Crimes of Violence
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of each type committed under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 were recorded in each year since 2006; and what proportion of such offences resulted in (a) court proceedings against suspected perpetrators, (b) convictions and (c) sanction detections. [53440]
James Brokenshire: The information is not available in the form requested.
The tables give the number of offences recorded under the Offences against the Person Act 1861 since 2006-07 that are separately identifiable within police recorded crime statistics. It also gives the number of offences detected by means of a sanction detection. Statistics on court proceedings, including convictions, are a matter for the Ministry of Justice.
Recorded crime and court proceedings statistics are recorded in quite different ways. Recorded crime data are provided on a financial year basis and counts offences whereas court proceedings data are on a calendar year basis and count offenders. Therefore, these two separate data-sets are not directly comparable.
| Table 1: Offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (1) recorded by the police and detected by means of a sanction detection (2) —2006-07 to 2009-10 | ||||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |||||
| Offence | No. of offences | No. of sanction detections | % detected by means of a sanction detection | No. of offences | No. of sanction detections | % detected by means of a sanction detection |
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |||||
| Offence | No. of offences | No. of sanction detections | % detected by means of a sanction detection | No. of offences | No. of sanction detections | % detected by means of a sanction detection |
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9 May 2011 : Column 1000W
| n/a = Not available. (1) Other offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 are not separately identifiable within the police recorded crime statistics. (2) Detection rates are a ratio of crimes detected in a period to crimes recorded in a period. They are not based on tracking whether individual crimes recorded in a period have eventually been detected. | ||||||
Departmental Travel
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many first class rail journeys were undertaken by staff in her Department between April 2010 and April 2011; and what the total cost was of such journeys. [53162]
Damian Green: The information is as follows:
For the Home Office and the UK Border Agency:
During the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 there have been 1,018 recorded instances of first class travel at a total cost of £145,000 within the core Home Office.
During the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 there have been 668 recorded instances of first class travel at a total cost of £53,000 within the UK Border Agency.
In spring 2010 the Permanent Secretary issued instructions to senior managers to reduce all travel by using alternatives such as video and/or telephone conferencing and to avoid first class travel as far as possible.
The Department has since significantly reduced first class travel throughout 2010-11. Policy on all business travel is currently under review.
For Iden tity and Passport Service (IPS):
During the period 1 August 2010 to 31 March 2011 there have been 14 recorded instances of first class travel at a total cost of £1,377 within the IPS.
The Identity and Passport Service changed travel supplier in August 2010; prior to that date it is not possible to extract the information on first class travel without incurring disproportionate cost.
Fo r Criminal Records Bureau (CRB):
With effect from 1 May 2010 all rail journeys made by CRB staff in relation to CRB business were required to be standard class only. In the month of April 2010, prior to the implementation of this change, 50 first class rail journeys were undertaken by staff within the CRB at a cost of £13,480.
DNA: Databases
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer from the hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal of 6 December 2010, Official Report, column 99W, on the National DNA Database, what estimate she has made of the time required to remove records of unconvicted people from the National DNA Database following the enactment of the relevant legislation. [54655]
James Brokenshire: The Protection of Freedoms Bill, currently before Parliament, makes provision for the removal of DNA profiles for the majority of non-convicted persons from the National DNA Database (NDNAD), with some specific exceptions. Our aim is to remove the vast majority of non-convicted people from the NDNAD as soon as is practicable, following enactment of the relevant provisions.
Drugs
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department made an assessment of the effects of drug decriminalisation in Portugal prior to the publication of the 2010 Drugs Strategy. [54146]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 5 May 2011]: The Home Office keeps sighted on international developments on drug policy. No formal assessment of the effects of drug decriminalisation in Portugal prior to the publication of the 2010 Drugs Strategy was undertaken.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who will (a) lead and (b) participate in the annual review of the Government's 2010 Drugs Strategy; and what timescale she has set for the review to be conducted; [54404]
(2) whether the annual review of the 2010 Drugs Strategy will be carried out on a cross-departmental basis. [54145]
James Brokenshire [holding answer 5 May 2011]:We are still scoping the terms of the annual review. It will be conducted on a cross-Government basis and led by the Home Office. It is likely it will report after the first full 12 months of implementation.
