21 Mar 2012 : Column 693W
21 Mar 2012 : Column 693W
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 21 March 2012
House of Commons Commission
Food Waste
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will take steps to ensure that the House of Commons signs up to the Waste and Resources Action Programme's voluntary agreement to reduce food waste. [100749]
John Thurso: I understand that the hon. Member is meeting officials next week to discuss the voluntary agreement for the hospitality and food service sector, and the work that it might entail. I am sure that they will be keen to learn more about how the Waste and Resources Action Programme can contribute to reducing further the amount of food waste from catering operations in the House of Commons.
Culture, Media and Sport
Betting: Dormant Accounts
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy to require commercial betting operators to report the amounts held in dormant betting accounts and unclaimed winnings in their annual returns to the Gambling Commission; and if he will make a statement. [100409]
John Penrose [holding answer 19 March 2012]: In his report the right hon. Member for Bath (Mr Foster) suggested requiring commercial operators to report the amounts held in reclaiming winnings and dormant betting accounts. As his report also recommended, the Government will consider this issue once we have legislated for our proposals for remote gambling.
Broadband
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely effect of femtocell technology in expanding mobile coverage in not-spot areas. [101225]
Mr Vaizey: As part of the Mobile Infrastructure Programme, Ofcom and my officials are exploring a range of technology solutions to deliver mobile coverage into not-spot areas. Femtocells are included within the technologies being studied.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 694W
Digital Technology
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how his Department defines the term digital economy. [101224]
Mr Vaizey: This Department does not define the term specifically, and various academic studies take slightly different approaches, but broadly the digital economy underpins the whole economy and enables the UK to be competitive and more productive. Digital communications infrastructures, such as the broadcast, broadband and mobile networks, enable the delivery of services by the wider economy, as well as delivering consumer choice and services themselves. They enable our creative and content industries to continue to be among the most innovative and best in the world, and as a whole the digital economy accounts for approximately 23% of UK GDP growth according to McKinsey.
Libraries
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many libraries he has visited in an official capacity since May 2010. [94783]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 20 February 2012]: Ministers have visited various libraries in the course of their duties since May 2012, including those in Thame, Birmingham, York, Norwich, Bristol, Hertford and Salisbury.
Media Monitoring
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what media monitoring services his Department has purchased in each of the last five years. [100794]
John Penrose: The costs of media monitoring (inclusive of value added tax) for this Department in the last five years is in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Cabinet Office Media Monitoring Unit | Precise Media Monitoring—press cuttings service | |
The Cabinet Office Media Monitoring Unit provides monitoring of broadcast media and wire services, plus some monitoring of print media. Precise media monitoring (formally EDS Media) provide a daily press cuttings service in the Department's policy areas. The cost of fees to the Newspaper Licensing Agency is not included within the costs of the press cuttings service.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 695W
Northern Ireland
Lost Property
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property. [100904]
Mr Swire: In the past 12 months, four small exercising aids were reported missing from the Department. Each of these items was very old and was not replaced. It is estimated that it would have a cost a total of around £40 to replace these items.
Media Monitoring
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what media monitoring services his Department has purchased in each of the last five years. [100903]
Mr Swire: Comparable figures for my Department as it is now configured are not available before 12 April 2010 following the completion of devolution of policing and justice functions.
The Northern Ireland Office Information Service costs for media monitoring for April 2010 to April 2011 were nil.
The Northern Ireland Office Information Service costs for Media Monitoring for April 2011 to March 2012 were £11,340.
Parades Commission
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2010 of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland; what assessment he has made of the value for money of the Commission; and when he expects the Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2010-11 and 2011-12 to be presented to Parliament. [100787]
Mr Swire: The Annual Report and Accounts of the Parades Commission for 2009-10 was presented to the Northern Ireland Office and laid before Parliament on 6 September 2011. The Parades Commission is an independent non-departmental public body and its Accounting Officer holds delegated responsibility for considering value for money in respect of the Commission's operations. During the course of each financial year, the NIO, in conjunction with HM Treasury, conducts a detailed review of all funds, including those allocated to non-departmental public bodies. The Commission is expected to present its Annual Report and Accounts for 2010-11 and 2011-12 before the summer recess.
Terrorism
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which agencies are responsible for monitoring levels of terrorist and criminal activities linked to proscribed organisations in Northern Ireland. [100808]
21 Mar 2012 : Column 696W
Mr Swire: Protecting national security, which includes the monitoring of terrorist activity, is the responsibility of the Security Service, who work closely with the PSNI, An Garda Siochana and others. Responsibility for policing is devolved and therefore monitoring of criminal activity is the responsibility of the PSNI.
