Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in each local authority area were in foster care in each of the last six years. [55725]
Tim Loughton: Information on the number and percentage of children who were in foster care, in each local authority area, in each of the last six years, has been placed in the House Libraries.
This information, for year ending 31 March 2010, has also been published in tables LAA2 and LAA3 in the Statistical First Release ‘Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2010’, which is available on the Department's website via the following link:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000960/index.shtml
Health Education: Nutrition
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to require schools to teach more about food and nutrition. [56784]
Mr Gibb:
At present food is one of the components that may be studied at Key Stage 3 within the design and technology curriculum. On 20 January, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that we
23 May 2011 : Column 463W
are conducting a review of the national curriculum at both primary and secondary levels. This review includes consideration of the status of design and technology (and all its constituent modules).
Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator: Consultants
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator paid to (a) Grant Thornton in relation to the study on the Collection of Economic and Financial Information, (b) Frontier Economics in relation to the study on the Markets for Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, (c) Reckon LLP in relation to the study on Increasing Transparency of Qualification Fees, (d) PKF (UK) LLP in relation to the study on the Review of Awarding Bodies' Fees, (e) Grant Thornton in relation to the study on the Reasonableness of Fees in Other Widely Used Qualifications and (f) PricewaterhouseCoopers in relation to the Efficiency Study of the Regulated Qualifications System. [56747]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation and I have asked its chief executive, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the hon. Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Primary Education: Capital Investment
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of funding allocated to Sefton council under the Primary Capital programme for building projects beginning in 2011-12 has been withdrawn; and how many schools in Sefton local authority area have had funding withdrawn for building projects under the programme. [55661]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 16 May 2011]: The Primary Capital programme was one of a number of targeted funding streams which ended in 2010-11. The Department has reduced the number of ring-fenced capital programmes for 2011-12, enabling local prioritisation of funding.
Sefton county council and its schools have been allocated £7,695,229 of capital funding for 2011-12. Decisions about priorities for investment rest with the local authority.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Mr Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what additional monies he estimates will be spent funding the pupil premium in Crewe and Nantwich constituency in the financial year 2011-12. [55999]
Mr Gibb
[holding answer 17 May 2011]: The January 2010 school censuses allow an estimate of the number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals to be made. In maintained schools and academies in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency in January 2010 there were 2,135 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £918,050. In addition to this there were eight pupils known to be
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eligible for the Service child premium, paid at a lower rate of £200 per pupil, which would give rise to a further £1,600. However, these are estimates only and are based on data for January 2010. It is not possible to determine the number of parliamentary constituency pupils recorded on the alternative provision census or recorded as looked after as they are both local authority, rather than establishment level, returns.
Tables that contain the estimates based on the figures from the January 2010 census, disaggregated by local authority, region and constituency have been placed in the Libraries. Figures from the January 2011 census will be published in June.
School Meals: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was paid to each school in Peterborough local education authority area in respect of the school lunch grant under the dedicated schools grant in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement. [55992]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 17 May 2011]: The Department does not hold information about how much was paid to each school in Peterborough in respect of the school lunch grant. However, the total paid to Peterborough local authority in each year since 2005 is as follows:
|
|
£ |
From 2011, the funding for the school lunch grant is part of the schools’ baseline funding announced in the spending review. The funding will not be ring-fenced as the Government believe that schools need more freedom to decide how to deploy their resources to meet the needs of their pupils. It will be for schools and local authorities to decide how to spend the funding in line with their priorities while consistent with the delivery of statutory nutritional standards.
Schools: Admissions
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children living in each local education authority (LEA) area attended a (a) primary and (b) secondary school outside their LEA area in the last year for which figures are available. [55949]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 17 May 2011]: The latest information showing how many and what proportion of children living in each local authority attended a school outside their local authority area in January 2010 is available in the publication ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2010’. This publication is available on the Department's website at the following address:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000925/index.shtml
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The information requested about (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools is available in tables 15a and 15b at the following address:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000925/sfr09-2010xbmvv2.xls
The information in this publication is based on data collected in the January 2010 school census. Information based on the January 2011 school census is scheduled to be published in June 2011.
Teachers: Training
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of evidence he considers before outlining his plans for initial teacher training to be school-based. [56884]
Mr Gibb: We intend to publish shortly a strategy document for general discussion giving details on our plans for initial teacher training reform, including for school-based training. A copy of the document along with the responses where permission is given for them to be made public will be placed in the House Libraries.
Teaching Methods
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the teaching methods used in the instruction of reading, writing and arithmetic during initial recruit training in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force and examine how the resulting changes in educational attainment might be replicated in mainstream schools. [56700]
Mr Gibb: I understand that a range of approaches to the teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic will be used during initial training in the armed services, to enable the recruits to reach the required standard. The Government are currently assessing how standards in schools can be raised and have outlined their plans in the Schools White Paper “The Importance of Teaching” which was published on 24 November 2010.
Trade Unions
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff of his Department are entitled to work (a) full-time as trade union representatives and (b) part-time on trade union activities; how many such staff are paid more than £25,900 annually; and what the cost to the public purse of employing such staff on such duties was in the latest period for which figures are available. [56439]
Tim Loughton: The Department's trade union facilities agreement allows for three full-time trade union posts. The overall cost of trade union activity in the Department is capped at 0.2% of the paybill. For 2010-11 the overall salary expenditure to staff on trade union duties was £210,000, including the three full-time posts costing £92,000. In 2010-11, there were 39 trade union officials including the three full-time posts. The three staff engaged in the full-time posts were the only staff paid more than £25,900 annually for trade union duties.
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Business, Innovation and Skills
Advantage West Midlands: Assets
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which assets owned by the West Midlands Regional Development Agency his Department has approved for sale; what the value is of each such asset; which further assets his Department plans to sell; and what the estimated monetary value is of those assets. [56127]
Mr Prisk: Advantage West Midlands, alongside the seven other regional development agencies (RDAs) outside London, have put forward proposals for the disposal of a proportion of their land and property assets. Details of the sites expected to be sold in the short-term have been made available via the BIS website and the House Libraries. It would not be in the interest of securing best value for the taxpayer to indicate the assumed value of individual assets prior to sale. RDA boards remain responsible for determining which RDA assets should be sold. Decisions on further disposals will be announced in due course.