Drugs: Regulation
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has (a) produced and (b) evaluated on the legalisation and regulation of controlled substances. [54403]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office has not (a) produced or (b) evaluated any research on the legalisation and regulation of controlled substances.
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Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of foreign students have overstayed since the Certificate of Acceptance of Studies/General Student Visas system was implemented. [54033]
Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is not able to provide the information requested. It is not possible to accurately quantify the number of individuals currently in the UK in breach of immigration controls, as some deliberately evade immigration control in order to remain in the country illegally.
The e-Borders system enables checks to be made on individuals arriving or exiting the country at a majority of the points of entry to the UK but is not yet fully rolled out. The Government are committed to ensuring that the number of UK ports undertaking exit checks is increased to ensure a complete travel history record on all passengers.
Fraud
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of credit card fraud there were in each year since 1997; what estimate her Department has made of the sums lost through such fraud in each such year; and what proportion of such instances resulted in a conviction for an offence of fraud. [53508]
James Brokenshire: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Home Office recorded crime statistics cannot separately identify offences specifically relating to credit card fraud. Such offences are encompassed in a larger offence classification of “Fraud by False Representation involving Cheque, Plastic Card and Online Bank Accounts”. Since April 2010, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has also been recording such offences and these data will be provided to the Home Office for inclusion in the annual crime statistics.
Figures on plastic card fraud provided by the UK Cards Association are included on page 95 of “Crime in England and Wales 2009/10”. A copy of this publication can be accessed at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1210/hosb1210?view=Binary
Sex Offenders: Registration
Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to (a) consult on proposals to strengthen the management of sex offenders and (b) require such offenders to inform the authorities of an intention to travel abroad for a period of less than three days. [53581]
Lynne Featherstone: In the statement given by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), to the House on 16 February 2011, Official Report, columns 959-60, she indicated that we would be consulting on proposals to further strengthen the management of sex offenders.
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We will shortly launch a targeted consultation seeking views on four key proposals to strengthen the notification requirements for registered sex offenders, including introducing a requirement for registered sex offenders to notify all foreign travel (currently only travel of three days or more is notified to the police).
The consultation will run for an eight-week period and we anticipate that the necessary legislative changes will be in force by the end of the year, subject to parliamentary business.
Sexual Offences
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for sexual offences were made in the West Midlands in each of the last five years. [54702]
James Brokenshire: The information requested on arrests covering the period from 2005-06 to 2009-10 (latest available) is provided in the table.
| Number of arrests for sexual offences in West Midlands police force area, 2005-06 to 2009-10 | |
| Financial year | Number of arrests |
Young People: Films
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded in respect of cinemas allowing underage children into age-rated films in each year since 1997; how many police cautions were issued; and what the average fine levied was. [53447]
James Brokenshire: Information on the number of offences recorded is not available centrally. Statistics on police cautions and disposals are a matter for the Ministry of Justice.
Work and Pensions
Disability Living Allowance
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when he expects the results of the review into funding for the mobility needs of people in residential care to be published; [52907]
(2) whether people living in state-funded residential care will be eligible to receive payment of the mobility component of the personal independence payment; [52908]
(3) what plans he has to engage disabled people, groups and organisations in his Department's review of funding for the mobility needs of people in residential care; and if he will make a statement; [52926]
(4) what the terms of reference are for the review into funding for the mobility needs of people in residential care. [52927]
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Maria Miller: The Government received a great deal of feedback on the proposal, announced in the spending review, to withdraw the mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA) from people in residential care homes after 28 days.
In response to the concerns raised by individuals and organisations, we announced that we would not remove the DLA mobility component from people in residential care from October 2012 and that we would review the existing evidence and gather more to enable us to determine the extent to which there are overlaps in provision for mobility needs of people in residential care homes.