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what matters are covered by the term explosives security in the devolution settlement. [100835]
Mr Swire: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), retains functions under the regulations covered by sub para 6 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution and Policing of Justice Functions) Order 2010 which refers to those matters relating to the regulation, control and security of explosives (and those chemicals which can be used if they were an explosive) in Northern Ireland and which involves their full licensing and traceability from point of manufacture to ownership and eventual point of use.
Welfare Reform Act 2012
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effect of the Welfare Reform Act on (a) child poverty, (b) pensioner poverty and (c) families in poverty in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [100726]
Mr Swire: Except for the technical provisions set out in section 149 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 this statute does not extend to Northern Ireland. Social security, child support and pensions are transferred matters which are the responsibility of the Minister for Social Development in the Northern Ireland Executive.
I understand that the Minister for Social Development intends shortly to introduce a Welfare Reform Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly following the consultation that is required under section 87 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to provide single systems of social security, child support and pensions for the United Kingdom.
The assessments requested by the hon. Member are. therefore, matters for the Minister for Social Development.
The reforms provided by the Welfare Reform Act 2012 in respect of Great Britain will ensure that around 2.8 million households are better off, 1 million households will see an increase of £25 in their weekly income. The reforms in Great Britain will also take 900,000 people out of poverty and we shall invest an additional £300 million into child care support under universal credit, on top of the £2 billion already spent under the current system. The reforms will ensure that under universal credit work will always pay.
Work Experience
Chi Onwurah:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2011, Official Report, column 518W, on departmental work experience, how many people (a) worked as an intern, (b) undertook a work experience placement and (c) worked as a volunteer in his Department in accordance with the hiring criteria set out in that answer in the last
21 Mar 2012 : Column 697W
12 months for which data are available; and how many such people were employed other than according to those criteria. [100735]
Mr Swire: The Northern Ireland Office has not employed anyone in the last 12 months in any of the specified categories.
Wales
Media Monitoring
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what media monitoring services her Department has purchased in each of the last five years. [100911]
Mr David Jones: The Wales Office purchased media monitoring from the Central Office for Information in each of the last five years. This contract ended in August 2011 when our Communications Branch took over media monitoring.
Work Experience
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 662W, on departmental work experience, how many people (a) worked as an intern, (b) undertook a work experience placement and (c) worked as a volunteer in her Department in accordance with the hiring criteria set out in that answer in the last 12 months for which data are available; and how many such people were employed other than according to those criteria. [100745]
Mr David Jones: In the last 12 months, we have had two undergraduates, one who undertook voluntary work experience as an optional part of his degree course during term time, and a second who undertook a work experience placement during his summer holidays. We had no one employed outside our hiring criteria.
Communities and Local Government
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Planning Permission
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a management board of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a statutory consultee for planning applications (a) within the AONB and (b) on land adjacent to or overlooked by an AONB. [100716]
Robert Neill: A management board which oversees the management of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is not a statutory consultee as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010. It is open to management boards, including local Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partnerships, to identify for the local planning authorities concerned, the types of planning applications they are likely to be interested in and on which they may wish to comment.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 698W
Building Regulations
Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the flexibility of the requirement in the national building regulations to use Gyproc ThermaLine SUPER board when retrofitting a building. [100674]
Andrew Stunell: Part L of the building regulations sets performance-based energy efficiency standards for works carried out in buildings, including the upgrading of thermal insulation when external fabric is renovated (where this is cost-effective). The regulations neither prescribe nor prohibit the use of particular materials or products. It is for the building control body to assess whether the products and materials used are fit for purpose and whether the works meet the requirements in the regulations.
The statutory guidance to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) recommends that where thermal elements (external walls, roof, floor) are being renovated e.g. re-roofing, rendering etc. then cost-effective improvements should be made to bring these elements up to a certain level of thermal efficiency. The guidance suggests that the use of insulated wall board is one way of upgrading walls, though advises that an assessment should be made of the impact on the internal floor area, acoustics and the risk of condensation.
Landlords
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what his Department's definition is of a long-distance landlord; [101518]
(2) what his policy is on long-distance landlords; [101519]
(3) whether his Department has conducted research into the growth of long-distance landlords. [101520]
Grant Shapps: My Department does not collect information specifically on “long-distance” landlords, and does not have a definition of long-distance landlord. We expect the same level of performance from all private landlords, regardless of where they live. The existing regulatory framework underpins that expectation.
Local Government: Newspapers
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) for what reason local authorities are required to advertise statutory notices in local newspapers; [99322]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the costs and benefits of requiring local authorities to advertise statutory notices (a) in local newspapers and (b) by other means of communication. [99373]
Robert Neill: The purpose of statutory notices is to ensure that the public are informed of decisions by their local authority which may affect their quality of life, local amenity or their property. This is especially the case in relation to planning applications, where there is a limited period for local residents to make representations.
