Serco
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract. [58664]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department currently holds one contract with Serco for the provision of financial and due diligence services to national health service trusts preparing business cases to become NHS foundation trusts. The value of payments to date under this contract amounts to £370,486.24.
Southern Cross Healthcare
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of care for residents of Southern Cross care homes in Weaver Vale constituency. [58379]
Paul Burstow: Southern Cross has plans in place to restructure its business and is discussing the matter with departmental officials.
The Department is being very clear with the company that we expect it to maintain service continuity and quality of care while the restructuring process is ongoing. Our principal concern is for the safety and well-being of
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the residents of care homes that might be affected. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will pay particular attention to any care homes where there is a concern that quality may be at risk or inadequate.
The Government are talking to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association and the CQC to ensure that contingency plans are in place which will allow for the continuation of care under any eventuality. We will continue to keep in close touch with the situation and will work with local authorities, the CQC and others to ensure there is an effective response, which delivers protection to everyone affected.
I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 16-17WS.
Surgery: Private Sector
Frank Dobson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 71-2W, on surgery: private sector, how much his Department paid in total to private sector providers of finished consultant episodes
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involving an operative procedure in each year since 2000-01; [58924]
(2) how much his Department paid in total to private sector providers of finished consultant episodes for operations that were not carried out in each year since 2000-01; [58925]
(3) what the target was for finished consultant episodes with an operative procedure undertaken by private sector providers in each year since 2000-01. [59189]
Mr Simon Burns: Table 1 shows the expenditure by national health service commissioners (primary care trusts) in England on the purchase of NHS treatment from non-NHS providers for the financial years 2006-07 to 2009-10 (the latest figures available). For each year expenditure on each provider category is expressed as a proportion (%) of total NHS revenue expenditure, with totals in the final row.
Data were not collected on expenditure between different sector providers (which included voluntary and local authority) prior to 2006-07. This expenditure relates to a range of services/treatments and is not disaggregated to identify the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) involving an operative procedure.
| Table 1: Expenditure by primary care trusts on the purchase of healthcare from non-NHS bodies 2006-07 to 2009-10 | ||||||||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |||||
| Spend with: | £ million | % | £ million | % | £ million | % | £ million | % |
| Source: Audited PCT summarisation schedules 2006-07 to 2009-10 | ||||||||
The ‘other private sector’ providers in Table 1 provide health care which is usually charged at NHS tariff with no payment or volume guarantees.
Independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) undertake a variety of activity including elective treatment, diagnostics, screening and walk in centres under contract and have payment and/or volume guarantees.
Table 2 sets out the total paid to ISTC providers for elective care activity and excludes schemes for purely diagnostic or primary care activity (i.e. as a close approximation to FCEs). The amount paid to the provider includes the guaranteed amount plus any other activity charge under the contract and is measured against the value of procedures performed.
| Table 2: Centrally procured IS activity: Total value paid to provider, ISTC, GSUP (waiting list initiative), OC123 (mobile ophthalmology) excluding diagnostic and renal schemes | ||||||||
| Wave 1 (1) | Phase 2 (2) | Total | ||||||
| Financial year | Value paid | Activity value | Utilisation (%) | Value paid | Activity value | Utilisation (%) | Value paid | Activity value |
| (1) Excludes diagnostics, CWiCs. Includes contracts in total where activity is primarily elective care. (2) Excludes diagnostics, renal. Includes contracts in total where activity is primarily elective care. Notes: 1. Wave 1 contracts were first signed in 2003. 2. Value of procedures performed is for is the monetary value of procedures performed under the pricing formula in the ISTC contract. Procedures covers out-patient assessments, elective procedures, diagnostic activity, walk-in/minor injury episodes and renal dialysis. 3. ‘Paid to provider’ is the guarantee amount plus any other activity charge under the contract. | ||||||||
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Telemedicine
Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the findings of the Whole Systems Demonstrator programme; and if he will make a statement; [58551]
(2) whether he has any plans to publish findings from the Whole Systems Demonstrator programme; and if he will make a statement; [58552]
(3) whether he has any plans to implement steps arising from findings of the Whole Systems Demonstrator programme; and if he will make a statement. [58553]
Paul Burstow: The Whole System Demonstrator programme is one of the most complex studies the Department has undertaken. With over 6,000 people involved there has been a considerable amount of data produced which is currently undergoing detailed analysis. As soon as that analysis is completed, the results will be made public and the Department can assess what further action is appropriate.
