Kaplan UK: Higher Education
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what representations he has received from (a) Kaplan Inc., (b) Kaplan Europe and (c) Kaplan UK on the expansion of alternative providers in higher education; [73390]
(2) what meetings the Minister for Universities and Science has had with representatives of (a) Kaplan Inc., (b) Kaplan Europe and (c) Kaplan UK since his appointment. [73391]
Mr Willetts: I met with representatives of Kaplan UK on 8 September 2011. I met with representatives of Kaplan UK and Kaplan Inc. on 20 September 2011. I attended an event where a representative of Kaplan Europe was present on 3 May 2011. I attended an event where a representative of Kaplan UK was present on 17 May 2011. I have also received a number of written representations from Kaplan UK and Kaplan Europe regarding the role of alternative providers in UK higher education.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arrangements govern the payment of expenses to members of expert and adviser groups to enable them to attend meetings at his Department. [75803]
Mr Davey: The arrangements for the payment of expenses to members of expert and adviser groups attending meetings at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) are governed by the principles laid out in the Civil Service Code, the Ministerial Code and the BIS departmental travel policy.
Only travel and expenses costs that are necessary and additional to normal expenditure can be reimbursed. Expenditure should be both reasonable and within the guideline amounts set out within the BIS travel policy. All claims for reimbursement must be approved by an appropriate and authorised budget holder within BIS before any payment can be made.
All travel should be both proportionate and appropriate to the need and should demonstrate best value for money to the Department. Travellers should choose the most appropriate method of travel and make the best overall use of official time, fares and subsistence.
Within BIS, Ministers, the permanent secretary and top management team are expected to follow the guidance given in the Ministerial Code, for example by using public transport at standard class and this is extended to officials, those appointed to office, and those whose fares will be reimbursed from the public purse.
National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what evaluation he has conducted of the work of the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research. [74271]
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Mr Willetts: The National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) is funded by BIS via the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
BIS asked the Medical Research Council (MRC) to lead a five-year (quinquennial) review of the NC3Rs which was undertaken in 2009. The aims of the review were to advise BIS, MRC and BBSRC on the continued importance of the NC3Rs; to examine the importance and quality of the work being carried out by the centre, including the research it funds; to examine the relevance and quality of the outputs and their translation; to advise on plans for the future including the level of resources necessary and the governance arrangements.
Public Houses: Rents
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider introducing a requirement for tenants to be provided with a breakdown of how their rent has been calculated in his code of practice for pub companies. [73735]
Mr Davey: The Government do not have a code of practice for pub companies. The Government are currently considering the recommendations made in the BIS committee’s most recent “Pub Companies” report and will be responding in due course.
Royal Mail: Billing
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what representations he has received on proposals by Royal Mail to increase the period for paying invoices to suppliers from 45 to 60 days; [76372]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on changes to their invoice payment system for suppliers. [76373]
Mr Davey: The Department has not received any representations or had any discussions with Royal Mail regarding their invoice payment practices.
Student Loans
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from Muslim groups on the interest charged on student loans. [76048]
Mr Willetts: The Government have received representations from student representative bodies regarding this issue, including the National Union of Students and Federation of Student Islamic Societies.
Trade Union Officials
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the contributions trade union representatives make to (a) the economy and (b) productivity in (i) public and (ii) private sector workplaces; and if he will make a statement. [76479]
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Mr Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), fully recognises the contribution that trade union representatives can make in the workplace but it would be impossible to make any sensible estimate given the number of variables involved. The number and role of trade union representatives in a workplace will be determined between the union and employer.
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of the national employed workforce that work as (a) full-time or (b) part-time trade union representatives; and if he will bring forward proposals to increase that proportion. [76480]
Mr Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) has made no such estimate and has no plans to bring forward proposals to increase union representation.
The number of trade union representatives in a workplace and whether they are full or part-time will be determined between the union and employer. The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 provides that reasonable time off be allowed for union duties and activities—and the ACAS code of practice provides practical guidance. This allows tailoring to the specific needs of the workplace.