The work is being carried out by civil servants in the Department for Work and Pensions and has included, among other things, discussions with individuals and groups of disabled people as well as with organisations which represent them. When the work is complete we will make a final decision on the way forward. We have no plans to publish the findings of this work.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the change in the (a) number of claimants and (b) level of public expenditure if the number of new disability living allowance claimants were reduced by 20 per cent. each year but the benefit was unchanged in each of the next five financial years. [53000]
Maria Miller: If DLA policy were to remain unchanged for the next five years, then a reduction in inflows by 20% is estimated to have the following effect.
| Estimated reduction in DLA expenditure | ||
| Reduction in inflows by 20% | Case load (thousand) | Expenditure (£ million) |
| Notes: 1. Estimates are based on the Budget 2011 Forecasts, published at the following website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure 2. These estimates assume that no changes to DLA policy occur. However, DLA reform is planned to begin in 2013-14 with the introduction of the personal independence payment. 3. The estimates exclude any consequential effects on other benefits. 4. Expenditure is given in nominal terms. 5. Expenditure is rounded to the nearest £10 million. 6. Case load is rounded to the nearest 10,000. | ||
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of medical assessments for (a) disability living allowance, (b) attendance allowance, (c) industrial injuries disablement benefit and (d) incapacity benefit have been subject to appeal in each of the last five years; and what the cost was of administering such appeals in each such year. [53409]
Maria Miller:
We are unable to say what proportion of medical assessments for disability living allowance (DLA), attendance allowance (AA), industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB) and incapacity benefit (IB) has been subject to appeal in each of the last five years. This is because appeals can be made against all decisions and the management information systems of the Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) and Jobcentre
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Plus (JCP) do not go to the level of detail that would identify those appeals specifically related to medical assessments.
Consequently, we are not able to provide the cost of administering such appeals.
However, we are able to provide in the following table the administration costs borne by DWP for appeals.
| £000 | ||||
| DLA | AA | IIDB | IB | |
| Notes: 1. Pension, Disability and Carers Service and Jobcentre Plus, both agencies of the Department for Work and Pensions, are only responsible for an element of the appeal process against medical assessment decisions relating to DLA, AA, IIDB and IB. The majority of the process is handled by the Tribunal Service, part of the Ministry of Justice. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000. 3. The figures relate to the direct staff cost to Jobcentre Plus and PDCS of administering appeals. 4. Appeals costs for DLA/AA are not available prior to 2009-10. 5. Prior to 2008-09 appeals costs for Jobcentre Plus were not recorded by benefit type. 6. 2010-11 appeals costs for Jobcentre Plus are not included here as the annual report and accounts for 2010-11 are not yet audited and publicly available. Sources: Jobcentre Plus ABM Models 2006 to 2010-11. The data is correct as at 28 April 2011. PDCS: Department for Work and Pensions activity-based management system. The data are correct as at 3 May 2011. | ||||
Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of claimants of disability living allowance in Scotland who are diagnosed with autism; and what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect on claimants diagnosed with autism of proposed changes to disability living allowance. [53703]
Maria Miller: The information is not available as new, more detailed details on the disabling condition were only added in 2008 and have not been applied retrospectively to the entire case load. Therefore, it is not yet possible to produce an estimate of the total number of people claiming disability living allowance with a main disabling condition of “autism”. Such information as is available is in the following table.
| Number of people in receipt of disability living allowance where the main disabling condition is learning difficulties—August 2010 | ||
| All | Scotland | |
| Notes: 1. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% 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% sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. This has been done here. 2. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. Case load totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude those with, entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. Learning difficulties includes the following disabling conditions: 'F86'—'Down's Syndrome', 'F87’—'Fragile X syndrome', 'F90'—'Other Learning Disability', 'F91'—'Autism', 'F92'—'Asperger Syndrome', 'F94'—'Retts Disorder'. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5% sample. | ||
From 2013 we will introduce a new benefit, personal independence payment, to replace disability living allowance for people of working age. Key to personal independence
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payment will be a more objective assessment of individual need. We have been developing our proposals for the new assessment in collaboration with a group of independent specialists in health, social care and disability.
The assessment will take account of needs arising from physical, sensory, mental, intellectual and cognitive impairments. We believe it is right for the assessment to look at disabled people as individuals and not just label them by their health condition or impairment. That is why it is being designed to consider an individual's personal circumstances and the support they need, rather than basing eligibility on any medical condition. I can assure the hon. Member that we want to get this right and before finalising the assessment criteria we will be testing them and assessing their likely impact.
