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Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials with responsibility for the private finance initiative formerly within his Department have been transferred to (a) the Department of Health or (b) the NHS Executive. [3093]

Mr. Jack [holding answer 28 November 1995]: No permanent officials have been transferred from Her Majesty's Treasury to the Department of Health or NHS Executive to work on PFI matters; however one member of staff seconded to Her Majesty's Treasury is working on private finance matters within the NHS executive.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Cold Weather Payments

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give a breakdown of the numbers of pensioners refused cold weather payments by region over the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [1092]

Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency and he will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 29 November 1995:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for a breakdown of the number of pensioners refused cold weather payments by region over the past five years.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 837

Cold Weather Payments are paid to people receiving Income Support whose benefit includes a disability or pensioner premium or who have a child under aged 5 in their family. Payments are made automatically to those eligible without the need for a claim form to be completed.
I hope you find this helpful.

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of invalidity benefit were (a) medically examined and found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995 and (b) without examination were found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995. [1748]

Mr. Burt [holding answer Friday 24 November]: The administration of incapacity benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 29 November 1995:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many claimants of invalidity benefit were (a) medically examined and found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995 and (b) without examination were found (i) capable of work, (ii) capable of alternative work and (iii) capable of undertaking their usual occupation in each of the quarters ending December 1994 and March 1995.
Information is not available in the format requested. The figures below are for the number of medical opinions given, following examination, that a customer is capable of work. Such opinions are not given without a medical examination. Decisions as to whether or not a person is found capable of work for benefit purposes is made by independent adjudication officers.
Number of opinions given following examination

Number of opinions given following examination	December 1994	March 1995
Capable of work
Alternative work	26,534	26,150
Usual occupation	4,269	4,096
Total	30,803	30,246




Incapacity Benefit replaced Invalidity Benefit from April 1995. For Incapacity Benefit purposes, the examining doctor does not give any opinion on a person's capacity to work, rather an assessment is carried out of the individual's functional limitations and restrictions which is then scored by the adjudication officer, along with the customer's own assessment, in order to reach a decision on capacity for work. I hope you find this reply helpful.

Child Support Agency

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the Child Support Agency's assessed case load was not paying regular maintenance immediately prior to take on by the agency. [2066]

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 838

Mr. Andrew Mitchell [holding answer Monday 27 November 1995]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 29 November 1995:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency assessed caseload.
In the first year of the Agency it was estimated that just under 60 per cent of all the cases taken on were not already receiving maintenance. This proportion has increased to an estimated 77 per cent since April 1994.
I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many absentee fathers the Child Support Agency has traced since its introduction. [2217]

Mr. Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.[2217]

Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 29 November 1995:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many absentee fathers the Child Support Agency has traced since its introduction.
The number of absent parents traced by the Child Support Agency from its launch until 30 September 1995 is as follows:
1993/94: 28,240
1994/95: 49,632
1995/96: 25,164
Total to date: 103,036
You may wish to know that this information is already available in the Child Support Agency's statistical information which is placed monthly in the Library.

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much money has been recovered as a result of intervention by the Child Support Agency. [2220]

Mr. Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 29 November 1995:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about money recovered by the Child Support Agency.
Between April 1993 and September 1995 the Agency has been involved in the payment of new maintenance arising from child support assessments of over £330 million.
I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the running costs of the Child Support Agency during each year since 1992-93. [2218]

Mr. Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 839

Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 29 November 1995:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the running costs of the Child Support Agency during each year since 1992/93.
From launch on 5 April 1993, the Agency's net cost of operations during 1993/94 was £139 million as published in the annual accounts on 28 November 1994. The net cost of operations during 1994/95 was £192 million as published in the annual accounts on 18 July 1995. Expenditure statements in both annual reports are prepared on an accruals basis. I hope this is helpful.

Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims have been made in each region for industrial injuries disablement benefit for chronic bronchitis and emphysema up to 31 October; how many were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful; and on what grounds. [3023]

Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is set out in the tables.

Claims in respect of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (PD D12) between 13 September 1993 and 31 October 1995 analysed by Benefits Agency Area Directorate

Area	Claims received	Successful claims(2)	Claims disallowed
Southern England
AD1 Anglia	27	3	19
AD2 Chilterns	22	4	13
AD3 South London and West Sussex	0	0	0
AD4 West Country	155	6	76
AD5 East London and Essex	43	1	4
AD6 South East	499	33	451
AD7 Wessex	1	0	0
South East total	747	47	563
Wales and Central England
AD1 East Midlands	6,093	718	5,136
AD2 Midlands South West	669	56	597
AD3 West Mercia	3,834	407	3,314
AD4 Wales	10,113	1,481	7,915
AD5 Merseyside	531	49	476
AD6 Greater Manchester	349	32	303
AD7 Lancashire and Cumbria	2,346	160	1,988
Wales and Central England total	23,935	2,903	19,729
Scotland and Northern England
AD1 Tyne Tees	7,454	634	6,579
AD2 South Yorkshire and Humberside	6,891	844	5,827
AD3 North and West Yorkshire	2,909	446	2,277
AD4 Glasgow and Paisley	249	8	165
AD5 North, Central and West Scotland	1,939	64	1,801
AD6 East Scotland	2,465	104	2,186
Scotland and Northern England total	21,907	2,100	18,835
Grand total	46,589	5,050	39,127

(2) Successful in this context means claims that have resulted in

payment of benefit. Not all claims will have been decided by 31 October 1995.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 840

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 839

Analysis of claims disallowed between 13 September 1993 and 31 October 1995 and reason for disallowance by Benefits Agency Area Directorate

Area	Failed 20 year rule	Reg 22 (Up to 2 Oct 1994)(3),(4)	Disablement assessed at less than 14 per cent.	PD-D12 not diagnosed(Up to 2 Oct 1994)(4)	Failed FEV1 test(From 3 Oct 1994)(5)	Failed x-ray test(From 3 Oct 1994)(5)
Southern England
AD1	7	1	0	9	0	2
AD2	6	0	0	6	0	1
AD3	0	0	0	0	0	0
AD4	12	0	0	55	5	4
AD5	3	0	0	0	1	0
AD6	42	0	0	380	20	9
AD7	0	0	0	0	0	0
Southern England total	70	1	0	450	26	16
Wales and central England
AD1	161	17	2	4,572	206	178
AD2	33	0	0	555	3	6
AD3	236	3	3	2,941	72	59
AD4	696	9	34	6,409	452	315
AD5	37	1	0	412	13	13
AD6	19	1	0	279	3	1
AD7	163	0	4	1,741	48	32
Wales and Central England totals	1,345	31	43	16,909	797	604
Scotland and Northern England
AD1	159	7	4	6,147	143	119
AD2	192	3	4	5,218	210	200
AD3	104	10	3	2,012	97	51
AD4	21	0	0	122	9	13
AD5	102	0	0	1,654	31	14
AD6	90	2	0	2,025	25	44
Scotland and Northern England totals	668	22	11	17,178	515	441
Grand total	2,083	54	54	34,537	(5)1,338	(5)1,061

Notes:

(3) Where chronic bronchitis and emphysema is already covered in assessment for pneumoconiosis (Regulation 22).

(4) Cases failing on FEV1 test or x-ray test up to 2 October 1994.

(5) Figures not collected by Area Directorate prior to 3 October 1994.

Source: Benefits Agency BREM system and Central Data Unit, 100 per cent. count and subject to amendment.

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 841

30 Nov 1995 : Column: 841

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