The data in table 4 only include individuals at the first point in which they receive a caution. Therefore an individual can only appear once in the above table. This first caution date is then used to determine whether an individual went on to receive a further caution.
These figures are derived from the data used to produce Table 7.1 in ‘Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update to March 2012’ which was last published on 13 September 2012. The link to the report is found at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-justice-stats-march-2012.pdf
These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Business: Government Assistance
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) applications have been received from and (b) loans have been made to (i) men and (ii) women under the Start-Up Loans scheme. [136145]
Michael Fallon: We do not hold data on overall applications and inquiries under the Start-Up Loans scheme. However we can provide a breakdown on successful applications made to Delivery Partners.
Indicative findings from detailed monthly returns (latest available is to end November 2012) suggest the current split of successful loan applications is 219 male (57%) and 167 female (43%).
We do not currently hold data on applications received by gender, although this will form part of the overall assessment of the pilot later in the year.
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) guidance and (b) requirements relating to gender have been issued to partner organisations responsible for administering the Start-Up Loans scheme. [136152]
Michael Fallon: No guidance has been issued to the Start-Up Loans Company in respect of gender. All applications are assessed solely on the basis of business viability, regardless of gender.
Mr Umunna:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, columns 661-2W, on Business: Liverpool, by what date the Government
10 Jan 2013 : Column 449W
expects the Growth Accelerator scheme to help 26,000 businesses; and what
(a)
targets,
(b)
milestones and
(c)
objectives he has set in relation to the scheme. [136340]
Michael Fallon: GrowthAccelerator will support up to 26,000 SMEs by 31 March 2015. The aim for the programme is to deliver £2.2 billion of economic growth and create 55,000 new jobs. The scheme is on track to support 5,500 firms in 2012/13, with the remainder spread evenly over the following two years. The ultimate objective of GrowthAccelerator is increase economic output through facilitating additional growth and productivity among businesses with high growth potential.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) staff secondments and (b) staff transfers, (i) his Department and (ii) other Government Departments have made to (A) the Start Up Loans Company and (B) Start Up Britain. [136341]
Michael Fallon: One member of staff from BIS and one member of staff from DCLG are currently on secondment to the Start-Up Loans Company. Two members of staff represent 1.6 FTE. No staff have been transferred to either Start-Up Loans Company or Start Up Britain.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications have been received for funds under the Start Up Loans scheme (a) in total and (b) in each region to date; how many loans have been agreed under the scheme (i) in total and (ii) in each region; and how many loans have been made where funds have been made available to end recipients (A) in total and (B) in each region. [136342]
Michael Fallon: As at 8 January 2013, almost 4,000 young people have made an initial application through the Start-Up Loans website alone. Delivery partners have worked with or are currently working with over 3,000 applications from young people.
We do not currently hold regional data on applications made to delivery partners. However the regional breakdown of approved lending as at 3 January 2013 is provided as follows.
As at 4 January 2013, 494 loans have been approved under the scheme. Approval confirms the loan funds are available to loan recipients to draw on. As such, the number of loans agreed and loans where funding is made available is the same.
The regional breakdown (by number of loans) of agreed lending is complied monthly. The latest breakdown available (to 13 December 2012) and is as follows:
| Percentage | |
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Consumer Information
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what recent discussions he and his officials have had with external stakeholders on the Midata initiative relating to (a) privacy, (b) data theft and (c) fraud; and whether any concerns relating to the initiative were raised in those discussions; [136338]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure the Midata initiative does not increase the risk of (a) infringements of privacy, (b) data theft and (c) fraud. [136339]
Jo Swinson: The Government have established an overarching board and five consumer protection and trust working groups. The purpose of the groups is to analyse the potential risks of infringements of privacy, data theft and fraud, the suitability of existing safeguards in the range of circumstances that midata creates, and to identify whether any additional safeguards are required. The external stakeholders include representatives of consumer and privacy organisations, the telecoms, energy and financial service sectors, price comparison sites and the Information Commissioner's Office. All of these are assessing the provisions of existing procedures and guidance. The groups will make recommendations by the summer and any new safeguards which are needed will be taken forward as part of the midata initiative.
The midata programme is seeking to secure the voluntary release of customer data, in a machine readable electronic format, in some key sectors. The Government intend to table an amendment to the ERR Bill to provide powers to enable regulations to be made should insufficient progress be made on a voluntary basis.
