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11 Jan 2010 : Column 654W—continued
Housing Benefit: East of England
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many rapid reclaims of housing benefit took more than 10 days to process (a) nationally and (b) in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Jobcentre Plus district in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available; what the target time is for processing such reclaims; and if she will make a statement. [308322]
Helen Goodman [holding answer 6 January 2010]: The requested information is not available.
Incapacity Benefit: Bedfordshire
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) incapacity benefit and (b) employment and support allowance claimants there were in South West Bedfordshire constituency on the latest date for which figures are available. [310107]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the table.
| N umber of incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance claimants in South West Bedfordshire-May 2009 | ||
| Incapacity benefit | Employment and support allowance | |
| Notes: 1. Caseload has been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data published at: www.nomisweb.co.uk (incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance) and http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp (employment and support allowance). 3. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | ||
Industrial Diseases: Compensation
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former miners have submitted claims for industrial injuries benefit for osteoarthritis of the knee to date; how many such claims have been (a) accepted and (b) rejected; and how many appeals against the rejection of a claim have been made. [307553]
Jonathan Shaw: Since the addition of osteoarthritis of the knee to the list of prescribed industrial diseases on 13 July 2009, 30,262 claims have been received.
10,396 have been processed, of which, 3,837 have received an award of, or an increase of, industrial injuries disablement benefit.
The total number of all appeals received is 1,330.
This information is based on an informal count by the Jobcentre Plus offices dealing with industrial injuries disablement benefit. We are looking into arrangements to publish this information as official statistics.
Local Housing Allowance
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 48W, on local housing allowance, if she will undertake research into whether landlords discriminate against potential tenants who are on local housing allowance on the grounds that the benefit is not paid directly to the landlord. [309380]
Helen Goodman: The Department has committed to completing a review of the LHA scheme over a two-year period from the commencement of its roll-out in April 2008. The aim of the review is to monitor the impact of the LHA at a national level, against the original LHA policy objectives.
The review will include an in-depth focus group study of landlords, concerning their attitudes and experiences of the LHA, including direct payments.
Personal Accounts
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken on the economies of
scale which will be generated by funds under management in personal accounts; [305964]
(2) what estimate she has made of the monetary value of the funds likely to be managed through the proposed personal accounts scheme. [305965]
Angela Eagle: The Department has not commissioned or undertaken such research.
However, the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority's engagement with stakeholders during their consultation ('Building Personal Accounts: Designing an Investment Approach', published on 7 May 2009), confirmed the scheme will benefit from economies of scale when investing future members' contributions. Responses to the consultation are summarised in, 'Building Personal Accounts: Designing an Investment Approach'. Key findings of the public consultation published November 2009.
The 'Impact Assessment for the Pensions Bill' (2007), published on the 24 April 2008 estimated there might be funds around £100 to 300 billion under management in the scheme by 2050, in 2007-08 earnings terms.
State Retirement Pensions
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the effect on the level of poverty among pensioners of paying all people reaching the state pension age in 2012-13 the full basic state pension in each of the subsequent three years. [308530]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 6 January 2010]: The Department does not publish projections of pensioner poverty levels and therefore we are unable to answer the question.
Pensioner poverty is complex and dependent on a number of factors. Therefore projections would need to rely on many assumptions and as such would be subject to a significant degree of uncertainty.
Any current projection of the number of pensioners in poverty would be subject to uncertainties around future income growth, changes in the income distribution and individual changes in behaviour in response to policy changes. The Government therefore do not publish forward projections.
The proportion of pensioners in low income in the UK has fallen substantially over the last 10 years. There are 900,000 fewer pensioners in relative poverty in 2007-08 than in 1998-99 (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income after housing costs are taken into account). A complete set of statistics can be found in the 'Households Below Average Income 2007-08' publication, found at:
Unemployment: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she has taken to reduce levels of unemployment in Leeds West constituency amongst disabled people since 2001; and if she will make a statement. [306952]
Jonathan Shaw: A number of steps have been taken to reduce levels of unemployment among disabled people since 2001.
In July 2001 the new deal for disabled people was launched. This is a programme of advice and practical support, which helps people move from disability and health-related benefits into paid employment. The programme is delivered through a network of 'job brokers' offering different services, which can be tailored to a customer's individual needs.
December 2007 saw the introduction of Pathways to Work in the West Yorkshire district, which includes the Leeds, West constituency. This programme helps claimants of incapacity benefits or employment and support allowance get work by offering individual support and access to a wide range of help, including work-focused interviews.
The public consultation "Helping People Achieve their Full Potential: Improving Specialist Disability Employment Services" was launched on 3 December 2007 to help shape the future of specialist disability employment provision. The new programme, Work Choice, which replaces existing specialist disability employment programmes, will be introduced in October 2010.
Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefits for new customers nationally on 27 October 2008. Employment and support allowance has a greater work-focus than its predecessors. It also has a more modern and robust medical assessment, which helps to identify the help that people need to ensure they can fulfil their potential.
Access to Work is a specialist disability programme that helps disabled people overcome work-related obstacles. It is flexible, easy to access and shows high levels of satisfaction from disabled people and their employers. The Access to Work base budget has been increased from £15 million in 1994-95 to £81 million in 2009-10 and will continue to grow to £138 million by 2013-14. We are also working to improve the programme to ensure it helps people with mental health conditions more effectively.
The refreshed jobseeker's allowance regime and flexible new deal will go live in Leeds in April 2010. This is designed to offer personalised and more intensive support to customers, including those with disabilities, to help overcome barriers to work.
More generally, all jobseekers have full access to Jobcentre Plus vacancy services to enhance their employment opportunities. We recognise that some disabled customers may have a more limited availability and scope to find and carry out certain types of work. Therefore, at the start of their claim customers are asked to tell their adviser about any disabilities that might have such an impact, and can restrict their work search activity and availability for work if those restrictions are reasonable, given their condition.
Customers with a disability can volunteer to be fast-tracked to the six month stage of jobseeker's allowance, subject to the Jobcentre Plus personal advisers agreement. This allows disabled people to access additional intensive support earlier in their claim.
Disability employment advisers are available to provide specialist support to people facing employment barriers because of a disability. They can advise customers about a range of specialised support available, and provide advice on job retention if a person is concerned
about losing their job because of their disability. They are supported by work psychologists and various external disability specialists.
Waste Disposal: Safety
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 21 July 2009, Official Report, column 1337W, on waste disposal: safety, if she will request the Health and Safety Executive to undertake research on the safety of household refuse containers in relation to deliberate fires. [308547]
Jonathan Shaw: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no plans to assess the safety of household refuse containers (including "wheelie bins") in relation to deliberate fires. I do not intend to request them to do so as such incidents arise from criminal acts of arson, which is a matter for the police, and not HSE, whose remit is restricted to the health, safety and welfare of persons at work and others who may be affected by work activities. HSE is therefore involved in issues such as the safe lifting of wheelie bins on to refuse lorries, to which European standards apply, but the deliberate setting of fires in household refuse containers is outside any intended normal use and design criteria. Such arson attacks are tackled by the fire and rescue services and are investigated by the police under the Criminal Damage Act 1971.
Winter Fuel Payments: Tamworth
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Tamworth constituency are in receipt of winter fuel allowance; and how much her Department paid to such pensioners in winter fuel allowance in 2009. [309675]
Angela Eagle: For winter 2008-09, 18,590 older people received a winter fuel payment in Tamworth constituency at a cost of around £3.9 million.
Notes:
1. Payment figures rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
3. Expenditure rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of households in Tamworth constituency who will receive the (a) £250 and (b) £400 winter fuel payment in 2009-10. [309676]
Angela Eagle: For winter 2008-09, 10,920 households received a £250 winter fuel payment and 2,530 households received a £400 payment in Tamworth constituency.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
Work Capability Assessment
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what average time is taken for Atos Healthcare to deliver to the business user of the medical services contract a report following a work capability assessment; and if she will make a statement. [307181]
Jonathan Shaw: Atos Healthcare Medical Services are contracted to deliver new claims for employment support allowance requiring a work capability assessments to the business user in an actual average clearance time (AACT) of 35.0 working days. In November 2009, Atos Healthcare achieved an AACT of 33.5 working days.
Transport
Aviation: Security
Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether all border guards who will operate the new full-body scanners at Heathrow airport have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check. [309605]
Paul Clark: All airport security staff who will operate the new full-body scanners have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the review of aviation security announced in December 2009 to report. [309429]
Paul Clark: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made a statement to the House announcing the initial outcome of the review of aviation security on Tuesday 5 January 2010, Official Report, columns 28-41.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the implications of the provisions of child protection legislation for the use of full-body scanners at Heathrow Airport. [309634]
Paul Clark: The introduction of the scanners is a necessary additional measure in response to the heightened threat to the travelling public. Their application to passengers including children, with the proposed safeguards as to their use, is a proportionate response to the heightened threat. The use of body scanners is compatible with the Protection of Children Act 1978. The use of scanners will be subject to a code of practice which is being developed by the Department for Transport and airport operators.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what date he has set for equipping of all UK international airports with full body scanners. [309950]
Paul Clark: We have not set such a date. However, we are discussing urgently with the airport industry the widespread roll-out of scanners at UK airports as soon as practicable.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when the first full body scanner in a UK airport is scheduled to start operation. [309951]
Paul Clark: The first scanner is expected to be operational at Heathrow airport within about three weeks.
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