My Department has not made any recent assessment of the costs and benefits of statutory notices.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 699W
Notwithstanding, Ministers have been clear that, in an internet age, commercial newspapers should expect over time less state advertising as more information is syndicated online by local authorities for free. The flipside is the free press should not face unfair state competition from town hall newspapers and municipal propaganda dressed up as local reporting.
Localism Act 2011
Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects provisions within the Localism Act 2011 relating to the duty of local authorities to hold a register of community assets to come into force. [101106]
Andrew Stunell [holding answer 20 March 2012]:We are currently in the process of finalising the Assets of Community Value provisions which will require local authorities to make available a list of their assets of community value. We expect these regulations will come into force in the summer of 2012.
NewBuy Guarantee Scheme
Dame Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the likely level of take-up of the NewBuy Guarantee scheme in London. [100699]
Grant Shapps: With the NewBuy Guarantee scheme we have made provision to help up to 100,000 home buyers secure higher loan to value mortgages in England for new build properties. It will be for potential homebuyers in each local area to decide which mortgages and properties are right for them.
Properties can cost up to £500,000 and still be eligible under NewBuy, meaning that families seeking to buy homes in the south-east are able to access the scheme even though they live in an area of higher demand and therefore higher property prices. Just 5% of housing developments are too expensive to be purchased under NewBuy, and they are more likely to be bought by people who do not need the scheme's support.
Parish Councils: Bureaucracy
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to reduce red tape and bureaucracy facing parish councils such as Bayston Hill Parish Council. [99836]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government are taking a number of steps to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for parish councils.
We plan to promote a legislative reform order to repeal section 150(5) of the Local Government Act 1972. This provision, which requires two members to sign every cheque issued by a parish council, puts barriers in the way of these councils adopting modern electronic methods of payment. We aim to publish draft proposals for the legislative reform order to repeal section 150(5) in the next few weeks, and to implement the reform later this year.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 700W
We are reviewing the audit arrangements for smaller local public bodies, following the 2011 consultation on the future of local audit and the Government's response to it, which was published in-January. We intend to publish proposals for smaller focal public bodies alongside the draft Local Audit Bill this spring.
Furthermore the new general power of competence in the Localism Act 2011 will enable an eligible parish council to do anything which an individual can do, rather than being constrained to act only within the limits of specific powers. It will free them to act innovatively without being found by the courts to have acted ultra vires. The power will also enable such parish councils, for the first time, to do things for a commercial purpose. This power will be available from April, subject to parliamentary process, to parish councils if they meet certain requirements.
Shared Room Rate: Lancashire
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people will be affected by the extension of the Shared Room Rate to under-35s in (a) England, (b) Lancashire, (c) Hyndburn borough council area and (d) Rossendale borough council area. [99396]
Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
The information is presented in the following table:
| Claimants affected by the extension of the Shared Accommodation Rate age threshold | |
| Area | Number of claimants affected |
| Notes: 1. The figures are estimates, derived from analysis of the housing benefit caseload at March 2010. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. The figure for Lancashire is the total across the 12 local authorities in Lancashire, excluding unitary authorities. Source: Equality impact assessment of the increase to the Shared Accommodation Rate age threshold, available on the DWP website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-hb-shared-accommodation-age-threshold.pdf | |
Wind Power: Shropshire
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any protection is offered to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Shropshire from applications to erect large wind turbines. [100715]
Robert Neill: In the consultation draft of the National Planning Policy Framework we made it clear that local planning authorities should give great weight to protecting landscape and scenic beauty in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Decisions on planning applications affecting an area, as elsewhere, should be made in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 puts a duty on a relevant authority in exercising or performing any function in relation to, or so as to
21 Mar 2012 : Column 701W
affect, land in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to have regard to the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the opportunities available to local communities in Shropshire to engage with relevant planning authorities on planning applications to install wind turbines in the Rea Valley. [100809]
Robert Neill: We have not made a specific assessment of the situation in the Rea Valley, but I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr Bone) on 15 March 2012, Official Report, columns 398-99W.
Work Experience
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 741W, on departmental work experience, how many people (a) worked as an intern, (b) undertook a work experience placement and (c) worked as a volunteer in his Department in accordance with the hiring criteria set out in that answer in the last 12 months for which data are available; and how many such people were employed other than according to those criteria. [100742]
Robert Neill: Between 1 March 2011 and 29 February 2012, my Department has provided placements for:
Five interns through the Greenwich university internship programme;
Four interns recruited through open advertisement on the website:
www.w4mp.org/
21 Mar 2012 : Column 702W
Five individuals through the Cabinet Office work placement programme; and
Nine individuals on work experience placements arranged through informal routes. (Details of how these were arranged have not been recorded centrally.)
