The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many press officers his Department employed in each of the last six years.
Mike Penning
We have been able to provide the information dating back to 2011. The number of press officers employed by the Department is as follows:
March 2014 – 20
March 2013 – 20
March 2012 – 23
July 2011 – 31
By way of comparison in March 2010 the Department employed 54 press officers
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department collects information from Jobcentre Plus offices on the number of people referred to local advice providers to use telephones.
Esther McVey
It is not our policy to refer people to other organisations for the purposes of making a phone call.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the progress of the current review of the European strategy on health and safety at work.
Mike Penning
The UK Government responded to the public consultation on a new policy framework for health and safety at work in the EU conducted by the European Commission in 2013. We emphasised the need for any new policy framework to be rooted in the principles of better regulation. The Commission has said that it expects to publish a communication on the outcome of that consultation this year and I look forward to seeing it in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.197 of the Autumn Statement 2013, what the expected cost to the public purse will be of the basic skills pilot; how many people will benefit from that pilot; what its start and end dates will be; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
The 18-21 Skills for Work pilots will be funded from within the Department’s budget settlement as agreed at Autumn Statement 2013.
Under the pilot, young people making a claim to JSA between the ages of 18 and 21 years will be screened for English and Maths below level 2. Those identified as having a skill need will be referred on a mandatory basis to Maths or English training.
It is projected 10,000 JSA claimants will be referred to learning. The pilot will start in late Autumn 2014 and last up to nine months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-07.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many requests for annual PAYE status have been received in each month since the introduction of PAYE Real Time Information; and how many such requests in each such month have been granted.
Mr David Gauke
I would refer the Rt Hon Gentleman to the response I gave him on 06 September 2013, Official Report, column 582W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many self-employed people claimed working familes tax credit in each of the last 10 years.
Nicky Morgan
Working Family Tax Credit was abolished in 2003 and replaced by Child Tax Credits (CTC) and Working Tax Credits (WTC).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many 16 year olds claimed employment and support allowance in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.
Esther McVey
The information as requested is shown in the table below:
Number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants aged 16 Great Britain, 2010 – 2013
Total
Nov-10 1,220
Nov-11 1,210
Nov-12 1,120
Nov-13 1,030
Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to ten.
2. Incapacity Benefit was replaced by Employment Support Allowance (ESA) from October 2008.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which Health and Safety Executive Approved Codes of Practice (a) have been reviewed since May 2010, (b) are scheduled for review or amendment and (c) are not currently scheduled for review.
Mike Penning
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reviewing all of its Approved Codes of Practices (ACOP) in line with Professor Löfstedt’s independent review of health and safety legislation ‘Reclaiming health and safety for all’ (published November 2011).
(a) 19 ACOPs have been reviewed since May 2010. Of these, five have been revised and re-published, nine consolidated into three revised ACOPs and five withdrawn completely. These are:
|
Revised |
|
L5 – Control of substances hazardous to health |
|
L8 – Legionnaires’ disease. The Control of legionella bacteria in water systems |
|
L24 – Workplace health, safety and welfare |
|
L117 – Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training |
|
L118 – Health and safety at quarries |
|
Consolidated |
|
L56 – Safety in the installation and use of gas systems and appliances. This is a consolidation of two ACOPs (L56 and COP20: Standards of training in safe gas installation) into a single revised ACOP (L56) |
|
L138 – Dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres consolidated the following five ACOPs into a single revised ACOP (L138): L134 – Design of plant, equipment and workplace L135 – Storage of dangerous substances L136 – Control and mitigation measures L137 – Safe maintenance, repair and cleaning procedures L138 – Dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres |
|
L143 – Managing and working with Asbestos. This is a consolidation of two ACOPs (L127 – The management of asbestos in non-domestic premises and L143 – Work with materials containing asbestos) into a single revised ACOP (L143). |
|
Withdrawn |
|
L21 – Management of health and safety at work |
|
L74 – First aid at work |
|
L81 – Design, construction and installation of gas service pipes |
|
L116 – Preventing accidents to children in agriculture |
|
L130 – Compilation of safety data sheets |
(b) A review of a further 14 ACOPS will be completed by the end of 2014. These are:
|
COP25 Safety in docks to be replaced by L148 Safety in docks ACOP |
|
Five Diving ACOPs: L103 – Commercial diving projects offshore L104 – Commercial diving projects inland/inshore L105 – Recreational diving projects L106 – Media diving projects L107 – Scientific and archaeological diving projects |
|
Three Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations linked ACOPs: L22 – Safe use of work equipment L112 – Safe use of power presses L114 – Safe use of woodworking machinery |
|
L113 – Safe use of lifting equipment |
|
L101 – Safe work in confined spaces |
|
L122 – Safety of pressure systems |
|
L133 – Unloading petrol from road tankers |
|
L146 – Consulting workers on health and safety |
A further 19 ACOPs associated with changes to legislation and will be reviewed in accordance with the timescale for legislative change.
(c) All HSE ACOPs are scheduled for review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people on the Work Programme with (a) no qualification, (b) a qualification below Level 2, (c) a qualification at Level 2 and (d) a qualification at Level 3, 4 or above secured a sustained job outcome within two years of starting on the programme.
Esther McVey
The information as requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-03.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of women with (a) two, (b) three, (c) four and (d) five or more jobs; and how many such people do not earn a total income above the lower earnings threshold through all their employments.
Mr David Gauke
Estimates of the number of (a) people and (b) women who work in more than one job but do not pay national insurance, even though their total earnings are above the lower earnings threshold; and, of those, how many are women, are available at:
The rest of the information requested is not available.
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