UK Trade & Investment: Government Procurement Card
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by UK Trade & Investment using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10. [73496]
Mr Prisk: For the financial year 2011-12 and onwards, it is Government policy for all Departments to publish their GPC transactions over £500 on the Data.gov website. UK Trade & Investment’s (UKTI) data for the first quarter covering April to June 2011 can be found at:
www.data.gov.uk
UKTI does not hold the information at the detailed level requested for the period 2007-08 to 2009-10. To obtain this would involve commissioning a bespoke report, which could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Utilities: Billing
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take in respect of energy, utility and communication companies who do not state on their bills (a) that customers can pay by posted cheque, (b) to whom the cheque should be made and (c) the address to which the cheque should be sent. [73653]
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Mr Davey [holding answer 17 October 2011]: There are no plans to require companies to state on their bills that customers can pay by cheque. The information printed on customer's bills about methods of payment is a commercial matter for the companies concerned. Energy suppliers, along with utilities and communications companies offer a range of payment options. Some suppliers have licence conditions that set out ways under which they accept payment including in some cases cash and prepayment methods.
Work and Pensions
State Pension
25. John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made on the introduction of a single-tier state pension. [76008]
Steve Webb: In July this year we published the response to our April Green Paper. Three quarters of organisations who responded supported the single tier pension.
We are continuing to work closely with Treasury on state pension reform and will update the house as soon as we are in a position to do so.
Work Programme
Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much CDG will be paid for keeping one individual in employment for 26 out of the 104 weeks while they are participating in the Work programme; [74141]
(2) how much Seetec will be paid for keeping one individual in employment for 26 out of the 104 weeks they are participating in the Work programme; [74142]
(3) how much A4e will be paid for keeping one individual in employment for 26 out of the 104 weeks they are participating in the Work programme. [74143]
Chris Grayling: Work programme providers will be paid primarily for the results they achieve in supporting people into sustained employment.
Three main types of payment are available to providers:
a small attachment fee is paid early in the contracts for each person referred to the Work programme. This will reduce in the second and third years of the contracts and will no longer be payable at all in years four and five;
job outcome fees are paid once per participant after participants have been in employment for 13 or 26 weeks, depending on their participant group;
sustainment fees represent the bulk of available payments to providers. They are payable for each four-week period in employment after a job outcome is claimed, up to the maximums specified in the Work programme Invitation to Tender(1). They are designed to encourage providers both to find jobs that are appropriate for their claimants in the long-term and to continue to support them in work.
The maximum possible level and timing of each of these payments for the different participant groups on the Work programme are set out in the Work programme Invitation to Tender(1) (see page 10).
As part of the procurement process, providers were asked to offer discounts on the maximum possible level of the job outcome payments in their bids (see paragraph 3.08 of the Invitation to Tender(1) for details).
(1) Work programme Invitation to Tender:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/work-prog-itt.pdf
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Work Programme: North Lanarkshire
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people have been successfully placed in jobs by Work programme contractors in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency in each of the last three months; [75827]
(2) how many people claiming employment and support allowance have been referred into the Work programme in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [75828]
Chris Grayling: The Work programme was launched in June 2011, to deliver sustained employment that can change people’s lives; providers have longer than ever before to make a difference.
The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.
Statistics on referrals and attachments to the Work programme will be published from spring 2012 and job outcome data will be published from autumn 2012. The Department’s publication strategy for Work programme statistics was placed in the House of Commons Library and is also available at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wp
Access to Work Programme: Sign Language
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what forms of sign language interpretation are available for sign language users through the Access to Work programme. [76374]
Maria Miller: Access to Work has provided assistance for a number of physical interpretation solutions including; British Sign Language, Sign Assisted Speech, Note takers, Palantypists, Lip Readers, Palm Speakers, Deaf Relay Interpreters and Sign Supported English. There are also a variety of technical interpretation options including; Remote Interpreting, Minicom, Texbox, Video Phones, Sign Video, Typetalk, Electronic Note taking and Remote Captioning.
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many interpreters who use a sign language other than British Sign Language are employed as part of the Access to Work scheme. [76375]
Maria Miller: The information requested is not routinely collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sign language users requested interpreting services in a sign language other than British Sign Language through the Access to Work scheme in the last year. [76376]
Maria Miller: The information requested is not routinely collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Child Care
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent assessment is of the potential effects of the universal credit on child care costs. [75553]
Chris Grayling: No estimate has been made of the impact of universal credit on the cost of child care.