It is possible that other work experience placements have been arranged through informal routes and have not been recorded centrally.
Work and Pensions
Access to Work Programme
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding from the Access to Work Scheme has gone to support people resident in (a) St Helens South and Whiston constituency, (b) the North West and (c) England in each of the last five years; what such funds have been used; what provision it has gone towards; and what the average level of each grant is. [100192]
Maria Miller: Information on Access to Work awards granted and the corresponding spend is only available from 1 April 2007 onwards. Spend information is currently only available up to 31 March 2011.
The following table shows the Access to Work spend in (a) St Helens South and Whiston constituency, (b) the North West and (c) England in each of the last four full financial years, broken down by the type of Access to Work support the provision has gone towards(1,) ( ) (2):
(1) Source—Access to Work database. Amounts are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Totals may not sum due to rounding. " — " Denotes nil or negligible or corresponding number of awards granted is less than 5.
(2) The Access to Work budget is national and as such there are no individual budgets allocated to geographical regions.
| £ | |||||
| Area | Type of AtW support | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
21 Mar 2012 : Column 703W
21 Mar 2012 : Column 704W
The following table shows the average level of each Access to Work award in (a) St Helens South and Whiston constituency, (b) the North West and (c) England in each of the last four full financial years, broken down by the type of Access to Work support the provision has gone towards(3).
(3) Average award defined as total Access to Work spend divided by the number of Access to Work awards granted. Average awards are rounded to the nearest £100.
| £ | |||||
| Area | Type of AtW support | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
21 Mar 2012 : Column 705W
21 Mar 2012 : Column 706W
A person may receive more than one element of Access to Work support at any given time. Therefore the sum of the Access to Work awards granted in a year is greater than the total numbers helped through Access to Work in that year. For example, there were 45,700 awards granted in Great Britain during 2010-11, at an average cost per award of 2,300. This resulted in 35,820 individuals being helped through Access to Work during 2010-11, with an average cost per person of 2,900.
Atos Healthcare
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions a Jobcentre Plus decision-maker did not follow the advice of an Atos-approved healthcare professional when making a decision on the eligibility for employment and support allowance in each month since May 2010. [101240]
Chris Grayling: Decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance are made by Jobcentre Plus (JCP) decision makers who make the decision having weighed up all of the evidence, including the Atos recommendation.
The following table shows the number occasions where the JCP decision maker's final decision was different to the advice given by the Atos healthcare professional.
| Month 2010-11 | JCP decision differs from Atos recommendation |
| Notes: 1. These figures do not include work capability assessments completed on incapacity benefit (IB) reassessment claims. The Department has recently published initial findings on the outcomes of IB reassessment, which can be found on the departmental website: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr. 2. The table includes initial assessments only and that the numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. | |
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many work capability assessments have been carried out by Atos Healthcare in each month since May 2010; [101241]
(2) how many appeals to work capability assessment decisions have been heard in each month since May 2010. [101242]
Chris Grayling: The Department regularly publishes data on employment and support allowance (ESA) and the work capability assessment (WCA), the latest publication was released in January 2012 and can be found on the departmental website here:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
Tables 2a and 2b show the total number of WCAs completed against ESA claims and their outcomes by the date the assessment was completed, broken down by month of assessment. This is the latest data available. Table 2a covers the initial WCA on a claim and table 2b provides data on any further WCAs on an existing claim.
Table 3 in the publication gives the outcomes of completed appeals by the month the claims started.
I have placed a copy of these tables in the Library.
Note that these figures do not include WCAs completed on incapacity benefit reassessment claims. The Department has recently published initial findings on the outcomes of IB reassessment, which can be found on the departmental website here:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr
Attendance Allowance
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of digitising attendance allowance records for the purposes of allowing data to be used more widely by organisations in the care system to target prevention and other holistic services. [99931]
Maria Miller: No estimate has been made of the cost of digitising attendance allowance records for the purposes of sharing this information more widely with the care system. There are no plans to digitise these records.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 707W
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of employment and support allowance claimants have been placed in the Work Related Activity Group without face-to-face medical assessment for (a) all claimants and (b) people whose primary reason for claiming is a mental illness. [100703]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
Employment and Support Allowance: Birmingham
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency will no longer receive contributory employment and support allowance from 1 May 2012 as a result of changes contained in the Welfare Reform Act 2012. [100796]
Chris Grayling: Estimates of the numbers affected by time limiting contributory employment and support allowance (ESA) for those in the Work Related Activity Group have been made at a Great Britain level and breakdowns for particular groups or geographical areas are not available.