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Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate (a) the change in the number of claimants and (b) change on the level of expenditure if the number of new disability living allowance claimants each year were reduced by (i) 10 per cent., (ii) 15 per cent., (iii) 20 per cent. and (iv) 25 per cent., but the benefit was otherwise unchanged in each of the next five financial years. [54406]
Maria Miller: If DLA policy were to remain unchanged for the next five years then a reduction in inflows by: (a) 10%; (b) 15%; (c) 20%, and; (d) 25%, are estimated to have the following effects:
| Estimated reduction in DLA expenditure | ||||||
| 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | ||
| Notes: 1. Estimates are based on the Budget 2011 Forecasts, published at the following website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure 2. These estimates assume that no changes to DLA policy occur. However, DLA reform is planned to begin in 2013-14 with the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment. 3. The estimates exclude any consequential effects on other benefits. 4. Expenditure is given in nominal terms. 5. Expenditure is rounded to the nearest £10 million. 6. Caseload is rounded to the nearest 10,000. | ||||||
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of new claimants for personal independence payments of working age that will be assessed each week in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; [54491]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of existing claimants of working age disability living allowance who will be reassessed for personal independence payments in each week of (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [54643]
Maria Miller: We are currently considering the delivery model for personal independence payment, including how to migrate those of working age who are in receipt of disability living allowance. No decisions have yet been taken on the detail of its operation and how many people will be required to go through the new assessment in each of its first three years of operation.
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Wimbledon and (b) the London borough of Merton claim disability benefit. [54494]
Maria Miller: Information on the current number of recipients of DLA which is contained in the following table:
| Disability living allowance recipients: August 2010 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. DLA figures are published at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100% data. | |
Information on the number of claims made for disability living allowance is not available by parliamentary constituency or local authority. The information is not routinely collated as there is no requirement to do so.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely additional annual cost to the Exchequer of assessing only new claimants for personal independence payments with effect from (a) 1 April 2012, (b) 1 October 2012, (c) 1 April 2013, (d) 1 October 2013, (e) 1 April 2014 and (f) 1 October 2014 in respect of each of the subsequent five financial years. [54697]
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Maria Miller: The annual cost of administering personal independence payment will depend on the detail of how the benefit is delivered and the design of the new assessment. Costs will be refined as further detail on the reform is developed. Approximate high level delivery costs (both one off investment and DEL) have been estimated to be £675 million (net present value) over the period 2011-12 to 2015-16. These include provision for making changes to the IT systems, training DWP staff, the administrative effort required to manage the transition of existing recipients to the new system and the cost of trained independent assessors undertaking the new assessment.
We are unable to estimate the cost of administering the personal independence payment for new claimants as the information is not available. It will depend on the detail of how it is delivered and the design of the new objective assessment. The result of the consultation exercise will help inform this. Costs will be refined as further detail on the reform is developed. The Government will set out further detail at the earliest appropriate point.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely reduction in (a) the number of benefit recipients and (b) the level of Government expenditure attributable introducing personal independence payments only for new claimants with effect from (i) 1 April 2012, (ii) 1 October 2012, (iii) 1 April 2013, (iv) 1 October 2013, (v) 1 April 2014 and (vi) 1 October 2014 in respect of each of the subsequent five financial years. [54698]
Maria Miller: Support in personal independence payment will be on those who face the greatest challenges in living independent lives. The assessment is being developed and at this stage, therefore, an assessment is not available of the impact changes could have on future recipients or Government expenditure. We are working with disabled people and organisations that represent them on the detailed design and delivery of personal independence payment. The outcomes from this work will be reflected in updates to the impact assessment for this change. We have already announced that personal independence payment will be a non taxable, non means-tested benefit payable to people in or out of work.
Disability Living Allowance: Public Finance
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the weekly cost to the public purse of payments of disability living allowance in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [53033]
Maria Miller: In 2009-10, expenditure on disability living allowance in Airdrie and Shotts constituency averaged £600,000 per week(1).
Constituency-level benefit expenditure information is published on the internet at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/pc_expenditure.xls
(1) Source:
DWP statistical and accounting data.
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Disability Living Allowance: Scotland
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the average change in the monetary value of disability living allowance paid to claimants in Airdrie and Shotts constituency as a result of the consumer prices index replacing the retail prices index for the uprating of benefits and tax credits in 2011-12. [53034]
Maria Miller: We believe that the CPI is the most appropriate measure of the general level of prices for benefit and pension uprating. It is the headline measure of inflation in Great Britain, and has a basket of goods and methodology suitable to be used across uprating.