Arms Trade: Exports
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answers of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1173W and 31 March 2011, Official Report, columns 475-76W, on the arms trade: exports, for which countries arms export licences have been revoked as a result of his Department's review of export licences announced on 18 February 2011 since 15.00 on 3 March 2011; how many (a) individual and (b) open licences were revoked in respect of each country; and what the date of revocation was in each case. [55031]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 12 May 2011]: Since 15.00 on 3 March the following licences have been revoked:
One standard individual export licence (SIEL) was revoked on 4 March.
Bahrain was removed as a permitted destination from two open individual export licences (OIELs) on 4 March, three OIELs on 9 March and one OIEL on 30 March.
Egypt was removed as a permitted destination from two OIELs on 4 March and one OIEL on 12 May.
The review is ongoing as we continue to monitor how the situation develops in this region.
Business
Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on measures to promote opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to win contracts with large corporations as (a) suppliers and (b) resellers of products and services; and if he will make a statement. [56615]
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Mr Prisk: It is not the role of Government to intervene directly with respect to private sector contracts. However, the Government are committed to supporting small business to overcome barriers to growth and to access new markets through a range of new business improvement initiatives. These include:
a national website and a national contact centre;
the new Business Coaching for Growth programme; and
a national mentoring network which will bring together existing networks of mentors in the voluntary and private sectors to provide advice to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
In addition, specialist support is available to SMEs through UK Trade and Investment and the Manufacturing Advisory Service.
We have also taken a number of steps to remove barriers to small businesses accessing public procurement opportunities. This includes promoting the use of the Government's single public procurement web portal—Contracts Finder—by prime suppliers to advertise appropriate sub-contracting opportunities.
Computer Software: Exports
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the export by UK businesses of internet filtering technologies and products in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [56392]
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 May 2011:
As Director-General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to ask what information the Department holds on the export by UK businesses of internet filtering technologies and products in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [56392]
I regret that the ONS does not separately identify this specific item or therefore publish statistics relating to it.
The latest UK Balance of Payments Statistical Bulletin can be found at the following web link:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=1118
Credit
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to prohibit the use of facsimile signatures on credit agreements. [56655]
Mr Davey: The Call for Evidence issued as part of the Government's Consumer Credit and Personal Insolvency Review asked for views on rationalising the requirements around signing of agreements.
The responses are being considered and the Government will make an announcement on next steps before the summer recess. Any proposal will need to balance appropriate protection for consumers and increased efficiency for lenders while providing clarity on the signature requirements for credit agreements.
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Domestic Service: Conditions of Employment
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely level of legal protection for domestic workers under the proposed International Labour Organization Convention on Domestic Workers. [56716]
Mr Davey: There has not yet been final agreement on the proposed convention, so it is not possible to comment in detail on the level of protection it would offer at this stage. The matter is to be discussed further at the forthcoming International Labour Conference. The Government will seek a workable convention that can be ratified by as many countries as possible, and consequently protect vulnerable domestic workers worldwide.
Environment Protection
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made on the green economy roadmap. [56530]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 19 May 2011]: Over recent months, this Department has been working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop a Roadmap to a Green Economy that will provide businesses with the longer term clarity they have been seeking from Government. The Departments have been looking at the evidence available and engaging with key stakeholders to understand the priorities and needs of business.
The roadmap will be published this July. It will set out the Government's goals in enabling the transition to a green economy, the business and investment environment that is required and the policies that we will put in place to shape that business environment.
EU External Trade: India
Mr Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the Mode 4 component sought by India in the EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations; what requests have been made by India in respect of the redefinition of categories; what his policy is on minimum salary requirements for intra corporate transfers; when he expects a decision to be taken on the number of people to be admitted under the agreement; and if he will make a statement. [57176]
Mr Davey: The EU-India Free Trade Agreement is still under negotiation. It is possible an outline deal may emerge by the summer.
As part of the ongoing negotiation, we are assessing the requests India has made in Mode 4. These raise issues around lengths of stay, definitions of categories and sectoral coverage. We expect the agreement to be consistent with the Government's current policy of applying minimum salary requirements to intra-company transferees coming to the UK.
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Government Departments: Bureaucracy
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to reduce administrative burdens and bureaucracy in government. [55219]
Mr Prisk: We recognise that badly-designed regulation and red tape can stifle enterprise and business growth and have set out a clear aim—to leave office having reduced the overall burden of regulation.
The coalition agreement set out an ambitious agenda for dealing with the burden of red tape on businesses.
In September, the Government introduced the One-in, One-out rule for new regulations so a new regulatory burden cannot be introduced without identifying another to be removed first. In December, we introduced a new approach to transposing EU directives, to end ‘gold plating' and ensure they are not transposed in such a way that they disadvantage UK businesses relative to their EU competitors. In March we introduced sunset clauses in new regulations which impose a cost on businesses to ensure they remain relevant and are fit-for-purpose.
Last year, we launched a series of formal reviews in areas which impose a particular burden on business, such as the Lord Young review of health and safety laws and the ongoing employment law review.
In ‘The Plan for Growth', published alongside the Budget 2011, as part of a package of measures to improve the UK's regulatory environment, the Government announced that micro-businesses (those with fewer than 10 employees) would be exempt from all new domestic regulation for three years. We also decided not to extend the right to request time to train to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), potentially saving SMEs approximately £350 million and not to bring forward the dual discrimination provision, saving business up to £3 million per year.
Last month, the Prime Minister launched the Red Tape Challenge website:
www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
which asks the public and businesses to identify regulations that need to be amended or removed. Every few weeks regulations affecting one specific sector or industry will be published on the website. There is also the opportunity to comment on cross-cutting areas of regulation, such as employment law.
Green Economy Council
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the agenda was for the most recent meeting of the Green Economy Council. [56503]
Mr Prisk: The most recent meeting of the Green Economy Council on 16 February discussed the council's terms of reference and the Government's Roadmap to a Green Economy, which is currently being developed.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what date the most recent meeting of the Green Economy Council was held. [56504]
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Mr Prisk: The last meeting of the Green Economy Council took place on the 16 February.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times the Green Economy Council has met since its establishment. [56531]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 19 May 2011]: The Green Economy Council has met once since its establishment. Further meetings are planned.
Green Investment Bank
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) when he plans to announce the appointment of the chairperson of the Green Investment Bank; [56527]
(2) whether he has any plans to establish a shadow management board for the Green Investment Bank prior to its launch. [56528]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 19 May 2011]: The Government will announce their plans for the Green Investment Bank later this month (May 2011). These will set out governance arrangements, including prior to the bank's launch.
Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department has provided to organisations located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in each of the last five years. [52489]
Mr Willetts: This Department's capital and resource funding to organisations located at Harwell in the last five years, delivered via the main funding partners (Science and Technology Facilities Council, Medical Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, International Space Innovation Centre and UK Atomic Energy Authority) was as follows:
|
|
£ million |
| (1) Incomplete as data come from different sources: some is unavailable as the data are unaudited, while some are provisional. | |
Higher Education: Anti-Semitism
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether officials in his Department with policy responsibility for dealing with anti-Semitism in universities (a) have regular access to and (b) read Jewish weekly newspapers in the course of their official duties; and if he will make a statement. [56613]
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Mr Willetts: Policy officials have access to a range of information sources to ensure they are well informed about issues facing the Jewish community in higher education. This will include relationships with other Government Departments and direct contact with external partners such as the Union of Jewish Students and the Community Security Trust. Officials will access the media where this is a necessary part of their duties.
Higher Education: Employment
Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to encourage the development of links between employers and universities. [56298]
Mr Willetts: We are working with partners such as the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and others, to encourage further development of the links between employers and higher education institutions (HEIs). These relationships help deliver a more highly skilled work force, more effective use of our research base, and support for innovation and economic growth in key sectors. For example:
We have asked UKCES to bring together employers in particular sectors to identify their evolving skills priorities and get them to collaborate in tackling their own skills needs through partnerships with universities and colleges;
To ensure universities work more closely with business, we have maintained the Higher Education Innovation Funding at £150 million a year to support a broad range of knowledge exchange activities, and are introducing reforms which increase incentives for the most effective HEIs; and
The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) are establishing a network of Technology and Innovation Centres (TICs) to help commercialise the outputs of our world-class research base and further bridge the gap between universities and businesses. TICs will allow businesses to access equipment and expertise that would otherwise be out of reach, help them access new funding streams, and point towards the potential of emerging technologies. TICs will receive £200 million in the current spending review period. The first will focus on high-value manufacturing, and TSB will run competitions in 2011-12 and 2012-13 to create an elite network of six to eight such TICs.
We will continue to encourage close and sustained engagement between employers and universities that promote such high-level skills, knowledge transfer and collaborative research initiatives, to the benefit of business, the higher education sector and the wider economy.
Higher Education: Vocational Guidance
Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has assessed the (a) availability and (b) quality of careers advice in universities. [56297]
Mr Willetts: Being independent, autonomous bodies the responsibility for providing careers advice within universities lies with the institutions in question. The vast majority of university careers offices are members of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) which is the professional association for higher education careers practitioners:
www.agcas.org.uk
23 May 2011 : Column 472W
www.matrixstandard.com
the Government quality standard for information, advice and guidance, is a criterion for institutional membership of AGCAS. AGCAS services also abide by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)’s code of practice:
www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section8/default.asp
They also deliver a full range of professional development training via a suite of qualifications for careers staff in association with the university of Warwick.
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/othercourses/careerstudies/
Improving information for students is a key part of our future plans for higher education. The Higher Education Funding Council for England has consulted on proposals that higher education institutions should publish, from September 2012, a standard set of 17 key information items, for each course, on their websites. The information is based on what research shows that students want: information about costs, previous student satisfaction, employment outcomes and number of contact hours.
The coalition Government are committed to improving the quality of careers advice for everyone, including students. We will establish the national careers service in England from April 2012 which will provide independent and expert advice to help young people and adults progress in learning and careers. Advisers in the service will have access to clear information about higher education courses and sources of funding.
Higher Education: Work Experience
Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the employment prospects of graduates who undertake integrated work-based placements as part of degree courses. [57409]
Mr Willetts: In general employers say they are happy with the quality of UK graduates (National Employers Skill Survey 2009, UKCES 2010). However, they believe that graduates could be better provided with generic employability skills such as team working, leadership, etc. Higher education institutions are increasingly offering such programmes, including practical work experience placements, as part of their provision. We would like to see more of this approach and will, in our forthcoming White Paper, be highlighting to students, the higher education sector and employers the benefits of such activity.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely level of economic growth in areas not covered by local enterprise partnerships in each year to 2014. [56352]
Mr Prisk:
No assessment has been made of the likely level of economic growth in areas not covered by local enterprise partnerships in each year to 2014. Currently 94% of all active enterprises are covered by a local enterprise
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partnership and we are continuing to work with new partnerships as they develop their proposals.
Manufacturing Industries
Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to improve the status and profile of manufacturing as a career path; and if he will make a statement. [56871]
Mr Prisk: To improve the perception of manufacturing as a career path, the Government are funding STEMNET, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics network which provides resources for students, teachers and professionals. We have also set up a programme of exhibitions on manufacturing, engineering and design and will shortly be piloting a series of open days in the automotive sector through the ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative which will see companies like General Motors and Jaguar Land Rover open their doors to school children and students. This will be rolled out to other manufacturing sectors.
Nuclear Engineering: Training
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the UK's capacity to train nuclear engineers. [56355]
Mr Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has had no recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the UK's capacity to train nuclear engineers.
Overseas Students
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students who are nationals of (a) Brazil, (b) the Russian Federation, (c) India and (d) China attended (i) universities and (ii) colleges in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available. [56337]
Mr Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) regarding students in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is shown in Table 1. It is compulsory for HEIs to record a student's domicile, whereas nationality is not compulsory, therefore figures based on domicile have been provided. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012.
| Table 1: Enrolments (1) by country of domicile, UK Higher Education Institutions, academic year 2009/10 | |
| Country of domicile | Enrolments |
| (1) Covers enrolments to postgraduate and undergraduate full-time and part-time courses. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) | |
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Table 2 shows the number of learners participating in Further Education in colleges with a country of domicile of Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available. Information on the nationality of learners in Further Education is not available, therefore country of domicile has been provided.