Employment Schemes
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish all available data on his Department's work experience schemes for the unemployed by (a) constituency and (b) company. [99826]
Chris Grayling: I have placed the number of starts on the Voluntary Work Experience scheme by parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons Library.
We do not collect the information requested in respect of companies in a central data base. Gathering the relevant data would involve contacting each Jobcentre in Great Britain which could be done only at disproportionate cost.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the definition is of each of the four assurance levels which are awarded to welfare-to-work providers by his Department's Provider Assurance Team. [101156]
Chris Grayling: The four assurance definitions are:
Strong—Governance, risk management and control arrangements provide strong assurance that material risks are identified and managed effectively.
Reasonable—Governance, risk management and control arrangements provide reasonable assurance that material risks are identified and managed effectively. Moderate remedial action is required.
Limited—Governance, risk management and control arrangements provide limited assurance that material risks are identified and managed effectively. Remedial action is required.
Weak—Governance, risk management and control arrangements provide weak assurance that material risks are identified and managed effectively. Urgent and significant remedial action is required.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 708W
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account his Department took of the contract performance and risk assurance ratings of welfare-to-work prime contractors under Flexible New Deal and other relevant programmes when awarding prime contracts for the Work programme; and to what extent past performance data and assurance ratings formed part of the Department's assessment of supplier capability in the preferred bidder selection for the Work Programme. [101163]
Chris Grayling: Work programme was a call-off contract(s) let under a framework, following a mini-competition. There was/is no scope at mini-competition stage to run a selection procedure; this was carried out during the ERSS framework competition and therefore was not/should not be repeated at mini-competition stage.
Selection criteria focus on the tenderer (i.e. “can they do it”), while award criteria focus on the bid (i.e. “how will they do it”). When call-off contracts are let under a framework agreement, DWP can only use appropriate award criteria. DWP must maintain this distinction between selection criteria and award criteria, or risk challenge.
Experience is a selection criterion. Therefore DWP could not use “past experience” as an award criterion in the WP mini-competition.
The same award criteria have to be applied to all framework providers bidding in the Work programme mini-competition in order to comply with case law and the principles deriving from the treaty on the functioning of the European Union (including the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination).
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's Provider Assurance Team undertook assurance rating reviews of the Flexible New Deal prime contractors who submitted bids for the Work programme tender; and if he will publish the assurance ratings awarded to each prime contractor. [101164]
Chris Grayling: DWP's Provider Assurance Team undertook reviews on Flexible New Deal providers. The assurance levels awarded to providers cannot be published as they are commercial in confidence.
Employment Schemes: Bicycles
Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bicycles have been purchased for customers of Jobcentre Plus through the Flexible Support Fund. [100990]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
In the period from 9 April 2011 to 2 March 2012 there were 55,578 awards made from the Flexible Support Fund relating to barriers to work (travel costs). These awards are primarily for travel to work costs until the customer receives their first wage. The majority of these awards relate to public transport and petrol costs, although the purchase of a bicycle may be included where this is
21 Mar 2012 : Column 709W
considered the best option for the customer. However a breakdown of these awards into these categories is not available.
Employment Schemes: Young People
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created by the Youth Contract (a) nationally, (b) in London and (c) in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency. [101150]
Chris Grayling: The Youth Contract will, from April 2012, provide nearly half a million new opportunities for young people over the following three years.
No estimate has been made of the distribution of impacts from this package of measures by individual region or constituency.
Health and Safety Executive: Redundancy
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many health and safety inspectors he expects to be made redundant between 2012 and 2015. [100998]
Chris Grayling: There are currently no plans to make any health and safety inspectors redundant between financial years 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many back-office staff in the Health and Safety Executive he expects to be made redundant between 2012 and 2015. [100999]
Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive expects that two back office staff will leave the organisation on voluntary redundancy terms in 2012-13. There are currently no other plans to make any other back-office staff redundant between financial years 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Income
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in each local authority with (a) one and (b) two adults in work had incomes below (i) 60 per cent., (ii) 50 per cent. and (iii) 40 per cent. of the median in each year between 1995 and the most recent year for which figures are available. [100877]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.
