House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 09 July 2012 (pt 0002)

Further Education: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 18-year-olds who were entitled to free school meals in year 11 are studying in a general further education or sixth form college in Bassetlaw. [114885]

Mr Gibb: Table 1 shows estimates for the numbers of 16 to 18-year-olds who were entitled to free school meals (FSM) in year 11 who studied in a general further education or sixth form college in Bassetlaw local authority in the 2010/11 academic year.

Table 1: 16 to 18-year-olds who studied in sixth form/FE colleges in Bassetlaw in 2010/11 by FSM status at age 15
	Number
Eligible for FSM at 15
Full-time education	160
Part-time education	35
Total	195

Not eligible for FSM at 15
Full-time education	755
Part-time education	205
Total	955

Unknown FSM status at 15
Full-time education	50
Part-time education	30
Total	80

Total
Full-time education	965
Part-time education	265
Total	1,230
Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest five students. The components of each table may not sum to the total due to independent rounding. 2. FSM status is recorded for students in state schools at academic age 15.

Further Education: Wentworth

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 18-year-olds who were entitled to a free meal in year 11 are now studying in a general further education or sixth form college in Wentworth and Dearne constituency. [115765]

Mr Gibb: Table 1 shows estimates for the numbers of 16 to 18-year-olds who were entitled to free school

9 July 2012 : Column 35W

meals (FSM) in year 11 who studied in a general further education or sixth form college in the Wentworth and Dearne constituency in the 2010/11 academic year.

Table 1: 16 to 18-year-olds who studied in sixth form/FE colleges in the Wentworth and Dearne constituency, in 2010/11 by FSM status at age 15
	Number
Eligible for FSM at 15
Full-time education	240
Part-time education	45
Total	280

Not eligible for FSM at 15
Full-time education	990
Part-time education	185
Total	1,170

Unknown FSM status at 15
Full-time education	45
Part-time education	10
Total	50

Total
Full-time education	1,270
Part-time education	235
Total	1,505
Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest five students. The components of each table may not sum to the total due to independent rounding. 2. FSM status is recorded for students in state schools at academic age 15.

GCE A-level

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils who (a) were and (b) were not receiving free school meals in their last year of compulsory secondary school (i) entered at least one A level, (ii) achieved three or more A-levels and (iii) achieved three or more grade As at A level. [116023]

Mr Gibb: The information requested by free school meal eligibility (eligible for and claiming free school meals) is provided in the following table. Information on whether or not a pupil is receiving free schools meals is not available.

Number and percentage of pupils⁽¹⁾ entering at least one A level⁽²⁾ in 2010/11 and those achieving three or more A levels (at grades A-E) and three or more A-A grades, by free school meal eligibility⁽³⁾
	Pupils eligible for free school meals		All other pupils		All pupils
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Entering at least one level⁽²⁾	13,447	52.1	211,791	68.2	225,238	67.0
Of those pupils entering at least one A level, those achieving three or more A*-E grades	8,459	62.9	162,609	76.8	171,068	75.9
Of those pupils entering at least one A level, those achieving three or more A*-A grades	546	4.1	22,353	10.6	22,899	10.2
⁽¹⁾ Pupils aged 16-18 at the start of the 2010/11 academic year attending maintained schools (including Academies and CTCs) and FE sector colleges. ⁽²⁾ Includes GCE/Applied GCE A Levels and Double Awards. ⁽³⁾ Pupils eligible for free school meals at the end of year 11. Source: National Pupil Database (final data)

9 July 2012 : Column 36W

GCSE

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of Key Stage 4 students took (a) only GCSEs, (b) GCSEs and other qualifications and (c) no qualifications in each of the last five years. [114315]

Mr Gibb: The information requested is given in the following table:

Number and percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who have attempted only GCSEs, GCSE and equivalent or no qualifications; year: 2006/07 to 2010/11⁽¹⁾, Coverage: England
	Pupils who have attempted GCSE qualifications only^(2,3)		Pupils who have attempted GCSE and equivalent qualifications⁽⁴⁾		Pupils who have. achieved no qualifications⁽⁵⁾
	No. of pupils	% of pupils	No. of pupils	% of pupils	No. of pupils	% of pupils
2006/07	322,830	49.3	646,451	98.7	8,695	1.3
2007/08	247,994	38.0	646,969	99.1	6,114	0.9
2008/09	175,190	27.6	629,470	99.2	5,026	0.8
2009/10	130,976	20.5	632,429	98.9	6,834	1.1
2010/11⁽⁶⁾	96,618	15.4	624,220	99.4	3,525	0.6
⁽¹⁾ Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. ⁽²⁾ Includes full GCSEs, short course GCSEs, double award and vocational GCSEs. ⁽³⁾ From 2010, also includes accredited iGCSEs. ⁽⁴⁾ Includes pupils entered for any qualification included in the Secondary School Performance Tables. ⁽⁵⁾ Only pupils who have achieved vocational qualifications are included in our data. For GCSEs, all pupils who are entered are included. ⁽⁶⁾Figures-for 2010/11 are revised, all other figures are final.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effect on further education rates of his proposed changes to the GCSE system in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, (b) Tower Hamlets and (c) nationally. [115648]

Mr Gibb: We are considering options for the long term reform of Key Stage 4 examinations and will set out our proposals shortly. Those proposals will look to address the failure of the current GCSE system to support the further education prospects of those who currently achieve lower grades. The evidence for that failure is clear.

The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) showed that 17% of young people who had not achieved a C grade at GCSE spent at least 12 months not in education, employment or training (NEET), in the 21 months after compulsory schooling ended⁽¹⁾, compared to 2% of those with five to seven GCSEs at A*-C.

In 2008, 16% of students obtained the lower GCSE grades (E, F and G) in English and 22% in maths by age 16; only 10% of them continued to study these GCSEs after the age of 16 and only 2% achieved a C grade or above by 19.

In presenting our reforms, we will be looking to ensure that our qualifications will support every student with a good foundation for progression to further education.

^{(1 )}September 2006 to May 2008: LSYPE tracked outcomes for a sample of young people who were in year 11 in the academic year 2005/06.

9 July 2012 : Column 37W

HM Chief Inspector of Schools: Correspondence

Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what expectation he has of the time taken by the chief inspector of schools to reply to correspondence from hon. Members; and if he will make a statement. [115203]

Mr Gibb [holding answer 4 July 2012]: As a non-ministerial Government Department, Ofsted is responsible for its own correspondence handling arrangements. The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report detailing departmental performance in the handling of Members’ correspondence and the 2011 report showed that Ofsted replied to 90% of letters from parliamentarians within the target of 15 working days.

Lost Working Days

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average number of working days lost per person was in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in each of the last three years. [115667]

Tim Loughton: The information for the Department is shown in the following table:

Average working days lost per person
	Department for Education	Executive agencies
		EFA	STA	TA	NCSL
June 2009 to May 2010	6.6	—	—	—	—
June 2010 to May 2011	5.7	—	—	—	—
June 2011 to May 2012	5.4	4.4	3	4.5	6

The Department has four executive agencies: the Standards and Testing Agency, the Teaching Agency, the National College, and the Education Funding Agency. The Standards and Testing Agency opened on 1 October 2011; the other three agencies began operating on 1 April 2012.

