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Steve Webb: A range of practical support is already being provided by both local authorities and housing providers to support those affected by the measure and ensure they understand what it means for them and the choices available to them.
There are no plans at this stage to provide additional financial support other than discretionary housing payments for those affected by the forthcoming removal of the spare room subsidy.
The measure will however be monitored and evaluated over a two-year period from April this year. Initial findings will be available in 2014 and the final report in late 2015.
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many foster carers are living in social housing and in receipt of housing benefit. [146396]
Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
We estimate however that there are fewer than 5,000 claimants who are foster carers who could potentially be affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy.
Source:
Indicative information from a variety of sources including a survey conducted by the Fostering Network in 2010, Department for Education and devolved Administrations, Family Resources Survey.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to ensure that a review of the under-occupancy penalty for social housing tenants is undertaken by April 2014; and if he will ensure this review includes consideration of the wider effect on the social housing providers and local authorities. [146424]
Steve Webb: The removal of the spare room subsidy will be monitored and evaluated over a two year period from April this year, with initial findings available in 2014 and a final report in late 2015. The evaluation will include small scale primary research with a range of local authorities, social landlords and voluntary organisations across England, Scotland and Wales.
Mayor of London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the devolution of additional powers to the Mayor of London; and if he will make a statement. [145246]
Pensioners: Poverty
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 643W, on pensioners, what assessment he has made under the material deprivation indicator of pensioner wellbeing in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013 to date. [144973]
Steve Webb: Estimates of the numbers of pensioners in material deprivation are published in the households below average income series, and the poverty and income inequality in Scotland: 2010-11 publication.
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The smallest geographical breakdown available for the overall numbers in poverty is at Government Office Region level. Therefore, information is not available for (a) Glasgow north west constituency or (b) Glasgow, but is available for (c) Scotland and (d) the UK. The latest year of data which is available is for 2010/11. Therefore, information is not available for (a), (b), (d)(ii) and (d)(iii), but is available for (c)(i) and (d)(i).
(c)(i) In Scotland in 2010/11 7% of pensioners aged 65 or over were materially deprived. This information can be found in Table A4 (on page 22) of the poverty and income inequality in Scotland: 2010-11 publication at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0039/00394961.pdf
(d)(i) In 2010/11 in the UK, 800,000 pensioners aged 65 or over, or 9%, were materially deprived. This information can be found in Table 6.7tr (on page 212) of the households below average income series published at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai2011/index.php? page=contents
All estimates in these publications are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty and small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.
Scottish Court Service
Dame Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Court Service (SCS) on the creation of an Information Sharing Gateway between the two organisations to help the SCS enforce fine collections; who was involved in such discussions; what was discussed; and what conclusion was reached. [145630]
Steve Webb: There have been no such discussions to date between DWP and the Scottish Courts Service.
Social Security Benefits: Greater London
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2013, Official Report, column 403W, on social security benefits: Greater London, how many account managers from Jobcentre Plus will be assigned to (a) Bromley, (b) Croydon, (c) Enfield and (d) Haringey; and from what date such account managers will begin work. [144920]
Mr Hoban: Following the announcement of where the phased roll out of the benefit cap will begin, DWP assigned an account manager in each of Bromley, Croydon, Enfield and Haringey local authorities. The account managers have responsibility for co-ordinating activity between Jobcentre Plus and the local authorities to provide support for implementation of the benefit cap, including to those families who may be impacted.
DWP and local authorities have been working jointly to support claimants who may be affected by the benefit cap. For example, in Haringey, DWP and local authority staff (housing, children services etc) are co-located and have been working in partnership to encourage and assist those potentially impacted by the cap into work;
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and/or provide the required support and opportunities to move them closer to employment or into more affordable accommodation.
Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) Jobcentre Plus and (b) Work Programme providers about increases in the number of lone parents being referred for benefit sanctions. [144830]
Mr Hoban: The number of lone parents who have received a benefit sanction while on jobseeker's allowance has increased largely in line with the overall number of lone parents in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. This has coincided with lone parent obligations which has gradually reduced the eligibility of lone parents for income support by the age of their youngest child from 16 to five years old.
