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18 Jan 2010 : Column 55W—continued
Unemployment: Young People
Mr. Burns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people aged between 16 and 24 years resident in (a) Chelmsford local authority area and (b) West Chelmsford constituency had been unemployed for over (i) six and (ii) 12 months in each of the last six months; [310739]
(2) how many people aged between 16 and 24 years resident in (a) Chelmsford local authority area and (b) West Chelmsford constituency were unemployed in (i) May 1997 and (ii) each of the last six months for which figures are available. [310710]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, 1 have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people aged between 16 and 24 years resident in (a) Chelmsford local authority area and (b) West Chelmsford constituency had been unemployed for over (i) six and (ii) 12 months in each of the last six months; and how many people aged between 16 and 24 years resident in (a) Chelmsford local authority area and (b) West Chelmsford constituency were unemployed in (i) May 1997 and (ii) each of the last six months for which figures are available. (310739 & 310710)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of unemployment for the requested age bands and geographies are not available.
As an alternative, in Table 1 we have provided the number of persons, aged 16 to 24, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, in the requested geographies, for (a) over 6 months and (b) over 12 months in November 2009 and the previous 5 months. Table 2 contains the number of persons aged 16 to 24 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the requested geographies for (a) May 1997 and (b) November 2009 and the previous 5 months.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOM1S website at:
| Table 1: Number of people aged 16 to 24 claiming jobseeker's allowance in Chelmsford local authority and West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency for over six months and 12 months | ||||
| Chelmsford | West Chelmsford | |||
| Claiming over six months | Claiming over 12 months | Claiming over six months | Claiming over 12 months | |
| Notes: 1. Data has been rounded to nearest five. 2. People claiming for over 12 months are included in the counts of people claiming for over six months. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system. | ||||
Work and Pensions
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cold weather payments were made in each postcode area (a) between 1 November 2008 and 31 March 2009 and (b) since 1 November 2009. [310828]
Helen Goodman: The information is not available.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department has plans to (a) increase the level of and (b) extend the eligibility criteria for the cold weather payment. [310829]
Helen Goodman: We have no current plans to increase the level of cold weather payments or extend the eligibility criteria.
Cold weather payments were increased to £25.00, from £8.50, for winter 2008-09 and kept at that level for 2009-10. This helped approximately 4.0 million people in homes across Great Britain. In all £210 million was spent in 2008-09 and 8.4 million payments were made (some received more than one payment). For this current winter we have already committed approximately £261 million at 12 January 2010.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information is contained in the notification of a cold weather payment sent to each recipient of the payment. [311358]
Helen Goodman: The cold weather payment notifications from the Pension Service and Jobcentre Plus contain common information relating to the amount, how it will be paid, the weather conditions that apply and the right of appeal.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010, Official report, column 651W, on cold weather payments, if she will bring forward proposals to enable wind chill factors to be taken into account in determining eligibility for cold weather payments. [311387]
Helen Goodman: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 14 January 2010, Official Report, column 1109W, to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael).
Departmental Pay
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) year end and (b) in-year bonuses were paid to officials in her Department in each of the last three years; and how much was paid in each year. [302781]
Jim Knight: There are two pay-related employee reward schemes operating in the Department for Work and Pensions. They comprise end of year non-consolidated performance pay and in-year special awards.
End of y ear n on-consolidated p erformance p ay
DWP employees below the senior civil service are eligible for an annual individual non-consolidated performance payment if they attain a "top", "higher" or "majority" rating under the annual performance and development system. The actual payment awarded is determined by the employee's pay band and the performance level achieved.
For the senior civil service, end of year non-consolidated performance pay is determined by the relevant departmental Pay Committee, in line with recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
The total payments made in respect of the last three financial years were as follows. (Figures for 2009-10 already include all non-consolidated performance payments to be made in the current year.)
| Financial year | Total number of recipients | Total paid (£ million) | Average payment (£) |
Individuals may be awarded a special award either as cash or retail vouchers. These are one-off recognition awards, payable at any time during the performance year, to recognise exceptional achievements beyond what would normally be expected.
The total number of awards made was as follows (a small number of individuals may have received more than one cash or voucher payment during the year):
| Cash payments | |||
| Financial year | Total number of recipients | Total paid (£ million) | Average payment (£) |
| (1)April 2009 to August 2009. | |||
| Voucher p ayments | |||
| Financial year | Total number of vouchers issued | Total cost (£ million) | Value |
| (1)April 2009 to August 2009. | |||
Regrettably an error has been identified in the reply that I gave to question 290416 from the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) on 12 October 2009, Official Report , columns 56-58W. The reply said the number of vouchers issued in 2008-09 was 28,869 and the cost was £1.03 million, whereas the correct information is 47,121 vouchers issued at a cost of £2.02 million. I have written to the hon. Member for Putney to apologise for this inadvertent error.
Employment Schemes
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate she has made of the number of Jobcentre Plus customers who have had fortnightly jobsearch reviews shorter than their allocated time in the latest period for which figures are available; [309333]
(2) what guidance her Department has issued on the time an adviser should spend with jobseekers at their fortnightly jobsearch review; [309334]
(3) what information her Department collects on the time spent by staff with Jobcentre Plus customers during their fortnightly jobsearch review; [309335]
(4) what estimate she has made of the average time taken to perform a fortnightly jobsearch in each month of 2009. [309349]
Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what estimate she has made of the number of Jobcentre Plus customers who have had fortnightly jobsearch reviews shorter than their allocated time in the latest period for which figures are available; what guidance her Department has issued on the time an adviser should spend with jobseekers at their fortnightly jobsearch review; what information her Department collects on the time spent by staff with Jobcentre Plus customers during their fortnightly jobsearch review; and what estimate she has made of the average time taken to perform a fortnightly jobsearch in each month of 2009. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The average time allocation for fortnightly jobsearch reviews (at which customers "sign on") is 7.5 minutes, but the actual time taken will vary depending upon individual customer needs. Data on the average length of time actually taken to undertake jobsearch reviews is not collated.
I hope this information is helpful.
Employment: Preston
Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate she has made of the level of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth employment in Preston in each year since 1997. [311073]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the level of long-term (a) adult and (b) youth employment in Preston in each year since 1997. (311073)
Long-term employment is not a concept for which the Office for National Statistics produces statistics.
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