The information requested is in the following table.
| Rate of DLA | 2011-12 projected rates uprated by RPI (£) | 2011-12 actual rates uprated by CPI (£) |
| Note: Actual 2011-12 rates are calculated by adding CPI (3.1%) to 2010-11 rates. These in turn were 1.5% higher than 2009-10 rates. Under the previous policy, in order to recover the 1.5% advance in 2010/11 (when the RPI figure driving uprating was negative), 2011-12 rates would have been 2009-10 rates plus RPI (4.6%), yielding a slightly lower figure. All calculations are rounded to the nearest 5p. | ||
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of disability living allowance in Airdrie and Shotts constituency will be subject to objective assessment in 2011-12. [53035]
Maria Miller: From 2013 disability living allowance for people of working age will be replaced by personal independence payment, a new, more transparent and sustainable benefit with an objective assessment of individual need. We will begin reassessing working-age individuals in receipt of DLA using the new objective assessment for personal independence payment from 2013.
Until 2013, new claims to DLA and changes of current DAL claims will continue to be assessed using the current self-assessment-led process.
In 2010-11 there were around 30,000 face-to-face medical examinations conducted across Great Britain to help determine eligibility for DLA, at new claim and renewal of awards. We are unable to provide an estimate for the number of face-to-face medical assessments expected to take place in Airdrie and Shotts in 2011-12.
Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information Project
Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information Project to date; and what estimate has been made of the likely cost of maintaining and administering the system in 2011-12. [54875]
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Chris Grayling: The DWP Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) project has encompassed the delivery of all changes required for compliance with European Union (EU) regulation 883/04, which came into effect on 1 May 2010 and continues with the associated implementation of regulation 987/09 for the electronic coordination of social security systems.
For the Department for Work and Pensions this has involved impacting all of the regulations against existing business activities and implementing the appropriate changes to IT systems, processes, procedures, guidance and employee training to meet the requirements of the new regulations.
The cost of delivering these changes to date is approximately £1 million.
The aspect of the regulation which directly relates to the introduction of Electronic Exchange of Social Security data is article 4(2) of regulation 987/09. This work is ongoing and we are awaiting confirmation from suppliers of the costs associated with the development of the proposed new system. Costs are dependant on receiving clarity on the final scope of the IT solution being provided by the central European Union EESSI project. When the final scope and solution is clear, the associated costs for maintaining the DWP system will be determined. The scheduled go-live date for the IT solution, in order to meet the EU regulation date for compliance, is 1 May 2012.
Employment and Support Allowance
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the criteria are for the placement of employment and support allowance claimants in the work-related activity group. [53732]
Chris Grayling: A key factor in determining eligibility for employment and support allowance (ESA) is the work capability assessment (WCA), which is used to determine a claimant's capability for work. It looks at different areas related to physical, mental, cognitive and intellectual functions alongside additional criteria that do not directly measure function (such as terminal illness).
An individual assessed as having limited capability for work will be placed in the WRAG group and will be expected to undertake some work-related activity with a view to moving into employment in the short to medium term.
Individuals with the most severe health conditions or disabilities will be assessed as having limited capability for work and limited capability for work related activity. As result, they will be placed in the support group and will not be expected to undertake work-related activity, although they can do so if they wish. It would not be realistic to expect them to move towards employment in the short-term.
A determination of entitlement to benefit is made by a DWP decision maker, based on advice from a healthcare professional and any other available evidence (such as provided by the individual's GP or specialist).
Employment Schemes: Cancer
Mr Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the number of cancer patients who return to
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work
(a)
within and
(b)
after a year from starting treatment; and if he will make a statement. [46438]
Maria Miller: The information requested is not available.
The Department only holds information on people with cancer if they claim a benefit such as employment and support allowance (ESA), and information on the date that treatment started is not collected.
For information, at August 2010 there were 21,530 people claiming ESA where the main condition was recorded as ‘Neoplasms’ which is the category in which cancer patients would normally be classified. For a full breakdown by condition, please see the detailed medical condition breakdown publication on the ad hoc statistics website:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page =adhoc_analysis
Statistics on the number of people leaving ESA and going into work are not available from administrative data. Claimants leaving employment support allowance are not required to inform the Department of their destinations and hence the information that is collected is incomplete and not robust enough for publication.