Credit: Interest Rates
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to impose tighter regulation on pay-day loan companies. [135041]
Jo Swinson: The Government are committed to ensuring that payday lending consumers are protected against bad practices, and are willing to impose regulation to achieve this. This is why we recently tabled an amendment to the Financial Services Bill to give the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) a specific power to cap the total cost of credit, if it considers that to do so would be consistent with its objectives (including the objective to protect consumers). These powers will come into effect once, as we have proposed, the FCA takes over regulation of consumer credit in April 2014. Before then, we are strengthening Office of Fair Trading (OFT) enforcement with a new power to suspend a business's credit licence with immediate effect or on a date specified by the OFT.
However, we recognise that a voluntary approach can deliver real improvements in consumer protection more quickly than Government regulation. This is why we welcomed the strengthened codes of practice and new customer charter implemented by individual lenders in November 2012. We expect these revised codes to deliver enhanced consumer protections as well as provide greater transparency about how these loans work. Citizens Advice and the four trade associations representing the
10 Jan 2013 : Column 451W
payday lending industry will be monitoring lenders' compliance, with the latter carrying out an effectiveness review in summer 2013.
Deloitte
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department paid to Deloitte for consultancy services in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [135990]
Jo Swinson: The information requested is as follows:
| Core BIS spend with Deloitte | |
| £ million | |
| (1) Up to end November 2012 | |
Foreign Investment in UK
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to ensure that efforts made by the devolved administration in the UK to market their actions as recipients for inward investment do not conflict with the programmes undertaken by UK Trade and Investment. [134817]
Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) works closely with the Welsh Government and other devolved Administrations on inward investment to ensure a joined-up approach to foreign direct investment and minimise risk of conflicting activity. The primary formal device is the International Business Development Forum, in which senior officials from UKTI and the devolved Administrations meet regularly to share information and address current issues. Presentations and discussions include forward plans for the GREAT campaign, and cross-sector and sector propositions.
Insolvency Service: Liverpool
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of levels of staffing in Liverpool Insolvency Service Office; and if he will make a statement. [136275]
Jo Swinson: There has been no assessment of staffing levels at the Insolvency Service's office at Liverpool other than that undertaken for ongoing resourcing and planning purposes.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department takes to align marketing initiatives by local enterprise partners with the requirements of UK Trade and Investment. [134747]
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Michael Fallon [holding answer 9 January 2013]: It is for local enterprise partnerships to determine their own priorities and strategies, while Government are keen to work with them delivering these. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is engaging closely with local enterprise partnerships to maximise opportunities for collaboration at the local level. This includes:
UKTI working interactively with partnerships to identify local strengths and opportunities for potential foreign investors and developing local propositions in response to specific opportunities;
Encouraging local enterprise partnerships' marketing initiatives to flow from this analysis;
Within UKTI, reflecting this in the information on the UK's strengths and experiences to UKTI investment teams overseas and in the UK.
Minimum Wage
Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget was for the HM Revenue and Customs minimum wage enforcement team in each year since 2008. [135963]
Jo Swinson: The budget for the national minimum wage enforcement team in each year since 2008 is as follows:
| £ million | |
Olympic Games 2012
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in his Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access. [135658]
Michael Fallon: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will do so shortly.
Procurement
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many procurement officers are currently employed by his Department. [135690]
Jo Swinson: BIS has 143 procurement professionals employed at this time.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants in his Department regularly deal with procurement services. [135691]
Jo Swinson: This information is not held centrally and the response provided to parliamentary question 135690 contains the information we can provide at this time.
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Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many procurement officers in his Department have relevant procurement qualifications. [135692]
Jo Swinson: BIS has 69 procurement officers who are professionally qualified.
Work and Pensions
Charities
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) discussions and (b) meetings (i) ministers and (ii) officials in his Department had with UK registered charities in (A) November 2012 and (B) December 2012. [135797]
Mr Hoban: The Department publishes on a quarterly basis details of meetings between Ministers, the Permanent Secretary and external organisations; these can be found at the following links. Any missing information will be published in due course.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ps-meetings-external-orgs.shtml
Information relating to meetings/discussions with officials can be provided only at
Deloitte
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings Ministers and officials in his Department had with Deloitte in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [135982]
Mr Hoban: Details of all meetings between DWP Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website. The following link will direct you to that site:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
Information relating to the period July 2012 to December 2012 will be published in due course.