We are investing more than the current spend on child are. Extending support to parents working fewer than 16 hours will allow around 80,000 families who are currently not eligible to receive help with child care costs, increasing their financial incentives to take work.
Families will be able to recover 70% of monthly child care costs up to £760 for one child or £1,300 for two or more children. This is equivalent to the current arrangements in tax credits of £175 for one child and £300 for two or more children per week.
Child Maintenance
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England receive financial assistance from the Child Support Agency. [75434]
Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mothers in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England receive financial assistance from the Child Support Agency. [75434]
The Commission does not provide financial assistance directly. However the Child Support Agency (CSA) operates the two existing statutory child maintenance schemes. If a parent opens a case the CSA will work out how much child maintenance should be paid and can also collect and pass on child maintenance payments.
In the quarter to June 2011 there were 1,600 cases with a female parent with care benefiting from maintenance in Ashfield Constituency, 9,400 in Nottinghamshire and 544,300 in England.
Cases benefiting from maintenance are referred to as cases with a positive maintenance outcome. In addition the table below provides the number of cases, with a female parent with care in the specified areas, where maintenance was due and the number and percentage of these cases with a positive maintenance outcome in the three months to June 2011.
| Cases benefiting from maintenance , June 2011 | |||
|
|
Maintenance due | Positive outcome | Percentage with positive outcome (%) |
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| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Areas are provided by matching the residential postcode of the parent with care to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory. 3. Cases are classed as having maintenance due if an ongoing liability to pay maintenance exists or arrears of maintenance have been requested. This group of cases consists of assessed not charging, compliant, nil compliant, maintenance direct and others with receipts. 4. Cases are counted as having a positive maintenance outcome if they have received a payment via the collection service in the quarter or have a maintenance direct agreement in place. Cases are classed as maintenance direct if this is their status at the end of the quarter. | |||
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement. [75178]
Chris Grayling: The numbers and values of contracts awarded to third sector organisations since May 2010 are detailed in the following table:
|
|
Contracts awarded | Total value (£) |
| (1) Including 20 Workchoice contracts. Notes: 1. DWP does not have complete coverage of the third sector status of every supplier who has been awarded a contract in this period. 2. We have 15 other contracts in the period where the supplier's third sector status is unknown. 3. DWP awarded 1,129 contracts in total in this period (of which, CIT low level contracts total 598). Third sector suppliers represent 4.1% of the overall total. 4. The data includes DWP and its NDPB's. 5. The data is extracted from the BMO Contracts database using the contract start date as the filter. 6. Some contracts have a nil value because there is no firm contractual commitment to spend. 7. The period covered by this response is 1 May 2010 to 30 September 2011. | ||
The accompanying appendix will be placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Travel
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on first-class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010. [75531]
Chris Grayling: The expenditure for first class travel(1) by DWP since May 2010 is as follows:
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(1) There was no first-class air or boat travel undertaken in the period in question and therefore all of the above figures relate to rail travel.
|
|
£ | Percentage r eduction (%) |
| (1) An initial review of DWP's travel policy undertaken during this period allowed 1st class rail travel only for journeys over two hours and even then only in exceptional circumstances when a business case had been signed off by the budget holder. (2) A further review of DWP's travel policy, undertaken during this period to ensure taxpayer's money was being used in the most efficient manner, introduced an outright ban on first class travel from 4th April 2011, save for very exceptional circumstances e.g. travel by a disabled employee who cannot be accommodated in standard class. | ||
It is important to note that first-class travel reduced from 24% of the total number of rail journeys in May 2010 to 0.3% in September 2011.
DWP's business travel policy actively discourages travel, where possible, and encourages the use of video conferencing or call conferencing for meetings instead. Where travel is deemed necessary, DWP supports the use of the most cost-effective modes of transport only.
The figures provided should be read in the context of a geographically dispersed Department of over 100,000 staff.
Travel by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. The Civil Service Management Code sets outs regulations and instructions to Departments and agencies regarding the terms and conditions of service of civil servants and the delegations which have been made by the Minister for the Civil Service under the Civil Service (Management of Functions) Act 1992 together with the conditions attached to those delegations.
