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29 Mar 2010 : Column 730W—continued


Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of applications for (a) disability living allowance and (b) attendance allowance to be approved in each of the next five years. [322157]

Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 12 March 2010]: In line with HM Treasury convention, forecasts of benefit expenditure and related volumes are not published beyond the current spending review period. Information on the estimated and forecast number of new awards for attendance allowance and disability living allowance in 2009-10 and 2010-11 is contained in the table.

The figures should not be seen as indicative of the total claimant count estimates for disability living allowance or attendance allowance over the same period as they do not account for off-flows.

Estimate of numbers of new awards for disability living allowance and attendance allowance in 2009-10 and 2010-11

Disability living allowance Attendance allowance

2009-10

277,000

327,000

2010-11

279,000

330,000

Notes:
1. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
2. Estimates in the table include new awards only. It does not include the number of renewal claims likely to be successful as these people are already claiming the benefits and this information is not estimated separately.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Statistical data and Pre-Budget Report forecasts

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average monetary value of (a) disability living allowance and (b) attendance allowance paid to claimants under special rules was in the latest period for which figures are available. [322164]

Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the following tables.

Average weekly amount in payment for disability living allowance special rules cases in payment at August 2009

£

All

117.05


Average weekly amount in payment for attendance allowance special rules cases in payment at August 2009

£

All

70.35

Note:
All recipients under special rules are entitled to the higher rate care component.
Caution:
The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100 per cent. data sources. However, the 5 per cent. sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent. data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5 per cent. sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100 per cent. total for the benefit. The figures have been rated to agree with Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study totals.
Source:
Work and Pensions Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample

Sweet Concepts

Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer by the Cabinet Office Minister of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 156W, on Central Office of Information: marketing, what promotional products were purchased from Sweet Concepts Ltd. on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive; and at what cost. [324302]


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Jonathan Shaw: In 2006, the Health and Safety Executive purchased through COI tea bags with a campaign strapline "take a moment not a fall" printed on the outside of the packet at a cost of £6,610 plus VAT from Sweet Concepts Ltd. These items were part of a nationally co-ordinated publicity, education and inspection campaign about the risks of working at height. The target audience were people involved in building and plant maintenance. The idea behind the tea bag was to promote discussions around safe working practices at workers' break time.

Winter Fuel Payments: Greater Manchester

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the City of Manchester and (b) Manchester Central constituency have received a winter fuel payment since introduction of the scheme. [324885]

Angela Eagle: Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available. The information on individual payments made from winter 1999-2000 is in the following table.

Manchester local authority Manchester central constituency

1999-2000

60,870

11,810

2000-01

64,365

12,560

2001-02

63,355

12,370

2002-03

62,640

12,295

2003-04

61,950

12,160

2004-05

60,085

11,795

2005-06

59,310

11,660

2006-07

58,870

11,560

2007-08

59,350

11,650

2008-09

59,790

11,700

Notes:
1. Figures up to 2004-05 are rounded to the nearest five
2. Figures from 2005-06 onwards are rounded to the nearest 10.
3. Local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
Source:
Information Directorate 100 per cent. data.

Work Capability Assessment

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the highest and lowest salaries were paid to (a) doctors and (b) nurses on (i) part-time and (ii) full-time contracts by Atos Healthcare for the purpose of undertaking incapacity benefit and/or employment and support allowance assessments under her Department's contract with Atos Origin in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement. [324313]

Jonathan Shaw: The DWP do not hold any information regarding the amounts paid to Atos Healthcare staff.

The setting of salaries is a matter between the provider and their employees.

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average number of days worked by (a) doctors and (b) nurses employed on part-time contracts by Atos Healthcare for the purpose of undertaking incapacity benefit and/or employment and support allowance assessments was under her Department's
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contract with Atos Origin in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [324314]

Jonathan Shaw: The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average salary paid to (a) full-time and (b) part-time contracted (i) doctors and (ii) nurses by Atos Healthcare for the purpose of undertaking incapacity benefit and/or employment and support allowance assessments was under her Department's contract with Atos Origin in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [324315]

Jonathan Shaw: The DWP do not hold any information regarding the amounts paid to Atos Healthcare staff.

The setting of salaries is a matter between the provider and their employees.

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed (i) part-time and (ii) full-time by Atos Healthcare for the purpose of undertaking incapacity benefit and/or employment and support allowance assessments under her Department's contract with Atos Origin in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [324316]

Jonathan Shaw: The information is as follows:

(a) (i) The number of contracted (sessional) part-time doctors employed by Atos Healthcare is as follows:

Please note that not all contracted doctors will undertake ESA/IB assessments-however at February 2010 there were 539 who were.

(a) (ii) The number of doctors who are full-time medical advisers (FTMA's) employed by Atos Healthcare for the completion of ESA/IB medical assessments expressed as full-time equivalents.

Full-time equivalents are those doctors who work directly for Atos Healthcare but may have different working patterns.

(b) (i) There are no nurses employed by Atos Healthcare as contracted (sessional) nurses.

(b) (ii) The number of nurses employed by Atos Healthcare for the completion of ESA/IB medical assessments expressed as full-time equivalents.


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International Development

Burma: Asylum

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking with the Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to improve the humanitarian situation in the camps for Rohingya refugees on the Bangladesh-Burma border. [324136]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: We have raised the plight of the Rohinygas and their status with the Government of Bangladesh, both bilaterally and in concert with EU partners. Most recently, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster), raised the conditions of the Rohingyas in the camps with the Minister for the Environment and Forests during a meeting in London on 17 March. Officials from the British High Commission in Dhaka, including the High Commissioner, have visited the camps for displaced Rohingyas. Officials also held discussions with representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 15 March in Dhaka.

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to provide assistance for Rohingya refugees in camps on the Bangladesh-Burma border. [324161]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: UK support is channelled through our central contributions to the European Commission and United Nations agencies. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) manages the official camps. UNICEF, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Population Fund also work with the refugees within the camps or in the surrounding communities. The European Commission is providing financial support.

We have raised the plight of the Rohinygas and their status with the Government of Bangladesh, both bilaterally and in concert with EU partners. Officials from the British High Commission in Dhaka, including the High Commissioner, have visited the camps for displaced Rohingyas.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department allocates to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in respect of the WWF Global Forest and Trade Network. [324630]


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Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not allocate funding to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in respect of the WWF Global Forest and Trade network.

Departmental Buildings

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many smoking shelters have been built for his Department's staff in the last five years; and at what cost. [324361]

Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has built one smoking shelter, in the last five years, at their office in East Kilbride, Glasgow at a cost of £753.27.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on rooms for staff leisure in each of the last five years. [324423]

Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) created a small staff gymnasium in our office in East Kilbride in October 2005. This was part of a wider refurbishment project and the costs of the gymnasium cannot be separately identified. The gymnasium in our London office was redecorated in October 2009 at a cost of £2,589. There has been no other expenditure in our UK offices over the last five years on rooms provided for staff leisure.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department provides subsidised gym facilities for its staff. [324558]

Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) provides subsidised gym facilities in both our UK offices.

Departmental Information Officers

Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2010, Official Report, column 720W, on departmental information officers, what the (a) title and (b) division is of each of the embedded communicator posts. [324399]

Mr. Michael Foster: The following posts include embedded communications staff employed primarily in a communications role outside the central communications unit at the Department for International Development (DFID).


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