Primary Education

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reason primary school reporting of pupils' levels identifies sub-levels at Level 2 but not Level 1 or Level 3; and if he will make a statement. [115922]

Mr Gibb: The Department started to collect Key Stage 1 statutory teacher assessment results in 1992. In the first few years of this collection around 80% of pupils were assessed at level 2. Sub levels were introduced in 1997 to differentiate the attainment of this large group of pupils.

Key Stage 1 tests and tasks inform the statutory teacher assessment judgment. Level 1 and Level 3 tests are designed to assess whole levels of attainment, but Level 2 tasks and tests do differentiate between the three sub-levels. This helps the teachers to assess their pupils accurately.

9 July 2012 : Column 38W

The Department is not planning to make any changes to the Key Stage 1 assessment levels ahead of introducing a new National Curriculum.

Pupil Exclusions

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made on producing a nationwide league table of secondary school fixed period and permanent exclusions; and what progress he has made on those exclusions being shown by (a) ethnicity and (b) socio-economic background. [115186]

Mr Gibb: The Government are considering the case for publishing school-level exclusion data.

The Government are addressing the disproportionately high exclusion rates of pupils from certain ethnic groups and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds by creating the right incentives for schools to work with these pupils in order to prevent exclusion. This includes trialling a new system of exclusion in 11 local authorities that places greater responsibility on schools for the education that excluded pupils receive, as well as allowing schools to access funding for early intervention with pupils at risk of exclusion. The independent evaluation of this system will look in detail at the outcomes for pupils in groups that are especially vulnerable to exclusion, including pupils from ethnic groups with high rates of exclusion and those who are eligible for free school meals.

The Government have also revised statutory exclusion guidance to clarify schools' legal duty not to discriminate against a particular group of pupils through their use of exclusion and to highlight the importance of identifying and addressing any additional needs of pupils from groups who are vulnerable to exclusion.

Schools are held to account for their use of exclusion through the inspection process. The rates and patterns of exclusion are part of the evidence that Ofsted inspectors take into account when coming to a judgment on a school's behaviour and safety. This assessment specifically includes consideration of whether any particular groups of pupils have been disproportionately excluded.

Pupil Exclusions: Greater London

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many exclusions there have been in (a) Greater London and (b) the London borough of Hackney in each of the last 10 years. [115187]

Mr Gibb: Exclusions data for 2005/06 to 2009/10 are shown in the tables. To provide data prior to 2005/06 would incur disproportionate cost.

The latest data on exclusions were published in the ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2009/10’ Statistical First Release on 28 July 2011 at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001016/index.shtml

Data for 2010/11 will be published in the ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2010/11’ Statistical First Release on 25 July 2012 at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001080/index.shtml

9 July 2012 : Column 39W

9 July 2012 : Column 40W

Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools^(1,2,3): Number and percentage of permanent exclusions⁽⁴⁾ by type of school, Hackney local authority and London. 2005/06 to 2009/10 (estimates)
	London
	Maintained primary⁽¹⁾		State-funded secondary^(1,2)		Special⁽³⁾		Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools^(1,2,3)
	No. of permanent exclusions⁽⁷⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of permanent exclusions⁽⁷⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of permanent exclusions⁽⁷⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of permanent exclusions⁽⁷⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾
2005/06	150	0.02	1,440	0.33	30	0.29	1,620	0.15
2006/07	120	0.02	1,270	0.29	30	0.22	1,420	0.13
2007/08	160	0.03	1,260	0.29	20	0.17	1,440	0.13
2008/09	90	0.01	1,080	0.24	20	0.15	1,190	0.11
2009/10	80	0.01	990	0.22	10	0.12	1,080	0.10

	Hackney
	Maintained primary⁽¹⁾		State-funded secondary^(1,2)		Special⁽³⁾		Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools^(1,2,3)
	No. of permanent exclusions	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of permanent exclusions	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of permanent exclusions	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of permanent exclusions⁽⁷⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾
2005/06	7	0.04	25	0.34	0	0	30	0.13
2006/07	0	0.00	20	0.27	⁽⁸⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—	20	0.08
2007/08	⁽⁸⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—	26	0.34	⁽⁸⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—	30	0.13
2008/09	⁽⁸⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—	5	0.11	0	0	10	0.04
2009/10	⁽⁸⁾—	⁽⁸⁾—	23	0.27	0	0	30	0.10
⁽¹⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed. ⁽²⁾ Includes city technology colleges and academes (including all-through academes). ⁽³⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. ⁽⁴⁾ Figures are as confirmed by local authorities as part of a data checking exercise. ⁽⁵⁾ Includes local authorities in inner and outer London. ⁽⁶⁾ The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount of) pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in each year. ⁽⁷⁾ London numbers and totals for all school types have been rounded to the nearest10. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. ⁽⁸⁾ Data have been suppressed to protect confidentiality Source: School Census

Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools^(1,2,3) number and percentage of fixed period exclusions by type of school, Hackney local authority and London. 2005/06 to 2009/10
	London⁽⁴⁾
	Maintained primary⁽¹⁾		State-funded secondary^(1,2)		Special⁽³⁾		Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools^(1,2,3)
	No. of fixed period exclusions⁽⁵⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of fixed period exclusions⁽⁵⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of fixed period exclusions⁽⁵⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of fixed period exclusions⁽⁵⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾
2005/06⁽⁷⁾	n/a	n/a	40,210	9.16	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006/07	6,880	1.10	44,000	9.99	2,900	24.88	53,780	4.98
2007/08	6,410	1.02	39,590	8.95	2,560	22.31	48,560	4.49
2008/09	5,560	0.88	39,530	8.85	2,280	19.52	47,380	4.34
2009/10	5,210	0.81	37,500	8.31	2,140	18.09	44,850	4.05

	Hackney
	Maintained primary⁽¹⁾		State-funded secondary^(1,2)		Special⁽³⁾		Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools^(1,2,3)
	No. of fixed period exclusions	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of fixed period exclusions	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of fixed period exclusions	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾	No. of fixed period exclusions⁽⁵⁾	% of the school population⁽⁶⁾
2005/06⁽⁷⁾	n/a	n/a	887	11.97	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
2006/07	334	1.87	884	11.97	31	10.10	1,250	4.88
2007/08	356	2.01	853	11.08	50	17.61	1,260	4.91
2008/09	334	1.88	990	12.27	46	16.20	1,370	5.25
2009/10	386	2.14	1,383	16.17	42	14.84	1,810	6.73
n/a = not available—no exclusions collected for schools of this type. ⁽¹⁾ Includes middle schools as deemed. ⁽²⁾ Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies}, ⁽³⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. ⁽⁴⁾ Includes local authorities in inner and outer London. ⁽⁵⁾ London numbers and totals for all school types have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. ⁽⁶⁾ The number of fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in each year. ⁽⁷⁾ For the 2005/06 school year, information on fixed period exclusions from secondary schools, CTCs and academies was collected for the first time via the School Census (the Termly Exclusions Survey has bean discontinued). From 2006/07, the coverage was extended to include primary and special schools. Source: School Census

9 July 2012 : Column 41W

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils have attracted payment of the pupil premium in (a) Bromsgrove constituency and (b) Worcestershire since its inception. [115270]

Sarah Teather: The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. Pupil Premium funding is provided to schools which have on roll pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (the deprivation premium); children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months (the looked after child premium); and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces (the service child premium).