Information relating to meetings between Deloitte and officials can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time for an appeal by a claimant against a decision on non-entitlement to employment and support allowance to be heard was in each of the last four years. [135111]
Mr Hoban: The average clearance time from receipt to disposal of an employment and support allowance appeal by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is as follows:
10 Jan 2013 : Column 454W
| Average clearance time—receipt HMCTS to disposal all appeals | |
| ESA(1, 2) | |
| (1 )Includes ESA (employment support allowance) and ESAR IB (incapacity benefit) reassessment. (2) ESA was introduced in October 2008. We have therefore supplied data from 2009-10, the first full year for which there was data, to June 2012, the latest data available. ESAR (IB reassessment) was rolled out nationally from April 2011. (3 )Data runs from 1 April to 31 March ie 2009-10 from 1 April 2009-31 March 2010. | |
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were deemed eligible for employment and support allowance because of dependency on (a) drugs and (b) alcohol in each of the last four years. [135709]
Mr Hoban: Medical condition does not, in itself, confer entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA). Entitlement is based on a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This assesses the functional effects of an individual's condition or conditions and determines whether the individual should be entitled to ESA and if so whether they should be in the Work Related Activity Group or Support Group.
Information on ESA claimants with drug or alcohol dependency is not available.
In September 2012 the Department released figures which give the outcomes of all applications for ESA received between October 2008 and November 2011, broken down by the main health condition as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD10), published by the World Health Organisation. These data have been adjusted to take account of any completed appeals on these claims:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/ESA_WCA_Detailed_medical_condition_breakdown_after_ appeals.xls
It should be noted that the medical condition recorded above represents that recorded at the start of the claim and therefore may not represent a claimant's most recent medical condition. It is also important to note that, where someone has more than one condition only their primary condition will usually be recorded.
More information on ICD10 codes is available at:
http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants were aged over (a) 40, (b) 50, (c) 55, (d) 60 and (e) 65 years in each year since ESA was introduced. [135921]
Mr Hoban: The proportion of employment and support allowance claimants by age in Great Britain from February 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is as follows:
| Percentage | ||||
| February each year | ||||
| Age of claimant | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
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| Notes: 1. Percentages are shown to one decimal place. 2. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008 3. Age of claimant: There are a small number of claimants showing as above working age—this is due, in part, to processes for opening and closing live claims. There are also a small numbers of appeals awaiting resolution where the claimant has moved into pensionable age during their appeal. Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS | ||||
Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women aged (i) 18 to 29, (ii) 30 to 39, (iii) 40 to 49 and (iv) 50 to 59 years claim employment and support allowance; and how many men aged 60 to 65 years claim employment and support allowance. [136032]
Mr Hoban: The number of employment and support allowance claimants by age and gender in Great Britain for February 2012 is as follows:
| Gender | |||
| Age of claimant | All | Female | Male |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008 3. Age of claimant: There are a small number of claimants showing as above working age—this is due, in part, to processes for opening and closing live claims. There are also a small numbers of appeals awaiting resolution where the claimant has moved into pensionable age during their appeal. Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS | |||
Employment Schemes
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to announce his decision on the future of the Fit for Work service pilots. [136138]
Esther McVey: The Fit for Work service pilot will end on 31 March 2013 and we plan to publish a final evaluation report in summer 2013.
Jobcentre Plus
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the accessibility of information on public services via jobcentres and post offices; and if he will make a statement. [136167]
Mr Hoban: Information for citizens about benefits, welfare entitlements and DWP services is provided by DWP through printed leaflets and online channels such as the GOV.uk website.
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The information DWP provides covers the full range of benefits, rights and responsibilities for people who want to claim benefits or pensions.
A mandatory stock of leaflets is displayed in all Jobcentre Plus offices. Stock is checked monthly so the latest information is available to the public. Jobcentre Plus staff also provide information about DWP services by signposting to online information and can order additional leaflets on behalf of customers, including alternative formats (such as large print, audio or Braille) where required.
It's not current DWP policy to provide information to the public via the post office, but the Department is reviewing its policy for promoting online information in public places, including via the post office.
New Enterprise Allowance
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been helped to establish businesses by the New Enterprise Allowance scheme in (a) Feltham and Heston constituency, (b) Hounslow and (c) each region of the UK in the last 12 months. [136142]
Mr Hoban: We have published data on the number of new enterprise allowance (NEA) mentor starts and weekly allowance starts by local authority area. This can be found in the following table:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/Table_1_NEA_starts_by_Local_Authority.xls
Due to small sample sizes, it is not possible to produce the numbers of mentor starts and weekly allowance starts at parliamentary constituency level.