Government funded learning as recorded on the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) for Further Education is restricted to home learners. Therefore funded learners who are non EEA (European Economic Area) nationals must have been resident in the UK for the three years preceding their course start date and the main purpose for residence was not to receive full-time education during any part of that three year period. There are a limited number of exceptions to this, for example—refugees, learners with indefinite leave to remain status, or learners studying under reciprocal exchange agreements.
| Table 2: Further Education learner participation in colleges by country of domicile, 2009/10 | |
|
|
FE learner participation |
| Notes: 1. These data include learning in the Learner Responsive, Apprenticeships and Other work-based learning funding streams delivered in General Further Education Colleges including Tertiary, Sixth Form Colleges, Special Colleges—Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges, Specialist Colleges and External Institutions. 2. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |
Post Offices: Closures
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many post offices have closed since May 2010. [56853]
Mr Davey: The information requested is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of the Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Post Offices: Wales
Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many post offices in Wales have closed since May 2010. [57143]
Mr Davey: The information requested is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of the Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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Press: Competition
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings the Competition Minister has had with representatives of (a) newspaper and magazine publishers, (b) news and magazine wholesalers, (c) newspaper and magazine retailers and (d) the Office of Fair Trading on the exemption of news and magazine suppliers from the requirements of section 131 of the Enterprise Act 2002. [56663]
Mr Davey: I have not had any meetings relating to exempting newspaper and magazine suppliers from the requirements of section 131 of the Enterprise Act 2002.
Research: Finance
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what provision he has made for any revenue running costs arising from the additional capital expenditure on science announced in the Budget 2011. [52798]
Mr Willetts: We are not expecting any net increases in running costs arising from these projects. Formal allocations of the additional Budget 2011 capital funding for science will be subject to BIS approval of the Research Council and UK Space Agency business cases for each project. These business cases will identify where there are any increases to running costs arising from the capital projects and will explain how these costs will be funded from available resources and any future revenue.
Research: Procurement
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on encouraging publicly-funded research centres to procure machinery manufactured in the UK. [57266]
Mr Willetts: All procurement of equipment or other products and services by publicly funded research centres is undertaken on the basis of open and competitive tendering procedures, as required by the EU procurement directives and UK Government guidance issued by the Cabinet Office.
Rolls-Royce
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will meet relevant hon. Members and trade union officials from Rolls-Royce to discuss his Department's Plan for Growth. [56354]
Mr Prisk: I met hon. Members and trade union officials from Rolls-Royce on 22 March to discuss a range of issues. If there are specific questions about the Plan for Growth, it would be helpful if the hon. Member could write to me setting them out. We also have close and regular contact with Rolls-Royce's senior management team.
The first phase of the growth review was reported at Budget 2011. Some 117 measures were announced in ‘The Plan for Growth', and the majority of these measures
23 May 2011 : Column 476W
are incorporated in published departmental business plans. The growth review will last the lifetime of this Parliament to provide an ongoing focus on what Government can do to support growth. The next phase will include a key focus on the successful implementation of these measures. Progress on delivering these actions, and on the next phase, will initially report in autumn 2011.
Stress
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arrangements his Department has in place to (a) reduce levels of and (b) support staff diagnosed with work-related stress. [48294]
Mr Davey: This Department has a range of measures in place to reduce levels of and to support staff diagnosed with stress and related conditions.
People with a long-term health condition or disability may request reasonable adjustments in the workplace in order to help them perform their job effectively and to the best of their ability. These in-depth assessments are carried out by a specialist disability management service provider.
All staff have access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme providing support and advice.
Where staff are absent for a period of two weeks or more for stress or related conditions, the Department seeks early advice from our occupational health service provider on the support that can be offered to facilitate an early and effective return to work.
This Department is currently developing a BIS Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which includes more support for line managers who manage individuals with anxiety, depression or stress. We have identified individuals with a susceptibility for being absent on these grounds to ensure that they are accessing available support.
Students: Finance
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 717W, on students: finance, what progress he has made with the Central Office of Information in developing its information campaign to communicate student finance arrangements to prospective students. [56292]
Mr Willetts: The first phase of our campaign to get information to prospective students and their families about our student finance reforms was launched on 9 May. It uses a mixture of radio, press and digital advertising.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 717W, on students: finance, what meetings (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Central Office of Information on the development of an information campaign to communicate student finance arrangements to prospective students; and on what date each such meeting took place. [56293]
23 May 2011 : Column 477W
Mr Willetts: BIS officials are in regular contact with the Central Office of Information to discuss the best way to provide information about our student finance reforms to prospective students and their families. I met with the Central Office of Information and officials on 4 April 2011 to review the proposals for the recently launched public information campaign.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 493W, on students: finance, to which organisations and websites the key facts e-flyer has been sent. [56294]
Mr Willetts: To date, the following organisations and websites have received the e-flyer.
Universities UK, Guild HE, Russell Group, 1994 Group, Million+, University Alliance, 157 Group, Mixed Economy Group, Association of Colleges, Association of Learning Providers, Higher Education Policy Institute, Sutton Trust, Universities Marketing Forum, Higher Education External Relations Association, Royal Institute of British Architects, British Dental Association, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Research Councils UK, Confederation of Business Industry, Council of Validating Universities, British Academy, APPG on Personal Finance Education, Helena Kennedy Foundation, Consumer Finance Education Body, Credit Action, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Action on Access, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Higher Education Liaison Officers Association, National Association of Student Money Advisers, Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education, National Association for Managers of Student Services in Colleges, Institute of Careers Guidance, Association for Careers Education and Guidance, National Association for Educational Guidance for Adults, Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, Association of Career Professionals, Careers Research and Advisory Centre, Universities and Colleges Employers Association, National Union of Teachers, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, University and College Union, Association of School and College Leaders, National Association of Head Teachers, National Association of Independent Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools, Sixth Form Colleges Forum, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, Teach First, Future First, Association of Colleges National College, BPP, Kaplan, Buckingham university, School of Finance, Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, College of Law, Resource Development International, National Union of Students, UK Youth Parliament, Youth Net, The Student Room, Push, BrightsideUniAid, Fullonmag, Personal Finance Education Group, moneysavingexpert.com, Opendays, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Office of the Independent Adjudicator, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Office for Fair Access, UCAS, Student Loans Company, Anglia Ruskin university, Aston university, Bath Spa university, Birkbeck college, Birmingham City university, Bishop Grosseteste university college, Bournemouth university, Brunel university, Buckinghamshire New university, Canterbury Christ Church university, Central School of Speech and Drama, City university London, Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, Courtauld Institute of Art, Coventry university, Cranfield university, De Montfort university, Edge Hill university, Goldsmiths college, University of London, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Harper Adams university college, Heythrop College, Imperial College London, Institute of Education, Keele university, King's College London, Kingston university, Lancaster university, Leeds College of Music, Leeds Metropolitan university, Leeds Trinity university college, Liverpool Hope university, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Liverpool John Moores university, London Business School, London Metropolitan university, London School of Economics and Political Science, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London South Bank university, Loughborough university, Manchester Metropolitan university, Middlesex university, Newman university college, Norwich university college of the Arts, Nottingham