In the 2011-12 financial year 1,170 pupils in Bromsgrove were eligible for either the deprivation premium or service child premium. It is not possible to identify, at constituency level, the number of pupils recorded as being in care or recorded in the alternative provision census.

The number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in 2012-13 has not yet been confirmed but the provisional estimate is that 1,820 pupils will be eligible for the deprivation premium or the service child premium in Bromsgrove. This estimate is based on January 2011 school census data and data for pupils eligible for FSM since 2006. It reflects the decision to extend eligibility for the deprivation premium to those eligible for FSM in the previous six years.

In the 2011-12 financial year, 9,820 pupils were eligible for the pupil premium in Worcestershire. The provisional estimate on the same basis as that for Bromsgrove for the 2012-13 financial year is that 13,660 pupils in Worcestershire will be eligible for the pupil premium. These figures include pupils eligible for the deprivation premium, the service child premium and the looked after child premium.

The actual number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in the 2012-13 financial year will be confirmed shortly.

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools in Bromsgrove constituency have received funding from the pupil premium. [115271]

Sarah Teather: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011. Pupil premium funding is provided to schools which have on roll pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (the deprivation premium); children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months (the looked after child premium); and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces (the service child premium).

In Bromsgrove the following 39 schools received the deprivation premium in the 2011-12 financial year. It is not possible to identify which schools received the service child premium or looked after child premium.

Alvechurch C of E Middle School

Aston Fields Middle School

Beaconside Primary and Nursery School

Belbroughton C of E Primary School and Nursery

Beoley First School

Blackwell First School

9 July 2012 : Column 42W

Catshill First School

Catshill Middle School

Chadsgrove School

Charford First School

Clent Parochial Primary School

Crown Meadow First School & Nursery

Dodford First School

Fairfield First School

Finstall First School

Hagley Catholic High School

Hagley Primary School

Haybridge High School and Sixth Form

Hollywood, the Coppice Primary School

Holywell Primary and Nursery School

Hunters Hill Technology College

Lickey End First School

Lickey Hills Primary School

Meadows First School

Millfields First School

North Bromsgrove High School

Parkside Middle School

Rigby Hall Day Special School

Romsley St Kenelm's C of E Primary School

Sidemoor First School

South Bromsgrove Community High School

St Andrew's C of E First School

St John's C of E Foundation Middle School

St Peter's Catholic First School

Stoke Prior First School

Tardebigge C of E First School

Waseley Hills High School and Sixth Form Centre

Woodrush Community High School

Wythall, Meadow Green Primary

The number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in 2012-13 has not yet been confirmed.

School Milk

Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the potential effects on staff in each educational setting of the Department of Health's consultation on the Next Steps for Nursery Milk. [115735]

Sarah Teather [holding answer 6 July 2012]: The Department of Health has discussed the proposals set out in the Next Steps for Nursery Milk consultation with the Department. One of the purposes of the consultation is to explore three different options for reforming the operation of the scheme, looking at where it could be made more efficient and improving its value for money, while ensuring that all children under five attending a child care setting for more than two hours a day continue to be entitled to receive free milk. To explore these issues fully the Department of Health will, in parallel with the public consultation, be asking all child care providers currently registered with the scheme to complete a simple survey about how the scheme works for them now and how potential changes might affect them and the children they care for. The results of this survey will inform further detailed development of the options.

9 July 2012 : Column 43W

Schools: Finance

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many and what proportion of schools had (a) lower, (b) equal and (c) higher total revenue in the 2011-12 academic year than in the 2010-11 academic year; [107062]

(2) for how many and what proportion of schools pupil premium allocation was (a) less than, (b) equal to and (c) more than the reduction in their core budgets. [107061]

Mr Gibb: The following tables set out the changes in funding between 2010-11 and 2011-12 financial years. Most of the changes set out in these tables are a result

9 July 2012 : Column 44W

of changes in pupil numbers. They will also reflect the impact of some local authorities redistributing mainstreamed grants in financial year 2011-12.

The higher proportion of secondary schools seeing decreases in revenue funding compared to primary is in part a reflection of the lower level of FSM registration, and therefore pupil premium, in secondary schools compared to primary schools. Extending eligibility for the premium in 2012-13 to those eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years will address this differential.

There is also a minimum funding guarantee in place which will ensure that no school will receive a reduction in its budget of more than 1.5% per pupil. The pupil premium is entirely in addition to this.

Number and percentage of schools experiencing the following changes between financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12:	Number of primary schools	Percentage of primary schools	Number of secondary schools	Percentage of secondary schools
An increase in revenue funding before pupil premium added	10,071	60.6	1,241	45.9
Equal revenue funding before pupil premium added	0	0.0	0	0.0
A decrease in revenue funding before pupil premium added	6,551	39.4	1,461	54.1
Total schools	16,622	100.0	2,702	100.0

Of schools that saw a decrease in their revenue funding before the pupil premium is added, the number and percentage experiencing the following changes in 2011-12:	Number of primary schools	Percentage of primary schools	Number of secondary schools	Percentage of secondary schools
A pupil premium allocation less than their revenue funding reduction	4,691	71.6	1,165	79.7
A pupil premium allocation equal to their revenue funding reduction	0	0.0	0	0.0
A pupil premium allocation more than their revenue funding reduction	1,860	28.4	296	20.3
Total schools:	6,551	100.0	1,461	100.0

The data above are taken from section 251 budget returns for 2010-11 and 2011-12 (all budget share and pupil premium data), and the 2010-11 consistent financial reporting (CFR) data (2010-11 grants data). They compare 2010-11 budget share plus grants to 2011-12 budget share and pupil premium data. (Since grants were separate in 2010-11 but mainstreamed into school budgets in 2011-12, they must be included in 2010-11 to get a meaningful comparison. This analysis uses CFR lines 104, 105, 114 and 115 as an indication of schools' grants income in 2010-11.)

This analysis covers all maintained primary and secondary schools (including those middle deemed in both phases) which are present on all of the three data sources, and open throughout both FY 2010-11 and FY 2011-12. It includes sixth form and early years funding. Figures given are changes in absolute funding, unadjusted for pupil number changes.