The table shows that in Hounslow there were 60 mentor starts and 20 weekly allowance starts for the period April 2011 up to and including May 2012. The number of NEA mentor starts and weekly allowance starts in other local authorities can also be found in the table.
Procurement
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many procurement officers are currently employed by his Department; [135693]
(2) how many civil servants in his Department regularly deal with procurement services; [135694]
(3) how many procurement officers in his Department have relevant procurement qualifications. [135695]
Mr Hoban: There are 460 full- and part-time staff regularly dealing with procurement services in DWP. Of those, 419 are procurement officers working either full-time or part-time.
386 procurement officers have achieved relevant procurement qualifications. 33 procurement officers are training towards procurement qualification but have not yet achieved qualified status.
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many research contracts commissioned by his Department were not subject to a tendering process in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [135969]
10 Jan 2013 : Column 457W
Mr Hoban: None—all social research contracts commissioned by the Department are subject to a tendering process.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Leeds North West constituency have been charged with benefit fraud in each of the last five years. [134130]
Mr Hoban: The number of people in Leeds North West constituency who have been charged with benefit fraud is not available. The number of people in Leeds referred for prosecution in the last four years is shown as follows.
| Number | |
As an alternative to prosecution, the Department for Work and Pensions offers financial penalties (known as administrative penalties) or cautions. The number of people who received an administrative penalty or caution for the last four years in Leeds is shown as follows.
| Total | ||
| Administrative penalty | Caution | |
The information in the format above is not available for the fiscal year 2007-08.
Social Security Benefits: Hyperactivity
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice on benefits his Department provides to people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or their parents when first diagnosed. [136148]
Mr Hoban: In the main benefit, entitlement is not linked to a particular disorder. As a result we do not generally offer benefit advice on specific disorders/conditions, but we routinely signpost people to benefit information, including information available online via the gov.uk website. This would include information on disability living allowance for both adults and children. We also provide our staff with awareness in relation to hidden impairments such as ADHD, so that they are sensitive to accessibility and signposting needs.
Social Security Benefits: South Lanarkshire
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants attending a jobcentre in (a) Hamilton and (b) Rutherglen had benefit sanctions imposed on them in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012. [136131]
10 Jan 2013 : Column 458W
Mr Hoban: We cannot provide the number of benefit sanctions imposed without incurring disproportionate costs.
The following table shows the number of recommendations for sanctions made by labour market decision makers, based on the evidence available to them.
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
| Source: Decision Making and Appeals System (DMAS) | |||
The level of sanction is determined separately by the benefit payment decision maker, who will take into account the customer's individual circumstances. A financial sanction may result in a reduction in the amount of benefit payable rather than a complete cessation. Not all decisions made by the labour market decision maker result in a financial sanction as a claimant may have already ceased to claim benefit for another reason.
Unemployment: Young People
Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 year olds in the UK who currently have no work experience or experience of part-time work. [136143]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested fails within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 year olds in the UK who currently have no work experience or experience of part-time work. (136143)
Estimates of employment are provided by the Labour Force Survey (LFS). For the period July to September 2012 it is estimated that there were 461,000 16 year olds; 355,000 17 year olds and 252,000 18 year olds who had never had a paid job of any kind or a place on a government supported training or employment programme. It is not possible to measure those who have received work experience as part of their formal education.
The estimates expressed as a percentage of the population in each case are: 63% for 16 year olds; 48% for 17 year olds and 33% for 18 year olds.
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what effect HM Revenue and Customs being subsequently unable to match a PAYE real time information submission with a hash cross reference received from the payment system will have on the universal credit of the individual concerned. [136129]
Mr Hoban: For any individual universal credit claimant, the lack of a matching cross reference, where one would be expected, will be just one of a number of factors taken into account in assessing whether there is a risk to the Exchequer of paying UC out without making further checks with the claimant.
10 Jan 2013 : Column 459W
Work Capability Assessment
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2012, Official Report, column 63W, on work capability assessment, how many people in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland have been waiting longer than 13 weeks for a work capability assessment since completing the ESA 50 questionnaire. [136137]
Mr Hoban: There are currently 13,068 ESA initial referrals open and awaiting an assessment that are in excess of 13 weeks from the date that the questionnaire was returned. 708 of these cases are in Scotland.
