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24 Jun 2010 : Column 305W—continued
Departmental Public Expenditure
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's contracts with its suppliers are under review as a result of the recently announced reductions in public expenditure; and what the monetary value is of all such contracts which are under review. [3650]
Chris Grayling: All areas of DWP third party expenditure are coming under close scrutiny to reduce costs either through contract renegotiation, demand management or collaboration with other Departments to generate economies of scale. This work will be undertaken in accordance with guidance from Efficiency and Reform Group.
The monetary value of all such contracts during 2009-10 was £4.2 billion.
Gordon Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in his Department are working on renegotiating contracts for the supply of goods and services to the Department as a result of
recently announced reductions in public spending; what savings are expected to accrue to his Department from such renegotiations; how much expenditure his Department will incur on such renegotiations; and when such renegotiations will be completed. [3672]
Chris Grayling: All areas of DWP third party expenditure are coming under close scrutiny to reduce costs either through contract renegotiation, demand management or collaboration with other Departments to generate economies of scale. This work will be undertaken by officials across the organisation in accordance with guidance from the Efficiency and Reform Group.
Employment Schemes: Young People
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the Young Person's Guarantee in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry. [3931]
Chris Grayling: The Young Person's Guarantee is still being maintained, and the next release of statistics will be on 11 August.
Statistics are available on the Future Jobs Fund which cover the period from October 2009 to January 2010. They show that there were 940 recorded Future Jobs Fund starts in the Jobcentre Plus west midlands region. The information requested on Coventry is not available.
The Future Jobs Fund created temporary, short-term jobs, and the grants did not include any incentives to move people into permanent posts. The Government are investing £150 million to create 50,000 new apprenticeship places which will equip people with the skills they need and allow people to move into a long-term job. Next year we are also introducing a new single Work Programme which will provide better targeted support and deliver long lasting benefits with a greater focus on sustained employment.
Until the new Work Programme is in place, the Government will ensure that young people continue to receive the support they need.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps he plans to take to support young people unemployed for more than six months to find employment; [3932]
(2) what steps he plans to take to support youth employment. [3934]
Chris Grayling: The Government aim to have the new Work Programme in place nationally by the summer of 2011. This will help young people move into sustained employment rather than temporary jobs, and everyone, including young people, will have access to a fully integrated and coherent system of back to work support. We are also planning further support for young people, including intensive work experience, more apprenticeships and more further education places.
Although the precise design of the Work Programme is still in development, the Government will ensure that young people receive the support that they need.
Funeral Payments
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many funeral payments have been reclaimed in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 2000; [2087]
(2) what the value has been of funeral payments reclaimed in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 2000. [2088]
Steve Webb: Information regarding funeral payments for Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
The available information is in the tables.
| Number of funeral payment claims on which some recovery was made in Great Britain by country and financial year | |||
| England | Wales | Scotland | |
| Funeral payment recovery amount in Great Britain by country and financial year | |||
| £ million | |||
| England | Wales | Scotland | |
| Notes: 1. Both tables are for funeral payment claims recovered in full or in part. 2. The number of funeral payments on which some recovery was made has been rounded to the nearest 10 and the amount recovered to the nearest £0.01 million. Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System. | |||
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 281W, on funeral payments, if he will increase the maximum amount payable as a funeral payment. [3235]
Steve Webb: There are no current plans to increase the maximum amount of £700 payable to cover disbursements. Cremation and burial costs are not subject to this limit and will continue to be paid in full.
Future Jobs Fund
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what statistical evidence on the effectiveness of the Future Jobs Fund programme he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such item of evidence. [4139]
Chris Grayling: We are publishing official statistics covering the take-up of the Young Person's Guarantee, including the Future Jobs Fund. The first release of official statistics, covering the period October 2009 to January 2010, was published in May 2010. A copy of the statistical release has been placed in the Library of the House. The next release of official statistics is planned to take place later this summer.
We plan to conduct a full evaluation of the Future Jobs Fund in 2011.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received work placements through the Future Jobs Fund since the programme's inception. [4142]
Chris Grayling: The latest official statistics, covering the period from October 2009 to January 2010, show that nationally 8,660 people started jobs funded by the Future Jobs Fund.
Future Jobs Fund: Barnsley
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of assistance from the Future Jobs Fund in (a) Barnsley East and (b) the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley. [3978]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available. However, the most recent Official Statistics covering the period October 2009 to January 2010 show that there were 700 recorded Future Jobs Fund starts in the Jobcentre Plus Yorkshire and Humberside region.
Future Jobs Fund: Streatham
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many residents of (a) the London Borough of Lambeth and (b) Streatham constituency have received work placements through the Future Jobs Fund; [4140]
(2) how many individuals have received work placements under the Future Jobs Fund at premises in Streatham constituency since the programme's inception. [4141]
Chris Grayling: The requested information is not available. However, across London the latest official statistics, covering the period October 2009 to January 2010, show that 840 people started jobs funded by the Future Jobs Fund.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the merits of bringing into line with the actual mortgage interest rate paid by claimants of benefits under the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme the Standard Interest Rate used to calculate such payments. [3220]
Steve Webb: Customer's actual interest rates were used in the past to calculate Support for Mortgage Interest. But that method was abandoned in 1995, in favour of a standard interest rate, which has proved to be far more efficient and straightforward.
The pre-1995 arrangements, where customers' actual rates were used by the Department, were extremely complex to administer, prone to error and added cost. Reverting to that system carries an unacceptably high risk of increased overpayments and inefficiency, is resource intensive, and would not support the Government's aim of simplifying the benefit system.
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has made an estimate of the (a) number and (b) monetary value of excess payments made under the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme. [3221]
Steve Webb: At the current Standard Interest Rate of 6.08%, the Department for Work and Pensions has estimated from a small sample of data that 92% (207,000) of the 225,000 customers who received Support for Mortgage Interest in November 2009 will receive awards in excess of their eligible mortgage interest outgoings.
The Department's systems do not hold information on the actual rate of interest that Support for Mortgage Interest customers pay, so no estimate of the monetary value of excess payments is available.
Communities and Local Government
Departmental Public Expenditure
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of his Department's contracts with its suppliers are under review as a result of the recently announced reductions in public expenditure; and what the monetary value is of all such contracts which are under review. [3633]
Robert Neill: The Department is currently reviewing all new and existing contracts. The total value of all contract spend last year was £313 million.
Departmental Voluntary Work
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the policy of his Department is on the recognition in staff appraisals of staff who undertake voluntary activities outside his Department. [3894]
Robert Neill: The Department's guidance on performance management does not require managers and staff to consider volunteering when assessing individual annual performance.
However, the Department promotes a variety of development related volunteering opportunities to enable everyone to play an active part in their community. CLG staff are asked to record these activities within their Personal Learning and Development Plans.
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