Information Commissioner
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals his Department has made to an information tribunal contesting a decision notice of the Information Commissioner in the last 12 months. [100307]
Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has made no appeals to an information tribunal contesting a decision notice of the Information Commissioner in the last 12 months.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 710W
Mobility Vehicles
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to (a) give priority to reconsideration cases where the loss of a mobility vehicle is imminent and (b) to extend payment of the allowance until after the reconsideration period in such cases. [101004]
Maria Miller: Prioritising reconsideration cases where a loss of a Motability vehicle is imminent would be unfair to all other claimants who have requested a reconsideration. The Department is committed to ensuring that all reconsideration cases are dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. In addition, it is also improving its processes to help ensure that decisions are right first time. There is no legislative basis to extend payment of benefit after a disallowance decision has been made.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims were made in 2011 for jobseeker's allowance; and how many of these were rejected. [100600]
Chris Grayling: Between January and December 2011, 3,352,758 claims to jobseeker’s allowance were processed by Jobcentre Plus. Of these 2,905,502 resulted in an award of jobseeker’s allowance. Consequently, 447,256 applications processed lead to a nil award of benefit.
Lost Property
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property. [100910]
Chris Grayling: In accordance with guidance from HM Treasury, the Department maintains records of certain high-value property that it owns, such as specialist equipment and plant and machinery. In the last year no items recorded on the register have been reported as lost or stolen.
Lower value items of computer equipment are leased from service providers. In the 12 months ending 31 December 2011, 97 items have been reported as lost or stolen, none of which have been recovered to date. The Department does not record the replacement cost of those items that are leased from a third party.
The Department requires that all portable computer equipment used to store or process personal data is encrypted.
In cases of theft appropriate action is taken by the Department to fully investigate the matter, and the police are advised as a matter of routine.
New Enterprise Allowance: Birmingham
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of take-up has been of the (a) new enterprise allowance and (b) new enterprise allowance loan in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency since its introduction. [101191]
21 Mar 2012 : Column 711W
Chris Grayling: The Department does not publish new enterprise allowance statistics at the levels requested.
Information for Great Britain is published and shows that, for the period January to November 2011, the number of mentor starts was 6,880, of which 1,740 were in central England. In the same period in Great Britain, the number of weekly allowance starts was 1,960, of which 470 were in central England.
Official statistics are available and can be viewed at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_feb12.pdf
The Department does not publish statistics for new enterprise allowance loans.
Personal Independence Payment
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) with reference to his Department's publication, Personal Independence Payment-Policy Briefing Note on Young People, whether disabled young people aged 16 to 25 years in 2013 will be one of the last groups moved into personal independence payments; [100070]
(2) with reference to his Department's publication, Personal Independence Payment (PIP)-Policy Briefing Note on Young People, what plans are in place to run disability living allowance and PIP in parallel for disabled young people turning 16 years of age after 2013; [100071]
(3) what support he plans to provide to disabled young people as they move from disability living allowance onto personal independence payments at 16 years of age after 2013. [100072]
Maria Miller: When new claims to personal independence payment are introduced from spring 2013, it will be available to young adults, aged between 16 and 25 whose claims are administered by Bootle Benefits Centre, from areas including Merseyside, North West England, Cumbria, Cheshire and North East England. The remaining network of Benefits Centres currently administering new claims for disability living allowance will start to take on new claims for personal independence payment from summer 2013. New claims to disability living allowance will not be accessible as an alternative once it is rolled out nationally.
We are currently working through the details of the development of personal independence payment but we are sensitive to the needs of children and young adults and will ensure processes are designed with their needs in mind.
Processes will be informed by consultation with disabled young adults and representative organisations. A sub-group of the Implementation Development Group, who are our primary mechanism for consulting with national and local organisations that represent a broad range of disabled people, are specifically looking at the issues of children and young people who are approaching their 16(th) birthday. We will use their ideas to inform the design of personal independence payment wherever we can.
Mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that there is continuity of payment of disability living allowance while an individual is being assessed for entitlement to personal independence payment.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 712W
We will not reassess any of these claimants until autumn 2013, once the new claims process, which is due to start in spring 2013, is running as planned.
Remploy
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with Remploy on procurement of goods from its factories. [99874]
Maria Miller: The Department operates a number of framework arrangements for the supply of goods and services. The call-off of individual arrangements from the framework provides many opportunities for partnership and collaborative working. Many of the contracts that DWP tenders are too large and/or too complex for most supported businesses to fulfil on their own. Often the best way to involve supported businesses in delivering Government contracts is by encouraging them into the supply chain as a sub-contractor to the main provider. This Department through its Supplier Charter expects first tier suppliers to consider where it is appropriate to use supported factories or businesses in their supply chain to deliver contracts. This position is monitored continuously.
It is for Remploy to ensure it secures orders and attracts new business. The company continues to work with the public sector to identify procurement opportunities for its factories. There is currently a framework agreement in place that was set up using the provisions in the UK Public Contract Regulations 2006 which public bodies can use to buy goods and services from supported businesses. This framework includes four sectors: recycling secure and non-secure, document, management and furniture. Remploy are on the framework for all four sectors.
