is allocated using the ONS Postcode Directory and customer's postcode. 3. The new deal for young people pilots began in January 1998 and full national roll-out occurred in April 1998. 4. The new deal for 25plus programme was introduced in July 1998. 5. The new deal for lone parents programme was introduced in October 1988. 6. The new deal for disabled people was introduced in July 2001. 7. Data on new deal 50plus are available from January 2004 (programme was introduced in April 2000). 8. Data for new deal for partners are available from April 2004 (programme started in May 1999). Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate. | |
Nuclear Reactors: Safety
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the implications for nuclear safety regulation of the civil nuclear industry of the comparative inspection effort expended for the performance of inspection per nuclear power reactor set out in the extract from Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities of the Nuclear Energy Agency working group on inspection practices published in annex F of the paper presented to the Health and Safety Executive Board in January 2009, No. HSE/09/13. [287495]
Jonathan Shaw: It is correct that the number of HSE nuclear inspectors per nuclear installation is less than most other countries with active nuclear programmes. This is not a recent development and is a consequence of the goal setting nature of the UK regulatory system with its emphasis on ensuring that nuclear operators understand the hazards of their activities and how to control them, and take full responsibility for nuclear safety on their sites.
Unlike many foreign regulatory authorities referred to in the Nuclear Energy Agency reference, HSE's nuclear inspector resources are not used to develop detailed regulations that prescribe how the nuclear operators should carry out their business. The nuclear installations inspectorate (NII) sets safety goals that are embodied in the licence conditions for each nuclear licensed site and require the operators to make and implement arrangements to meet these goals. UK law holds the nuclear operators responsible for safety. The NII's role is to ensure that they meet this obligation. The law, however, gives the NII the powers to intervene when and where appropriate, and seek further improvements in nuclear safety where reasonably practicable.
The system requires highly experienced and technically qualified nuclear inspectors to operate efficiently and effectively. Government have agreed with HSE interim measures to ensure that the NII has the resources needed to continue to effectively meet current and future regulatory challenges. Furthermore, the Government are proposing, in their recent consultation document on the Restructuring of the Heath and Safety Executive's Nuclear Directorate, further measures to sustain this capability into the future.
Occupational Pensions
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people who have lost part of their pension because the sponsoring employer is insolvent or no longer exists. [283546]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the form requested. However, such information as is available is as follows.
The Government estimate that around 130,000 members of schemes with insolvent sponsoring employers will benefit from the Financial Assistance Scheme.
In addition the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) protects members of eligible defined benefit pension schemes whose sponsoring employer experiences a qualifying insolvency event after April 2005. As at 30 June 2009, the PPF had 30,443 transferred members from 101 schemes. A further 193,228 members of 319 schemes remain in the PPF assessment period as of 30 June 2009 some of whom may have lost part of their pension. Since 2005, 32 schemes with 3352 members have wound up outside the PPF; these members would receive more than PPF compensation, but may not receive the full benefits originally promised by their scheme. A further 7,436 schemes were rejected as ineligible for assessment.
Pathways to Work
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many customers of Pathways to Work have been awarded Return to Work Credit where no job start had been recorded since the inception of the credit; and what the total monetary value was of those awards in each year for which data are available. [287935]
Jim Knight [holding answer 20 July 2009]: 11,200 individuals found work as a result of Provider Led Pathways to Work. Of these 4,500 did not claim the Return to Work Credit, 3,230 claimed the Return to Work Credit and appear on HM Revenue and Customs data. 3,470 claimed Return to Work Credit but are not recorded as having a job on the HM Revenue and Customs database. A further 20 individuals, who had found a job through Workstep did not appear on either the Return to Work Credit or the HM Revenue and Customs database.
137,110 individuals found work as a result of Jobcentre Plus Pathways to Work. Of these 54,830 did not claim the Return to Work Credit, 28,530 claimed the Return to Work Credit and appear on HM Revenue and Customs data. 41,770 claimed Return to Work Credit but are not recorded as having a job on the HM Revenue and Customs database. A further 11,980 individuals who had found a job through Workstep or New Deal for Disabled People did not appear on either the Return to Work Credit or the HM Revenue and Customs database.
There are several reasons, for example low earnings or self-employment, why someone in work should not appear on the HM Revenue and Customs database as this only covers those eligible to pay PAYE.
The Return to Work Credit is a payment of £40 a week for up to 52 weeks if earnings are no more than £15,000 a year, gross, and where certain other eligibility conditions are satisfied. It is not possible to give monetary values in the form requested.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Steve Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria apply in respect of Ofsted inspections of Pathways to Work providers; how many
and what proportion of Pathways to Work providers have not met those criteria in each year since inspections began; and if she will make a statement. [288474]
Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions is currently working with Ofsted in England, Estyn in Wales and HMIE in Scotland to develop and pilot an inspection model, tailored to their respective inspection frameworks, to give assurance on the quality of Provider Pathways.
Following this process, external inspection of Provider Led Pathways will start from the autumn in England and Wales; and from January 2010 in Scotland.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many customers have made starts onto Pathways to Work since the programme's inception; how many have been recorded as making job starts; and how many customers who started jobs remain in employment. [288511]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 20 July 2009]: Official statistics on the number of participants in Pathways to Work are available up to January 2009, these are published at:
Data on starts are available up to January 2009. Data on job entries are available up to October 2008. To allow for comparisons between starts and job entries over the same time period, starts to Pathways are shown up to the end of October 2008. Official statistics use both HMRC data and Return to Work Credit data to calculate how many Pathways customers have moved into employment. Information on job end dates can only be derived for individuals who have a matching employment spell on the HMRC data. Individuals who have started jobs in the six months prior to the end of October 2008 will not have had time to sustain their employment for at least six months. Numbers of individuals who remain in employment for six months on this database are shown in the table.
| Number of individuals who started Pathways to Work and subsequently found employment | ||||
| Number of individuals | Of which: are Return to Work credit only starts | Of which: are job outcome target job entries | Of which: are job outcome target job entries sustained for at least six months | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. If a person has started employment more than once in the period, then their most recent employment is counted. Source: DWP Jobcentre Plus and Provider-Led databases | ||||
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