No specific discussions of these figures have been held with Work programme providers or Jobcentre Plus.
Although not directly related to sanctions, the lone parent obligations evaluation is being used to ensure that lone parents get the support they need when they move off income support and claim either jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance. This has included refreshing, re-issuing and re-enforcing messages and information on lone parents for Jobcentre Plus advisers. Communication has recently been re-issued, signposting advisers to the information available to them to support lone parents with their job search, so that it can be tailored to their individual needs.
Social Security Benefits: Mesothelioma
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long, on average, industrial disablement benefit is paid to mesothelioma claimants. [146418]
Mr Hoban: The information as requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many constant attendance allowance and exceptional severe disablement allowance awards were made in 2011-12; and how many such awards were made to people with mesothelioma. [146428]
Mr Hoban: The information as requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many industrial injuries disablement benefit claims were made for mesothelioma in 2011-12. [146429]
Mr Hoban: The information requested on how many Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits claims were made to people with Mesothelioma in 2011-12 can be found at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=iidb
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Social Security Benefits: Mothers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that young mothers who receive benefits are educated in financial budgeting. [145943]
Mr Hoban: Launch Pad is a programme within the Jobcentre Plus Support Contract specifically for Lone Parents, Partners and Carers. This includes a module called Managing Personal Circumstances which covers Budget Issues and Debt Management.
District Managers also have the discretion to use part of the District's Flexible Support Fund to procure training that would fill any gaps in provision to meet the needs of claimants, to enable them to enter sustained employment or move closer to the labour market.
State Retirement Pensions: Women
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women affected by the increase in state pension age will not be eligible for the proposed flat rate pension in (a) England, (b) each parliamentary constituency and (c) each local authority area. [145806]
Steve Webb: The number of women in this position will depend on the implementation date for the proposed single-tier pension, which will be in April 2017 at the earliest.
Ministerial Travel
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on (a) the Government Car Service and (b) other taxi or car services for ministerial travel in each year since 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. [142647]
Mr Hoban: Information on departmental spend in relation to the Government Car Service is published in the annual written ministerial statement, details of which can be found within the Libraries of both Houses. The following provide links to the relevant publications.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
The charges recorded in the latest statement show a continuing reduction in the amount spent on official cars for Ministers. Costs to Departments have seen a 49% reduction in the latest figures when compared to those of the previous year and a 72% reduction when compared to the figures for April 2009 to March 2010.
Details of the costs for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
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The table gives details of this Department's spend on taxis since 2009-10. Prior to this Administration, Ministers were allocated a car each by GCS, but due to the need to observe the Working Time Directive, the use of taxis was high.
From 2010 to 1 October 2012, GCS offered an 'ad hoc' service, which reduced the reliance on taxis and, therefore, money spent on taxis.
From 1 October 2012, a combination of taxis and a departmental official vehicle have been used for official journeys; the car is available to all departmental officials, including Ministers. Details of costs and journeys undertaken by individuals in the official car are not held.
| Total amount (£) | |
Universal Credit
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be receiving universal credit that (a) do not have access to the internet and (b) do not use the internet in (i) Glasgow North West constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK. [145203]
Mr Hoban: The Department has conducted a survey of current benefits and tax credit recipients which included an exploration of internet use, barriers to using the internet and the types of support people would find helpful.
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2011-2012/rrep800.pdf
The survey found that 78% of respondents said that they already use the internet, including 48% who said they use it every day. These are UK wide statistics. The department does not have a regional view of these. Provision of local online access and support will be made available to claimants.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will implement in regulations his commitment that, when universal credit is introduced, direct payments to landlords will be provided where tenants are in arrears or judged to be vulnerable, or by some other means; and if he will make a statement. [146406]
Mr Hoban: Our approach to regulations for universal credit is for them to be simple and succinct rather than to specify the treatment of claimants in every possible circumstance.
The draft Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013 include a power to enable DWP to make payments third parties, including landlords in certain circumstances. The guidelines for this type of decision are set out in the Personal Budgeting Support guidance rather than prescribed in the regulations to allow decisions to be flexible and responsive to a claimant's specific and often complex needs.