Teachers: Pay

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of teachers in (a) academies and (b) maintained schools received an allowance in addition to their basic salary in each of the last three years; and what the average size of such allowances was. [114132]

Mr Gibb: The following table provides the number and percentage of regular qualified teachers in local authority maintained schools and Academies recorded as receiving an additional allowance and the average amount of those allowances. Comparable figures are not available for earlier years.

Qualified regular⁽¹⁾ teachers in local authority maintained schools and academies receiving additional allowances⁽²⁾; November 2010 and 2011, England
	Local authority maintained schools			Academies
	Teachers	Percentage	Allowance	Teachers	Percentage	Allowance
November 2010	148,730	33	4,340	7,350	35	5,160

9 July 2012 : Column 45W

9 July 2012 : Column 46W

November 2011	127,360	32	4,060	33,810	42	5,060
⁽¹⁾ Teachers with a contract of 28 days or more. ⁽²⁾ Includes teachers receiving teaching and learning responsibility payments, special educational needs allowances, recruitment and retention incentives and benefits or any other one-off allowances. GTC fee allowances are excluded. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source : School Workforce Census

Further information about the proportion of teachers receiving an allowance by type of school and allowance is available in table 7a of the School Workforce in England Statistical First Release, November 2011 which is available at the following link:

http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00205723/school-workforce-in-england-provisional-nov-2011

Business, Innovation and Skills

Business: Greater London

Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford, (b) the London borough of Bexley and (c) Greater London are owned solely by women. [115877]

Mr Prisk: There is no information available on the number of businesses owned solely by women. However, we can estimate the number of majority women-led businesses and the number of self-employed women.

The BIS Small Business Survey asks about the gender composition of the management team of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). From this we estimate there were 115,000 majority women-led SMEs in London at the start of 2011. No comparable information is available for either Bexleyheath and Crayford or the London borough of Bexley due to the small sample size of the survey.

The estimated number of self-employed women in the London borough of Bexley and the Greater London region is provided in the following table.

Table 1: Number of self-employed women aged 16 to 64 years
Area	Estimated number of self-employed women aged 16 to 64 years
Bexleyheath and Crayford	⁽¹⁾—
London borough of Bexley	3,000
Greater London	175,500
^{(1 )}Not available, due to small sample size. Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics (October 2010 to September 2011).

Co-operatives: Greater London

Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employee-owned companies are registered in (a) the London borough of Bexley and (b) Greater London. [115878]

Mr Prisk: While the Office for National Statistics holds information on the number of companies in these areas (on the Inter-departmental Business Register), it does not have the information to determine how many of the shareholders of these companies are employees.

Credit Cards

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with lenders on the level of interest charged on credit cards. [114113]

Norman Lamb: None recently. Consumer credit regulation is designed to support people's access to credit, ensure fair treatment for consumers from lenders and provide safeguards to protect vulnerable people, particularly those at risk of falling into financial difficulty.

As set out in our November 2011 response to the consumer credit and personal insolvency review, the Government see no case for intervening on interest rates on credit and store cards—the evidence shows that to do so would do more harm than good, potentially cutting off some consumers from an important source of mainstream credit. Other measures, such as the five rights for credit and store card users, which took effect at the end of 2010, have already delivered tangible benefits to consumers. These rights include:

Right to repay: consumers' repayments will always be put against the highest rate debt first.

Right to reject: consumers will be given more time to reject increases in their interest rate or their credit limit.

Right to information: consumers at risk of financial difficulties will be given guidance on the consequences of paying back too little; and all consumers will be given clear information on increases in their interest rate or their credit limit including the right to reject.

In addition, consumers who are at risk of financial difficulties are protected through a ban on increases in their credit limit as well as the ban on increases in their interest rate, and card companies have been working with debt advice agencies to agree new ways they will provide targeted support to consumers at risk to help improve their situation before they are in too deep.

English Language: Education

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) which institutions (a) he and (b) his officials met in each quarter of the last 12 months to discuss a strategy on the future shape and content for English for speakers of other languages qualifications in the UK; and on what dates such meetings took place; [116117]

9 July 2012 : Column 47W

(2) with which English for speakers of other languages qualifications providers (a) he and (b) his officials met in the last (i) three and (ii) six months to discuss a strategy on the future shape and content for ESOL qualifications in the UK. [116118]

Mr Hayes: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and I meet regularly with representatives from the further education sector to discuss a wide range of issues, including those relating to English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills met with the chair and CEO of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) in mid-June 2012. The subject of ESOL was briefly touched upon. Officials in BIS are currently working closely with Ofqual and the Skills Funding Agency who are ensuring that the views of key stakeholders such as ESOL awarding organisations, further education colleges and training organisations are being gathered and considered in developing a strategy on the future shape and content for ESOL qualifications in the UK for 2013/14 and beyond.

Higher Education: Scholarships

Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students will participate in the National Scholarship Programme in 2012-13. [115907]

Mr Willetts: The National Scholarship Programme is designed to help people of all ages whose family income is no greater than £25,000 per annum. Higher education institutions set their own criteria for determining entitlement to an award from among this broad group of people. Institutions will offer a range of support from a menu which includes tuition fee waivers or discounts, subsidised accommodation and other institutional support, and a cash bursary of up to £1,000.

All institutions that intend to charge more than the basic rate for tuition from 2012 are required to participate in the programme and contribute match funding which they will use either to increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award. Universities are responsible for advertising their criteria and making the awards.

In the first year, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the NSP with the minimum level for an award set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. That would mean around 17,000 students would benefit. Of course the actual number is likely to be larger than this when institutions' match funding is taken into account as well as awards made to students studying part-time. By 2014/15 when the programme is fully operational, the Government's contribution to the National Scholarship Programme will be three times higher and, with match funding, up to 100,000 students a year could be supported.

We have said that we intend to listen carefully to feedback we receive and look at the data that can tell us how effective the programme is, so that we can learn lessons and make changes as necessary. We have reconvened the expert group that helped us with the initial design to advise us on how best to proceed.

9 July 2012 : Column 48W

Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much will be spent on (a) bursaries, (b) fee waivers, (c) discounted student accommodation, (d) free foundation years and (e) other measures under the National Scholarship Programme in 2012-13. [115908]

Mr Willetts: The National Scholarship Programme (NSP) is designed to help people of all ages whose family income is no greater than £25,000 per annum. Higher education institutions set their own criteria, based on their own priorities, for determining entitlement to an award from among this broad group of people.

Institutions will offer a range of support from a menu which includes tuition fee waivers or discounts, subsidised accommodation and other institutional support, and a cash bursary of up to £1,000. The minimum level for an award is set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. Part-time students studying to a minimum intensity of 25% receive a pro-rata award. Universities and colleges can use their match funding to either increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award.

Higher education institutions and further education colleges with access agreements provided the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) with estimates of how much they expect to spend in each of these areas under the NSP. The breakdown was published by the OFFA in December 2011 and are given in the following table.

No data is available yet for institutions without access agreements who have taken up the option of participating in the programme.

