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879W<br />
Written Answers<br />
1 DECEMBER 2010<br />
Written Answers<br />
880W<br />
These changes will form the basis of the labour<br />
market conditionality and sanctions system under universal<br />
credit.<br />
Those measures that require primary legislation will<br />
form part of the Welfare Reform Bill to be introduced<br />
in the new year.<br />
Vacancies: Peterborough<br />
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State<br />
for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of<br />
the number of vacancies for (a) full-time and (b)<br />
part-time employment in Peterborough city council<br />
area on (i) 1 April 2008, (ii) 1 April 2009, (iii) 1 April<br />
2010 and (iv) 1 September 2010; and if he will make a<br />
statement. [21162]<br />
Chris Grayling: The information requested is in the<br />
following tables.<br />
The figures provided relate just to vacancies notified<br />
to Jobcentre Plus and, as such, represent a market share<br />
of vacancies throughout the whole economy.<br />
Comprehensive estimates of all job vacancies and not<br />
just those notified to Jobcentre Plus, are available from<br />
the ONS Vacancy Survey. However, the ONS survey is<br />
currently designed to provide national estimates only.<br />
August 2010 is the most recent available data.<br />
Number of notified vacancies for the months of April 2008, April<br />
2009, April 2010 and August 2010: Peterborough local authority<br />
Date Full-time vacancies Part-time vacancies<br />
April 2008 973 198<br />
April 2009 608 228<br />
April 2010 1,113 278<br />
August 2010 1,451 420<br />
Number of live unfilled vacancies for the months of April 2008, April<br />
2009, April 2010 and August 2010: Peterborough local authority<br />
Date Full-time vacancies Part-time vacancies<br />
April 2008 1,336 221<br />
April 2009 500 146<br />
April 2010 813 252<br />
August 2010 918 419<br />
Source:<br />
Jobcentre Plus Labour Market System.<br />
Asbestos: Employers’ Liability<br />
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to<br />
ensure that those with asbestos-related illnesses are<br />
eligible to claim on employers’ insurance if the exposure<br />
to asbestos occurred while at work. [24113]<br />
Chris Grayling: The Employers’ Liability (Compulsory<br />
Insurance) Act 1969 requires employers carrying on<br />
business in Great Britain to insure their liability to their<br />
employees for bodily injury or disease sustained in the<br />
course of their employment. This Act ensures that<br />
those with asbestos-related diseases can claim compensation<br />
against their employers’ liability insurance, w<strong>here</strong> the<br />
employer has been negligent in exposing them to asbestos<br />
while at work.<br />
However, a recent Court of Appeal case has considered<br />
how the wording of these employers’ liability insurance<br />
policies affects civil compensation for mesothelioma<br />
sufferers and we had hoped that the judgment would<br />
have provided a general principle on how these policies<br />
should deal with their mesothelioma claims. The court<br />
decided that the policies should be interpreted based on<br />
the actual policy wording, which means that some<br />
sufferers may not be able to claim compensation if the<br />
insurance policy was worded in such a way that prevents<br />
a claim from being made. We expect this judgment to be<br />
appealed to the Supreme Court.<br />
In February 2010 the previous Government published<br />
their consultation document, ‘Accessing Compensation—<br />
Supporting people who need to trace employers’ liability<br />
insurance’, which set out proposals for people who need<br />
to find their employers’ liability insurance policies in<br />
order to claim compensation. The consultation closed<br />
on 5 May 2010. T<strong>here</strong> were two proposals; firstly an<br />
Employers’ Liability Tracing Office, that would manage<br />
a database of EL policies. Secondly, an Employers’<br />
Liability Insurance Bureau which would be a compensation<br />
fund of last resort for those individuals who are unable<br />
to trace EL insurance records, ensuring they are able to<br />
receive compensation for injuries or diseases sustained<br />
during the course of their employment. We are in active<br />
discussions with all stakeholders on how this situation<br />
can be addressed and we will publish our response to<br />
the consultation in due course.<br />
CABINET OFFICE<br />
Banks: Finance<br />
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet<br />
Office whether the Office for National Statistics calculation<br />
of public sector net debt takes account of the recapitalisation<br />
of banks. [27859]<br />
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the<br />
responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have<br />
asked the authority to reply to the hon. Member. A<br />
copy of their response will be placed in the Library.<br />
Big Society Bank<br />
Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Minister for<br />
the Cabinet Office by what date he expects the Big<br />
Society Bank to (a) be established and (b) commence<br />
distributing funds. [27275]<br />
Mr Hurd: The Government aim to have some functions<br />
of the Big Society Bank in place by April, then building<br />
towards a fully operational Bank. It will be ready to<br />
make initial investments by early summer, which is<br />
when we expect the first dormant accounts money will<br />
become available.<br />
Charity Commission<br />
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet<br />
Office what assessment he has made of the proposed<br />
changes to the operation of the Charity Commission;<br />
and if he will make a statement. [26453]<br />
Mr Hurd: The Charity Commission, like other<br />
Government Departments, is facing tough decisions<br />
about its future priorities following the spending review.<br />
It is undertaking a strategic review to focus on the key