Victims: Terrorism
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals on compensation for victims of terrorism. [92710]
Mr Blunt: On 30 January the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), announced the Government's intention to introduce two new schemes for making payments to victims of terrorism overseas. A statutory scheme, made under the Crime and Security Act 2010, will be for eligible victims of future terrorist acts abroad while an ex gratia scheme will be for victims of terrorist acts going back to 2002. A draft of the statutory scheme will be laid in Parliament for approval by a resolution of both Houses before coming into force.
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Northern Ireland
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has agreed any contracts with (a) private hire vehicle and (b) taxi companies since May 2010. [92822]
Mr Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office has not agreed any contracts for private hire vehicles and taxi companies since May 2010.
Work Experience
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what work experience or traineeship schemes his Department offers to minority groups. [92743]
Mr Paterson: Following the devolution of Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 12 April 2010, all home civil servants within my Department have adopted the terms and conditions of the Ministry of Justice. In doing so the Department has also adopted MOJ guidance on apprenticeships and work experience schemes which are open to all staff, including those from minority groups.
Scotland
Deloitte
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contracts his Department has awarded to Deloitte and its associates since May 2010; and what the (a) net and (b) individual value of each such contract was. [92990]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has awarded no contracts to Deloitte and its associates since May 2010.
Departmental Expenditure: Alcoholic Drinks
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on (a) wine, (b) other alcoholic refreshments and (c) bottled water since May 2010. [92647]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not hold the information in the format requested.
All expenditure incurred is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Recruitment
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, columns 101-2W, on departmental recruitment, how much of the £816.27 spent on recruitment agencies was spent on agency (a) fees and (b) staff. [92593]
David Mundell: The total spend on recruitment agencies of £816.27 all relates to staffing costs.
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Departmental Travel Costs
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 31WS, on cost of ministerial cars, whether his Department has any other arrangements for ministerial travel; and how much his Department has spent on (a) private hire vehicles and (b) taxis for each Minister since May 2010. [92819]
David Mundell: Scotland Office Ministers hire ministerial cars or private hire cars if and when required for ministerial business and on occasions make use of taxis or public transport.
The cost of ministerial travel between May 2010 and December 2011 is shown in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Secretary of State | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | |
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has agreed any contracts with (a) private hire vehicle and (b) taxi companies since May 2010. [92820]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not entered into any new contracts with private hire vehicle or taxi companies since May 2010.
Elections: Local Government
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2012 to question 92101, how many registered voters there were in each category who were eligible to register to vote in local government elections but not eligible to register to vote in UK parliamentary elections as at 1 December 2010. [93164]
David Mundell: Of those eligible to register to vote in local government elections but not eligible to register to vote in UK Parliament elections, the numbers registered as at 1 December 2010 by category are:
| Number | |
Electoral statistics are reported by the General Register Office for Scotland and further information can be found on its website:
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/electoral-stats/index.html
Transport
Biofuels: Research
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the effect of recent research in synthetic biology on the development of cleaner transport fuels. [93158]
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Norman Baker: Work within the Department for Transport (DFT) is looking at the potential renewable energy production and greenhouse gas savings derived from a variety of different technologies. This includes synthetic biology where micro-organisms are used as biocatalysts to turn materials into biofuels.
DFT recognises that advanced biofuels may offer many benefits, including increased greenhouse gas savings, producing fuels from land which was otherwise unproductive or from waste material with no other uses. Some advanced biofuels may also be more readily used in current vehicles than first generation biofuels.
First TransPennine Express
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with First TransPennine Express on amendments to its franchise agreement to permit an increase in the number of trains [93471]
Mike Penning: No amendments have been made to the franchise agreement to date. The Department for Transport is in negotiations with the preferred bidders for the manufacture, maintenance and financing of the new rolling stock. Subject to these negotiations being brought to a successful conclusion, contracts are expected to be finalised within the first quarter of 2012.
Heathrow Airport: Night Flying
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the legal limit of night flights at Heathrow airport has been breached in the latest period for which figures are available. [91792]
Mrs Villiers: At Heathrow airport there is a movement and noise quota limit for the summer and winter seasons. The airport operator is also allowed to carry up to 10% of unused movements and noise quota points to the next period. There has been no breach to these limits since the current night flight restrictions came into operation in 2006.