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Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for each significant class of error occurring in the PAYE real time information pilot to date, how any universal credit award to be calculated on the basis of a record having such an error will be affected. [146409]
Mr Hoban: The first universal credit claims will not be made until April 2013 in the pathfinder area and so, as yet, no universal credit award has been made nor has any award calculation been made on the basis of a real time information pilot record, correct or erroneous.
The RTI pilot will run until 5 April 2013. HMRC plan to complete their evaluation of the RTI pilot in summer 2013 and intend to publish a summary of the outcomes.
When UC award calculations become possible, for the purposes of a particular universal credit assessment period RTI that is erroneous will be:
on time and wrong;
missing; or
late
For the universal credit pathfinder period the system will deal with these as follows:
The effect of wrong data is that the system will calculate the payment based on the earnings reported by the employer, if the claimant disputes this there will be a mechanism for correcting this.
If RTI is missing for one month the payment will be calculated on the basis of the earnings reported at the point of assessment. If there are two consecutive periods with no report of earnings the claimant will be contacted and required to self-report earnings.
If RTI is submitted one UC assessment period later than it should have been, it will be taken into account in the period in which it is received.
The effect of claimant and employer behaviour will be kept under review during the pathfinder period.
Work Capability Assessment
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which conditions are deemed unsuitable for calling to a work capability assessment under the Medical Services Agreement between his Department and Atos Heathcare. [146186]
Mr Hoban: There is no list of conditions that are deemed unsuitable for calling a claimant to a face to face Work Capability Assessment. An Atos healthcare professional reviews each case at a “filework” stage to determine whether the claimant meets the legislative criteria for limited capability for work or work related activity and whether they consider a home visit to be necessary for those claimants who do not meet the criteria who are called for a face to face assessment.
Work Programme
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department's release of Work Programme data reflects the commitments in the Open Public Services White Paper; and if he will make a statement. [145015]
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Mr Hoban: The Department1 s release of Work Programme data reflects the commitments in the Open Public Services White Paper to make public services accountable to users and to the taxpayer.
The Department for Work and Pensions publishes transparency indicators on the Work Programme and these can be found at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/dwp-business-plan-2011-2015/business-plan-transparency/work-programme/
The Department also publishes regular official statistical releases on the Work Programme. In November 2012 we published data covering referrals, attachments, job outcomes and sustainment payments made up until July 2012, which can be found at:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wp
There is an online tabulation tool which allows the data to be broken down by: age, gender, disability indicator, ethnicity, primary health condition (for ESA customers), lone parent status (for JSA and IS claimants), Customer Payment Group. There is also the capacity to aggregate data by lower level geography; contract; contract package area; local authority; parliamentary constituency and JobCentre Plus district.
In addition a data visualisation tool provides monthly cohort information allowing users to track the proportion of each cohort achieving a job outcome in the months following referral to the Work Programme.
The next statistical release will take place in May 2013.
Education
Children: Diabetes
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department provides to schools on support to be provided to children with diabetes; what feedback he has received from schools on that guidance; and what assessment he has made of the efficacy of that guidance. [145125]
Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not provide specific information or guidance to schools in relation to diabetes or any other condition that could affect pupils. General guidance on managing medicines in schools and early years setting is available and currently undergoing a review. It provides advice to schools on how to establish procedures and provides helpful links to organisations such as Diabetes UK, who are best placed to provide the specific advice that schools may need.
In line with the increased autonomy that is afforded to schools, we fully expect them to understand and be aware of individual children's needs. Schools should be working closely with parents/carers and have a clear procedure, set out in their health care plan, with which staff are both familiar and comfortable.
Children: Health
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to place a statutory duty on schools, local authorities and healthcare providers to work collaboratively to provide support to children in school with long-term health conditions. [145186]
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Elizabeth Truss: We are not considering prescribing a statutory duty on schools, local authorities or health care providers.
Curriculum
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will support the UK Youth Parliament's A Curriculum for Life campaign. [145126]
Elizabeth Truss: We welcome the UK Youth Parliament's commitment to helping young people be heard on subjects they consider important including through the recent 'Curriculum for Life' campaign. Schools can cover the teaching of a wide range of life skills and often choose to do so through Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE). Schools are free to decide what to include in their PSHE programmes and should tailor the content of PSHE lessons to take account of the needs of their pupils.