Westmorland Hospital
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients were treated at Westmorland general hospital in each of the last 10 years. [59455]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on the number of finished consultant episodes and out-patient attendances at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust is shown in the following table.
|
|
Finished consultant in-patient episodes (1) | Out-patient attendances (2) |
| (1) A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) contains records of all out-patient appointments, whether these are attended or not, or cancelled by either the hospital or the patient. For the purposes of this report, only attended appointments have been included. It should be noted that it is possible for an out-patient to have and attend more than one appointment in any given year, so this figure does not represent the total number of patients seen. Out-patient data are only available from 2003-04 onwards. Source: (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care | ||
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Home Department
Asylum
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on requiring asylum seekers to move location while their applications for asylum are being processed. [58458]
Damian Green [holding answer 9 June 2011]: In circumstances that asylum seekers are moved from supported accommodation to an alternative provider as their applications are being considered, the move must be necessary, reasonable and proportionate. In these circumstances, the UK Border Agency will write to notify the individual affected and provide them with the opportunity to offer information that may inform the relocation arrangements. In a recent exercise involving the expiry of a number of accommodation contracts across the UK Border Agency, re-housing proposals which necessitate a change of schooling proceed only with the approval of the relevant regional director in the UK Border Agency.
Asylum: Human Rights
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made by asylum seekers under Article 8 of Schedule 1 of the Human Rights Act 1998 in each year since 2000. [58468]
Damian Green [holding answer 9 June 2011]: The information is not available. The United Kingdom Border Agency's Case Information Database does not record whether Article 8 has been raised in an asylum seeker's claim and the requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through the examination of a large number of individual case files.
Departmental CCTV
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many CCTV cameras are installed in and around her Department's premises; and how much such cameras (a) cost to install and (b) cost to operate in the latest period for which figures are available. [56844]
James Brokenshire: Central records of CCTV installations are not held, and therefore it is not possible to provide a definitive response. However, the following information can be confirmed.
CCTV cameras at the Home Office's building at 2 Marsham street, London, are provided within the overall development where the installations and operating costs are met by the PFI operator, the details of which are not held by the Department.
The UK Border Agency estate has approximately 3,000 CCTV cameras with an average installation cost of £2,000 per camera with annual maintenance costs of approximately £250 per camera.
The Identity and Passport Service estate has approximately 400 CCTV cameras. The costs are not held centrally.
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Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on special advisers' travel by (a) Government car, (b) private hire car, (c) train, (d) bus, (e) commercial aircraft and (f) private aircraft since May 2010. [56108]
Damian Green: The only expenditure incurred by the Home Office on special advisers' travel is when they accompany the Home Secretary on official business. No expense claims have been submitted for personal travel.
Domestic Violence
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on signing the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. [58883]
James Brokenshire: We are supportive of the work of the Council of Europe in raising awareness of violence against women and girls and supported the efforts to agree a strong convention. However there are a number of articles on which we require more detailed consideration before a final decision can be made on the signature and ratification of the convention.
Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided to support victims of domestic violence in the latest period for which figures are available. [58416]
James Brokenshire: The Home Office has committed over £28 million of funding for specialist services to tackle violence against women and girls from 2011-12 to 2014-15.
Over £4 million has been committed to support domestic violence each year over this period. This includes funding:
Towards the national helplines including the National Domestic Violence helpline, the Men’s Advice Line and Broken Rainbow.
To support local independent domestic violence advisers (IDVAs) and multi-agency risk assessment co-ordinators (MARACs) nationally.
For the training and quality assurance process for MARACs and IDVAs
To contribute to the running of the joint Home Office/Foreign and Commonwealth Office forced marriage unit.
£2.4 million for funding of the Sojourner Pilot for 2011-12.
Drugs: Crime
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department were working on implementing the 2010 Drugs Strategy in each month since January 2011; and how many officials she expects to be working on implementing the strategy in each year to 2013. [58545]
James Brokenshire:
The 2010 Drugs Strategy is being implemented across Government in a number of Departments. In the Home Office, the current drug strategy and legislation team has 12 full-time equivalent
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posts. A number of these posts have a component which incorporates the implementation of the 2010 Drugs Strategy.