Railways: Accidents
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many young people have been killed on Merseyrail railway lines in each of the last 10 years. [93135]
Mike Penning: The Office of Rail Regulation and the RSSB collate figures of incidents and accidents on the railway that are reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
Both these bodies publish annual reports in which such rail safety statistics are set out. Page 127 of the RSSB Annual Safety Report for 2010-11
http://www.rssb.co.uk/SPR/REPORTS/Pages/default.aspx
provides data on the number of public fatalities on the railways occurring to children since 2001-02 at a national level.
The right hon. Member might wish to contact these organisations directly to discuss figures applicable at specific local or regional levels.
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Roads: Accidents
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times accidents involving one or more vehicles on the Birmingham New Road, Dudley, between Priory Road and Tipton Road, have required the attendance of the emergency services in each of the last five years. [93349]
Mike Penning: The number of reported personal injury accidents on the Birmingham New Road, Dudley, between Priory Road and Tipton Road in each of the last five years where police attended the scene and reported details of the accident to the Department is given as follows:
| Number of accidents | ||
| Police attended scene of accident | Total (1) | |
| (1) Includes accidents reported to police where police did not attend the scene of accident (ie reported later at a police station) | ||
The Department only collects information on personal injury road accidents reported to the police. Information on the attendance of other emergency services in road accidents is not collected.
Speed Limits
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure the enforcement of 20 mph speed limits and other traffic calming measures outside schools. [92321]
Norman Baker: Enforcement is a matter for the police along with local traffic authorities who also have responsibility for traffic calming. The Department has been working with ACPO to revise its guidance in this area. We are also currently reviewing our own guidance on speed limits and are liaising with the police and local authorities as part of this.
Transport: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had on access to the Cohesion Fund ring-fenced funding in the Connecting Europe Facility for the West Wales and the Valleys region. [92157]
Mrs Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has not had any discussions regarding access to the Cohesion Funds (ring-fenced for Transport projects) referred to in the European Commission's proposal for a Connecting Europe Facility. The UK is not eligible for Cohesion Funding.
Railways: Finance
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what she proposes will be the total expenditure from (a) her Department's budget and (b) Network
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Rail's regulated asset base on electrification of the TransPennine Express in each of the remaining years of the comprehensive spending review period. [91586]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 24 January 2012]: Following the Department for Transport's commitment to fund the electrification of the North TransPennine Express line as part of the Growth Review, Network Rail has begun working up detailed plans for the delivery of this scheme. This includes considering the delivery programme for this work.
The Department for Transport and Network Rail are confident that the early works which were committed to at the Growth Review can be funded as a result of efficiencies which Network Rail has made within the current Control Period. We therefore anticipate that there will be no additional cost to the public purse within Control Period 4 from undertaking this scheme.
From the start of Control Period 5 in 2014-15, the investment which has been added to Network Rail's Regulated Asset Base will be reflected through a charge for the cost of Network Rail's capital.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what she proposes will be the total expenditure from (a) her Department's budget and (b) Network Rail's regulated asset base on measures to reduce disruption on the rail network in each of the remaining years of the comprehensive spending review period. [91587]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 24 January 2012]: As part of the Growth Review, the Department for Transport committed to fund £100 million of further investment in the Network Rail Discretionary Fund (NRDF) to reduce disruption on the rail network and reduce the cost of running the railway. We anticipate that this investment will be complete by the end of Control Period 4 in 2013-14.
This investment will be funded by efficiencies which Network Rail has made within the current Control Period. We therefore anticipate that there will be no additional cost to the public purse within Control Period 4 from undertaking this scheme.
From the start of Control Period 5 in 2014-15, the £100 million investment which has been added to Network Rail's Regulated Asset Base will be reflected through a charge for the cost of Network Rail's capital.
A number of other means of reducing disruption on the rail network are being funded in Control Period 4 and the Department will consider the case for funding further measures in Control Period 5.
Treasury
Departmental Pay
Priti Patel:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in (a) bonuses, (b) allowances and (c) other payments additional to basic salary in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what categories of payment may be made to officials in addition to basic salary; what the monetary
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value is of each category of payment; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest such payments made in each of the last two years. [89698]
Miss Chloe Smith: The information is answered in the following table:
| £000 | ||
| Allowance | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| (1) Now coded as London location allowance | ||
Allowances such as procurement, audit and accountancy are paid to staff in recognition of professional qualifications; they occupy a designated post in the profession and undertake the required professional activities. Other allowances are paid to staff when they are posted abroad to cover rental and cost of living. Overtime and meal allowance is paid to staff who work beyond their contracted hours. Private office and press office allowance is paid to some staff who work in these offices in recognition of the long hours worked. Those in receipt of the allowance do not claim overtime.
