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3 Nov 2009 : Column 813W—continued
World Heritage Sites
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications for locations in England to become World Heritage Sites are outstanding; and if he will make a statement. [297005]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 2 November 2009]: The UK Tentative List, published in 1999, identified 25 sites for potential nomination for World Heritage status, 15 of which are located in England. Six English sites have since been inscribed on the World Heritage List. One English site, Darwin's Landscape Laboratory, was submitted to UNESCO in 2009 and will be considered by the World Heritage Committee at its annual meeting in 2010.
The Government are currently reviewing its World Heritage policy including making nominations in the future and expects to make an announcement later this autumn.
Work and Pensions
Average Earnings: Income Related Benefits
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what definition of average earnings her Department uses when setting the rates of benefits that are linked to earnings; and over which 12 month period the calculation is made. [296532]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 29 October 2009]: Where the Secretary of State reviews the amounts of earnings linked benefits, by convention, the Department uses the seasonally adjusted, three-month average earnings figure for the whole economy, including bonuses, for May to July compared with same period the previous year, as calculated by the Office for National Statistics.
The Government will inform Parliament of proposed benefit levels and tax thresholds for 2010-11 at the pre-Budget Report.
Better Off in Work Credit: Yorkshire
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have moved from benefits to work as a result of the Better off in Work Credit pilot in Yorkshire. [293983]
Jim Knight: Under the current tax and benefit systems, the combination of the national minimum wage, tax credits and the other forms of in-work support we have introduced ensures that work pays for the majority of people, and particularly lone parents and disabled people who receive significantly more in work.
One of our reasons for introducing the credit was to give assurances to our customers on the financial benefits of moving into work and to encourage them to look for and start work. The pilot ends on 30 October 2009. We will then evaluate the number of people who have moved from benefits into work.
Carer's Allowance: St Albans
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in St Albans constituency (a) are entitled to and (b) receive carer's allowance. [297569]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the following table.
| Number of people entitled to carer's allowance-St. Albans constituency: February 2009 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Caseload totals show the number of people who are entitled to receive carer's allowance, including those who receive no actual payment. 2. Carers entitled to receive carer's allowance may not be paid it because they receive an overlapping benefit equal to or greater than their weekly rate of carer's allowance. 3. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. Figures are published on the Department for Work and Pensions website at: www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study | |
Departmental Manpower
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff there were in (a) her Department's predecessor in 1997 and (b) her Department on the latest date for which figures are available. [292074]
Helen Goodman: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 when the then Department of Social Security merged with the then Employment Service and some parts of the then Department for Education and Employment.
Staffing information for the predecessor organisations in 1997 can be found in the Civil Service Statistics Report for 1997. The report is available in electronic format through the attached link:
The latest staffing figures which are publicly available are as at 30 June 2009. At this date there were 101,611 full-time equivalent staff in the Department for Work and Pensions and its Executive agencies.(1)
(1) Figure does not include staff in the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission or in the Health and Safety Executive.
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which companies are under contract to her Department to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires. [296093]
Jim Knight: DWP's primary postal provider remains Royal Mail Group. There is no contract or expiry date and we have an annually agreed memorandum of understanding. Other contracted DWP postal providers are as follows:
UK Mail-a contract for system generated second class mail to DWP customers. The DWP contract runs until 31 March 2010 and there is scope to extend this contract until 31 March 2011.
Spring Global Mail-a contract for international mail to DWP customers-due to expire 30 April 2010.
DWP's contracted courier provider is TNT-the contract is until 31 January 2010, with an option to extend until 31 March 2012. The courier service is for internal items sent between DWP offices and third party providers - it is not used for delivery to DWP customers' home addresses.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to implement the efficiency recommendations of the Operational Efficiency programme relating to her Department; and what training is available to (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department in respect of the delivery of value for money savings. [296058]
Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions is participating in the Operational Efficiency Programme benchmarking exercise led by the Treasury, and we have set up a Departmental Efficiency Group to identify and implement efficiency improvements arising from this.
I have taken on a role as the Department's Value for Money Minister and am engaging with the Treasury to ensure we drive forward this agenda.
There is a wide range of learning and development opportunities available across the Department, many of which are focused on driving Value for Money. In
particular, we have set up a lean academy which will enable managers and staff to improve efficiency and customer service.
Departmental Rail Travel
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on first class rail travel for civil servants in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [293095]
Jim Knight: The Department's expenditure on first class rail travel has only been gathered in the format requested since June 2006. Details for the three-year period from June 2006 is shown in the following table:
| £ | |||
| First class rail spend for DWP | Domestic | Overseas | Total |
The Department's rail travel policy encourages staff to travel using the most cost effective tickets available at the time of booking and staff must consider travelling standard class where possible.
Travel by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. The Civil Service Management Code sets outs regulations and instructions to Departments and agencies regarding the terms and conditions of service of civil servants and the delegations which have been made by the Minister for the Civil Service under the Civil Service (Management of Functions) Act 1992 together with the conditions attached to those delegations.
Paragraph 8.2 of the Code deals with travel and under this section Departments and agencies must ensure that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel in the circumstances, taking into account any management benefit or the needs of staff with disabilities.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many helplines her Department operates; and how much her Department has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years. [294987]
Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has 10 main customer contact numbers, which we think could be considered 'helplines'.
DWP does not receive any revenue from incoming phone calls. All call charges are levied by the caller's telephone or mobile service provider.
DWP ceased to receive a rebate on 0845 numbers in 2007. Prior to this, the revenue from 0845 calls was approximately £500,000 per year. We do not hold any more detailed information on this rebate.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations she has received on changing the charging arrangements for helplines operated by her Department and its agencies to allow mobile telephone users to contact such helplines without incurring additional costs; and if she will make a statement. [295467]
Jim Knight [holding answer 26 October 2009]: Over the course of the year, representations have been received from other Members of Parliament, on similar issues, such as the cost of 0845 numbers to customers using mobile phones to contact the Department for Work and Pensions. All of these have been answered fully and are available on record.
Additionally, DWP's Permanent Secretary was asked to comment on the CAB publication, "Hung Up-The Cost of Contacting Government from a Mobile Phone" A response was provided as requested.
Employers' Liability
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many organisations legally required to have an employers' liability insurance policy in force were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive for (a) failure to display a notice at a place of work giving details of such a policy and (b) failure to have such a policy in force in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2006-07, (iv) 2007-08 and (v) 2008-09. [293898]
Jim Knight [holding answer 29 October 2009]: The number of dutyholders the Health and Safety Executive have prosecuted for failure to (a) display a notice of employers' liability insurance or (b) failure to hold employers' liability insurance are as follows:
| (a) Failure to display | (b) No insurance | |
Figures for 2008-09 will be available in November 2009.
Employment Tribunals Service
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times her Department has been taken to an employment tribunal in each of the last five years; what the reasons cited in each case were; and in how many such cases the tribunal found in favour of (i) the employee and (ii) the Department. [290413]
Jim Knight: Much of the information requested would be available only from a detailed examination of individual records and cases from the last five years. The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Future Jobs Fund
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs each of the 117 successful bidders for funding from the Future Jobs Fund plans to create (a) by given dates and (b) in total under its proposal. [291647]
Jim Knight: Around 31,000 jobs have so far been granted funding for the period October 2009 to March 2010. Details of the individual bids are in the attached table. In total, the 117 successful bids have bid to create up to 75,000 jobs over the lifetime of the Future Jobs Fund. Until we have assessed performance from the first six months jobs we are unable to specify how many of these further jobs will be created from the first tranche of bids. We will be undertaking performance reviews in January 2010.
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