23 May 2011 : Column 478W
Trent university, Open university, Oxford Brookes university, Queen Mary, university of London, Ravensbourne, Roehampton university, Rose Bruford College, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Agricultural College, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music, Royal Holloway university of London, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies, School of Pharmacy, Sheffield Hallam university, Southampton Solent university, St George's Hospital Medical School, St Mary's university college, Staffordshire university, Thames Valley university, Arts university college at Bournemouth, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, University college Birmingham, University college Falmouth, University college London, University college Plymouth St Mark & St John, University for the Creative Arts, university of Bath, university of Bedfordshire, university of Birmingham, university of Bolton, university of Bradford, university of Brighton, university of Bristol, university of Cambridge, university of Central Lancashire, university of Chester, university of Chichester, university of Cumbria, university of Derby, university of Durham, university of East Anglia, university of East London, university of Essex, university of Exeter, university of Gloucestershire, university of Greenwich, university of Hertfordshire, university of Huddersfield, university of Hull, university of Kent, university of Leeds, university of Leicester, university of Lincoln, university of Liverpool, university of London, university of Manchester, Newcastle university, university of Northampton, university of Northumbria at Newcastle, university of Nottingham, university of Oxford, university of Plymouth, university of Portsmouth, university of Reading, university of Salford, university of Sheffield, university of Southampton, university of Sunderland, university of Surrey, university of Sussex, university of Teesside, university of the Arts London, university of the West of England Bristol, university of Warwick, university of Westminster, university of Winchester, university of Wolverhampton, university of Worcester, university of York, Writtle college, York St John university, Government Departments, MPs and Peers.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 493W, on students: finance, which organisation processed the typesetting of the key facts e-flyer; and on what date his Department commissioned the work. [56295]
Mr Willetts: Communisis was commissioned on 7 March to typeset the facts e-flyer.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 717W, on students: finance, what funding he has allocated for communicating student finance arrangements to prospective students for (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13. [56296]
Mr Willetts: To date the Department has allocated £1.475 million to the recently launched information campaign aimed at potential students considering entering university from September 2012.
The Student Loans Company has allocated some £1.3 million in the current financial year to provide information, advice and guidance aimed at informing and encouraging potential students to apply for the student support available from September.
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 717W, on students: finance, which advertising agency he has appointed to support the campaign to communicate higher education finance options to prospective students. [56301]
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Mr Willetts: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe—part of the Young and Rubicam Group has been appointed to develop our campaign to communicate information about student finance reforms to prospective students and their families.
Students: Loans
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much and what proportion of the amount lent each year in student loans he estimates will be written off under the new arrangements for student finance and tuition fees since universities announced their proposed fee levels for 2011-12; and whether his Department has revised those estimates. [55437]
Mr Willetts: For 2011-12 we are forecasting that of the amount of student loans issued, both tuition fee and maintenance, around 30% will not be repaid. The tuition fee arrangements for 2011-12 will remain as they are now; a university will be able to charge up to £3,375 for tuition fees and a student will be able to apply for this amount as a tuition fee loan. Information on the arrangements for student finance for 2011-12 can be found on
www.direct.gov.uk
For 2012-13 we are forecasting the same level of non repayment of loans issued as although students will be borrowing more for tuition fees their terms of repayment will increase to 30 years and the percentage of their income that will be repaid when they earn over £21,000 will be 9%.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he made of the potential effect on student participation levels of the determination of the interest rate on student loans by reference to the retail prices index; and if he will make a statement. [56518]
Mr Willetts: We are not proposing to change the measure of inflation used to determine the interest rate on student loans, and do not therefore expect there to be an impact on student participation levels.
The retail price index (RPI) has been used since the introduction of student loans as the basis for determining interest. We will continue to use it for this purpose; the real rate of interest that will apply to student loans while the student is studying and to higher earners will use RPI as the basis for determining inflation.
These proposals have been carefully costed and are fair, reasonable and affordable in the long-term.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he made of the potential effect on participation by students with family responsibilities of setting student loan repayment liability for part-time students from three and a half years after borrowing; and if he will make a statement. [56519]
Mr Willetts:
Part-time students will become liable to repay from 6 April following the third anniversary of the start date of their course, even if they are continuing
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to study. If the study period is less than three years, an individual will start repaying the loan in the April after the course finishes.
Part-time students will repay at a rate of 9% above £21,000 and no one is expected to repay until they earn more than £21,000.
This date has been chosen as it is consistent with the repayment date that will typically apply to full-time students.
This balances the needs of the student with those of the tax payer, as it secures repayments from part-time students who earn more than £21,000 at the earliest reasonable opportunity while also affording protection to low-earning graduates.
Because the earnings threshold at which repayments start will be raised to £21,000, more low earners, including many part-time workers, will fall below the repayment threshold. The new system will particularly benefit those (both men and women) who take time out to have a family and the lowest-earners.
Currently, part-time students do not receive such support, so they will be in a better position with this new system.
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 494W, on the third sector, how much funding was provided to each charity funded by his Department in the last year for which figures are available. [56628]
Mr Davey: This Department does not make charitable donations but provides grant or grant in aid funding to some bodies that are registered charities. The following table sets out the amounts this Department has given to these bodies in financial year 2010-11.
Further information on funding to charities could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| 2010-11 | |
| Bodies | £000 |
Video Recordings Act 1984
Mr Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect on consumer protection of the
23 May 2011 : Column 481W
proposed reorganisation of the Local Government Group on the enforcement of the Video Recordings Act 1984 by trading standards officers. [55913]
Mr Vaizey: I have been asked to reply.
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As work on implementing changes to the Video Recordings Act has been progressing, my officials have been speaking regularly to officials at Local Government Regulation to ensure that the needs of those involved in enforcement are met.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 23 May 2011
Answers received for publication on Monday 23 May 2011
Work and Pensions
Access to Work Programme
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reason for trends in the number of new customers using the Access to Work programme in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [55943]
Maria Miller: Access to Work is a popular and successful programme and numbers helped have grown steadily in recent years. The programme supported 32,120 disabled people to keep or get employment during 2008-09 and supported 37,290 disabled people in 2009-10. Figures from April 2010 to December 2010 show that 32,680 disabled people were supported by Access to Work in that period. The figures appear to show a small decline in the numbers helped in Quarter 2 and Quarter 3 of 2010-11 but as these numbers are subject to revision it is too early to draw any inferences from this.