Estimated expenditure under National Scholarship Programme in 2012-13
	£ million
Fee waivers	52.9
Subsidised accommodation	19.6
Bursaries and scholarships	17.7
Free foundation years	1.0
NSP choice/institutional funds not yet allocated⁽¹⁾	7.7
Total	99.0
⁽¹⁾ Some institutions are offering a choice of financial support to students under the National Scholarship Programme. In addition, a small number are still in the process of finalising their financial support arrangements under the NSP.

Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much will be distributed to students at each higher education institution under the National Scholarship Programme in 2012-13. [115909]

Mr Willetts: In 2012-13, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the National Scholarship Programme with the minimum level for an award set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. Part-time students studying to a minimum intensity of 25% receive a pro-rata award.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England publishes the allocation for each institution from the Government's contribution to the National Scholarship Programme. This information can be found at:

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/wp/currentworktowidenparticipation/nationalscholarshipprogramme/

In addition, universities and colleges will match fund the Government's contribution either to increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award.

9 July 2012 : Column 49W

Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average amount paid to students from the National Scholarship Programme in 2012-13. [115910]

Mr Willetts: The Government have made no estimate of the average value of an award.

The National Scholarship Programme (NSP) is designed to benefit students whose family income is no greater than £25,000 per annum. Higher education institutions set their own criteria for determining entitlement to an award from among this broad group of people.

In the first year, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the NSP with the minimum level for an award set at £3,000 for each eligible full-time student. Part-time students studying to a minimum intensity of 25% receive a pro-rata award. Universities and colleges can use their match funding to either increase the number of awards available, or the value of an award. The Government have no information on the number of awards likely to be made by each participating institution. The Higher Education Funding Council for England informs us that this information is likely to be available early next year.

Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students at each higher education institution will participate in the National Scholarship Programme in 2012-13. [115911]

Mr Willetts: The Government have no information on the likely number of students who will receive an award from the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) at each participating institution. The Higher Education Funding Council for England informs us that this information is likely to be available early next year.

The NSP will benefit eligible students from low income families entering higher education from autumn 2012. It is for higher education institutions to set their own criteria, according to their own priorities, for determining entitlement to an award.

Each eligible full-time student who meets the institution's criteria will receive a minimum level of award set at £3,000. Eligible part-time students, studying to a minimum intensity of 25%, receive a pro-rata award.

In the first year, the Government will contribute £50 million towards the NSP. That would mean around 17,000 full-time students would benefit. By 2014/15 when the programme is fully operational, the Government's contribution to the NSP will be three times higher and, with match funding, up to 100,000 students a year could be supported.

Regional Development Agencies: Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) retention payments and (b) bonuses were given to staff at each regional development agency in each of the last three years; and what the cost was in each case. [116089]

Mr Prisk: The number of retention payments and total cost at each regional development agency in the last three years to 30 June 2012 is shown in the following table:

9 July 2012 : Column 50W

Agency	Number of retention payments	Total value of retention payments (£000)
Advantage West Midlands	18	726
East of England Development Agency	16	632
East Midlands Development Agency	15	614
North West Regional Development Agency	14	733
One North East	15	721
South East Regional Development Agency	9	343
South West Regional Development Agency	20	886
Yorkshire Forward	17	656
London Development Agency	0	0

The bonuses paid to senior directors in 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 are set out in the agencies' annual reports and accounts for those years. Following closure of the agencies BIS has received records from each but it would be disproportionately expensive to establish the number of bonuses, if any, paid to junior staff in that period.

At the East of England Development Agency, two separate ex gratia payments of £500 each were paid to almost all members of staff (barring Executive Directors) during 2011/12. These payments totalled £51,000; the individual payments were made on 31 August and 30 December 2011 and were paid to a total of 66 staff, although not all staff received both payments. These payments were outside the agency's pay remit and not approved by BIS. They were deemed “irregular” expenditure and the agency's 2011/12 accounts have received a qualified audit opinion from the Comptroller and Auditor General as a result.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what date remuneration payments to each board member of each regional development agency (RDA) will cease; and how much will be paid to RDA board members in each month in 2012. [116090]

Mr Prisk: Remuneration payments to RDA board members ceased on the abolition of the RDAs at the end of June 2012. The remuneration reports in the recently published RDA accounts for the financial year 2011/12, available at:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/economic-development/regional-support/rda-reports-accounts

show the serving board members and their remuneration. The board members serving from January 2012 received 1/12th of their annual remuneration shown in these accounts in each of the months from January to June 2012. In addition, the chairs of SEEDA and EEDA were due contractual compensation of £15,000 to 20,000 and £25,000 to 30,000 respectively in June 2012. These figures are subject to audit and will be confirmed in RDA accounts for the period to 30 June 2012 which are expected to be laid before Parliament later this year.

9 July 2012 : Column 51W

Teachers: Languages

Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on the recruitment and retention of English teachers resulting from the time taken to bring forward a strategy on the future design and content of English for speakers of other languages qualifications. [115526]

Mr Hayes: English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) Adult Basic Skills Certificates at Entry, Level 1 and Level 2 remain in place for 2012/13. This Department is currently considering the future shape and content for ESOL qualifications for 2013/14 and beyond. This includes the intention to consult with key stakeholders including associations who represent ESOL teachers.

Work and Pensions

Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Atos Healthcare average clearance (a) target and (b) performance against that target in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010, (iv) 2011 and (v) 2012 to date. [116052]

Chris Grayling: The contracted service level with Atos Healthcare for ESA claims is to clear medical assessments within an actual average clearance target (AACT) of 35 working days.

The Atos Healthcare average clearance against the target for each contractual year is as follows:

	Number of days
September 2008 to August 2009	43.2
September 2009 to August 2010	33.1
September 2010 to August 2011	34.6
September 2011 to May 2012 (latest period figures are available)	61.3

Following the Department's acceptance of Professor Harrington's recommendations, the introduction of the Personal Summary Statement (PSS) had a major effect on the AACT for WCA clearance.

In the past year, there has been considerable financial investment in training health care professionals to deliver the Harrington recommendations. However, the intense training period for the introduction of the PSS had an impact upon the head of work.

Atos Healthcare's ability to deliver a service within the AACT was also impacted by the service volumes for this period which were significantly above departmental forecasts; in addition Atos had recruitment demands/challenges. These issues collectively resulted in an increase in the AACT.

DWP and Atos Healthcare are now working very closely to improve capacity and productivity through the DWP Executive Management Board.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion of 2 July 2012, Official Report, column 426W, on Atos, what financial remedies are available; if he will publish a note of each occasion on

9 July 2012 : Column 52W

which these remedies have been sought; and what the value was of the money received by his Department from Atos through such financial remedies in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011 and (iv) 2012 to date. [116053]

Chris Grayling: There are a range of financial remedies available within the contract to address service level failure. However, this is a matter between the Department for Work and Pensions and its supplier Atos Healthcare.