Entry Clearances
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals her Department has made for implementation of the Tier 1 (Exceptional) Visa Application Scheme; and whether she has set a date for the scheme's implementation. [59098]
Damian Green: We will be making an announcement on the launch of the Tier 1 Exceptional Talent scheme shortly.
Fraud
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to establish a national economic crime agency; and if she will make a statement. [55827]
James Brokenshire: As the Home Secretary announced on 8 June, the new National Crime Agency will tackle a wide range of serious and complex crimes and it will include a dedicated Economic Crime Command that will provide a more effective, better co-ordinated and intelligence-led response across all types of economic crime. Further information on the National Crime Agency plan can be found on the Home Office website at:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/nca
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the priority given to economic crime by police forces. [55854]
James Brokenshire: Priorities within forces are an operational matter for chief constables and police authorities.
Harassment
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to police forces on obtaining statements from the subjects of alleged harassment on occasions when individuals are charged with offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. [58317]
James Brokenshire: Guidance to the police service on obtaining statements from the victims of stalking and harassment can be found in the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) publication ‘Practice Advice on Investigating Stalking and Harassment’. This guidance was produced by the National Policing Improvement Agency on behalf of ACPO.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers police forces have to issue warnings or cautions to persons under investigation for offences of stalking or harassment. [58335]
Mrs May:
The police have the power to administer a simple caution to an adult offender who has admitted such an offence, or to administer a warning to an offender aged under 18 years who has committed an offence of stalking or harassment. Guidance to police on administering a simple caution is contained within Home Office Circular 016/2008, and guidance on
13 Jun 2011 : Column 655W
reprimands and warnings in the Final Warning Scheme was published in 2002. Decisions on administering simple cautions, reprimands and warnings must be made in accordance with the Director of Public Prosecution's Guidance on Charging. The police retain the authority to administer a simple caution, reprimand or warning in all cases, other than those involving indictable-only offences, where the matter must be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a decision. Police officers can also take advice from the CPS at any stage in an investigation on whether a simple caution is appropriate, as set out in the Director's Guidance on Charging.
Homicide: Offensive Weapons
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of a homicide by a sharp instrument in each year from 1991 to 2011. [40782]
James Brokenshire: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given on 15 February 2011, Official Report, column 661W.
Human Trafficking
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department provides on the length of the recommended support period for victims of human trafficking. [58728]
Damian Green: Under the National Referral Mechanism, decisions about who is a victim of trafficking are made by trained specialists in designated ‘competent authorities'. The detailed guidance issued to competent authorities instructs that a minimum 45-day recovery and reflection period should be granted to identified victims and extended where circumstances warrant.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/asylumprocessguidance/specialcases/guidance/competent-guidance
and I shall place a copy in the Library.
Human Trafficking: EU Law
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what account her Department's human trafficking strategy will take of measures to implement the European human trafficking directive. [58333]
Damian Green: The strategy on human trafficking will take full account of the contents of the EU directive.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government plans to take to implement the provisions of article 18 of the European human trafficking directive. [58334]
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when she plans to consult with non-governmental organisations on implementing the directive of the European Parliament and the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims; [58715]
13 Jun 2011 : Column 656W
(2) what steps she plans to take to ensure the effective implementation of the directive of the European Parliament and the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. [58716]
Damian Green: The Government will shortly be applying to the European Commission formally to opt in to the EU directive on human trafficking. If our application is accepted, we will consider the necessary implementation requirements thereafter.
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when and in what form she plans to introduce legislation to ensure compliance with the provisions of the directive of the European Parliament and the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. [58714]
Damian Green: The Government will shortly be applying to the European Commission formally to opt in to the EU directive on human trafficking. If our application is accepted, we will consider the necessary legislative requirements thereafter, subject to the parliamentary timetable.
Independent Domestic Violence Advocate: Expenditure
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided for independent domestic violence advocates in the latest period for which figures are available. [58417]
James Brokenshire: We have allocated £2.5 million per year to support independent domestic violence advisers (IDVAs) for 2011-12 to 2014-15.
Full details of the successful IDVA bids can be found at:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/violence-against-women-girls/idva/
Members: Correspondence
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Bridgend of 6 January 2011, reference MM/06/01/2011. [58394]
Damian Green: I wrote to the hon. Member in response to her letter on 9 June 2011, and I apologise for the delay in doing so.