Following publication of the 2008 Modernisation Plan of Remploy, a great deal of work was taken forward across Government (and with the involvement of key stakeholders including local authorities, the devolved Administrations and the trade unions) to increase public procurement opportunities for supported businesses. This activity raised awareness and increased opportunities but these have not resulted in sufficient profitable business to make the majority of Remploy's businesses financially viable.
As an example of this, DWP hold a contract with Hewlett Packard (HP) for IT and Desktop services. Remploy, building on DWP's existing contractual arrangements, forged relations with HP and became a direct supplier of IT end of life services. Through this agreement Remploy delivers services from its site in Porth to ensure that HP equipment is data-cleansed and that any equipment which still has a useful life is reconditioned and redeployed within DWP.
Remploy: Redundancy
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support he plans to provide to assist Remploy employees who will be made redundant to find new employment. [100708]
Maria Miller:
I recognise that announcements regarding the future focus of specialist employment support involve difficult news for the staff in Remploy factories and
21 Mar 2012 : Column 713W
I understand that they will have concerns about their future. As part of the collective consultation, the Remploy Board will consider all proposals to avoid redundancy.
A comprehensive support package will be in place to support every disabled member of staff who is displaced from a Remploy factory. Each affected disabled member of staff will receive individualised support for up to 18 months to help with the transition from Government-funded sheltered employment to mainstream employment.
This package of support is designed to be flexible so that support can be tailored to meet each individual's specific needs and will draw on the skills of organisations such as Remploy and Jobcentre Plus, but will also benefit from the experience of organisations such as the Employers' Forum on Disability, and that of local charities and user-led organisations.
Remploy: Wales
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has held any discussions with the Welsh Government on the future of Remploy factories in Wales. [100705]
Maria Miller: I met with the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning in the Welsh Government on 13 March to discuss the Government's response to the Sayce review and its impacts on the Remploy facilities in Wales.
I also spoke with Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning in the Welsh Government on the morning of 7 March 2012 before the written ministerial statement on Employment Support was tabled, Official Report, columns 53-6WS.
I spoke with Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning on 22 February 2012 about the Sayce review.
A meeting was offered with me on 19 January in Wales but this was cancelled by the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning.
Additionally I wrote to the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning in November 2011 inviting him to contribute to the Inter-Ministerial Group on Disability Employment.
I also wrote and spoke to the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning when the Sayce review was launched last summer.
Social Security Benefits
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total household income including working tax credit, child tax credit, child benefit and council tax benefit (1) of a couple working 20 hours a week on the minimum wage living in their own home and paying £1,000 in council tax (a) currently, (b) after changes to qualifying requirements for working tax credit on 1 April 2012 and (c) including out-of-work benefits; [99405]
(2) of a couple working 21 hours a week on the minimum wage living in their own home and paying £1,000 in council tax (a) currently, (b) after changes to qualifying requirements for working tax credit on 1 April 2012 and (c) including out-of-work benefits; [99406]
21 Mar 2012 : Column 714W
(3) of a couple working 22 hours a week on the minimum wage living in their own home and paying £1,000 in council tax (a) currently, (b) after changes to qualifying requirements for working tax credit on 1 April 2012 and (c) including out-of-work benefits; [99407]
(4) of a couple working 23 hours a week on the minimum wage living in their own home and paying £1,000 in council tax (a) currently, (b) after changes to qualifying requirements for working tax credit on 1 April 2012 and (c) including out-of-work benefits. [99408]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows.
On the assumption that this couple has two children:
(a) Prior to April 2012, this household would be entitled to working tax credit and they would have income of around £349 per week. This includes around £14 a week in council tax benefit.
(b) In 2012-13, this household would not be entitled to receive working tax credit and would have income of around £281 per week. This includes around £19 a week in council tax benefit.
(c) If this household was out of work their income would be around £271 per week. This includes around £19 a week in council tax benefit.
The Government are reforming the welfare system through the introduction of universal credit in October 2013. Universal credit is designed to improve financial work incentives. And in this example the couple will be around £119 per week better off working 16 hours a week compared to being out of work.
Notes:
1. Part (a) is based on the tax/benefit system in 2011-12.
2. Parts (b) and (c) are based on the tax/benefit system in 2012-13.
3. Universal credit is based on the tax/benefit system in 2014-15.
4. Income is defined as net earnings in addition to any benefits or tax credits.
5. Council tax of £1,000 a year has been equated to approximately £19 a week.
6. All numbers have been provided in 2011-12 prices and where necessary deflated by the GDP Deflator. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest £1.
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the mean annual amount paid in state benefits to each in-work individual in each (a) region and (b) local authority area was in the latest period for which figures are available. [100874]
Chris Grayling: The information is provided in the following tables.