Financial remedies may or may not be imposed depending on the reason for failure. This is however commercial in confidence between the DWP and its supplier, as is the total cost of the financial remedies levied.

Disposable Income

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of disposable household income of (a) pensioners and (b) families with children in (i) Coventry, (ii) Coventry north-east constituency, (iii) the west midlands and (iv) England in each of the last five years. [115821]

Steve Webb: Estimates on disposable income are published in the Households Below Average Income series. The latest year of data which are available is for 2010-11. The smallest geographical breakdown available is at Government office region level. Therefore, information is not available for (i) the city of Coventry or (ii) Coventry North East constituency, but is available for (iii) the west midlands Government office region and (iv) England.

Three-year averages are used to report regional statistics as single-year estimates are subject to volatility.

Table 1 shows the median equivalised household income of pensioners in the west midlands and England in 2010-11. Table 2 shows the median equivalised household income of families with children in the west midlands and England for the same year. Results both Before Housing Costs and After Housing Costs have been provided.

Measures for pensioners are generally on an After Housing Costs basis. This is because pensioners are far more likely to own their homes outright and so receive value from housing, without having to pay for rent or mortgage payments out of their current income.

Measures for children are generally on a Before Housing Costs basis. The targets set out in the Child Poverty Act, the broader set of income measures in the Child Poverty Strategy and international comparisons are calculated this way. When considering the living standards of children, measures After Housing Costs can underestimate the true standard of living as a family may make a choice to spend more on rent or a mortgage to attain a higher standard of accommodation.

Table 1: Median equivalised household income of pensioners in the west midlands and England, Before and After Housing Costs in 2010-11 prices
£ per week
	West midlands		England
Three year period	BHC	AHC	BHC AHC
2006-07 to 2008-09	362	353	362	351

9 July 2012 : Column 53W

2007-08 to 2009-10	368	360	373	359
2008-09 to 2010-11	367	353	378	359

Table 2: Median equivalised household income of families with children in the west midlands and England, Before and After Housing Costs in 2010-11 prices
£ per week
	West midlands		England
Three year period	BHC	AHC	BHC	AHC
2006-07 to 2008-09	364	308	399	329
2007-08 to 2009-10	364	305	401	329
2008-09 to 2010-11	360	300	399	325
Notes: 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, 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 (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, buildings insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Costs they are. 4. Incomes are presented in 2010-11 prices and have been rounded to the nearest pound. 5. We use Households Below Average Income data to provide estimates of average incomes. However, the sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide estimates for small areas such as those requested. 6. Analysis has been carried out based on equivalised household incomes. This takes an adult couple with no children as the reference point. For example, the process of equivalisation would adjust the income of a single pensioner upwards, so that we can use income to directly compare their standard of living with a working-age couple without children. 7. 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. 8. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year.

Employment and Support Allowance

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 21 March 2012, Official Report, column 706W, on Atos Healthcare, on how many occasions a Jobcentre Plus decision-maker did not follow the advice of an Atos-approved health care professional when making a decision on the eligibility for employment and support allowance in each month since May 2010; and what proportion of the total number of decisions made in each month these figures represent. [115255]

Chris Grayling: The information provided in the answer of 21 March 2012 is consistent with the January 2012 Official Statistics release. Table 2a in this publication provides the total number of initial assessments and their final outcomes by month. By comparing the totals for each month with those figures originally provided in the previous answer, it is possible to calculate the proportion of all outcomes where the Atos recommendation differs from the Decision Maker's decision.

9 July 2012 : Column 54W

The relevant figures can be found in Table 2a in the spreadsheet at the following link:

http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_24012012_tables.xls

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 492W, on employment and support allowance (ESA), how many people ceased receiving ESA as a result of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. [115283]

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available. Please note that the most recent national statistics for the ESA/IB client group is for November 2011 and the latest working-age ESA/IB early estimate is for April 2012. The latest information on early estimates can be found at the following link:

http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=early_ests

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 16 January 2012, Official Report, column 599W, on the Work programme, if he will place in the Library the most recent indicative volumes for claimants entering the Work programme in each of the next four years; what the reasons are for any changes since he last published the forecasts; and if he will make a statement. [115969]

Chris Grayling: The Work programme attachment profiles were placed in the House of Commons Library on 5 July 2012—Dep. 2012-1134.

The Department has committed to reviewing profiles on a six-monthly basis in response to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasting cycle. Changes to the OBR forecasts have a direct knock-on impact on the forecasts of benefit on-flows, off-flows and durations. Work programme volumes can therefore be subject to both upward and downward revision over time depending on the prevailing economic forecasts.

Employment Schemes: Pay

Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the amount of money companies (a) nationally and (b) in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency have saved as a result of not paying the minimum wage to people participating in the Work programme. [115492]

Chris Grayling: Work experience undertaken as part of the Work programme does not fulfil a role which would otherwise be advertised as a job vacancy. No estimate of savings has therefore been made and would clearly be inappropriate given the aims of work experience, which is designed to help participants by enhancing their employment prospects and developing skills and disciplines associated with a normal working environment.

Employment Schemes: Scotland

Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many constituents from Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill have participated in the Work programme since its inception. [115493]

9 July 2012 : Column 55W

Chris Grayling: Statistics on how many constituents from Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill have participated in the Work programme since its inception are available on the Department's website at:

http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool

Guidance for users is available at:

http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Housing Benefit: Scotland

Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged under 26 years were in receipt of housing benefit in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency in each year from 2007 to 2011. [114886]

Steve Webb: Information is not readily available for housing benefit recipients aged under 25 at parliamentary constituency level, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: Young People

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total annual expenditure on housing benefit for people under the age of 25 in each of the next four financial years. [115265]

Steve Webb: The information is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Graduates

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who graduated in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011 who are currently claiming jobseeker’s allowance. [115335]

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list any occasions since May 2010 on which his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf. [115354]

Chris Grayling: There has been no such occasion on which his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf.

Pensioners: Poverty

Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of pensioners living in poverty in (a) Coventry, (b) Coventry North East constituency, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each of the last five years; and what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle pensioner poverty. [115970]

Steve Webb: Estimates of pensioner poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income series. The most commonly used measure of pensioner poverty relates to those people with income below 60% of contemporary median income, after housing costs. This is often referred to as relative poverty.

9 July 2012 : Column 56W

The smallest geographical breakdown available for the overall numbers in poverty is at Government office region level. Therefore, information is not available for (a) the city of Coventry or (b) Coventry North East constituency, but is available for (c) the West Midlands Government Office Region and (d) England.

Three-year averages are used to report regional statistics as single-year estimates are subject to volatility.

The latest year of data which are available is 2010-11. The following table shows the number of pensioners living in households in the west midlands and England with income below 60% of contemporary median income, after housing costs, for three-year periods spanning 2006-07 to 2010-11, which is the latest year for which data are available.