Naturalisation: Republic of Ireland
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people with a birthplace in the Republic of Ireland who applied for a UK Certificate of Naturalisation in the last five years gave a current address in Northern Ireland. [59170]
Damian Green [holding answer 10 June 2011]: The following table provides information relating to the number of applicants for naturalisation who were born in the Republic of Ireland and gave a current address in Northern Ireland.
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13 Jun 2011 : Column 658W
| Applications received through naturalisation of British citizenship living in Northern Ireland, born in Republic of Ireland from 2006-10 (1) | ||||
|
|
Case type | Central point | Birth country | Number of Persons |
| (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. (2) Negligible i.e. two or less. | ||||
This information is taken from local management information provided by UK Border Agency, North West Region Planning and MI Team. It is not a National Statistic and as such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change
Passports: Lost Property
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions staff at the UK Border Agency have reported the loss by the agency of the passport of a foreign national in each of the last 12 months. [58841]
Damian Green: Passport losses are not currently recorded in a single format across the UK Border Agency. It is not possible to identify and cross check all present records to collate figures.
Passports: Republic of Ireland
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who applied to the British embassy in Dublin for a UK passport between 2008 and 2010 gave a current address in the Irish Republic. [59169]
Damian Green [holding answer 10 June 2011]: Between 2008 and 2010 the Passport Section at the British embassy produced 27,967 passports.
Applicants with a current address in the Irish Republic must apply to the British embassy in Dublin.
Police: Manpower
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were serving in each police force area in England and Wales in (a) March 2010 and (b) March 2011. [51892]
Nick Herbert: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 26 April 2011, Official Report, columns 359-61W.
Repatriation: Families
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 414-15W, on deportation: children, how many of the 230 family groups removed from the UK between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011 departed voluntarily. [59177]
Damian Green: Since my original response of 23 May 2011, Official Report, columns 414-15W, the figures have been refreshed and now show that there were 236 family groups removed from the UK between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2011. Of these, 144 departed voluntarily.
The information provided cannot be taken from or compared to published National Statistics as these report on children rather than family groups. Published National Statistics do not separately identify all enforced removals and all voluntary departures.
All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
Stalking: Crime Prevention
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of stalking. [58293]
James Brokenshire: Tackling stalking is a key priority for the Home Office and we are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to improve the support available to victims. Our action plan for tackling violence against women, published on 8 March 2011, includes several actions to tackle stalking, including a commitment from the Home Office to continue to fund the National Stalking Helpline over the spending review period and the formation of a National Stalking Strategy Group comprising the police, CPS, Home Office, Ministry of Justice and experts in the field. Other initiatives include:
The appointment of dedicated Single Points Of Contact (SPOCs) in each force area to deal with stalking complaints;
Revised official Government guidance last year on stalking and harassment that focuses on the victim, emphasises the existence and widespread nature of ‘stalking’ as a particular category of harassment and identifies the various ways in which stalking occurs.
Work and Pensions
Disability Living Allowance: Mobility Component
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effects on people with autism of the proposed reduction in the mobility component of disability living allowance. [58783]
Maria Miller: There are no proposals to reduce the mobility component of disability living allowance.
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 determine the extent to which there are overlaps in provision for mobility needs of people in residential care homes.
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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.
State Pension Age: Women
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on planned changes to the state pension age for women; [58802]
Mr Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on his policy on the date at which the state pension age for women will start to rise. [58803]
Steve Webb: A number of stakeholder groups, as well as individuals, have expressed concern about the changes we propose although the majority of commentators agree that we need to increase the state pension age more quickly.
Crown Relocations
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is. [58638]
Chris Grayling: At present, the Department for Work and Pensions holds no contracts with a supplier called Crown Relocations or with variants of that supplier name.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what circumstances it is the policy of his Department and its agencies (a) to record and (b) not to record telephone conversations with benefit claimants; and if he will make a statement. [58189]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) policy is that all calls are recorded, with the exception of the Jobcentre Plus national benefit fraud hotline and some sections within Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS).
The Department records its telephone calls for several reasons, including training purposes and for quality checking the service provided by our agents to our customers. Call recording also enables us to investigate any complaints made about the service provided by our agents.