For information, a recent survey on ESA (“Employment and Support Allowance: Findings from a face-to-face survey of customers”) recorded that around 41% of participants who left ESA before completing assessment, and 13% of participants who left having been assessed as fit for work had then moved into some form of employment. However, this is not broken down by health condition. See sections 5.2.1 and 5.3.1 of the survey report for further details:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2009-2010/rrep707.pdf
Employment Schemes: Voluntary Organisations
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether contracts for the Work programme contain any provision to encourage successful bidders to sub-contract to not-for-profit entities. [53929]
Chris Grayling: The procurement rules preclude us from favouring any sector or stipulating quotas for particular groups, either for prime bids or within the delivery chain, in respect of Work programme contracts under the Employment Related Support Services Framework. However, throughout the procurement process, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has encouraged bidders to engage with the voluntary and community sector.
As part of the evaluation, DWP has closely scrutinised each bidder's partnership proposals within their tenders, particularly when considering the supply chain and service requirement criteria, to ensure that the level of community and voluntary sector involvement is commensurate with the needs of Work programme customers.
Across all the bids there were varying levels of input from the voluntary and community sector, numbering well over 300 in total. In addition to these there was also a wide range of SMEs.
Further voluntary and community sector organisations are involved as there are a wide range of ad-hoc/specialist providers to meet the needs of all customers on the programme.
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Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provisions are contained in Work programme contracts in respect of terms and remuneration for voluntary sector sub-contractors who undertake work on behalf of the successful bidders. [53930]
Chris Grayling: There are no provisions in the Work programme terms and conditions that cover specific terms or remuneration that prime contractors should apply only to voluntary sector sub-contractors. The Work programme contract sets out a number of standard clauses (such as confidentiality agreements, data protection requirements, prevention of corruption etc) which prime contractors are required to include in all sub-contracts.
Prime contractors are likely to seek to mirror the call-off terms and conditions they have signed up to with DWP with their own sub-contractors. Whatever contractual arrangements the prime contractors do propose to have in place should be implemented at their discretion and based on their own commercial decisions.
Where DWP has consented to sub-contracting taking place, the prime contractors must adhere to the Merlin Standard and accreditation process as detailed in the Work programme specification to ensure fair treatment of all subcontractors.
Health: Young People
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the provision of support to children and young people with long-term health conditions. [52680]
Maria Miller: In January, the Prime Minister hosted a meeting with the Minister of State for Children and Families, the hon. Member for Brent Central (Sarah Teather), the Minister for Public Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), and myself, to discuss the planned special education needs and disability Green Paper.
I have had discussions with the Minister of State for Children and Families about the best approach to exploring a single assessment process and education, health and social care plans as mentioned in the special education needs and disability Green Paper, and I have also agreed to explore whether the single assessment process might also be used to support claims for disability living allowance and personal independence payment.
Officials from the Office for Disability Issues and the Department for Work and Pensions are in regular contact with their counterparts in the Department for Education as work on the special education needs and disability Green Paper progresses. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of the SEN and D Green Paper consultation and to working with colleagues across Government to ensure disabled young people are appropriately supported to enter and remain in work.
In addition, I have hosted two round tables recently—one with parents of disabled children to discuss the SEN and D Green Paper, which was attended by representatives from the Department for Education; and the other with various representatives from, for example, social services, Mencap, and local authorities where we discussed transition
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from education to employment for people with learning disabilities. This event was attended by representatives from the Department of Health.
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effects of raising the participation age on the availability of benefits for young people with long-term health conditions. [52681]
Maria Miller: The Department is aware of the changes to the school participation age and will make any necessary changes to the eligibility rules of benefits for young people with health conditions that may be required as a result.
Housing Benefit
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 25 years or under claimed housing benefit in each year for which figures are available since 2005. [53424]
Steve Webb: The available information is in the following table. Information prior to November 2008 is not available.
| Housing benefit recipients in Great Britain aged 25 and under, as at the dates shown | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 3. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and January 2011 is the most recent available. 4. Age breakdowns cannot be provided prior to November 2008. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE). | |
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to process a claim for (a) housing and (b) council tax benefit was in each of the last five years. [53471]
Steve Webb: The requested information is in the table.