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received support through the Access to Work programme in each quarter since its inception. [55944]
Maria Miller: Figures from the inception of Access to Work in 1997, up to end of March 2007 are not available due to unreliable data.
The following table shows the number of individuals helped on the Access to Work programme each quarter since April 2007 and up to 31 December 2010(1, 2):
| Number | ||
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| (1) Source—Access to Work database. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Each person is counted once in each quarter. If a person has been helped in more than one quarter within the same financial year, they are only counted once in the total numbers helped during that financial year. If a person has been helped in more than one financial year, they are only counted once in the total numbers helped since April 2007. | ||
Bakeries: Safety
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effects of sustained heat on people working in bakeries. [56717]
Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive has not conducted specific research on bakeries and the effect of sustained heat on workers in those environments.
HSE has commissioned research that looks at the effects of working in hot environments that can be applied to a wide range of UK industries including bakeries. This research can be found at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr337.pdf
looked at the risks associated with manual handling in a range of thermal environments including bakeries.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr008.pdf
was used to provide practical web based generic guidance to UK industry on heat stress risk assessments.
In addition HSE commissioned Professor Ray Kemp to review the management of workplace temperature, and later reviewed results from a questionnaire, both of which do not support legislative review. Guidance available from the HSE website reflects these findings, and offers simple measures that may be taken to address conditions in hot workplaces:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/index.htm
Cold Weather Payments
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cold weather payments were made to pensioner households in the weather station area covering (a) York Central constituency, (b) York local authority area and (c) the UK in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11; and what was the total value of such payments. [56658]
Steve Webb: The information available is for Great Britain and is provided in the following tables:
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| Number of pensioner benefit units eligible for a cold weather payment in each area in 2009-10 and 2010-11 | ||
| Area | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Notes 1. The information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. 2. The information given is for pensioner benefit units as opposed to pensioner households as cold weather payments are made to benefit units and not households. There can be more than one benefit unit in a household, e.g. where two sisters live together they would be classed as two benefit units but one household. 3. The analysis does not include pensioner benefit units who are eligible for cold weather payments because they receive employment and support allowance (income-related), as no relevant data are available. However, it is very likely that the number of people involved is small and would not change the above estimate. 4. The estimate is lower than the number of benefit units receiving pension credit because people in a care home are not eligible for cold weather payments. 5. In 2009-10 the York Central constituency was one part of the City of York constituency so figures have been given for this constituency however they are not comparable. Source: Analysis of 5% sample data for pension credit, income support (for recipients with a pensioner premium), jobseeker's allowance (for recipients with a pensioner premium) and the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (100% data), all for August 2009 and August 2010. | ||
| Expenditure on cold weather payments for the weather stations which cover the York Central/City of York constituencies in 2009-10 and 2010-11 | ||
| £ million | ||
| Weather station | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, figures given are estimates. Actuals are not available. 2. A cold weather payment is made to an eligible customer when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode. (When the temperature criterion is met, the weather station is said to trigger.) 3. Some weather stations listed are linked both to an area within the York Central and City of York constituencies and also to an area outside of it. Estimated numbers given are for the weather station as a whole, not for the part of the York Central or City of York constituencies linked to the weather station. 4. Some postcode to weather station linkages have changed from one year to the next, so estimated numbers are not always comparable from year to year. 5. Estimated expenditure is for cold weather payments triggered in the relevant financial year. 6. Cold weather payments are made to benefit units. A benefit unit can be a single person or a couple and can include children. 7. Some benefit units received more than one payment in some years. 8. Estimated expenditure has been rounded to the nearest £100,000. Sources: Postcode districts in the York Central and City of York constituencies: analysis of National Statistics Postcode Directory. Postcode district to weather station links: Department for Work and Pensions records. Estimated numbers: scans of benefit computer systems taken at the end of October each year giving the number of potential qualifiers for cold weather payments by weather station; Department for Work and Pensions records of triggers; Department for Work and Pensions records of the total number of payments actually made by benefit computer system and clerically. | ||
The estimated expenditure on cold weather payments in Great Britain in 2009-10 was £296.7 million and in 2010-11 was £430 million.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on special advisers' travel by (a) private hire car, (b) train, (c) bus, (d) commercial aircraft and (e) private aircraft since May 2010. [56111]
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Chris Grayling: The following table details this Department's spend on travel for our special advisers during the period May 2010 to March 2011; further data are unavailable at present.
| Travel expenditure | May 2009 to March 2010 (£) | May 2010 to March 2011 (£) | Percentage reduction |
Disability Living Allowance
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what timetable his Department has set for the reassessment of people in receipt of disability living allowance. [56235]
Maria Miller: From 2013 we will begin to replace disability living allowance for people of working age with personal independence payment, a new, more transparent benefit and objective assessment of individual need. We expect that by 2016 all existing working age recipients of disability living allowance will have been reassessed for personal independence payment. We will continue to involve disabled people and their organisations in the design of this exercise.
We want to build on the experience of developing an assessment and applying it to new and existing claimants of working age to inform our decisions about the arrangements for children and pensioners. Therefore, we will not extend personal independence payment to children or pensioners already receiving DLA until we have had an opportunity to consider the effectiveness of the new arrangements for working age people.
Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to remove the mobility component payment of disability living allowance for state-funded residents in care homes after 28 days. [56466]
Maria Miller: 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 consider the needs of care home residents alongside all other recipients of DLA. We will 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.
When the work is complete we will make a final decision on the way forward. Any changes will be rolled into the introduction of personal independence payment from April 2013.
We guarantee this measure is not intended to reduce the mobility of residents in care homes. It aims to remove any overlap, not remove severely disabled people's ability to get out and about.
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Employment and Support Allowance: Disability
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that persons with learning disabilities are informed of the help and support available to them from his Department. [56209]
Maria Miller: The Department provides appropriate and flexible support through a variety of channels to ensure customers with learning disabilities are informed about benefits and services available to them.