The Department does not record national benefit fraud hotline calls because callers have the right to anonymity when contacting us about suspected benefit fraud, and recording the calls would be in breach of this right.
Within PDCS, all customer inquiries relating to new claims or change in circumstance are recorded with the exception of calls to the following specialist sections within National Pension Centre;
Widows,
Complex Cases,
Voluntary National Insurance Contributions Query Line,
Adult Dependency Increase cases, Home Responsibilities Payments and
E-Claim inquiries.
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The volume of these calls is minimal and occurs when customers are transferred from the 0845 inquiry line, which is recorded, into the specialist section within National Pension Centre to deal with their query. The sections listed above sit on a 01 geographical number, which means that we are not able to record those calls.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether telephone conversations with benefit claimants made in the course of his Department's pilot projects are recorded; and if he will make a statement. [58203]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) policy has recorded all pilot project calls.
Disability Living Allowance: Islington
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the London borough of Islington were in receipt of disability living allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; how many recipients have been interviewed and their benefits reassessed since May 2010; and how many (a) were awarded a lower level of benefit, (b) lost all of their allowance and (c) were successful on appeal. [59179]
Maria Miller: The number of people in the London borough of Islington who are in receipt of disability living allowance is contained in the following table:
| Disability living allowance recipients: November 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://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110330154536/http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100% data. | |
Personal independence payment and the new objective assessment will be implemented for people of working age from April 2013 and any interviews and reassessments in relation to the new benefit will not take place before that date.
We are unable to provide information on how many current recipients of disability living allowance have been interviewed and had their benefit re-assessed since May 2010, and the outcomes, as management information systems within the Pension, Disability and Carers Service do not record that detail.
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for East Ham of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 94-95W, if he will estimate the proportion of contributory employment and support allowance claimants in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland in (i) the work-related activity group and (ii) the assessment phase who would, in a steady state without time limiting, have a duration of 12 months or more. [58421]
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Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available. The modelling of the future employment and support allowance case load, with and without time limiting, is made at a national level and cannot be broken down into smaller geographies.
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the adequacy of the assessment process for determining employment and support allowance; and if he will make a statement. [58801]
Chris Grayling: We are committed to improving the work capability assessment so it is as fair and accurate as possible.
As part of this, we welcome the first independent review of the work capability assessment, led by Professor Malcolm Harrington. The review considered a substantial amount of evidence, including over 400 responses from individuals, organisations and representative bodies to a call for evidence.
As a result of his review of this evidence, Professor Harrington has come forward with a wide range of far-reaching and challenging proposals which we are committed to taking forward. Indeed most of these changes are already in place and we will implement the remainder by summer to coincide with the first work capability assessments of incapacity benefits claimants taking part in the full nationwide reassessment.
We have now appointed Professor Harrington to conduct a second independent review of the WCA and provide further recommendations as appropriate. As part of this review, we expect Professor Harrington to launch a further call for evidence this summer.
The Department continues to value the views of disability groups and we are engaged in ongoing and helpful dialogue at both ministerial and official level with group representatives. For example, I can confirm that my officials have recently met with Mind, Mencap, National Autistic Society and RNIB to discuss WCA-related issues.
Stephen Timms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 May
13 Jun 2011 : Column 662W
2011,
Official Report,
columns 94-95W, on employment and support allowance, to what point in each of the financial years cited his estimates relates. [59329]
Chris Grayling: The figures referenced are calculated using the average case load for each financial year.
Employment Schemes: Voluntary Organisations
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department’s press notice of 1 April 2011 on Work programme prime contracts, how many of the voluntary sector subcontractors will operate in each of the 18 regions. [59096]
Chris Grayling: A list of Work programme subcontractors by sector and contract package area can be found on the Supplying DWP website. There are a total of 1,099 organisations across all tiers of the supply chains, 508 of whom are from the voluntary sector, 416 are from the private sector and 175 from the public sector.
This is a great opportunity for voluntary organisations to show what they can do, using their local and specialist skills and experience to change peoples’ lives. It should be noted that supply chains will evolve during the Work programme contracts as providers build up their networks identifying innovative approaches to supporting individuals. This will increase the opportunity further for additional voluntary organisations to become involved with the Work programme.
