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151W Written Answers 26 OCTOBER 2009 Written Answers 152W Tony Clements Valuation Office: Surveillance Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 16 July 2009, Official Report, column 655W, on Tony Clements, whether Mr. Tony Clements works with any Minister in his Department in a political advisory role; and what the (a) terms and (b) duration of his employment are. [294535] Barbara Follett: Mr. Clements is employed as civil servant, and does not, therefore, work in a political advisory role. He has a one-year fixed-term contract, with standard terms and conditions. Travelling People: Caravan Sites Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets for numbers of additional Traveller pitches have been proposed in the most recent version of each regional spatial strategy; and what period of time is proposed for meeting this target in each such strategy. [292805] Mr. Malik: The number of additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches needed in each region, and the proposed time frame, is as follows: Draft regional spatial strategies Strategy Time frame Pitches North-West 2007-2021 1,390 Yorkshire and Humber n/a Pitch figures being worked up West Midlands 2007-2017 1,183 South-East 2006-2016 1,064 South-West 2006-2011 1,634 London 2007-2017 538 Finalised regional spatial strategies Strategy Time frame Pitches East of England 2008-2021 1,237 North-East 2008-2021 166 North-West 2008-2021 No pitch figures Yorkshire and Humber 2008-2026 255 East Midlands 2009-2026 883 South-East 2006-2026 No pitch figures London 2011-2031 No pitch figures Travelling People: Racial Discrimination Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Travellers will be able to apply for grants from the Tackling Race Inequalities Fund. [293258] Mr. Malik: Yes. The Tackling Race Inequalities Fund (TRIF) was announced in February 2009, to support third sector organisations working to tackle race inequalities (and promote equality of opportunity for people of all ethnic groups). My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced the 27 third sector organisations on 21 July 2009, Official Report, column 119WS. Two of these organisations (The Rural Media Company and Friends, Families and Travellers) will be working with the Gypsy, Roma and Travellers communities. The grant funding is for two years until the end of March 2011. Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Valuation Office Agency has undertaken surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [294624] Barbara Follett: The Valuation Office Agency has not undertaken any surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 since the Act came into force. WORK AND PENSIONS Asbestos: Licensing Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2009, Official Report, column 553W, on asbestos: documents, (1) how many and what percentage of electronic files held since 1984 were retained after the seven-year review held in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive’s document retention policy; [294168] (2) how many and what percentage of paper files held since 1984 were retained after the nine-year review held in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive’s document retention policy. [294169] Jim Knight: The information is not readily available in an accessible format and could therefore be provided only at disproportionate time and cost. Departmental Advertising Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on advertising in each newspaper in the latest year for which figures are available. [289483] Jim Knight: Government policies and programmes affect the lives of millions of people and in order for them to have the desired effect they must be communicated effectively while representing value to the taxpayer. We want everyone to claim all the help they are entitled to. The DWP provides services for over 20 million people, from helping the most vulnerable pensioners to getting people back to work and much of this Department’s communications activity is aimed at raising awareness of these vital services and entitlements. Our communications also contribute to the Department’s work to tackle benefit fraud. The channels used for advertising in the media are firstly via the advertising and media buying roster of the Central Office of Information (COI) for campaign and editorial requirements, and, secondly, via local and national newspapers for recruitment and low value, low complexity adverts on behalf of DWP agencies. The Department’s spend on newspaper advertising for 2008-09 is as follows: Spend on newspaper advertising for 2008-09 Total value (£ million) Central Office of Information (COI) 4.12 DWP Direct Advertising 1.11 Note: Costs given are for media spend only and exclude the cost of creative work, research, production of supporting materials or launch events. Sources: 1. Central Office of Information source—COI 28 September 2009 2. DWP direct advertising source—DWP Commercial Intelligence
153W Written Answers 26 OCTOBER 2009 Written Answers 154W We are not able to provide the breakdown of costs by publication as we use so many that we would incur disproportionate cost in trying to identify each individual publication listed in the spend data files. Employment and Support Allowance Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average time taken to process (a) an employment support allowance (ESA) claim where a medical certificate was required and (b) an ESA claim where a repeat or duplicate request for a medical certificate was made was in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by benefit delivery centre; [293414] (2) how many requests have been made for medical certificates for the purpose of processing employment support allowance (ESA) claims in the most recent period for which figures are available; and how many duplicate or repeat requests have been made for medical certificates for the purpose of processing ESA claims, broken down by benefit delivery centre in each case. [293425] Jonathan Shaw: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested. Letter from Mel Groves: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what the average time taken to process (a) an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claim where a medical certificate was required and (b) an ESA claim where a repeat or duplicate request for a medical certificate was made in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by benefit delivery centre; and how many requests have been made for medical certificates for the purpose of processing Employment and Support Allowance claims in the most recent period for which figures are available; and how many duplicate or repeat requests have been made for medical certificates for the purpose of processing ESA claims, broken down by benefit delivery centre in each case. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. Performance against our average processing time targets are published on the Jobcentre Plus external website. The clearance times for Employment and Support Allowance are not yet part of Jobcentre Plus’s targets. They will form part of the published target suite from April 2010 and will be placed on the website shortly afterwards. The reason for the delay in publishing the official figures is because it is necessary for Jobcentre Plus to first collect an appropriate amount of performance data with which to inform and set a relevant target level. We are currently exploring whether we can develop some official statistics on processing times for Employment and Support Allowance new claims in the near future. Jobcentre Plus does not collate any information on requests for medical certificates so. we are unable to supply the information requested with relevance to this element. Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of those who stopped claiming employment and support allowance before their assessment was completed were (a) in work, (b) claiming jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) and (c) not recorded as being in work or claiming JSA up to the end of August 2009. [294741] Jim Knight [holding answer 21 October 2009]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, statistics published last week showed that between October 2008 and February 2009 38 per cent of new claimants to employment and support allowance stopped claiming benefit before the work capability assessment in their case was completed. Employment Schemes Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the eligibility criteria are for individuals seeking to be referred to (a) Workstep, (b) the Job Introduction Scheme and (c) Work Preparation. [295028] Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 22 October 2009]: To be eligible for Workstep an individual must be disabled, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This Act defines a disabled person as someone who has ’a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities’. In addition, Workstep customers must also fall within one of the Workstep eligibility codes. This information is in the following table: Code A B C D E F G Details Workstep eligibility codes On incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance/national insurance credits only and/or income support, or on employment and support allowance On jobseeker’s allowance and/or national insurance credits only, for six months or more in a current or ’linked’ job seeking period On jobseeker’s allowance, and/or national insurance credits only, for less than six months but have been in receipt of incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance, immediately before claiming jobseeker’s allowance A former supported employee who has progressed but needs to return to the programme within two years or has left for any other reasons and returns within one year Currently in work but at serious risk of losing their job as a result of disability, even after the employer has made all reasonable adjustments and considered other available support options A recent/prospective education leaver who does not fall within Codes A to E above, but for whom there is clear evidence of a need for support in work A customer who has been granted access to Workstep through a discretionary decision, where a full business case has been sent to the Jobcentre Plus district third party provision manager and approval has been granted H A customer who is receiving a war disablement pension or help from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Note: Two or more job seeking periods can be ‘linked’ and treated as one if they are separated only by: a linked period (for any length of time) comprising incapacity benefit, invalid care allowance, maternity allowance or training allowance; a break in an individual’s claim, where the claim is terminated for not more than 12 weeks between any two linked job seeking periods; any length of time spent on jury service. Source: Jobcentre Plus Workstep Programme Guidance, Chapter 3, Eligibility and Referrals.
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