Information and help can be accessed through our online services via Directgov. We also produce leaflets in easy read format available both online and offline which provide information mainly for people with learning disabilities. Customers can also access our telephony services such as the benefit enquiry line where they are asked a range of questions to identify the most appropriate benefits available to them. This information is recorded electronically, removing the need for a claim form to be completed.
Increasingly, customers are opting to apply for jobseeker’s allowance online via the “Do it online” section of the Directgov website. This provides the flexibility to access Jobcentre Plus services from their own homes, at a pace that suits them and allows them to be assisted in completing the application by an advocate or representative. Customers can also submit an initial application for employment support allowance via the internet claim service.
Should a customer be unable to use either of the options above, clerical forms can be issued or, where appropriate, we also offer face to face meetings to support the most vulnerable customers.
We also provide the customer the opportunity to appoint a representative to manage their claim on their behalf, e.g. a family member or their key worker.
Our work, with national partners such as the citizens advice bureau at a strategic and operational level, offers a holistic and joined-up service for disabled people, including those with learning disabilities.
Jobcentre Plus staff have the opportunity to learn more about the learning disability agenda through the “Raising the Game on Disability” seminar, which covers a range of pan-disability topics, but can also specifically include a session around learning disabilities, to improve the customer service experience for individuals with these conditions.
Funeral Payments
Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to increase the level of co-ordination between his Department, the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice on the guidance provided on funerals and bereavements; what plans he has to provide training for his Department's staff in this area; and if he will make a statement. [48814]
Steve Webb: DWP rolled out a new Bereavement Service in March. The service enables a bereaved customer to report a death and to find out whether they may be entitled to benefits as a result of the bereavement, in a single phone call. Where they may be entitled to a Social Fund funeral payment, or to bereavement benefit, a claim can be taken by the agent over the phone and sent directly to processing teams.
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Two and a half days of training has been provided to staff delivering the Bereavement Service, including both soft skills and technical training. Staff responsible for processing completed Social Fund funeral payment claims receive four weeks' training including two weeks' consolidation. Bereavement benefit processing staff receive three weeks' training on processing new claims, which includes one week's consolidation, while training for processing bereavement benefit changes of circumstances is eight weeks' duration, including four weeks' consolidation.
It is important that bereaved customers know about the new service so that they can access the additional help available. In order to provide this information, the Directgov site will be updated by June 2011, and all relevant leaflets amended by September 2011 (timing varies to minimise extra costs). In both cases, while DWP leads on information about bereavement, publications are developed in close collaboration with colleagues in General Register Office, Ministry of Justice, Department of Health, the Probate Service and HM Revenue and Customs.
As my hon. Friend knows, my Department is also leading the way on ‘Tell Us Once’ and I refer him to the record of the Adjournment debate on 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 146.
My hon. Friend is right in pointing out that communications need to be co-ordinated with other Government Departments, particularly within the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Department of Health. My Department has written to 60 third party organisations, including MOJ, about the new services being provided for the bereaved. Additionally it has delivered a presentation to a number of MOJ staff who will be actively involved in helping customers to access the new services.
Regarding the Department of Health, my Department wants to make sure that the messages are received by all the people who will be in a position to advise and support the bereaved within the health service and associated fields. To this end, it is conducting analysis to identify relevant areas including hospitals, hospices, specialist nurses and counsellors and residential care and nursing homes, with a view to sending them targeted information about the new services. It expects to send the communication out in the next two to three weeks to around 27,000 contacts.
Future Jobs Fund: Kirklees
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people placed in employment in Kirklees through the Future Jobs Fund are still in work. [56664]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not monitor individual outcomes for people who have been employed through the Future Jobs Fund (FJF). The FJF, at up to £6,500 per person, does not offer value for money to the taxpayer. It creates temporary, short term placements, and the grants do not include any incentives to move people into permanent employment. Recent analysis shows nearly 45% of FJF participants are claiming benefit seven months after they started FJF. There are still too many FJF participants who are failing to get a sustained job. The published version of the analysis can be found here:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/early_analysis_of_fjf_participant_outcomes_march2011.pdf
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Housing Benefit: North West England
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) the North West and (b) Warrington affected by proposals to reduce housing benefit to those deemed to be under-occupying their property; and in each such case, what proportion are (i) disabled and (ii) over 60. [56680]
Steve Webb:
The estimated impact of changes to housing benefit for working-age tenants living in the social rented sector is based upon information collected in the Department's Family Resources Survey. Because the survey collects information from a sample of households, we cannot produce reliable estimates by
23 May 2011 : Column 490W
area below a regional level, and for the number of claimants affected by both region and disability, and region and age.
In February 2011 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) produced an equality impact assessment entitled “Housing Benefit: Size Criteria for people renting in the Social Rented Sector”, coinciding with the publication of the Welfare Reform Bill. The equality impact assessment can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf
The equality impact assessment included regional estimates for working-age housing benefit recipients living in social housing, under-occupying their home and who were likely to be affected by the introduction of the size criteria in social rented housing.
| Government office region | Estimated number of claimants affected | Affected claimants as % of working-age SRS HB claimants in each region | Average weekly HB loss per affected claimant (£) (1) |
| (1 )2013-14. Source: Policy Simulation Model, using 2008-09 reference data from the Family Resource Survey. | |||
The impact assessment also included a national estimate of working age housing benefit recipients living in social housing, who were likely to be affected by the introduction of the size criteria, by disability and by age, as follows.
| Disability status (1) | Estimated number of claimants affected | Breakdown of working-age SRS HB claimants affected (Percentage) | Breakdown of all working-age SRS HB claimants (Percentage) | Breakdown of all SRS HB claimants (Percentage) | Average weekly HB loss per affected claimant (£) |
| (1) Based upon the claimant or partner having a Disability Discrimination Act-recognised disability. Source: Policy 5 Simulation Model, using 2008-09 reference data from the Family Resource Survey. | |||||
| Family circumstances | Estimated number of claimants affected | Affected claimants as % of working age SRS HB claimants (1) | Average weekly HB loss per affected claimant (£) |
| (1 )Within each family circumstance. Source: Policy Simulation Model, using 2008-09 reference data from the Family Resource Survey. | |||
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We estimate that around 120,000 of the affected working-age claimants are living in the North West. On a national basis we estimate that approximately 450,000 of the affected working-age claimants would be disabled, and approximately 50,000 would be over 60 (but below state retirement age).
Any further breakdown of the estimated impact of the degree of under-occupation by region would be based upon information from a very small number of households for many of these combinations.