G4S
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with G4S; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is. [58669]
Chris Grayling: For the Department for Work and Pensions, the G4S Group holds one Learning and Development contract and three regionally based Work programme contracts.
Further details are provided in the following table.
| Supplier | Contract purpose | Contract value (£ million) |
IBM
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is. [58680]
Chris Grayling: For the Department for Work and Pensions, the IBM Group of companies presently hold two contracts. Further details are provided in the following table:
| Supplier | Contract purpose | Contract value (£ million) |
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Income Support: Young People
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people aged 20 were in receipt of income support because they were living independently and in full-time education in each year since 2005. [58332]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
The data the Department does hold on categories of income support (IS) claimants aged 20 are in the following table.
The ‘others receiving IS’ category gives an approximation of the number of claimants living independently and in full-time education.
| Income support 20-year-old claimants by statistical group in Great Britain, November 2010 | |
|
|
Number |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data have been compiled using the claimants Income Support Statistical Group, which is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. 3. Lone parents are defined as claimants on income support with a child under 16 and no partner. Lone parent obligations were introduced from 24 November 2008 affecting the age of the youngest child. 4. Incapacity benefits are defined as those receiving incapacity benefit or disability living allowance. 5. Carers are defined as those receiving carer’s allowance. Source: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study data. | |
Industrial Diseases
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many instances of musculoskeletal conditions reported to have been caused or aggravated by workplace conditions his Department has recorded since 2010. [58337]
Chris Grayling: The latest year for which statistics are available is 2009-10. The best estimate of the overall number of musculoskeletal disorders caused or aggravated by working conditions comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). An estimated 572,000 people, who worked during the last year, suffered from a musculoskeletal disorder (long-standing as well as new cases) they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work. 188,000 of these were new conditions which started during the year.
| Musculoskeletal disorders 2009-10 | |
|
|
Estimated cases (thousand) |
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Industrial Diseases: Death
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many deaths from occupational diseases reported to have been caused or aggravated by workplace conditions his Department has recorded since 2010. [58336]
Chris Grayling: Statistics relating to deaths from occupational diseases reported to have been caused or aggravated by workplace conditions since 2010 are not available.
No single source of information provides a count of the number of people who have died from occupational illnesses. For some causes of death, occupational cases are clinically indistinguishable from those due to other factors. For these causes numbers have to be estimated rather than counted.
Research commissioned by HSE estimated that 8,019 cancer deaths in Great Britain in 2005 were attributable to exposures to carcinogens at work, and it is likely that a similar number would have occurred in subsequent years. This estimate includes deaths from the asbestos- related cancer mesothelioma.
Using other international research, it is also estimated that there are currently approximately 4,000 deaths in Great Britain each year from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to past occupational exposures to dusts, gases, vapours and fumes. Again, it is likely that a similar number would have occurred in subsequent years.
The number of deaths in Great Britain for 2008 (the latest year for which data are available) due to the small group of diseases that can be regarded as occupational on the basis of the cause of death alone are provided in table 1.
Most of the occupational diseases that cause death usually take many years to develop following occupational exposures. Estimates of current deaths therefore largely reflect industrial conditions of the past.
| Table 1: Deaths due to occupational lung diseases 2008 | |
|
|
Number |
| (1) Death certificates that mention mesothelioma. (2) Provisional. (3) Death certificates that mention asbestosis excluding those that also mention mesothelioma. Source: Health and Safety Executive | |
Industrial Health and Safety
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the rate of compliance of (a) all employers and (b) small and medium-sized employers with health and safety regulations in the latest period for which figures are available. [58338]
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Chris Grayling: HSE has made no estimate of the rate of compliance of employers with health and safety regulations and does not collect information for this purpose.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of incidents reported to the Health and Safety Executive under the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 were investigated in the latest period for which figures are available. [58372]
Chris Grayling: HSE undertook investigation into nearly 4% of reported incidents that occurred between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010.
Industrial Health and Safety: Journalism
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the risks to the health and safety of journalists of (a) trends in workload and (b) technological changes in the media environment. [58614]
Chris Grayling: Statistical information available to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides sample numbers that are too small to identify trends in health and safety for journalists.