| Average days to process new housing benefit and council tax benefit claims | ||
| Housing benefit | Council tax benefit | |
| Notes: 1. Figures for 2008-09 are not available. 2. 2010-11 figures are a year to date figure based on the first three quarters—quarter 4 data are not published until 27 July 2011. 3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest day. 4. Average time for processing claims is measured in calendar days across all new claims for which the date of decision falls within the quarter. The time for each claim is measured from the day the claim is received by the local authority to the day a full decision is made on the claim. | ||
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Incapacity Benefit
Mr Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) 18 to 29, (ii) 30 to 39, (iii) 40 to 49 and (iv) 50 to 59 years claimed incapacity benefit in each of the
9 May 2011 : Column 1014W
last seven years for which information is available; and how many males aged 60 to 65 years claimed incapacity benefit in each London borough in each of the last seven years for which information is available. [53413]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows:
| Table 1: Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance: by age and gender time series, Great Britain and abroad | ||||||||
| August 2004 | August 2005 | August 2006 | August 2007 | |||||
| Age group | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male |
| August 2008 | August 200 9 | August 2010 | ||||
| Age group | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male |
| Table 2: Employment and support allowance: by age and gender time series, Great Britain and abroad | ||||
| August 2009 | August 2010 | |||
| Age group | Female | Male | Female | Male |
| Table 3: Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance: Men aged 60 to 65, London local authorities time series | |||||||
| August | |||||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
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9 May 2011 : Column 1016W
| Table 4: Employment and support allowance: Men aged 60 to 65, London local authorities time series | ||
| August 2009 | August 2010 | |
| “—” denotes nil or negligible. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) for most new claims from October 2008. Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% WPLS. | ||
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of claimants of incapacity benefit were aged over (a) 40, (b) 50, (c) 55, (d) 60 and (e) 65 in each of the last seven years. [53473]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
| Number and percentage of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants by age group—Great Britain and abroad | ||||||||
| As at August: | ||||||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |||||
| Age | Case load | % of case toad | Case load | % of case load | Case load | % of case load | Case load | % of case load |
| As at August: | ||||||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | ||||
| Age | Case load | % of case load | Case load | % of case load | Case load | % of case load |
| Number and percentage of employment and support allowance claimants by age group—Great Britain and abroad | ||||
| August 2009 | August 2010 | |||
| Age | Case load | % of case load | Case load | % of case load |
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9 May 2011 : Column 1018W
| Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008. 4. Although in general incapacity benefits apply to people of working age, a small number of claimants are over state pension age. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study | ||||
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Sunderland had been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for more than a year in each of the last three years. [54390]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 6 May 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in Sunderland had been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for more than a year in each of the last 3 years. (54390)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
Table 1 shows the number of persons resident in Sunderland who were in receipt of JSA for more than a year for March of each of the last 3 years.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table.1: Number of people in Sunderland in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for more than a year | |
| As at March: | Number |
| Note: Data rounded to nearest 5. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system | |
Pension Credit
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of pensioners eligible to receive pension credit who are not in receipt of pension credit. [54020]
Steve Webb: In 2008-09 it is estimated that there were between 980,000 and 1.60 million entitled non-recipients of pension credit in Great Britain. These are the latest estimates and are taken from the National Statistics publication, “Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-Up 2008-09”. The publication is available online at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=irb
Personal Independence Payments
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the additional annual cost to the Exchequer of assessing only new claimants for personal independence payments compared to existing expenditure on the administration of disability living allowance in each of the five financial years from 2012-13. [52998]
Maria Miller: The annual cost of administering personal independence payment will depend on the detail of how the benefit is delivered and the design of the new assessment. Costs will be refined as further detail on the reform is developed. Approximate high-level delivery costs (both one off investment and DEL) have been estimated to be £675 million (net present value) over the period 2011-12 to 2015-16. These include provision for making changes to the IT systems, training DWP staff, the administrative effort required to manage the transition of existing recipients to the new system and the cost of trained independent assessors undertaking the new assessment.
We are unable to estimate the cost of administering the personal independence payment in 2013-14 or 2014-15 as the information is not available. It will depend on the detail of how it is delivered and the design of the new objective assessment; the result of the current consultation exercise will help inform this. Costs will be refined as further detail on the reform is developed. The Government will set out further detail at the earliest appropriate point.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the change in the (a) number of benefit recipients and (b) level of public expenditure if the personal independence payment were introduced for new claimants only in each of the next five financial years. [52999]
Maria Miller: Support in personal independence payment will be focused on those who face the biggest barriers to independent living. The assessment is being developed and an assessment is not available of the changes for future recipients. We are working with disabled people and organisations that represent them on the detailed design and delivery of personal independence payment and the outcomes from this work will be reflected in updates to the impact assessment for this change. We have already announced that personal independence payment will be a non taxable, non means-tested benefit payable to people in or out of work.