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/resources/civil-service-management-code
Paragraph 8.2 of the code deals with travel and under this section Departments and agencies must ensure that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel in the circumstances, taking into account any management benefit or the needs of staff with disabilities.
Disability Living Allowance: Coventry
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women aged 16 to 24 claimed disability living allowance in Coventry in (a) 1992, (b) 2002 and (c) the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [76380]
Maria Miller: The information is not available in the format requested but such information as is available is contained in the following table.
| Disability living allowance cases in payment for 16 to 24-year-olds in Coventry local authority at February 1993, 2002 and 2011, by gender | ||
| As at February: | Men aged 16 to 24 | Women aged 16 to 24 |
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| (1) Numbers are based on very few sample cases and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation. Notes: 1. Figures from February 1993 and February 2002 are taken from 5% sample data. They have been up-rated to be consistent with WPLS data and are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures for February 2011 are taken from WPLS 100% data and are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. 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. 4. Disability living allowance was introduced in April 1992, but published tables by local authority are not available prior to February 1993. Sources: 1. DWP Information Directorate: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 2. DWP Information Directorate: Sample data (5%) (February 1993 and 2002) | ||
Housing Benefit
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of implementing reforms to housing benefit by April 2013. [76205]
Steve Webb: Clause 68 of the Welfare Reform Bill will enable the introduction of size criteria for claimants receiving housing benefit in the social rented sector. From April 2013 housing benefit for working-age people who are living in a larger property than they need will be restricted. We are working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government and others as we develop our implementation strategy. The consumer prices index measure for the local housing allowance will also be introduced from April 2013.
Housing Benefit: EU Nationals
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on assessing eligibility for housing benefit for A8 nationals. [75658]
Steve Webb: Since 1 May 2011, A8 nationals have had the same access to housing benefit as nationals of other, longer established European Union member states.
Detailed guidance on the benefit position of A8 nationals from 1 May 2011 was made available to local authorities in a housing benefit and council tax circular, A10/2011. This circular was published in May 2011. DWP also offers further support to local authorities on such matters by operating a dedicated e-mail inquiry point.
National Insurance Contributions
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in employers' national insurance contributions for employees aged (a) under 20, (b) between 20 and 25, (c) between 25 and 55, (d) between 55 and 60, (e) between 60 and 65, (f) between 65 and 70 and (g) over 70 years old in the latest year for which figures are available. [74454]
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Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
Information on the amount of employer national insurance contributions payable in respect of the 2009-10 tax year by age of employee is shown in the following table.
| Age | Employer NICs (£ millions) |
Estimates are based on a 1% sample of NICs and PAYE Service data and exclude Class 1A and 1B national insurance contributions.
Occupational Pensions
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) incentives and (b) options the Government are providing for short-term employees to contribute under the auto-enrolment system. [75958]
Steve Webb: The information is as follows:
The reforms ensure that all temporary workers, whether agency workers or employees directly employed by a company on a fixed short term contract are on an equal footing for the purposes of workplace pension saving.
Employers will be required to enrol all workers eligible(1) for automatic enrolment into a qualifying workplace pension scheme.
To ensure a balance of costs and benefits for individuals and employers the independent Making Automatic Enrolment Work review recommended the introduction of an optional three month waiting period before a worker has to be automatically enrolled as an easement for employers. Individuals who know that they want to save into a workplace pension saving will be able to opt in during the waiting period if they wish to do so.
Eligible workers who do not opt out will benefit from a minimum 3% employer contribution(2) and tax relief which will effectively double their own contributions offering a powerful incentive to save for retirement.
In addition workers who are not eligible for automatic enrolment but aged at least 16 and under 22 or have reached state pension age and under 75 and earning more than £5,035 will be able to opt in to workplace pension saving and qualify for an employer contribution.
Workers earning less than £5,035 will be able to opt in to a scheme designated by their employer. Their employer may choose to make a pension contribution but is not obliged to do so.
(1) Employers have to automatically enrol workers if they are (subject to pending legislation) someone: aged at least 22 and under pensionable age, who ordinarily works in Great Britain under the worker's contract and earns more than the earnings threshold (£7,475 in 2011-12).