Work Programme
Mr Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding his Department has provided to Work programme providers in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North Nast and (d) the UK. [133262]
Mr Hoban: The total paid to Work programme providers in the UK is £337.9 million from the start of the programme through to 30 July 2012, ie the period covered by the Statistical Release. Due to commercial in confidence considerations we are not able to release financial data below the national level at this time.
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA, (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered and (vii) prison leavers claiming JSA who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more. [133584]
Mr Hoban: Statistics on what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA and (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
Guidance for users can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA, (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered and (vii) prison leavers claiming JSA who participated in the Work Programme in Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more. [133585]
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Mr Hoban: Statistics on what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA and (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered who participated in the Work Programme in Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
Guidance for users can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what (a) number and (b) proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged (i) 18 to 24 and (ii) over 25 who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 26 weeks or more; [133587]
(2) what (a) number and (b) proportion of jobseekers allowance claimants aged (i) 18 to 24 and (ii) over 25 who participated in the Work Programme in Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 26 weeks or more. [133588]
Mr Hoban: Statistics on what (a) number and (b) proportion of jobseeker’s allowance claimants aged (i) 18 to 24 and (ii) over 25 who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland and Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 26 weeks or more can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
Guidance for users can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an assessment of the extent to which Work programme providers are delivering on the support for jobseekers proposed in their bids; and if he will make a statement. [136130]
Mr Hoban: Work programme providers are required to meet the minimum service standards agreed in their contract. An assessment of routine monthly compliance checks will be undertaken and the findings published later this year.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 790W, on Work programme, which specialist homelessness organisations are currently in the Work programme supply chain. [136132]
Mr Hoban: Broadway Homelessness is a subcontractor in West London and other homelessness organisations have call off arrangements whereby their services are used as and when required. The Department does not monitor these arrangements.
Work Programme: East of England
Mr Djanogly:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people in the (a) East of England and (b) Huntingdon constituency who
10 Jan 2013 : Column 461W
have been referred to the Work programme have found employment for more than six months, to date. [135101]
Mr Hoban: Statistics on what proportion of people in (a) the East of England and (b)Huntingdon constituency who have been referred to the Work programme have found employment for more than six months, to date, can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
Guidance for users can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Cayman Islands
George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility between the Cayman Islands and the UK being enshrined into law in the Cayman Islands, what information his Department holds on the monthly operating costs, actual performance and forecast reports for the Cayman Turtle Farm for 2012-13 as set out in Annex C of the Framework. [136107]
Mark Simmonds: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 267W.
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by his Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [135169]
Mr Lidington: The information is as follows:
(a) The value of contracts for management consultancies awarded in (i) 2010-11 was £19,227,414 and in (ii) 2011-12 £12,041,168.
(b) In terms of IT companies the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) awarded the following contracts:
10 Jan 2013 : Column 462W
Awarded the Echo Global Communications contract to CWW/Vodafone on 13 September 2010. The contract was awarded for an initial five and a half years, with the option to extend for a further two years. The estimated lifetime monetary value of this contract is £82.5 million;
No other major IT contracts were awarded by the FCO in this financial year.
Signed a three-year enterprise licence agreement with Microsoft for an estimated lifetime monetary value of £3.6 million;
Awarded a call off from the Managed Telecommunications Convergence Framework a one-year contract with Level 3 with the estimated contract lifetime monetary value of £1.2 million;
Awarded a call off from the Government Convergence Framework a two-year contract with CWW/Vodafone with the estimated contract lifetime monetary value of £4 million;
No other major IT contracts were awarded by the FCO in this financial year.
Queen's Messengers
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Queen's Messengers are employed by his Department. [136029]
Mr Lidington: The Corps of the Queen's Messengers is under the administrative control of FCO Services, a trading fund of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Messengers are employed to carry classified material between the FCO and other Government Departments and overseas posts. 15 officers are employed as Queen's Messengers by FCO Services; 13 are employed on a full-time basis, and two on a part-time basis.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his counterparts in Africa ways of ending the murder of albino minorities in sub-Saharan Africa. [135933]
Mark Simmonds: We are aware of continued reports of killings of albino people in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania. We have supported the Government of Tanzania's efforts to tackle this problem by funding an educational film for use in rural areas. We have regular discussions with our African partners on their human rights obligations, including protecting persons against discrimination.