Jobcentre Plus: Manpower
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed in the Jobcentre Plus contact centre directorate in the last year for which figures are available; and how many staff were employed on each of the customer service telephone lines administered by the directorate. [56880]
Chris Grayling: The following table shows contact centre directorate (CCD) full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing level over the past 13 months. CCD do not report on staffing by each service line as most telephony agents are multi-skilled and therefore handle calls on numerous service lines.
| FTE headcount | |
| Source: Data extracted from OFA (Data View) 16 May 2011. | |
Jobcentre Plus: Preston
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which areas the Jobcentre Plus contact centre in Preston serves. [56748]
Chris Grayling: Preston Contact Centre takes calls on the National Benefit Fraud Hotline and the Local Authority Fraud Hotline. Both of these are virtual service lines so the site takes calls from customers anywhere in the UK.
Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls were made to each of the customer service telephone lines administered by the Jobcentre Plus contact centre directorate in each of the last 10 weeks for which figures are available; and how many such calls were (a) answered and (b) lost. [56881]
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Chris Grayling: The available information on how many calls were taken by Jobcentre Plus contact centre directorate in each of the last 10 weeks has been placed in the Library. The table illustrates the number of calls that were received, answered and those which were lost.
The number of lost calls is the sum of the unsuccessful and abandoned calls.
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls made to each of the customer service telephone lines administered by the Jobcentre Plus contact centre directorate were concluded within the average handling time (AHT) in each of the last 10 weeks for which figures are available; what the AHT was for each telephone line; how many calls were terminated with the inquiry outstanding; and what proportion of those outstanding inquiries received a call back from staff within three hours. [56882]
Chris Grayling: The information requested on the average handling time (AHT) for each contact centre directorate service line has been placed in the Library.
We do not keep records on the number of calls that were terminated for further action. We do know the total number of handovers made via the 0845 call logger for those service lines where it is recorded but some of these (change of circumstances) will not require a call back from the benefit centre when they are actioned.
We have shown the percentage of all call backs made within three hours per service line where available. It is not a proportion of the handovers made due to the fact that some handovers will not require a call back as mentioned above.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those on jobseeker's allowance are supporting more than four children. [57035]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows:
| Jobseeker's allowance claimants supporting five or more children (Great Britain), November 2010 | |
| Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. Proportion is to the nearest decimal place. 2. Data are published at: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Tabulation Tool, 100% | |
Older People: Weather
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to protect vulnerable elderly people from the effects of cold weather. [57112]
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Steve Webb: The winter fuel payment provides a significant contribution to an older person’s winter fuel costs and provides vital reassurance that people can afford to turn up their heating. For winter 2011-12, eligible people will receive a winter fuel payment of either £200 or £300 depending on their household circumstances.
In addition, cold weather payments can help people who are in receipt of certain benefits including pension credit with their additional heating costs during winter.
We are working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change on the Warm Home Discount scheme. Under this scheme, from winter 2011-12 some of the poorest pensioners will get a rebate off their electricity bills (subject to parliamentary approval). Rebates will be £120 in the first year of the scheme rising to £140 by the final year in 2014-15.
The Department for Work and Pensions also works closely with other Government Departments on the “Keep Warm Keep Well” campaign, which is aimed at vulnerable households in England and gives information on the health benefits of keeping warm in winter and details of the grants and benefits available.
Pensioners: Poverty
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners were living in poverty in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of pensioners likely to be living in poverty in each of the next four years. [56887]
Steve Webb: Estimates of pensioner poverty are published in the Households Below Average Incomes series. The most commonly used measure of pensioner poverty relates to those people with income below 60% of contemporary median income, after housing costs. This is often referred to as relative poverty.
The latest year for which data are available is 2009-10. The following table shows the percentage of pensioners with income below 60% of contemporary median income, after housing costs, in each of the most recent five years for which data are available.
| Percentage of pensioners with income below 60% of contemporary median after housing costs | |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. The estimates presented here are for the United Kingdom. 3. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication ‘Households Below Average Income’ (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors. 6. Proportions of pensioners in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. | |
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The Department does not publish projections on pensioner poverty.
Personal Income
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of (a) the average level of earnings, including in-work benefits and tax credits, for working families in the latest period for which figures are available and (b) average income of workless households (i) in each region of the UK and (ii) for a household comprising (A) a lone parent and (1) one child, (2) two children, (3) three children, (4) four children, (5) five children and (6) six children and (B) a couple and (1) one child, (2) two children, (3) three children, (4) four children, (5) five children and (6) six children in the latest period for which figures are available. [57079]
Maria Miller: The following tables summarise the information on average earnings and income as requested, from the Family Resources Survey 2009-10—the latest data available:
| (a) Median weekly income from employment, self-employment, benefits and tax credits of benefit units containing at least one working adult | |
| (i) By region | |
| Region/country | Median weekly income (£) |
| (ii) By benefit unit composition | |
| Composition | Median weekly income (£) |
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| (b) Median weekly total income of households containing no working adults | |
| (i) By region | |
| Region/country | Median weekly income (£) |
| (ii) By household composition | |
| Composition | Median weekly income (£) |
| — indicates the sample size is not sufficient to yield a reliable figure. Notes: 1. The FRS is a nationally representative sample of approximately 25,000 UK private households. Data for 2009-10, the latest year available, were collected between April 2009 and March 2010. 2. The figures from the FRS are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the estimates to region populations by age and sex. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining non-response error. 3. A household is defined as a single person or group of people living at the same address as their only or main residence, who either share one meal a day together or share the living accommodation (i.e. a living room). A benefit unit is defined as a single adult or a married or cohabiting couple and any dependent children. An adult is defined as those individuals aged 16 or over, unless defined as a dependent child. An individual may be defined as a child if aged 16 to 19-years-old and they are not married nor in a civil partnership nor living with a partner; and living with parents; and in full-time non-advanced education or in unwaged Government training. An adult has been defined as working based on their self-reported economic status. Income from employment, self employment, benefits and tax credits includes: income from wages and salaries, self-employed income, tax credits and income—and non-income related benefits (including child benefit, disability living allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit). Total household income includes income from wages and salaries, self employment, investments, tax credits, income—and non-income related benefits (including child benefit, disability living allowance, housing benefit and council tax), pensions and other sources. 4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £. 5. The Family Resources Survey is known to under-record benefit receipt so the estimates presented should be treated with caution. | |