Information on the effective assessment and management of workload and on managing organisational change, which can be as a result of technological changes, is available on the HSE website and is applicable to a wide range of occupations including journalism.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the closure of Jobcentre Plus and benefit contact centres in Liverpool, Huyton and Chester on (a) response times for replies to correspondence and (b) the quality of service provided to users. [58378]
Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what assessment has been made of the potential effect of the closure of Jobcentre Plus Benefit and Contact Centres in Liverpool, Huyton and Chester on (a) response times for replies to correspondence and (b) the quality of service provided to users. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The closures of the Benefit and Contact Centres in Liverpool, Huyton and Chester should affect neither our correspondence response times nor the quality of the service that we provide to our customers.
With regards the correspondence that we receive, Jobcentre Plus has clearly laid down service standards whereby a customer can expect a full response within 10 working days of us receiving the letter. We are also committed to responding to Members of Parliament writing to us on behalf of a customer within 15 working days.
The rationalisation of our offices can be completed without impacting on the service, we offer to our customers. Our contact centre network is virtual, meaning that calls are routed to the next
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available agent no matter where they are in the country. Similarly, customers do not actually have direct contact with our benefit processing sites - telephone calls about benefit enquiries are dealt with in our contact centre network.
Our business transformation is designed to respond to the changing ways that people seek to access, our services. Our online job search facility receives more than a million visits every day and our contact centres handle more than 230,000 calls every working day. People can now apply for Jobseeker's Allowance via the internet and more than 500,000 have done so. We are planning to build on these arrangements and introduce a range of new digital services that today's employers and customers expect, including online benefit tracking and enabling jobseekers to create online profiles which can then be matched to vacancies. We are also focused on continuing to modernise and develop our benefit centres to drive up productivity and value for money.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of new claimants of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance in 2014 who will receive such allowances for the maximum time permitted under his proposals. [59450]
Chris Grayling: In the calendar year 2014, we estimate that (a) 24% of JSA contributions customers will reach the six-month threshold and (b) 32% of ESA contributory customers will reach the 12-month threshold, which are the maximum times permitted under the proposals.
New Enterprise Allowance
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 600W, on the new enterprise allowance, on what date he plans to publish the list of successful applicants; and how many applications he received prior to the deadline. [58357]
Chris Grayling: Details of the successful applicants are being published on the DWP website as they become available.
We do not intend to publish information on the number of applications received for each exercise.
Pensioners: Rebates
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners living in Wales received an electricity rebate under the Energy Rebate Scheme in 2010. [58974]
Steve Webb: The Energy Rebate Scheme resulted in just over 205,000 rebates of which we estimate around 10,500 were made to people living in Wales.
The scheme provided an £80 rebate on electricity bills to eligible people where, on 26 March 2010, they (or their partner) were aged 70 or over and receiving only the guarantee credit element of pension credit. They also needed to be responsible for paying their own electricity bill.
Note:
The six participating energy suppliers provided this information. Some were able to provide breakdowns by country. Others provided estimates based on the proportion of their customers living in Wales.
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Pensions: Tooting
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Tooting constituency claim pension credit. [58444]
Steve Webb: The information requested is in the following table.
| Recipients of pension credit in the Tooting constituency | ||
|
|
Individual beneficiaries | Household recipients |
| Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data | ||
Private Rented Housing: Greater London
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of private sector tenants in each London borough who have needed to change accommodation as a result of changes to their housing benefit allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [59181]
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Steve Webb: While we cannot provide estimates at this early stage, or predict the behavioural impact of the reforms, it is likely that only a few people will have needed to move. We are giving existing claimants up to nine months transitional protection from the anniversary date of the claim so many will not start to see a change in the local housing allowance rate until January 2012.
We have provided an indication of the average weekly losses in benefit and percentages of the caseload affected in each local authority in the impact assessment published on 30 November 2010 available on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-impact-nov10.pdf
We have also commissioned a consortium of leading research organisations to evaluate the effects of recent local housing allowance changes. They are undertaking an independent review which will run for two years.
Serco
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department holds with Serco; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is. [58661]
Chris Grayling: For the Department for Work and Pensions, the Serco Group holds two Work Programme, 10 Science, Research and Technical Support and three Flexible New Deal contracts. Although there are a total of 15 live contracts in all, the three Flexible New Deal contracts will terminate in June 2011. Further details of the contracts are provided in the following table:
Shared Housing: Glasgow
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he made of the availability of shared accommodation in Glasgow when taking the decision on the extension of the shared accommodation rate of housing benefit to single people under 35 years. [59265]
Steve Webb: No assessment has been made of the availability of shared accommodation in Glasgow. This will depend on the responses of claimants and landlords to the reduced local housing allowance entitlement.
