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15 Mar 2010 : Column 596W—continued
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) disciplinary and (b) capability procedures have been (i) initiated and (ii) completed in her Department in each of the last five years; how much time on average was taken to complete each type of procedure in each such year; how many and what proportion of her Department's staff were subject to each type of procedure in each such year; and how many and what proportion of each type of procedure resulted in the dismissal of the member of staff. [320623]
Jonathan Shaw: The information sought is not available prior to April 2007. Such information as is available for subsequent years is as follows:
| Table 1 : Number of staff in respect of whom disciplinary procedures were completed | |||
| Number of staff at year end | Discipline procedures completed | Percentage of headcount | |
| (1 )To end February 2010. | |||
| Table 2: Number of staff in respect of whom capability procedures were completed | |||
| Number of staff at year end | Capability procedures completed | Percentage of headcount | |
| (1) To end February 2010. | |||
| Table 3: Number of staff dismissed as a result of capability/discipline action | ||||
| Dismissed on grounds of capability | Percentage of capability procedures undertaken | Dismissed on grounds of discipline | Percentage of disciplinary procedures undertaken | |
| (1 )To end February 2010. | ||||
The figures in table 3 do not include staff dismissed for health related reasons.
Departmental Fraud
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department were responsible for each instance of fraud or attempted fraud attributable to such staff (a) against the benefits system and (b) in other areas in each of the last five years. [316400]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 8 February 2010]: The figures in the following table show the number of staff involved in instances of attempted or actual fraud where the investigation was completed in the year stated. The figures relate to all the benefits administered by DWP, theft of assets and financial irregularities. This analysis is consistent with the way in which the Department reports information on staff investigations to HM Treasury.
| Number of staff | |||
| Benefit fraud | Other fraud | Total staff in post | |
While recognising that only a very small number of our staff commit fraud, the Department has a robust approach to the detection, prevention and deterrence of staff fraud consistent with HM Treasury guidance. Where fraud is proven, staff are subject to disciplinary action and, in the case of criminal offences, the Department will normally seek to prosecute, engaging the police where necessary.
The Department has a whistleblowers' hotline to enable staff to report suspicions of fraud.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the losses from (a) the benefits system and (b) other areas attributable to fraud committed by staff of her Department, in each of the last five years. [316401]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 8 February 2010]: Information is not available in the exact format requested from 2004 as losses were only broken down into the specified categories from April 2005. Overall totals are therefore provided for 2004-05.
The following tables contain the estimated losses arising from attempted or actual fraud by staff where the Department's investigation was completed in the year stated (not including the value of the fraud arising from false employment applications where the loss to the Department is notional).
| All fraud: Value of loss (£) | DWP total expenditure (£ billion) | |
| Value of loss (£) | |||
| Benefit fraud | Other fraud | DWP total expenditure (£ billion) | |
While recognising that only a very small number of our staff commit fraud, the Department has a robust approach to the detection, prevention and deterrence of staff fraud consistent with HM Treasury guidance. Where fraud is proven, staff are subject to disciplinary action and, in the case of criminal offences, the Department will normally seek to prosecute, engaging the police where necessary.
The Department has a whistleblowers' hotline to enable staff to report suspicions of fraud.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department and its agencies have the status of (a) embedded communicators or (b) are members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book. [315596]
Jonathan Shaw: The DWP's communications professionals include press office, internal and stakeholder communication, and digital media. They work right across the breadth of the Department's responsibilities and also provide services for Jobcentre Plus and the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service and Directgov.
The work includes communicating with staff, the public, business and stakeholders on the help and support available, eligibility for entitlements, pensions, additional help and support as well as the detailed work on pension reform. The Directgov website provides extensive help and information on the public services available to citizens across national and local government.
From a total of 119,625 members of staff, DWP has 155 embedded communications staff outside of its central communications function. From 1 April 2010 that will reduce to 119, the majority working for Directgov which is the Government website for public services in the UK. Others work on internal communications in central Directorates and delivery businesses. Staffing figures are provided as Staff in Post figures rather than whole time equivalents as to do otherwise would incur disproportionate cost.
