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2 Feb 2010 : Column 256W—continued
Christmas
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department has budgeted for Christmas trees in 2009. [306691]
Jim Knight [holding answer 14 December 2009]: There is no provision for the cost of Christmas trees or decorations to be met from departmental funds and therefore there is no budget for Christmas trees in 2009.
It is up to individual teams of staff to decide whether or not to put up Christmas trees or decorations and these would be paid for by the individual employees and not departmental funds.
Disability Living Allowance
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department has carried out a disability equality impact assessment on the working age disability living allowance checklist. [314902]
Jonathan Shaw: The DLA checklist was taken through the equality impact assessment (EIA) screening process. The screening process demonstrated that the DLA checklist does not unlawfully discriminate against any group in relation to equality and therefore a full equality impact assessment was not required.
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research her Department has undertaken on the effect on the submission of verbal claims of the introduction of the working age disability living allowance checklist. [314903]
Jonathan Shaw: The DLA checklist is a tool designed to help the customer gain a better understanding of the purpose of the benefit and the entitlement criteria. Taking customers through the checklist ensures they are better informed when deciding whether or not to proceed with a claim. The decision to claim, as always, remains with the customer. The introduction of the checklist has not altered the established claiming process. It does not replace the claim form or represent a verbal claim.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to paragraph 167 on page 117 in her Department's Annual Report 2009, what assessment she has made of the reasons behind the growth of the disability living allowance (DLA) caseload; and what expenditure forecasts she has made for DLA for each of the next 10 years. [314064]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 28 January 2010]: The Disability Living Allowance caseload has grown for a number of reasons, including the maturing of the benefit, which was introduced in its current form in 1992, demographic factors and increased awareness of the benefit. We currently forecast that expenditure will grow by a further 2.3 per cent. between 2009-10 and 2010-11. By convention the Treasury does not publish a projection of Annually Managed Expenditure beyond the current spending review period.
Employment: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of disabled people who are employed (i) full and (ii) part-time in the (A) public sector and (B) private sector, in the latest period for which information is available. [314063]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 28 January 2010]: There are 5,819,000 people of working age who declare a disability that corresponds to the Disability Discrimination Act definition of disability. Of these, 2,783,000 (47.8 per cent.) are in employment. Information about the number and proportion of disabled people who are in full and part time employment in the public and private sectors is in the following table.
| Number and proportion of disabled people who are in full and part time employment in the public and private sectors | ||||
| Private sector | Public sector | |||
| Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | |
| Note: Figures do not sum to 2,783,000 as a small number of cases have missing values for either the full time/part time or the private sector/public sector variables. Source: Labour Force Survey 2009, quarter 3 | ||||
Employment: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in City of York council area have moved off benefits and into work in the last 12 months. [307619]
Jim Knight: The available information can be found in the following table.
| Number of jobseeker's allowance claimants in York district local authority who have flowed into work in the last 12 months-November 2008 - October 2009 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5. 2. The information is published on the Nomis website at: www.nomisweb.co.uk. Source: Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only) | |
Future Jobs Fund
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the 95,000 Future Jobs Fund jobs announced to date will be in each local authority area; and how many are expected to start in each such area. [304387]
Jim Knight: It is not possible to provide these numbers yet as there were a considerable number of national bids that did not provide a split of jobs by region or local authority.
Incapacity Benefit: Employment and Support Allowance
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons the Tabulation Tool on her Department's website does not contain combined information on incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance caseloads; and if she will take steps to ensure this information is available. [314061]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 25 January 2010]: Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance combined information is available on the Working Age Client Group Tabulation Tool found at:
Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. Prior to November 2008 the "Incapacity benefits" statistical group referred to claimants of incapacity benefit (including credits only) or severe disablement allowance, including
people claiming income support on the grounds of incapacity. From November 2008, the Working Age Client Group data for "Incapacity benefits" group includes employment and support allowance and is called the "Employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits" statistical group.
Jobcentre Plus: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what projection she has made of the provision of job centres in Milton Keynes in the next five years. [312646]
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 hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what projection she has made of the future provision of job centres in Milton Keynes in the next five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus has recognised that there is a need for further capacity in its central Milton Keynes office. As an interim measure some Jobcentre Plus services have been conducted out of additional premises since October 2009. Jobcentre Plus has obtained new larger premises and the current expectation is that work will move to that office from September 2010.
