Written Answers to Questions
Friday 26 February 2010
Work and Pensions
Employment Schemes: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost to Jobcentre Plus is of supporting clients on (a) Pathways to Work, (b) Workstep and (c) New Deal for Disabled People into (i) work and (ii) sustained work defined as 26 weeks in respect of clients diagnosed with (A) mental health conditions, (B) musculoskeletal diseases and (C) visual impairment. [315047]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.
Incapacity Benefits
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether people claiming employment and support allowance are counted for the purposes of meeting her Department's objective of reducing the national incapacity benefits caseload by one million by 2015; [317623]
(2) what recent assessment she has made of her Department's progress towards its target of reducing the national incapacity benefits caseload by one million by 2015. [317624]
Jonathan Shaw: The Government's aim is to reduce the number of people on employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits by 1 million by 2015 from a baseline of 2.74 million in 2005. Recipients of incapacity benefits include customers receiving incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, income support (on incapacity grounds) and employment and support allowance.
We expect the further planned reforms to employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits to help us make significant progress towards our aim to reduce the numbers on employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits by 1 million.
Jobcentre Plus
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent consideration she has given to the provision of Jobcentre Plus services at locations other than Jobcentre Plus offices. [313780]
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 recent consideration she has given to the provision of Jobcentre Plus services at locations other than Jobcentre Plus offices. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
With the advances made in technology the way we deliver our services has changed and our channel strategy enables us to effectively deliver many of our services either by telephone or through the internet. However, for customers in need of tailored personal support, Jobcentre Plus continues to provide a face to face advisory service through our network of Jobcentres and a wide range of outreach locations.
We aim to make our services more accessible to customers by providing a range of support through outreach. Typically, advisory services can be delivered in partnership with Children's Centres, on Local Authority premises, or in conjunction with one of our Welfare to Work providers
To ensure these arrangements meet the challenge of the current economic climate we will keep our service delivery plans under review.
I hope this information is helpful.
Public Holidays
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of the introduction of an additional public holiday; and if she will make a statement. [315112]
Jonathan Shaw: No official estimate has been made of the additional cost to the Department of an additional day's public holiday.
The actual cost would depend in particular on the degree to which work could be re-prioritised or re-scheduled as already happens, for example, at the Christmas and Easter public holidays.
Transport
Boating: Safety
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he last reviewed safety arrangements for tall ships which are used for educational purposes for young people under 21; and if he will make a statement. [318938]
Paul Clark: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) keeps the safety requirements for tall ships registered or operating in the UK under constant review. These requirements are set out in Codes of Safety published by the MCA. Tall ships registered or operating in the UK are subject to the same inspection regimes as ships of a comparable size. The agency is working with the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO) on the development of an additional safety management system designed specifically for smaller sail training ships.
Through the International Maritime Organization, the MCA is actively promoting greater co-operation between maritime administrations to develop a more consistent application of safety requirements internationally.
Departmental NDPBs
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for how many non-departmental public bodies his Department is responsible. [314260]
Chris Mole: Information on the number of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by my Department is published in the annual Cabinet Office report 'Public Bodies'. 'Public Bodies 2009' is available online at:
Departmental Public Expenditure
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which projects have been allocated funding from the (a) Highways Agency Network Operations budget and (b) Technology Innovation Fund for (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12, (iv) 2012-13, (v) 2013-14 and (vi) 2014-15; and how much such funding each such project has already received. [319073]
Chris Mole: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The Highways Agency was allocated £2.9 billion of programme expenditure in 2009-10 as presented in the Agency's 2009-10 Business Plan. The programme includes projects to maintain and operate the strategic road network.
There are over 3,000 which make up the programme allocation and it is not practicable to list each project. 2010-11 plans are being finalised and the following years are subject to the outcome of any future Spending Review.
(b) The Highways Agency was allocated funding for the A14 Corridor Traffic Management System and the Birmingham Box Phase 1 and 2 project from the Technology Innovation Fund for the periods 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Funding already allocated to the Highways Agency from the Technology Innovation Fund is as follows:
| £ million | ||
| 2009-10 Budget | 2010-11 Indicative | |
Departmental Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last three years. [316455]
Chris Mole: Sickness absence statistics are available on the Department's website at:
Departmental Travel
Mr. Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will publish the travel guidance issued to staff of each of his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies. [314928]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. Agencies and NDPBs issue their own travel guidance to staff, and reference should be made to them for this information.
Liquid Explosives: EU Action
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the EU's Liquid Explosives Working Group to agree a standard for scanning for liquid explosives. [318904]
Paul Clark: The EU's aviation security regulatory committee (composed of member state experts) agreed a new package of implementing measures on aviation security on 21 October 2009. This package of measures includes standards for liquids screening technology. The timetable for introduction of this technology is currently being considered by the European Parliament.
Official Cars: Safety
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether cars operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency have been subject to recall in the last six months. [319172]
Paul Clark: Eleven vehicles operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency have been subject to a recall in the last six months.
Railways: Fares
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what the annual percentage change in the cost of a Senior Railcard has been in each year since 2000; [318407]
(2) what the cost of a Senior Railcard was in each year since 2000. [318408]
Chris Mole: The cost and percentage increase of a Senior Railcard in each year since 2000 was as follows:
| Price (£) | Percentage increase | Date of increase | |
These are in line with the terms of the Senior Railcard scheme agreement through which train operators are required to provide the cards.
Rescue Services: Hope Cove
Mr. Steen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will extend the coverage area of the Hope Cove lifeboat up to and including Ordnance Survey points (a) 695373 to the east and (b) 605465 to the west. [318209]
Paul Clark: There are no plans to extend the coverage of the general purpose boat operated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) at Hope Cove. The operating limits are set in the interests of the safety of the boat's volunteer crew and the public.
Roads: Snow and Ice
Mr. Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make it his policy not to override local authority contracts for the supply of salt and grit. [318905]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Transport only provides advice to salt suppliers on prioritising deliveries to ensure salt is delivered to where it is needed most. Advice is provided by the Salt Cell, comprising officials from the Department for Transport, the Devolved Administrations, the Highways Agency and local authority representatives. The Salt Cell has remained in operation since 6 January and its advice has been extremely important in ensuring that no authorities have so far run out of salt despite the worst winter weather in 30 years. The Salt Cell's advice is based upon information provided by highway authorities on their stock levels and weather forecasts. It is a matter for the salt suppliers to decide what deliveries they make.
Mr. Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the preparedness of local authorities for the recent severe weather conditions including the provision of salt and grit in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England. [318907]
Mr. Khan: Following the severe weather conditions in February 2009, the Government asked the UK Roads Liaison Group to identify the lessons that should be learnt regarding highway authorities' preparedness for extreme weather events. The UK Roads Liaison Group made 19 recommendations, one of which advised that:
"in considering appropriate service standards, at least six days resilience would represent sensible good practice for determining the number of days resilience during the core winter period".
It is for each authority to consider the recommendations and decide for themselves how best to take them forward. However, a write-round in late October 2009 by regional resilience teams (RRTs) in the Government Offices found that of those local authorities that responded (a third of local highway authorities) all but one were holding at least six days' supply, and more than half of those responding arranged to hold 10 days' supply or more. Northamptonshire county council reported that it had reviewed the UKRLG's recommendations and that it held 11,000 tonnes at that time.
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