Social Security Benefits: Young People
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits will be available to people aged (a) 15, (b) 16, (c) 18 and (d) 25 with long-term health conditions under the proposed universal credit scheme when they are (i) in employment, (ii) unable to work as a result of their condition, (iii) seeking work and (iv) in education. [59457]
Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform Bill sets out that the minimum age for universal credit is generally 18 but provides scope to vary this for specific groups, via regulations.
The aim is to maintain access to benefits for under-18s, including those with long-term health conditions, on broadly the same basis as now. Currently, 15-year-olds are not eligible for income-related employment and support allowance but 16 and 17-year-olds can receive it if they are assessed as having limited capability for work under the work capability assessment. We intend to follow a similar approach under universal credit and that benefit should be available to qualifying young people both in and out of work.
Those aged 18 or over will be able to claim universal credit whether or not they have limited capability for work, providing they satisfy the other entitlement conditions. Under the Bill a basic condition of entitlement is that a person is not receiving education but there is scope to
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make exceptions in regulations. It is expected that these exceptions will maintain the current support that is available through the benefits and tax higher education.
State Retirement Pensions
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Tooting constituency who will reach the state pension age (a) more than one year and (b) two years later than planned as a result of the proposed new timetable for state pension age changes. [58287]
Steve Webb: We estimate that in Tooting constituency there are approximately 520 women who will have an increase in state pension age of more than a year. Of these women, approximately 50 will have an increase of exactly two years.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department plans to offer to individuals who will retire before reaching state pension age as a result of the Government's proposed timetable for state pension age changes. [58758]
Steve Webb: People who are unemployed may claim a working age benefit (jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance) and receive employment help from Jobcentre Plus until they become eligible for state pension. This year, we have given Jobcentre Plus staff more flexibility to help people find and keep jobs. We are rolling out a range of new measures aimed at getting Britain working, including Work Clubs to help jobseekers share skills or experiences and the new enterprise allowance for those considering self-employment. From this summer, the Work programme will provide personalised help for people unemployed for longer or who need early intensive support.
The Government have introduced legislation this year to phase out the default retirement age (DRA), which will mean that employers can no longer retire people compulsorily at 65 years using the DRA. This change will help people to extend their working life until they become eligible for state pension, or beyond if they choose to. The legislation will still allow employers to use compulsory retirement ages, which can be earlier than 65 years, providing they can objectively justify it.
State Retirement Pensions: Females
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women living in Tooting constituency and affected by the proposed timetable for state pension age changes are (a) in full-time work, (b) in part-time work and (c) unemployed. [58442]
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Steve Webb: The information requested is not available at constituency level.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women living in Tooting constituency affected by the proposed timetable for state pension age changes are married or cohabiting with a partner. [58443]
Steve Webb: The information requested is not available at constituency level.
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women in Islwyn constituency who will have their state pension age increased by one year or more as a consequence of the proposed change to the state pension age for women. [58961]
Steve Webb: We estimate that in Islwyn constituency there are approximately 2,650 women who will have their state pension age increased by one year or more as a consequence of the proposed change on the state pension age for women.
Work Capability Assessment
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what means the proposals in the Welfare Reform Bill will take account of the findings of the Harrington review of the work capacity assessment in relation to fluctuating conditions. [58318]
Chris Grayling: We are committed to improving the work capability assessment so it is as fair and accurate as possible.
As part of this, we welcome the first independent review of the work capability assessment, led by Professor Malcolm Harrington. We are committed to taking forward all of his recommendations. Most of these changes are already in place and we will implement the remainder by summer to coincide with the first work capability assessments of incapacity benefits claimants taking part in the full nationwide reassessment.
Additionally, as part of his second independent annual review of the work capability assessment, Professor Harrington has already asked a number of charities including the MS Society, Arthritis Care, Parkinsons UK, Colitis UK, Crohns and the National Aids Trust to look in detail at the work capability assessment descriptors for fluctuating conditions.
We look forward to receiving Professor Harrington's recommendations regarding these conditions later this summer.