All allowances paid are considered as part of the overall pay and reward strategy in HM Treasury. In line with the announcement on the public sector pay freeze by the Chancellor in October 2009, all allowances have been frozen along with pay. The two-year pay freeze ends in 2012 for HM Treasury and allowances will be reviewed in line with the 1% pay cap and as part of the overall reward strategy.
| Bonus award | ||
| Bonus type (1) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
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| (1) Some staff may have received both types of bonus payment in a single financial year. | ||
Departmental Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has agreed any contracts with (a) private hire vehicle and (b) taxi companies since May 2010. [92848]
Miss Chloe Smith: HM Treasury has not agreed any new contracts with either (a) private hire vehicle or (b) taxi companies since May 2010.
An extension of 10 months to the existing contract with Goldstar Taxis Norwich was agreed in June 2011.
Mortgages
Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has considered taking to encourage early repayment of mortgage debt. [93162]
Mr Hoban: The Government are committed to reducing the burden of debt built up before the crisis. In the short term it is also important that household spending supports recovery in the economy. This will encourage employment and economic growth and will contribute to stronger income and aid the transition to a lower long-term debt burden. The Government's tough action on the deficit will support this process. Interest payments for mortgages are currently the lowest as a proportion of total income since records began.
Women and Equalities
Members: Females
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to increase the number of women hon. Members. [92378]
Lynne Featherstone:
It is important that our democracy is representative of the people it serves. As I said in responding to the Back Bench debate on 12 January 2012, Official Report, columns 438-442, on the Speaker's Conference, the Government welcome the 2010 Speaker's
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Conference report on Parliamentary Representation and support the broad thrust of its recommendations to improve the diversity of Members of Parliament.
The Equality Act 2010 allows parties to use women-only shortlists if they wish to do so. We are working with the political parties and the House authorities on ways of encouraging more women to seek election, and for Parliament's working practices to recognise the diverse needs of its Members and potential Members, especially women, so that they can be fully effective representatives.
We are also working with the parties on the importance and benefits of parties collecting and publishing diversity data relating to candidates. This was discussed at a round table meeting between officials and political parties' diversity representatives on 27 January 2012.
Social Services: Female Workers
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities whether she has assessed the potential effect of the recommendations of the Dilnot Commission on women working in social care. [92861]
Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department of Health.
The coalition agreement set out the the Government's clear commitment to reforming the system of social care to provide much more control to individuals and their carers and to ease the cost burden that they and their families face.
This commitment to reform is why we acted quickly to set up the Commission on Funding of Care and Support, which published its report in July 2011.
When the commission published its report, the Government set out a clear timetable for assessing the impacts of the commission's recommendations, making the necessary trade-offs with other priorities for social care reform, and deciding on the best way forward. We said that we were working towards a White Paper on social care and a progress report on funding reform in spring 2012, and we remain committed to that timetable.
The commission's report has formed the basis of the Government's recent engagement with stakeholders. This engagement exercise examined the impact of these recommendations and brought them together with other priorities for reform from across the social care system to look at the trade-offs between them.
In addition to our work with social care stakeholders, the Department is looking in detail at the impact of the commission's recommendations. A full assessment of the recommendations will be included in the progress report, which we will publish in the spring. We are not able to pre-judge the contents of that report now by commenting in detail on the impact of the recommendations.
Work and Pensions
Employment Schemes
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the 2008 report commissioned by his Department, “A comparative review of workfare programmes in the United States, Canada and Australia”; and if he will make a statement. [92380]
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Chris Grayling: The report ‘A comparative review of workfare programmes in the United States, Canada and Australia’ (Department for Work and Pensions, Research Report No. 533) demonstrated that workfare schemes that have removed a requirement to continue jobsearch activity can lock claimants in, reducing their likelihood of entering sustained employment.
The Department for Work and Pensions does not operate a workfare scheme. Nonetheless, the Department has considered the findings of this report in the design of its current employment programmes. This includes ensuring that JSA claimants participating in programmes that include a period of mandatory work experience continue to be required to actively seek and be available for employment and are given appropriate time and, in many cases, additional support to find work.
Atos Healthcare
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2012, Official Report, column 840W, on Atos Healthcare, what proportion of all claimants participating in the Atos Quality Survey rated Atos Healthcare's performance as (a) very good, (b) good, (c) poor and (d) very poor in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011. [93232]
Chris Grayling: Unfortunately the information requested above is not available in the format requested.
The answer could be provided only in the requested format at costs that exceed the disproportionate cost limit of £800 for parliamentary questions.
