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30 Mar 2010 : Column 942W—continued
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Council Tax Benefits
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many council tax benefit recipients there were in (a) each local authority area in the East of England and (b) England in each of the last 10 years. [325157]
Helen Goodman: The available information has been placed in the Library.
Council Tax Benefits and Housing Benefit
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average weekly payment of (a) council tax benefit and (b) housing benefit was to a (i) private renter and (ii) social tenant in each year since 1997. [316251]
Helen Goodman: The available information is in the tables.
Council tax benefit figures are not available by tenancy type.
| Council tax benefit recipients average weekly amount : Great Britain | ||
| Month | (£) | |
| Notes: 1. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 2. Average awards are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny. So urce: Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system Quarterly 100 per cent. taken in August 2007 | ||
| Council tax benefit recipients average weekly amount: November 2008 and October 2009: Great Britain | ||
| Month | £ | |
| Notes: 1. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 2. Average awards are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny. 3. Inaugural SHBE data was extracted at November 2008. 4. October 2009 represents the latest data held. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE). | ||
Data for December 2008 and December 2009 are derived from the new Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) which is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems, whereas earlier years are derived from quarterly aggregate clerical returns. Figures from the two sources may not be directly comparable; the introduction of SHBE has improved the accuracy of HB/CTB statistics as it based on individual claimant records rather than summary statistics, has a higher completion rate from local authorities leading to less estimation of missing data, and is subject to more thorough quality assurance.
| All housing benefit recipients average weekly amounts by tenure December 2008 and December 2009: Great Britain. | |||
| Month | Social tenant (£) | Private tenant (£) | |
| Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Average awards are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny. 3. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. 4. Inaugural SHBE data was extracted at November 2008. 5. October 2009 represents the latest data held. 6. Social tenants comprise Local authority and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) tenants. 7. Private tenants include regulated and deregulated tenants. Source: Single housing benefit extract 100 per cent. individual level data (SHBE). | |||
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on (a) council tax benefit and (b) housing benefit in 2008-09; how much her Department has spent on each benefit in 2009-10 to date; and how much she expects to be spent on each benefit in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. [316340]
Helen Goodman [holding answer 8 February 2010]: The information requested is in the following tables.
| £ million ( cash ) | ||
| Housing Benefit | Council Tax Benefit | |
Departmental Accountancy
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 10 February 2010, Official Report, column 1097W, on departmental accountancy, if she will place in the Library a copy of each of the five written ministerial directions. [320776]
Jonathan Shaw: A copy of each of the Ministerial Directions will be placed in the Library. Parts of the Direction given on 15 September 1998 have been redacted in accordance with a confidentiality agreement reached at the time.
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will issue guidance on her Department's policy on the relocation offshore of departmental jobs to companies bidding for contracts let by her Department. [324790]
Jim Knight: DWP does not have plans to relocate any of its departmental jobs offshore.
Bidders for departmental contracts may occasionally offer to move elements of their proposed delivery solutions offshore for value for money reasons. Any such proposals would be properly considered, on their individual merits, taking data security, our obligations to Public Contracts Regulations (2006), EU Procurement Directives and the WTO Government Procurement Agreements and best overall value to the UK taxpayer into account.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many data security incidents there were in her Department in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and what estimate she has made of the number of persons affected. [325294]
Jonathan Shaw: The Department published details of data security incidents which arose during 2008-09, including the numbers of individuals affected, in the annual resource account which was published on 21 August 2009. We will be publishing the information for the year 2009-10 in the next resource account. The information is currently being compiled and verified before it is laid before Parliament.
Departmental Information Officers
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to her Department was of employing press and media officers in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the cost to her Department was of employing such staff in the financial year 1996-97, expressed in real terms. [324804]
Jonathan Shaw: The cost of the press office for the 12 months from March 2009 to February 2010 is £2,499,577 providing media handling for the Department, Ministers, Jobcentre Plus and the Pensions, Carers and Disability Service.
This covers 50 members of staff who are based in London, across the English regions, Scotland and Wales. They provide a service to the Department and to journalists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Department for Work and Pensions was created in 2001. Figures for 1996-97 are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Internet
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints her Department received regarding difficulties using its website in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [325187]
Jim Knight: We do not hold figures for the number of complaints received regarding difficulties operating the Department's website.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on external website design consultants in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [325271]
Jim Knight: Over the last three years the Department has spent the following on external website design consultants:
| Website | Cost (£000) | |
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