Thanet
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to South Thanet constituency, the effects on South Thanet of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessors since 2000. [315637]
Mr. Coaker: Since 2000 the Government have transformed education and child care with improved outcomes for children and young people. Figures showing the performance at key stage 2 and at GCSE and equivalents in South Thanet are given in the following tables:
| Key stage 2 results of 11 year old pupils attending schools in the South Thanet constituency | |||
| Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 and above | 2000 | 2009(3) | Percentage point improvement 2000-09 |
| (1) Local averages include pupils attending all maintained schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges). (2) England averages include pupils attending all maintained schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges). (3) Revised data. | |||
| GCSE and equivalents(1) results for pupils(2) attending schools(3) in the South Thanet constituency | |||
| Percentage of pupils gaining: | 2000 | 2009(5) | Percentage point improvement 2000-09 |
| (1) From 2004 results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2004 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only. (2) From 2006 figures are for pupils at the end of key stage 4. Prior to 2006 results are based on pupils aged 15. (3) Local averages include pupils attending all maintained schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges) and from 2000 do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (4) England averages also include independent schools as well as hospital schools and PRUs. (5) Revised data. | |||
Further information by constituency is provided within the Department's ‘In Your Area’ website available at:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/inyourarea
Information available at constituency level includes the number of specialist schools, number of operational Academies, number of teaching assistants and other
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support staff, number of teachers and pupil:teacher ratios. Where information is not available at constituency level it has been provided at local authority level including the number of free early education places taken up by three and four-year-olds, number full-time and part-time entrants to higher education institutions aged 18 to 20, average A level point score per candidate and per entry together with percentage of people of working age qualified to at least Level 2 and percentage of people of working age qualified to level 4 and above.
Additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Work and Pensions
Cold Weather Payments
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) households and (b) individuals in Glasgow East constituency have received cold weather payments since 1 November 2009. [317054]
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) households and (b) individuals in Perth and North Perthshire constituency have received cold weather payments since 1 November 2009. [317060]
Helen Goodman: The information requested is not available.
Cold Weather Payments: Devon
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of Torridge and West Devon constituency received cold weather payments in each of the last 12 months. [315906]
Helen Goodman: The information is not available in the format requested. Cold weather payment information is only available by weather station.
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any written instructions have been provided to her Department's and its predecessors' Accounting Officer in accordance with paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code since 1997. [315471]
Jonathan Shaw: Since the Department for Work and Pension's inception in 2001, no written instructions have been given to the Departmental Accounting Officer by the Secretary of State.
According to the Department's records, during 1998 and 1999, five written ministerial directions were issued by the Secretary of State of the then Department of Social Security to the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the then Benefits Agency.
Departmental Communication
Mr. Hurd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of Lord Bates of 3 December 2009, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA68, on Government Departments: Annual Reports,
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and with reference to the Government Response to the House of Lords Communications Committee's report into Government Communications, whether her Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications. [315606]
Jonathan Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions does not publish an annual report on departmental communications, but does include a section on communications in the departmental annual report. The last report was published in June 2009 and can be found on the Department's website at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/dr09.shtml
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies in her Department and its agencies were filled through external recruitment in the last year for which figures are available. [315698]
Jonathan Shaw: The following table shows the number of vacancies, expressed on a full time equivalent basis, filled through external recruitment by the Department and its Agencies during the Departmental financial year ending 31 March 2009.
| Business area | Total |
| Notes: 1. Information for The Child Support Agency is up to 30 October 2008. The Agency transferred to the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission on 1 November 2008. 2. Figures include all permanent and temporary Civil Service staff and are shown on a full time equivalent basis as this best represents the number of posts that were filled. 3. In addition to normal recruitment during 2008/09, additional staff were recruited to support the introduction of the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and during the last quarter to deal with rising workloads in Jobcentre Plus as a result of the economic downturn. 4. Additional staff continued to be recruited during the first six months of the 2009-10 financial year to address increasing workloads. The majority of these staff were engaged on a fixed term or temporary contract basis. | |
Departmental Surveys
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will place in the Library a copy of the results of her Department's most recent staff survey; which organisation carried out the survey; and what the cost of the survey was. [309835]
Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions will publish results in the Library from our most recent staff survey, completed in November 2009 as part of the first cross Civil Service People Survey, after 1 February 2010 when the results become available from the survey supplier.
The Cabinet Office procured ORC International to supply the 2009-10 cross-Civil Service People Survey.
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The Department share of the whole 2009-10 survey cost is just under £98,000. This surveyed over 100,000 DWP staff including the Health and Safety Executive. A response was received from over 80,000 people.
Departmental Telephone Services
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average duration was of calls made to her Department's 0845 telephone number in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [312890]
Jim Knight: The Department, through its agencies, operate a number of 0845 telephone numbers.
Jobcentre Plus delivers its services through a number of service lines, and contact centres, using 0845 telephone numbers.
The average call durations for each service line, for the week ending 15 January, were as follows:
| Service line | Telephone number | Average call duration |
Jobcentre Plus has a number of benefit delivery centres which use 0845 numbers, The average call durations, for week ending 15 January, were as follows:
| Contact centres | Average call duration |
The Pensions, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) also operate a number of 0845 numbers. The average call durations of which, for December 2009, were as follows:
| Service line | Telephone number | Average call duration |
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