We will continue to monitor our estate capacity and alter it if necessary to ensure we meet customer requirements over the coming years.
I hope this information is helpful.
Jobcentre Plus: Standards
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data her Department collects on (a) performance at each Jobcentre Plus office and (b) the average time taken for a jobseeker's interview with a personal adviser (i) for initial assessment, (ii) to make a jobseeker's agreement, (iii) to sign on and (iv) for other purposes. [309337]
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 question asking what data her Department collects on (a) performance at each Jobcentre Plus office and (b) the average time taken for a jobseeker's interview with a personal adviser (i) for initial assessment, (ii) to make a jobseeker's agreement, (iii) to sign on and (iv) for other purposes. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive.
Jobcentres manage performance through a series of Targets and Key Management Indicators. The majority of these are managed at site level although some are managed at higher levels.
The performance data sets used are:
Targets:
Customer Service-how well we deliver our service to customers.
Job Outcome-the number of our customers moving into work.
Employer Engagement (Outcome Component)-how well we deliver our services to employers.
Intervention Delivery-providing timely work-focussed support.
Key Management Indicators:
Jobseeker's Allowance Off Flow-to achieve specified Jobseeker's Allowance off flow rates.
Date of Claim +3 Scheduled-the number of new claims interviews booked within 3 days.
Attendance Management-to reduce the average number of working days lost through sick absence.
Customer Compliance-to undertake compliance activities which result in a change to current benefit or a past period overpayment.
Jobseeker's Allowance Direct Payments-to promote payment of new claims into a bank account.
Local Employment Partnerships-to ensure that Jobcentre Plus meets its commitment to place both disadvantaged and newly unemployed jobseekers in to work with LEP employers.
These data sets can be supplemented by other information and used when required Data is not collated on the average length of time taken to undertake advisory interventions including a New Jobseeker Interview, making a jobseeker's agreement, to sign on and for other purposes, as the actual time taken will depend on the individual customer's needs.
I hope this information is helpful.
Pensions Act 2008
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions she has had with Ministerial colleagues on the effect on competition of a four year period for implementation of the provision of the Pensions Act 2008. [314264]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 29 January 2010]: I have discussed the workplace pension reforms, including the four year implementation period, with various ministerial colleagues in the usual way.
Winter Fuel Payments: South East
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people in each local authority area in South East England waited four weeks or more to receive winter fuel payments in the last 12 months. [314548]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available.
Justice
Absent Voting
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people are registered to vote by post in each parliamentary constituency, ranked from highest to lowest in respect of the number in each constituency; and what percentage of the total of those on the electoral roll this represents in each such constituency. [314899]
Mr. Wills: The Government do not hold this information. However, the Electoral Commission has collated this information from the 2005 general election, which represents the most up to date figures for the UK. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The Government are aware that postal voting on demand has been well received since its introduction in 2000. At the 2009 European Parliamentary and local elections, the total number of people across the UK who were sent a postal vote was 6,318,501, equivalent to 14.2 per cent. of the total electorate. Across the UK as a whole, turnout among those who were sent a postal vote at these elections was 61.6 per cent. compared with 30.4 per cent. of those who were able to vote in person at their local polling station.
Debt Collection
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to make regulations under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 in relation to the use of force by bailiffs. [314390]
Bridget Prentice: Following a reassessment of the enforcement provisions within the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 I announced, on 17 March 2009, Official Report, column 46WS, that the Government would implement the provisions in part 3 of the Act while not extending bailiffs' powers of entry and the use of force by enforcement agents and the introduction of a new fee structure.
As part of the implementation process my officials conducted a pre consultation exercise during November and December 2009. They sought views from officials in other Government Departments, the enforcement industry, and the advice sector on draft regulations on the seizure of goods. Consideration has also been given to a proposed fee structure.
Following analysis of the responses on the draft regulations some redrafting and further consideration will be necessary. This will affect the commencement of the consultation process. However, it remains our intention to consult publicly in 2010 with a view to implementing the changes in April 2012.
Departmental Legislation
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Acts sponsored by his Department since May 2007 contain provisions which are retrospective in their effect. [314845]
Mr. Wills: There is currently no central record of the information required. I will obtain the information and write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available.
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