We have included mean amounts for those in work and claiming benefits, and also the mean amount for all those in work whether claiming benefits or not. Estimates are based on survey data, and only allow for breakdowns to Government office region level, so information at local authority level is not available.
| Mean annual amount of income from benefits for benefit units containing an adult in work, by region | ||
| Region | Mean (£) | Sample size |
21 Mar 2012 : Column 715W
| Source: Family Resources Survey 2009-10 | ||
| Mean annual amount of income from benefits for benefit units in receipt of benefits and containing an adult in work, by region | ||
| Region | Mean (£) | Sample size |
| Notes: 1. The Family Resources Survey (FRS) is a nationally representative sample of approximately 25,000 UK private households. 2. Data for 2009-10, the latest year available, were collected between April 2009 and March 2010. 3. The figures from the FRS are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the estimates to Government office region populations by age and sex. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining non-response error. 4. A benefit unit is defined as a single adult or a married or cohabiting couple and any dependent children. An adult is defined as those individuals aged 16 or over, unless defined as a dependent child. An individual may be defined as a child if aged 16 to 19-years-old and they are not married nor in a civil partnership nor living with a partner; and living with parents; and in full-time non-advanced education or in unwaged Government training. 5. Adults in work include all adults who are an employee or self-employed—both full-time and part-time. This includes those doing unpaid work in their own business or a business that a relative owns. 6. A benefit unit has been defined as in receipt of benefits if at least one member of the benefit unit is in receipt of income from at least one benefit. 7. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest £100. 8. The FRS is known to under-record benefit receipt. Please see table M6 for more information: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/frs/2009_10/chapter7.pdf 9. Entitlement to some benefits is based on the circumstances of an individual, while others are based on the circumstances of a benefit unit. Therefore it is more appropriate for the analysis requested to be presented at benefit unit level rather than at an individual level. 10. These results do not adjust benefit incomes to account for family size and composition. In addition the mean can be distorted by benefit units with either very large or very low incomes. Source: Family Resources Survey 2009-10 | ||
21 Mar 2012 : Column 716W
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse was of benefits paid to individuals who were in work in 2011. [100875]
Chris Grayling: The most recent available information is in the tables:
| Estimated expenditure by benefit unit work status 2009-10 | ||
| £ million, nominal | ||
| Where at least one adult is in work | Where no adults are in work | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £50 million. 2. The most recent available data is for 2009-10. 3. Figures cover Great Britain and relate only to benefits for which DWP is responsible. Source: Family Resources Survey and DWP accounting data. | ||
Unemployment: Poverty
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people classified as in poverty were (a) in work and (b) unemployed in each year from 1995 until the most recent date for which figures are available. [101222]
Chris Grayling: The economic classification of an individual has been revised to be in line with the International Labour Organisation economic status classification. This means that no economic status data is available for 1994-95 and 1995-96 as the relevant information was not collected in the Family Resources Survey for those years. Figures are shown from 1996-97 in tables 1 and 2.
21 Mar 2012 : Column 717W
21 Mar 2012 : Column 718W
| Table 1: Numbers of individuals living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median equivalised household income, who are in work, are unemployed or in other categories, United Kingdom, 1996-97 to 2009-10 | ||||||||
| Number of individuals (million) | ||||||||
| Before Housing Costs | After Housing Costs | |||||||
| In work | Unemployed | Other (1) | All | In work | Unemployed | Other (1) | All | |
| Table 2: Proportion of individuals living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median equivalised household income, who are in work, unemployed, or in other categories, United Kingdom, 1996-97 to 2009-10 | ||||||||
| Proportion of individuals (percentage) | ||||||||
| Before Housing Costs | After Housing Costs | |||||||
| In work | Unemployed | Other (1) | All | In work | Unemployed | Other (1) | All | |
| (1) The other group consists of pensioners, children and the economically inactive. Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. Net disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax payments, National Insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes. 3. Figures have been presented on a Before Housing Cost and an After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Costs, housing costs are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Costs they are. 4. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 5. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year. 6. Figures are for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are for Great Britain only. 7. Numbers of individuals have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 and percentages to the nearest whole percentage point. 8. The economic classification of an individual has been revised to be in line with the International Labour Organisation economic status classification. This means that no economic status data is available for 1994-95 and 1995-96 as the relevant information was not collected in the Family Resources Survey for those years. 9. The total of the in work and unemployed populations does not match the total in low income for that year. The remainder of the population in low income in each year presented is made up of those classified as economically inactive, or who are pensioners or children. 10. Further statistics on the population in low income can be found in the National Statistics report Household Below Average Income available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai Source: FRS | ||||||||