First Aid: Education
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what representations his Department has received on the (a) nature and (b) effectiveness of the teaching of life-saving skills in schools; and what plans he has to review such representations; [145411]
(2) what assessment he has made of the potential role of education in improving (a) knowledge of (i) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and (ii) other life-saving skills and (b) survival rates from cardiac arrests in England; and if he will make a statement; [145412]
(3) what steps he intends to take to improve the (a) quality and (b) prevalence of life-saving skills in schools. [145413]
Elizabeth Truss [holding answers 28 February 2013]:The Department received many representations from organisations and individuals during the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) review consultation period and through correspondence including from St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross, among others. I took representations from Members in the Backbench Business Committee debate on life-saving skills in schools on Thursday 22 November 2012, and have a meeting scheduled with my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Abbot (Anne Marie Morris) and the hon. Member for Bolton West (Julie Hilling) on 6 March 2013 to discuss this issue.
It is hard to evaluate the role and impact of such education, since there are many factors other than school-based provision which can influence pupils' behaviour. Even where impact on attitudes and knowledge can be demonstrated, there is often limited independent evidence of specific, effective, impact on behaviour.
Life-saving skills can be covered in any part of the school curriculum but are often addressed as part of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. In PSHE at primary level the current non-statutory guidance outlines that pupils can be taught about basic emergency procedures and where to get help. At secondary level, pupils can develop the skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic first aid procedures, including, at Key Stage 4, resuscitation techniques.
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Teachers are free to use their professional judgment to decide what to include in their PSHE programmes and should tailor the content of PSHE lessons to take account of the needs of their pupils. Professional organisations such as the British Heart Foundation, the British Red Cross, and St John Ambulance provide resources and support to schools in this area and we encourage teachers to make use of their expertise.
Mayor of London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the devolution of additional powers to the Mayor of London; and if he will make a statement. [145241]
Mr Laws: The final report of the Mayor's Education Inquiry, published in October 2012, did not make any recommendations about devolving power to the Mayor of London. The Government welcomes the Mayor's contribution to education in London, but has no plans to devolve additional specific powers.
Primary Education
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many maintained primary schools in England have received a section 5 Ofsted inspection since the introduction of the new inspection framework in September 2012; and how many such schools have received a grading of (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory, (d) adequate and (e) inadequate. [144543]
Mr Laws: Official statistics about the outcomes of inspections which took place between 1 September 2012 and 31 December 2012 will be published on the Ofsted website on 7 March 2013. Between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012: 4,636 maintained primary schools in England received a section 5 Ofsted inspection. 428 (9%) of these schools received a grading of outstanding, 2,367 (51%) received a grading of good, 1,469 (32%) received a grading of satisfactory, and 372 (8%) received a grading of inadequate.
Procurement
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department has been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since that website's inception. [138864]
Elizabeth Truss: The total number of contracts advertised by the Department on the Contracts Finder website totals 51 contracts, two grants and six prior information notices since its inception in January 2011.
The Department does not keep a central record of all advertised contracts and is unable to provide what proportion of procurements that this represents. An answer could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Schools: Immigration
Kevin Brennan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what account his Department has taken of the Department for Communities and Local Government's
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estimates of inward migration from Romania and Bulgaria in the School Capacity Census. [144761]
Mr Laws [holding answer 27 February 2013]:The School Capacity Collection is an annual survey through which local authorities provide information on school places and pupil forecasts to the Department for Education. The forecasts that local authorities provide to the Department factor in a range of local demographic considerations, including inward migration, and will be informed by data from ONS.
The 2012 School Capacity Collection data is available on the DFE website.
http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00219162/school-capacity-2011-12
Schools: Playing Fields
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the advice given by the Schools Playing Fields Advisory Panel in all cases where Ministers have overruled that advice in relation to sales of playing fields since June 2010. [119146]
Mr Laws [holding answer 5 September 2013]: The role of the Schools Playing Fields Advisory Panel is to provide independent advice to Ministers and the Secretary of State for Education as part of the decision making process on applications from local authorities and schools to dispose of school playing field land. In line with the practice established by the previous administration, we do not publish the panel's specific advice to Ministers on a case by case basis.