The data provided from the survey is collated into a Highlight Report by Atos Healthcare on a monthly basis. An overall satisfaction measurement that makes reference to key questions about Atos Healthcare service provision by both Medical Assessment Centres and Domiciliary Visits is provided. Services scored include:
Arranging appointments;
Rearranging appointments;
Receptionist; and
The Health Care Professional (HCP).
The overall findings for November 2011 are included as follows:
| Overall | |||
| Question | Number answered | Number very/quite good | |
The overall response rate is 31.5%.
Source:
Atos Healthcare
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The data generated in this format indicate why there would be a disproportionate cost to providing detail for 48 months as requested.
Employment Schemes
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average is of the single payments contracted to be made to mandatory work activity providers. [91495]
Chris Grayling: The specific amounts paid to individual mandatory work activity providers are commercial in confidence.
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what basis payments are made to the two agencies providing services in assisting claimants to return to work; and whether payments are made in respect of clients where (a) the agency and (b) the individuals have found the work. [92133]
Chris Grayling: The two Work programme providers the hon. Gentleman refers to, A4e and Ingeus Deloitte, along with all other providers, receive three types of payment. These are:
a small attachment fee for each claimant referred to the Work programme. This is designed to assist with start-up costs and will reduce over the first three years until it is zero in year four;
an outcome fee that is paid after 26 weeks in employment for mainstream jobseeker's allowance claimants, and after 13 weeks for jobseeker's allowance early access claimants and all other claimant groups;
a sustainment payment that is paid to the provider every four weeks that a claimant stays in work. These payments can be claimed for up to one year, eighteen months or two years, depending on how far the claimant originally was from the labour market.
Outcome fees are not payable as soon as claimants start work, in recognition of the fact that some claimants would have found work without a provider's support. Rather, outcome payments after 13 or 26 weeks, coupled with sustainment payments thereafter, create strong incentives for providers to help claimants into sustained employment and to continue to support them to stay in work.
Homeworking: Safety
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to simplify health and safety guidance for those working from home. [91979]
Chris Grayling: As part of the response to ‘Common Sense, Common Safety', last year the Health and Safety Executive produced much shorter, simplified and downloadable guidance on homeworkers.
Housing Benefit
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to maintain sufficient levels of local housing allowance. [92315]
Steve Webb:
Housing benefit expenditure has spiralled out of control, doubling in cash terms between 2000 and 2010, when it reached £21 billion. Left unreformed, housing benefit would cost £26 billion by 2014-15 (cash
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terms). It is absolutely essential that the Government take urgent steps to manage housing benefit expenditure. The local housing allowance reforms, announced in the Emergency Budget and spending review, will, by 2014-15, result in annual savings of around £1.5 billion.
To ease the transition for these reforms the Government have put in place a substantial package of financial and practical support worth £190 million over the spending review period. The Government are also giving existing customers up to nine months transitional protection from the review date of their claim to help them adjust to the new rates and to find alternative accommodation if needed.
These measures are intended to exert a downward pressure on rents in the private rented sector. To support this drive, the Government are temporarily widening local authority discretion to pay housing benefit direct to the landlord if it would help the claimant secure a new tenancy or remain in their current home at a reduced rent.
The Department for Work and Pensions has commissioned a major programme of independent research that will evaluate and monitor the effects of the local housing allowance changes. The preliminary findings of this research will be available in spring 2012.
Social Security Benefits
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure out-of-work families receive benefit support that reflects the individual circumstances of a household. [92314]
Chris Grayling: All claims for out-of-work benefits are assessed on a case-by-case basis. This ensures that the level of benefit support varies according to the needs of the household.
From 2013 the Government will introduce a cap on the total amount of benefit that working-age people can receive so that in most cases households on out-of-work benefits will no longer receive more in welfare payments than the average weekly wage for working households. However, the cap will not apply in some cases, including where there are additional needs arising from disability and a member of the household is receiving disability living allowance.
Social Security Benefits: Foreign Workers
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average age was of migrants to the UK who claimed working age benefits in the latest period for which figures are available. [92230]
Chris Grayling: The average age of DWP working age benefit claimants, as at February 2011, who were non-UK nationals at the point of national insurance number registration was 42.
Notes:
1. These statistics do not provide a measure of non-UK nationals currently claiming benefits based on their current nationality. The statistics do provide an estimate of the number of people currently claiming benefit who, when they first registered for a NINo (that is, first entered the labour market), were non-UK nationals.