Number of pensioners in the west midlands and England in relative low income, after housing costs
Three year period	Number of pensioners living with income below 60% of contemporary median, after housing costs (million)
	West midlands	England
2006-07 to 2008-09	0.2	1.7
2007-08 to 2009-10	0.2	1.6
2008-09 to 2010-11	0.2	1.5
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. Longer time series and before housing costs data on pensioners is available within chapter 6 of the Households Below Average Income report at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai_arc 3. 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. 4. Figures have been presented on an after housing cost basis. For after housing costs, housing costs are deducted from income. 5. 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. 6. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year. 7. Numbers of pensioners have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand pensioners.

The Government want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement. We have restored the earnings link for the basic state pension and given a triple guarantee that the basic state pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, price increases (as measured by the consumer prices index) or 2.5%. As a result, we estimate that an average person retiring in 2012-13 will receive £15,000 more in basic state pension income over their retirement than under the old prices link.

We are protecting support for older people such as:

winter fuel payments;

free bus passes;

free television licences for those aged 75 and over;

free eye tests; and

free NHS prescription charges.

We have permanently increased the cold weather payment from £8.50 to £25.

9 July 2012 : Column 57W

The Government are also introducing automatic enrolment into workplace pensions. Starting from 2012 all employers beginning with the largest will be required to enrol all workers eligible for automatic enrolment into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and make a minimum contribution. This is a central element of our strategy to reinvigorate private pension saving and aims to harness inertia and bring about a change in peoples' behaviour in saving for retirement. We expect this to lead to between five million and eight million people newly saving or saving more in all forms of workplace pension schemes. Along with our proposals for reform to the state pension, this is a key element in our strategy to prevent pensioner poverty from arising for future generations.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget, on 21 March 2012, that the Government will reform the state pensions system to introduce a single tier pension for future pensioners. These reforms will usher in a simpler and fairer system that reduces the need for means testing and rewards saving. The Government will publish further information about the proposed reforms in a White Paper later in the year.

Pensions: Females

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to promote the importance of adequate pensions saving to women; and if he will make a statement. [115425]

Steve Webb: Automatic enrolment will help millions of workers save for their retirement. We estimate 3-4 million women will be eligible, with 2-3 million newly saving or saving more. To support automatic enrolment, we are running an awareness campaign with supporting information that emphasises the importance of saving for retirement and outlines the benefits of saving in a workplace pension. This targets women via the use of appropriate media channels and by working in partnership with trusted brands.

We have also confirmed that we will introduce a simpler, single tier pension for future pensioners set above the basic level of the means test to better support saving for retirement. A flat-rate single tier pension will deliver improved state pensions for groups such as women and the self employed. Further detail will be provided in a White Paper later this year.

Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 23 April 2012 at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, what progress his Department has made on identifying a proportion of its resource budget that can be re-prioritised; what steps he has taken to identify such funds; and which parts of his Department’s resource budget he has identified as suitable for re-prioritisation. [115129]

Chris Grayling: The Department is working with the Treasury to agree contingency plans as set out in “Improving spending control”, available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/improving_spending_control.pdf

9 July 2012 : Column 58W

Plans and options for reprioritisation will not be published. They should be “live” plans that are reassessed and updated on an ongoing basis.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 23 April 2012 at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, what discussions he has had with his Department’s agencies and the non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible on the contribution they will make to identifying resource budget for possible re-prioritisation. [115130]

Chris Grayling: The Department is working with the Treasury to agree contingency plans as set out in “Improving spending control”, available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/improving_spending_control.pdf

Plans and options for reprioritisation will not be published. They should be “live” plans that are reassessed and updated on an ongoing basis.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 23 April 2012 at the Institute for Fiscal Studies; when he will make public the areas of his Department's resource budget he has identified for possible re-prioritisation; and when he plans to report to the Work and Pension select Committee on the outcome of this exercise. [115150]

Chris Grayling: The Department is working with the Treasury to agree contingency plans as set out in “Improving Spending Control”,

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/improving_spending_control_pdf

Expenditure: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of his Department's total spending in Scotland in the latest period for which figures are available. [115413]

Chris Grayling: The total amount spent by the Department in Scotland on benefits in 2010-11 was £13.1 billion. This compares to £139.8 billion in the rest of Great Britain and £152.9 billion in Great Britain overall.

This equates to £2,620 per person in Scotland. This compares to £2,521 in the rest of Great Britain and £2,529 in Great Britain overall. Spending per head (capita) in Scotland is 3.9% above spending per head for the rest of Great Britain.

Social Security Benefits: Gwent

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Islwyn constituency will be eligible for fewer benefits after the introduction of the benefit cap in April 2013. [115706]

Chris Grayling: The information is not available for Islwyn constituency.

9 July 2012 : Column 59W

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the total number of people in receipt of each benefit in Scotland. [115412]

Chris Grayling: Statistics on the total number of people in receipt of each benefit in Scotland are available on the Department's website at

http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool

Guidance for users is available at

http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Staff: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people employed by his Department in Scotland. [115410]

Chris Grayling: On 31 March 2012, the Department for Work and Pensions employed 10,344 people (9,294 full-time equivalent staff) in Scotland.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that one-off bonus and overtime payments are not assumed in the calculation of universal credit to be regular salary payments for the following months until the end of the tax year. [115968]

Chris Grayling: Unlike the current system, we want to avoid complicated rules regarding averaging and attribution wherever possible. For these reasons, earnings will usually be based on the actual amounts received in an assessment period.

Earnings taken into account will be net of tax and national insurance when determining the level of universal credit award. We will also deduct 100% of contributions to occupational and personal pensions.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2012, Official Report, columns 473-44W, on universal credit, how much of his 2013-14 budget he plans to spend on (a) additional benefit spending, (b) additional benefit administration, (c) IT development and implementation, (d) communications, (e) staff training, (f) programme management, (g) transitional protection, (h) additional child care support, (i) implementation planning and (j) other items. [116048]

Chris Grayling: Based on current plans the universal credit programme is forecasting potential expenditure of up to £0.6 billion in 2013-14.

IT, development and implementation costs have been forecast as £401 million.

As detailed policy design is still in development it is not possible to provide a further breakdown of this estimate at this stage.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 June

9 July 2012 : Column 60W

2012,

Official Report,

columns 473-74W, on universal credit, how much of his 2014-15 budget he plans to spend on

(a)

additional benefit spending,

(b)

additional benefit administration,

(c)

IT development and implementation,

(d)

communications,

(e)

staff training,

(f)

programme management,

(g)

transitional protection,

(h)

additional childcare support,

(i)

implementation planning and

(j)

other items. [116049]

Chris Grayling: Based on current plans the universal credit programme is forecasting potential expenditure of up to £1.0 billion in 2014-15.

IT, developmental and implementation costs have been forecast as £317 million.