We will only agree to the sale of school playing fields if the sports and curriculum needs of schools and their neighbouring schools can continue to be met. This Government have only approved sales if the school has closed, has merged, or if equal or better facilities are being put in their place.
Schools: Work Experience
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education in which local authority areas schools have withdrawn from offering children support in obtaining and sustaining work placements as part of Key Stage 4 preparation for transfer to post-16 learning. [144786]
Matthew Hancock [holding answer 27 February 2013]:Schools have never been required to provide information about work experience and, therefore, we do not hold the information requested. In line with the Department's commitment to reduce the number of requirements placed on schools, we have no plans to collect this information in future.
Work-related learning can be a valuable part of a 14 to 16-year-olds' education, but this Department has taken the view that the form it takes is best decided by schools and not prescribed from the centre.
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Culture, Media and Sport
Arts and Culture
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2013, Official Report, column 543W, on arts and cultural services, if she will publish the results of her monitoring of the proposed changes in local authority spend on arts and culture by local authority area. [146401]
Mr Vaizey: The Department monitors general changes in local authority spend on arts and culture through a variety of means, rather than through one single monitoring report. The Department receives information on local authority spending on arts and culture from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Ministers meet with the Local Government Association to receive views and advice on the general picture of local authority arts and culture. As I said in my answer of 27 February 2013, Official Report, column 543W, the Arts Council works closely on the ground with local authorities, and I meet regularly with the Chief Executive of the Arts Council. The Department also makes use of independent publicly-available information on local authority spending on the arts, for example, "Arts Development UK's" Local Authority Budget Settlement Review 2012.
Broadband Delivery UK
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2012, Official Report, column 704W, on broadband delivery UK, who will administer the outstanding funding for broadband delivery, taken from the digital dividend, past 2015. [146288]
Mr Vaizey: No decisions have been made on who will administer funding for broadband delivery beyond 2015.
Cultural Heritage
Mr Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to protect (a) the Royal Worcester Museum and (b) other UK cultural assets which face being sold to meet pension liabilities. [145979]
Mr Vaizey: The Royal Worcester Museum does not receive grant funding from the Department, and reports show that there are no issues around the Worcester Porcelain Museum collections or pensions fund. The Royal Worcester Porcelain Museum is working with partners such as the Heritage Lottery Fund as it looks to develop the site around the museum as a cultural quarter now that the factory has closed.
The Department is aware of the current issues on pension liabilities faced by museums. I continue to work proactively with a number of partners including Arts
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Council England, the Art Fund, local authorities, and interested parties to find a sustainable future for the Wedgwood collection and the museum. Following the recent pension issues with the Wedgwood Museum, Arts Council England has, through the Association of Independent Museums, commissioned legal advice on any actions independent museums should take to ensure the legal security of their collections. This piece of work is currently being completed.
The Arts Council England is working with museums to establish best practices by implementing and overseeing the Accreditation Standard, the Designation Scheme and museum development functions, and continues to monitor the performance of museums and provide advice on best practice.
Sports: Children
Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to encourage participation in sports by children of parents of South Asian origin. [145165]
Hugh Robertson: As part of the Youth and Community Sport strategy, Sport England is focussed on raising the percentage of 14 to 25-year-olds playing sport once a week and reducing the proportion dropping out of sport.
Participation in cricket has traditionally been very strong within South Asian, predominantly Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan communities and Sport England has provided investment to the English Cricket Board in order for them to engage even more players over the next four years to create Inner City Cricket Partnerships. These partnerships bring together stakeholders and leaders within the South Asian community. This programme will be operational in Birmingham and Leicester by April 2013. Sport England has also invested just under £1 million to the Cricket Foundation's national StreetChance scheme which provides exciting variations of the game and has proved successful in increasing participation in the sport. To date 25,000 people have participated in the programme, with 80% of participants from an Asian background.
Written Questions
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in her Department includes review by special advisers. [146080]
Hugh Robertson: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to parliamentary questions. Special advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.