(2) The 3% contribution is payable on defined contribution arrangements. Minimum employer contributions will be phased in starting at 1%, rising to 2% from October 2016 reaching 3% from October 2017.
Pensions
Brandon Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the additional number of people who will start saving towards
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a pension as a result of automatic enrolment into pensions at work. [76052]
Steve Webb: The Department estimates that nine to 10 million workers will be eligible for automatic enrolment into a workplace pension and that the reforms will result in five to eight million people newly saving, or saving more, in a workplace pension.
This estimate is taken from the impact assessment for the Pensions Bill 2011:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pensions-bill-2011-ia-annexb.pdf
which was published in January 2011.
Pensions: Fire Services
Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment of the potential effect on firefighters of the provisions of the Pensions Bill [Lords]. [75724]
Steve Webb: The impact assessment published when the Pensions Bill was introduced into Parliament on 13 January 2011 did not cover specific occupations. It did consider the impact of the proposed increase in state pension age for people previously employed in manual occupations.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pensions-bill-2011-ia-annexa.pdf
Pensions: North Lanarkshire
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of women in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency who will spend longer in employment as a result of the legislative proposals in the Pensions Bill. [75912]
Steve Webb: The information requested is not available. However, 4,200 women in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency will have their state pension age affected by the proposals in the Pensions Bill 2011.
In Motherwell and Wishaw constituency in 2010-11, the employment rate of women aged 50-64 was 63.5% compared to a UK figure of 58.4%.
Social Security Benefits
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of households in receipt of out-of-work benefits for more than 12 months had (a) seven or more, (b) six, (c) five and (d) four children in the latest period for which figures are available. [75921]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available as it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to uphold the right to reside benefits test against any demand for abolition by the European Commission. [76194]
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Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is considering all the details of the European Commission's Reasoned Opinion against the right to reside test and is committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the UK retains control of its welfare policies.
The Government accept their responsibility in supporting EU citizens who work here and pay their taxes, but it is clearly completely unacceptable that we should be asked to open our welfare system to people who have never worked or contributed in the United Kingdom and have no intention of doing so.
Unemployment
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the percentage change in the level of unemployment has been in each local authority area since May 2010. [76218]
Chris Grayling: The DWP does not hold this information. The responsibility for this area sits with the Cabinet Office.
Unemployment: Vacancies
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of any correlation between unemployment levels and job vacancies in each region. [75940]
Chris Grayling: The following table sets out the average number of vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus each month for the three months to September 2011(1), alongside the average jobseeker’s allowance claimant count level over the same period.
(1) The Office for National Statistics’ measure of total vacancies in the economy is not available at a regional level, and Jobcentre Plus vacancy figures are not available for Northern Ireland.
| Three months to September 2011 | ||
|
|
Average number of vacancies notified to JCP | Average JSA claimant count level |
| Source: nomisweb.co.uk | ||
Jobcentre Plus vacancies will represent only a proportion of the total vacancies available in each region, as further vacancies will arise through other recruitment channels. Moreover, this proportion will vary between regions as Jobcentre Plus’s market share is not geographically uniform.
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Work Capability Assessment
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people subject to a work capability assessment who had been diagnosed as (a) terminally ill, (b) having Parkinson's disease, (c) having multiple sclerosis and (d) requiring open heart surgery were assessed fit for work in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [75934]
Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
(a) The Department considers a person to be terminally ill if they suffer from a progressive disease with a prognosis of six months or less. Those with terminal illnesses are among a small minority of claimants who are fast-tracked into the support group without having to attend a work capability assessment (WCA).
People considered to be terminally ill by the Department are assessed to have limited capability for work-related activity and therefore cannot be assessed to be fit for work or placed in the work related activity group.
The Department recently published an ad hoc analysis of WCA outcomes at initial assessment for employment and support allowance (ESA) claims by detailed medical condition based on the International Classifications of Diseases (ICD10). This analysis was published on 21 September 2011 and can be accessed using the following link:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/index.php?page=adhoc_analysis_2011_q3
This shows the outcomes of the initial WCA for new ESA claims starting between October 2008 and November 2010 (the latest data available), after the effect of appeals. This shows that there were:
(b) 200 fit for work decisions out of 1,200 new claims where the primary condition was classed as Parkinson's disease.