As detailed policy design is still in development it is not possible to provide a further breakdown of this estimate at this stage.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2012, Official Report, columns 473-74W, on universal credit, how much of his 2012-13 budget he plans to spend on (a) IT development and implementation, (b) communications, (c) staff training, (d) programme management, (e) implementation planning and (f) other items. [116050]

Chris Grayling: The following table provides forecast expenditure for the full year 2012-13, based on current plans/estimates. These forecasts are subject to monthly review and will be updated as commercial arrangements are finalised.

Full year forecast up to end March 2013
Expenditure type	£ million
IT Development Costs	242.34
Staff	70.11
Travel	1.51
Accommodation and Estates	0.03
Office Services and expenses	0.03
Consultancy and Professional services	2.76
General Office expenses	18.38
IS/IT Application Development Resource	51.58
Postage and Courier	0.02
Non cash depreciation	3.69
Total	390.44
Notes: 1. IT expenditure is predominantly related to the ongoing design/build and test of the UC core solution and dependant system changes. 2. Staff costs reflect both staff directly and indirectly engaged in preparing for the implementation and delivery of universal credit ahead of the pathfinder from April 2013.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2012, Official Report, column 227W, on work capability assessment independent review, if he will publish correspondence between his Department and Professor Malcolm Harrington in relation to his stepping down from the role of independent reviewer of the work capability assessment. [115091]

9 July 2012 : Column 61W

Chris Grayling: Professor Harrington was commissioned to undertake a third and final review of the work capability assessment in November 2011. This was with the expectation that he would publish his final report before the end of 2012.

There is no correspondence between the Department and Professor Harrington regarding him “stepping down from the role of independent reviewer of the work capability assessment.”

The Government's response to Professor Harrington's second independent review

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-review-2011-response.pdf

made it clear that 2012 would be his third and final review. We are extremely grateful to Professor Harrington for the work he has done to date, and look forward to receiving his third review.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2012, Official Report, column 226W, on work capability assessment, to which (a) benefit delivery centres and (b) Atos Healthcare centres Professor Malcolm Harrington made unannounced visits in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. [115106]

Chris Grayling: During 2010-11, Professor Malcolm Harrington made two unannounced visits to benefit centres at Gloucester and Merthyr Tydfil as outlined in his second independent review (pp. 24-25). During 2010, Professor Harrington made unannounced visits to Atos Medical Assessment Centres (MACs) in Balham and Bristol. I can confirm that he made no unannounced visits to Atos MACs during 2011.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2012, Official Report, column 227W, on work capability assessment, when a successor to Professor Malcolm Harrington will be appointed; what the selection criteria will be for appointing a replacement to Professor Harrington; whether the replacement of Professor Harrington will be appointed by the Secretary of State; whether the post being vacated by Professor Harrington will be publicly advertised; and what the job specification will be for the role being vacated by Professor Harrington. [115107]

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is aiming to appoint a successor to Professor Malcolm Harrington to undertake the fourth independent review of the work capability assessment before the fourth review commences in 2013.

The Department is currently considering its options for the recruitment of Professor Harrington's successor and their terms of reference.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, columns 654-55W, on employment and support allowance: work capability assessment, what the average time taken for an employment and support allowance applicant was between completing the ESA 50 questionnaire and the work capability assessment in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012. [115256]

9 July 2012 : Column 62W

Chris Grayling: As reported in the previous answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, columns 654-55W, the changes introduced on the recommendation of Professor Harrington, although improving the overall process, have had the impact of increasing the time taken to complete face to face medical assessments. Considerable time and effort has gone into training Atos Healthcare professionals to deliver the changes introduced.

There are continuing large volumes of cases going through the medical assessment journey. DWP and Atos Healthcare are working very closely to reduce the length of the WCA process by improving capacity and productivity.

Average time for WCA customer journey (from time of receipt of ESA 50 to clearance by Atos Healthcare):

2011 (July to December only—following the reduction from 11 to seven Government offices by region)—53.2 working days.

Information for 2011 up to and including June was previously provided in the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, columns 654-55W.

2012 (January to May inclusive)—64.4 working days.

The data supplied are derived from unpublished management information which was collated for internal departmental use only. The data supplied have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard and are subject to change. They should therefore be treated with caution.

The average time has been calculated using the Atos Healthcare management information relating to the average time to undertake a work capability assessment as reported against their average actual clearance target of 35 days.

The average time is officially calculated using the number of working days between a claimant completing the ESA questionnaire and their work capability assessment and measured at a regional level rather than nationally and reported monthly—so in effect the figures provided above are an average of an average of an average.

The measurement of the time taken to complete the customer journey through to the assessment is heavily reliant on the date on which the claimant returns their questionnaire. A significant number of claimants return their questionnaires after 25 days.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 666W, on work capability assessment, how many people waited longer than 13 weeks for a work capability assessment in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012. [115257]

Chris Grayling: Information on assessments in December 2011 and in 2012 to date is not available.

Information on assessments between January and November 2011 has not previously been published as official statistics. We will consider whether to include these statistics in part of an upcoming statistics release in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 1 March 2012, Official Report, column 426W, on work capability assessment, how many people have been waiting longer than 13 weeks for a work capability assessment since completing the ESA 50 questionnaire. [115259]

9 July 2012 : Column 63W

Chris Grayling: There are currently 20,759 ESA initial referrals open and awaiting an assessment that are in excess of 13 weeks from the date that the questionnaire was returned.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have lodged an appeal to a work capability assessment decision but have yet to receive a hearing. [115260]

Chris Grayling: The requested information is not available.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 667W, on work capability assessment: Parkinson's disease, how many people with (a) Parkinson's disease, (b) multiple sclerosis, (c) cancer and (d) dementia have had a work capability assessment since October 2008. [115261]

Chris Grayling: In September 2011, the Department published the outcomes of work capability assessments, after the effect of appeals, broken down by medical condition. The table can be found at the following link:

http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/110906_wcaresultsbycondition_clean.xls

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2012, Official Report, column 226W, on work capability assessment, what the outcome has been of the monthly monitoring of the targets set for Atos as part of the overall employment and support allowance customer journey of 91 days and performance. [115282]

Chris Grayling: The performance targets used to monitor the Atos Healthcare performance are set out in Schedule 5 (Service Levels) of the Medical Services contract. An edited copy of the document (DEP2010—1704) is available in the House of Lords library and can be accessed from the following link:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/deposited-papers/?max=100&page=3&y= 2010&house=2&sort=1&sortasc=False#toggle-1704

The official statistics on ‘Employment and Support Allowance: Work Capability Assessments’ can be accessed on the DWP website from the following link:

http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca

The DWP contractual agreement with Atos Healthcare contains performance service levels (including customer service targets) which contain financial remedies where there is service level failure, based on pre estimate of loss to the Department. The contractual performance of Atos Healthcare is monitored closely by DWP.

The imposition of financial remedies is a matter between the Department for Work and Pensions and its supplier Atos Healthcare and as such is commercial in confidence.

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 655W, on employment and support allowance: work capability assessment, what the average time of the work capability assessment customer journey was in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 to date. [115366]

Next Section

Index

Home Page

Site search

Primary navigation