Government Communications Network (GCN) membership data are not held by individual departments. Therefore accurate information cannot be produced without incurring disproportionate cost.
Employment Schemes: Private Sector
Ms Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations she has received on provision of Jobcentre Plus services through the private sector. [321770]
Helen Goodman: DWP receives numerous representations from both individuals and organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver a range of welfare to work services. All opportunities to tender for the provision of employment programmes are advertised on the Supplying DWP section of our website. This is to ensure open and fair competition in accordance with public procurement policy and EU regulations. We also have strict criteria for those wishing to apply to deliver services through our Right to Bid procedure.
Employment Schemes: Young People
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2010, Official Report, columns 1028-29W, on employment schemes: young people, which (a) Jobcentre Plus districts, (b) local authorities and (c) constituencies have no Future Jobs Fund jobs; and in which (i) Jobcentre Plus districts, (ii) local authorities and (iii) constituencies elements of the young person's guarantee are (A) available and (B) not available. [321467]
Angela Eagle: Any organisation in England, Scotland and Wales can bid to the Future Jobs Fund. However, details of specific locations where Future Jobs Fund jobs have been created can be obtained only at disproportionate cost at (a) Jobcentre Plus district and (b) local authority level. Details of the location of Future Jobs Fund are not broken down by (c) constituency and are therefore not available.
The Young Person's Guarantee has been available in (a) all Jobcentre Plus districts, (b) all local authorities and (c) all constituencies, since 25 January 2010.
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department has taken to obtain the support of businesses for its work to assist young people into employment. [321788]
Helen Goodman: The Department has actively sought the support of businesses and other employers to assist young people into employment. Over 920 organisations from business, public sector, and third sector have signed up to the Backing Young Britain campaign to provide more opportunities for young people to gain apprenticeships, jobs and work experience. Over 110,000 jobs have been created by a variety of employers, mainly for long term unemployed young people, through the Future Jobs Fund.
Many employers have responded by agreeing to work with Government through local employment partnerships, to open up employment and training opportunities to unemployed jobseekers. Over 70,000 employers across the country have recruited through local employment partnerships since they were introduced in 2007, and more than 567,000 people have been helped into work during that time.
Future Jobs Fund
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs have been provided by the Future Jobs Fund in each local authority area; what estimate she has made of the range of administrative charges made by local authorities by the management of the fund; and if she will make a statement. [318166]
Jim Knight: Details of the availability of the Future Jobs Fund at local authority level can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Job start information can be classified by Jobcentre Plus district level. However, this information would detail which Jobcentre Plus district processed the job, not the actual location of the job itself.
We did not set specific targets for the costs of administration as we wanted organisations to be free to deliver the jobs fund and to tailor jobs to the needs of the client group. Therefore, the Department for Work and Pensions does not have an estimate of the administrative charges made by local authorities in connection with the Future Jobs Fund. The key specifications are that the jobs should be of a minimum of 25 hours per week; that they should be paid at least at the National Minimum Wage; provide enhanced training and support to the employee, as well as cover other costs incurred in the delivery of the Future Jobs Fund. This is required to be delivered within the maximum unit cost of £6,500 provided by the Government.
Jobcentre Plus provides administrative support to local authorities and other lead bidders by putting forward suitable candidates to fill Future Jobs Fund vacancies.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs have been created under the Future Jobs Fund by (a) local authorities and (b) third sector organisations to date. [318532]
Angela Eagle: Of the 110,000 Future Jobs Fund jobs we have agreed to fund from the first seven rounds of bidding, there have been 56,000 jobs from bids where a local authority has been the lead bidder and over 41,000 jobs from bids where a third sector organisation has been the lead bidder.
Other jobs have been created in local authorities and third sector organisations, where these organisations were not the lead bidder. However, the data have not been captured and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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