(c) 700 fit for work decisions out of 4,900 new claims where the primary condition was classed as multiple sclerosis.
(d) The term 'requiring open heart surgery' is not defined by the International Classifications of Diseases (ICD10) published by the World Health Organisation; as a result we are unable to provide information in the format requested.
Entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) is based on functional capabilities, not on condition per se. The medical condition recorded on a claim form does not in itself confer entitlement to ESA. So, for example, a decision on entitlement for a customer claiming employment and support on the basis of alcoholism would be based on their ability to carry out the range of activities assessed by the work capability assessment, or on the effects of any associated mental health problems. It is also important to note that, where someone has more than one diagnosis or disabling condition, only the predominant one is currently recorded.
Cabinet Office
Central Office of Information
Alun Michael: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) if he will publish the business case for closing the Central Office of Information; [75564]
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(2) what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse from the proposed closure of the Central Office of Information; and what assessment he has made of the implications of that estimate for the conclusions of the Tee Review; [75567]
(3) what estimate he has made of the cost implications for individual Government Departments of the closure of the Central Office of Information (COI); and what impact assessments he has made of the decision to close the COI. [75568]
Mr Maude: The closure of the Central Office of Information is part of a programme to reform Government communications as a whole. This builds on the success of the moratorium on marketing and advertising, which saw external spend through COI fall from £532 million in 2009-10 to £168 million in 2010-11 and central Government Departments cut their communications budgets by half. These reductions in spending mean that COI is no longer viable as a trading fund.
The decision on the full package of reforms was made on the basis of the information contained in the former Permanent Secretary for Government Communication's ‘Review of Government Direct Communication and the Role of COI’ and the Government's response to this report. The original report was published on the Cabinet Office website in March and can be seen at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/review-government-direct-communication-and-coi
Following this I made a ministerial statement on 23 June 2011, Official Report, 22WS.
These changes will lead to cost savings in Government Departments: they will work together more closely, align activity and share resources.
Alun Michael: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the transfer of work from the Central Office of Information to other Government Departments will be managed as a machinery of government change. [75566]
Mr Maude: The reform of Government communications and the closure of COI do not include any changes of ministerial responsibility, so therefore there is no machinery of government change.
Central Office of Information: Cardiff
Alun Michael: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the closure of the Central Office of Information Office in Cardiff on staff employed at that office. [75537]
Mr Maude: The closure of the Central Office of Information means that all its staff are at risk of redundancy. The Cabinet Office is working to minimise the number of redundancies.
Civil Servants: Internet
Dr Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will provide further guidance for civil servants who take part in online discussions and debates under personal social media accounts outside of their normal work areas (a) in their own names and (b) anonymously. [76253]
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Mr Maude [holding answer 21 October 2011]: The guidance on the use of social media by civil servants is currently being updated to include guidance to civil servants on their participation in social media in a personal capacity. Revised guidance will be published shortly.
Civil Servants: Manpower
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many full-time equivalent civil servants there were in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; how many he expects there to be in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. [76277]
Mr Maude [holding answer 21 October 2011]: Official estimates of the number of full-time equivalent civil servants are produced by the Office of National Statistics at a point in time rather than over a financial year. As such the number of full-time equivalent civil servants as at 31 March 2009, 31 March 2010 and the 30 June 2011, the latest published position, is shown in Table 1.
| Table 1: Number of full-time equivalent civil servants, 31 March 2009 to 30 June 2011 | |
|
|
Number |
| Source: Public Sector Employment Statistics, ONS. | |
Cabinet Office is currently working with Departments to understand their future work force plans and projections. Information on finalised estimates of numbers of civil servants for 2012 to 2015 is not yet available but will be released in due course.
Community First Fund: Halifax
Mrs Riordan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons Illingworth and Mixenden Ward in Halifax constituency did not qualify for funding under the Community First programme. [76422]
Mr Hurd: The aim of the Community First programme is to encourage more social action in neighbourhoods with significant deprivation and low social capital. It aims to encourage people to help others and themselves to improve the quality of life locally.