Remploy
Dr Francis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with Remploy to ensure that adults with (a) autism and
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(b)
Down's syndrome are given training and work opportunities; and if he will make a statement. [51906]
Maria Miller: I have had many discussions with Remploy on a range of issues concerning supporting people with various disabilities into work.
Remploy delivers Work Choice and operates a wide range of services designed to enhance the employment opportunities available to people with both autism and Down's syndrome, including CV development, vocational skills development, job specific training, confidence building and one to one job search support.
Specific examples of the work that Remploy are involved in include:
A European Social Fund contract to improve the skills for learning and future employment of 14 to 19-year-olds with complex barriers, including people with ASD and learning disabilities such as Down's syndrome. This contract operates in Neath Port Talbot, Caerphilly, Torfaen, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Swansea local authority areas.
Working with the National Autistic Society (NAS) to increase the number of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering and maintaining sustainable employment. More than 400 Employment Services staff have received ASD awareness training, helping them to deliver more effective employment support to people with ASD. Remploy and NAS have also developed a tool which identifies learning disabilities and autism traits, enabling the development of individual Person Centred Plans which help overcome specific barriers to employment presented by autism and learning disabilities.
Remploy: Voluntary Redundancy
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former employees of Remploy who took voluntary redundancy in the last 10 years went on to (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment. [43437]
Maria Miller: Responsibility for data regarding past employees lies with Remploy. I understand that they do not routinely hold information about their ex-employees. It is therefore not possible to provide detailed information about the proportion of people formerly employed at Remploy factories taking voluntary redundancy over the last 10 years, who have found full-time or part-time employment.
The majority of employees who took voluntary redundancy from the company in the last 10 years did
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so under Remploy's Modernisation Plan in 2007 and 2008, which was agreed and set up by the previous Administration.
In 2008, Remploy conducted a survey among the 1,800 former employees who had taken voluntary redundancy, to which 650 responded. As this represents only around one-third of the total, the results cannot be used to draw conclusions about the group as a whole. This showed that 19% of those who responded were in work. Of the remaining:
33% were actively looking for work;
42% had taken retirement;
12% would look for work in the future; and
13% were carers, in education or training, did not want work or whose status was unspecified.
194 ex-employees accepted Remploy's offer of support to find another job and 134 found jobs at that time.
Retirement: Public Sector
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the merits of maintaining the current retirement age for public sector workers who have been in employment of a physical nature. [53828]
Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
In its final report the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, chaired by Lord Hutton, recommended that the Government consider a new normal pension age of 60 across the uniformed services to reflect the unique characteristics of the work involved, to be kept under regular review.
At Budget 2011 the Government announced that they accepted Lord Hutton's recommendations as a basis for consultation with public sector workers, trade unions and others. The Government will set out proposals that are affordable, sustainable, and fair to both the public sector work force and the taxpayer.
Social Fund
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to localise all elements of the Social Fund; and if he will make a statement. [54289]
Steve Webb: Our plans for reform of the Social Fund are summarised in the following table:
9 May 2011 : Column 1021W
9 May 2011 : Column 1022W
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for which types of goods and services his Department provided community care grants in the latest period for which figures are available. [50232]
Steve Webb: The information available is as follows:
Types of goods and services provided through community care grants in 2009-10 in Great Britain
Cooker
Bed
Floor covering
Miscellaneous household items
Washing machine
Bedding
Home improvements and maintenance
Redecoration
Removal expenses
Rent in advance
Travelling expenses
Clothing and footwear
Fuel/meter /reconnection
Leisure items
Pre-adoption fees
Others
CCG home leave expenses
Miscellaneous.
Note:
Some categories of goods and services account for nil or negligible numbers of items awarded, these categories have been excluded from the above list.
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System
Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of community care grants were awarded to single people or couples without children in the most recent period for which figures are available. [50236]
Steve Webb: The information is not available. Records on the Social Fund computer system do not routinely include information on the applicant's marital status or the number of children they have and the information is not collated as Management Information; therefore we are unable to report on this.