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2. State pension age: The age at which women reach state pension age will gradually increase from 60 to 65 between April 2010 and April 2020
3. Figures represent the mean age (where age is known), rounded to the nearest year.
Source:
DWP: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and HMRC National Insurance and Pay as you Earn System (NPS)
DWP has recently published statistics on the nationality of benefit claimants at the point of their registration for a national insurance number. Further information can be found in the full statistics release ‘Nationality at point of National Insurance number registration of DWP benefit claimants' at
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=adhoc_analysis
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of migrants to the UK who were claiming working age benefits were female in the latest period for which figures are available. [92231]
Chris Grayling: The gender of DWP working age benefit claimants, as at February 2011, who were non-UK nationals at the point of national insurance number registration is given in the following table.
| Total | Proportion (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. These statistics do not provide a measure of non-UK nationals currently claiming benefits based on their current nationality. The statistics do provide an estimate of the number of people currently claiming benefit who, when they first registered for a NINo (that is, first entered the labour market), were non-UK nationals. 2. Counts are rounded to the nearest 10, proportions to the nearest percentage. Source: DWP: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and HMRC National Insurance and Pay as you Earn System (NPS). | ||
DWP has recently published statistics on the nationality of benefit claimants at the point of their registration for a national insurance number. Further information can be found in the full statistics release ‘Nationality at point of National Insurance number registration of DWP benefit claimants' at
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=adhoc_analysis
Unemployment: Young People
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Prince's Trust Youth Index 2012 in respect of its findings on youth unemployment. [92021]
Chris Grayling:
The Prince's Trust Youth Index 2012 highlights the importance of structure, routine and support in the lives of young people. We agree with this and have a coherent strategy to increase the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are in education, employment or training. This includes measures to increase the participation age and a new youth contract worth £1 billion. The contract will provide more intensive support for all 18 to 24-year-olds—building on that already available through Jobcentre Plus and the Work programme. It
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also makes extra funding available to support the most vulnerable NEET 16 and 17-year-olds into learning, an apprenticeship or job with training.
Universal Credit: Carers
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure payment of universal credit to a main carer. [92313]
Chris Grayling: Under universal credit, couples will make a joint claim for benefit payment. We have been clear that claimants will receive universal credit as a single payment. This will ensure that claimants can clearly see the effect of their decisions about work on total household income. Couples will have the choice about which bank account their total UC award should go into, including the option to have it paid into a joint account, and they will have the freedom to manage their money how they choose.
There may be cases which require alternative arrangements and as a safeguard we have ensured that we have legislative provision to split payments to couples in certain circumstances. We are considering the circumstances required to split payments, and further detail will be available in due course.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has considered replacing severe disability premium as part of his plans for universal credit for the purposes of helping young carers to reduce the burden of care. [92317]
Chris Grayling: The severe disability premium was never intended as a payment for young carers; it was designed to provide extra support for severely disabled people who live alone. It is the role of local authorities to ensure that the education, development and general well-being of young carers is not affected by any caring responsibilities.
Universal credit will simplify the current system of multiple and overlapping disability premiums, replacing these with two rates: a lower rate for people with limited capability for work and a higher rate for people who also have limited capability for work-related activity. The higher rate will be substantially higher than the equivalent rate in employment and support allowance. This will provide a more consistent approach to support for severely disabled people who are least able to work than the current complex structure.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contribution his Department is making to implementation of the Compact with the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement. [92277]
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Chris Grayling: The Department implements the principles of the Compact by following the Government code of practice on consultation and by requiring welfare to work providers to comply with the code of conduct which underpins the DWP commissioning strategy. The Compact principles are further embedded through the Merlin Standard, which all providers are required to achieve as a condition of their contracts.
The Department believes that the voluntary sector has a key role to play in supporting DWP's most vulnerable customers to move into or retain employment and, as such, will endeavour to comply with the principles of the Compact in all its dealings with these organisations.
Work Programme
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many voluntary sector providers in the Work programme supply chain were identified through the stocktake of 31 January 2012. [91494]
Chris Grayling: The figures from the most recent stocktake are currently being collated and will be issued in due course.
Working Conditions: Temperature
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with representatives of trades unions on high temperatures in the workplace. [91843]
Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has not had any recent discussions with representatives of trade unions on high temperatures in the workplace.
Trade union representatives were involved in an independent review into workplace temperatures commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive in 2009 and in a subsequent survey about temperatures in workplaces.
HSE has also met with trade union representatives to discuss high temperatures on a number of occasions.
Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on high temperatures in the workplace. [91890]
Chris Grayling: The DWP ministerial team has had no recent representations on high temperatures in the workplace.