The eligible wards for Community First were selected using the indices of multiple deprivation, cross-cut with significant job seekers allowance claimant increases at top tier local authority level. In Calderdale, the eligible wards are Eland, Ovenden, Park, Sowerby Bridge, Town and Warley. They will all receive £33,910 of match funding over four years, with the exception of Ovenden which will receive £84,775.
Departmental Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and medium-sized private sector businesses since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [75700]
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Mr Hurd: I have had numerous meetings with a range of organisations since last year. Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis with those for June 2011 to be published in due course.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to take account of (a) socio-economic factors and (b) potential revenues for the Exchequer in the awarding of contracts. [76552]
Mr Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 117W.
Employment: North-east England
Ian Mearns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the change was in the number of jobs in (a) Gateshead and (b) the North East in the (i) public and (ii) private sector in each of the last four quarters. [76405]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the change was in the number of jobs in (a) Gateshead and (b) the North East in the (i) public and (ii) private sector in each of the last four Quarters. (076405)
We are unable to provide quarterly information at this level of detail. However as an alternative, public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
The table provided shows the change in levels of the number of people employed in the public and private sector resident in Gateshead and the North East, between the 12 month periods ending in March 2010 and March 2011. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on National Accounts definitions.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1. Change in the number of people employed in the public and private sector (1) resident in Gateshead and the North East between 12 month periods ending in March 2010 and March 2011 | ||
| Thousand | ||
|
|
Private (2) | Public (3) |
| (1) It should be noted that public and private sector estimates: are based on survey respondents' views about the organisation for which they work; do not correspond to the National Accounts definition used for official Public Sector Employment estimates. (2) Includes self-employed and unpaid family workers. (3) Includes nationalised industry or state corporation, central Government, civil service, local government or council (incl. police, fire services and local authority controlled schools or colleges), university or other grant funded educational establishment, health authority or NHS trust and armed forces. Source: ONS Annual Population Survey | ||
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Employment: North-west England
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the change was in the number of jobs in (a) Liverpool and (b) the North West in the (i) public and (ii) private sector in each of the last four quarters. [76748]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the change was in the number of jobs in (a) Liverpool and (b) the North West in the (i) public and (ii) private sector in each of the last four Quarters. (76748)
We are unable to provide quarterly information at this level of detail. However as an alternative, public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
The table provided shows the change in levels of the number of people employed in the public and private sector resident in Liverpool Local Authority and the North West, between the 12 month periods ending in March 2010 and March 2011. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on National Accounts definitions.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: Change in the number of people employed in the public and private sector (1) resident in Liverpool local authority and the North West between 12-month periods ending in March 2010 and March 2011 | ||
| Thousand | ||
|
|
Private (2) | Public (3) |
| (1) It should be noted that public and private sector estimates: are based on survey respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work; do not correspond to the National Accounts definition used for official public sector employment estimates. (2) Includes self-employed and unpaid family workers. (3) Includes nationalised industry or state corporation, central Government, civil service, local government or council (including police, fire services and local authority controlled schools or colleges), university or other grant funded educational establishment, health authority or NHS trust and armed forces. Source: ONS Annual Population Survey. | ||
Private Rented Housing: Greater London
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people live in privately-rented accommodation in London; and what proportion of such people are (a) in full-time work, (b) unemployed, (c) aged 16 to 34 years, (d) ethnic minorities, (e) single people and (f) living in a household of more than three people. [76404]
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Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority, I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated October 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of people living in privately-rented accommodation in London, and what proportion of these people are (a) in full-time work, (b) unemployed, (c) aged 16 to 34 years, (d) ethnic minorities, (e) single people, and (f) living in households with more than 3 people. (76404).
The requested estimates are derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) person and household datasets. The latest available data are for January to December 2010. The estimates are provided in the accompanying table. These estimates are for all people aged 16 and over living in privately-rented accommodation in London, and therefore exclude children aged under 16. The estimate for 'ethnic minorities' include those who classified themselves as mixed, Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Chinese, or other. The estimate for 'single people' refers to those living in one-person households.
SMEs
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to procure goods and services from small and medium-sized businesses. [76264]
Mr Maude: At an SME Strategic Supplier Summit held on 11 February, we announced a series of measures to make it easier for SMEs to compete for Government contracts, detailed at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-opens-contracts-small-business
Local authorities are responsible for their own procurement decisions, but many choose to follow central Government policies and practices. Baroness Eaton, Chair of the Local Government Group, has signalled local government support for the measures the Government announced on 11 February, particularly the use of a shortened, simplified and standard set of core questions to be used in pre-qualification.
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In addition, we are working with local government procurement organisations to make as many of their procurement opportunities as possible accessible through Contracts Finder, our one stop shop to enable suppliers to find procurement opportunities, tender documents and contracts online, free of charge.
Social Investment Market Vision and Strategy
Damian Hinds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received on his Department's Social Investment Market Vision and Strategy. [75668]
Mr Hurd: As Minister for Civil Society I receive numerous representations in relation to social investment, including the Department's vision and strategy, which was published in February 2011. This includes correspondence, meetings and parliamentary business.
Work to develop the social investment market is being taken forward by a range of organisations inside and outside Government.
Social Lending
Damian Hinds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of Big Society Bank funds he estimates will be disbursed through community development finance institutions. [75669]
Mr Hurd: The Big Society Bank will be an independent organisation, and will be responsible for making its own investment decisions based on the expected impact and quality of the investment proposal. It will invest through intermediary organisations, like Community Development Finance Institutions that provide financial and business support to civil society.
Since the level of investment sought by Community Development Finance Institutions from the Big Society Bank is uncertain, and subsequent investment decisions will be for Big Society Bank, it is not possible or appropriate for Government to estimate the proportion of funds that will be disbursed through Community Development Finance Institutions.
Voluntary Organisations
Graham Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) community networks and (b) councils for voluntary service organisations receiving public funding (i) have closed in the last 12 months and (ii) have plans to close. [76079]
Mr Hurd: We do not centrally hold specific data on closures of community networks or Council for Voluntary Service. Latest figures show that approximately 38,000 general charities receive funding from Government and we continue to work closely with partners in the sector and across government to support such organisations through the transition.
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Voluntary Work
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what assessment he has made of the Access to Volunteering pilot projects undertaken in 2008-09 and 2009-10; and if he will make a statement; [76289]
(2) if he will publish the independent assessment undertaken of the Access to Volunteering projects; and if he will make a statement. [76290]
Mr Hurd [holding answer 21 October 2011]: Encouraging volunteering and social action is a key part of the Government's vision for a Big Society. In May 2011 the Cabinet Office published the Giving White Paper, which announced a number of measures including £40 million of funding over the next two years to support volunteering.
An independent evaluation of the Access to Volunteering pilot was published in March 2011. The report is available at the following link:
http://shared.freshminds.co.uk/Access_to_Volunteering _Evaluation.pdf
The evaluation was accompanied by three documents that share good practice from the pilot, available on the Volunteering England website at:
www.volunteering.org.uk/resources/goodpracticebank/Specialist+Themes/Disabled+People/index
Attorney-General
Judge Darlow
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Attorney-General what consideration he has given to the prosecution of the offence of misconduct in public office in the light of the rulings of Judge Darlow in the case of R v Laloi (2005). [75924]
The Attorney-General: His Honour Judge Darlow ruled, on 19 October 2005, that there was no case to answer in relation to the charges of misconduct in public office. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was, therefore, unable to proceed on these charges.
At the same hearing, the judge also indicated that the type of penalty he would impose on the remaining charges under the Data Protection Act 1998 would not justify a complex criminal trial. This obliged prosecutors to review the decision to proceed. The Code for Crown Prosecutors states that a public interest factor tending against prosecution is if the court is likely to impose a nominal penalty. In the light of this and applying the Code, the prosecution offered no evidence on these charges on 30 March 2006.
The CPS queried the judge's ruling in court and subsequently sought counsel's advice on referring his rulings in this case to the Court of Appeal, through an Attorney-General's reference. The CPS was advised that the case was not suitable for referral to the Court of Appeal because the law required no further clarification.
Section 58 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 now allows appeals of judge's rulings within a trial. This was not available at the time of these proceedings.