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Cold Weather Payments

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons who qualified for severe weather payments for each month from 1 November 1995 to 30 April 1996, applied to each of the Benefits Agency offices in the Doncaster and Mexborough area; and what were the figures for the period 1 November 1994 to 30 April 1995. [31432]

Mr. Roger Evans: Once a cold weather period has been identified, a scan of the income support database is run to establish those who are eligible for a cold weather payment. Payment is sent out automatically; there is no need for a claim to be made.

Information relating to cold weather payments made for the periods 1 November 1994 to 30 April 1995 and 1 November 1995 to 30 April 1996 can be found in the statistical section of the Library. The data are held in the social fund statistical load file under "Cold Weather Payments by District Office".

Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to alter the qualification requirements for cold weather payments to enable ex-service men on war pensions but not receiving income support to entitlement to these payments. [32250]

Mr. Evans: There are no plans to change the existing qualifying groups. The current scheme targets available resources towards those regarded as most vulnerable during a sustained period of very cold weather.

Suspension of Benefit

Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases the suspension of benefit under regulation 37A of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 was lifted following representations by or on behalf of claimants; and if he will give a breakdown of the reasons for the lifting of the suspension in each of those cases and in total. [31808]

13 Jun 1996 : Column: 254

Mr. Roger Evans: The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many awards of benefit he has suspended in each year since 1990 under regulation 37 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987. [31806]

Mr. Evans: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 May, Official Report, column 392.

Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many awards of benefit he has suspended pending appeals in the cases of (a) Bate, from the Court of Appeal to the House of Lords, (b) Graham, from the commissioner to the Court of Appeal, including the reference to the European Court of Justice and (c) Halliday (aka Fairey) in relation both to the appeal to the Court of Appeal and to the appeal to the House of Lords. [31809]

Mr. Evans: The information is set out in the table:

Lead case	Number of suspensions
Bate	2,768
Graham	46,418
Halliday (aka Fairey)	3,017

Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many awards of benefit he has suspended under regulation 37A of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 since its introduction in March 1992. [31807]

Mr. Evans: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 11 March, Official Report, columns 480-81.

War Pensions

Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of people in the United Kingdom who currently receive a war pension. [32252]

Mr. Heald: It is estimated that at 31 March 1996, the most recent date for which figures are available, 301,379 people in the United Kingdom were receiving either a war disablement pension, war widow's pension or other war dependants pension.

Reduced Earnings Allowance

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral statement in the Scottish Grand Committee of 20 May, Official Report, column 19, what plans he had to review the reduced earnings allowance. [23533]

Mr. Roger Evans: None at present.

Computers (Millennium)

Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment has been made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by his Department. [32666]

Mr. Burt: The Department is aware of the information technology issues which arise as a result of the millennium, and work is under way to establish the cost effects on departmental systems.

13 Jun 1996 : Column: 255

Incomes

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are his Department's plans for the households below average income and the pensioners' incomes statistical series. [33113]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: I have today published the report of the Department's review of the methodology underlying the households below average income series. A copy has been placed in the Library. One of its recommendations is that future issues should highlight information on income mobility derived from longitudinal sources.

Incorporating the review results, together with the move in the survey sources from calendar to financial years, means that publication of the next households below average income is expected to be in October. Publication of the pensioners' incomes series, which draws on the households below income database, is expected to follow in November.

PRIME MINISTER

Engagements

Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 13 June. [31179]

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 13 June. [31180]

The Prime Minister: This morning, I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition on to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Royal Family (Records)

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) of 20 May, Official Report, column 60, if he will list the three criteria which govern closure of records; and if he will make a statement. [31552]

Mr. Streeter: The three categories of public record which are to be closed for public inspection for longer than 30 years are as set out in chapter 9 of the 1993 White Paper, "Open Government" (Cm 2290). They are:

exceptionally sensitive records containing information, the disclosure of which would not be in the public interest in that it would harm the defence, international relations, national security--including the maintenance of law and order--or the economic interests of the United Kingdom and its dependent territories;
documents containing information supplied in confidence, the disclosure of which would or might constitute a breach of good faith; and
documents containing information about individuals, the disclosure of which would cause either substantial distress, or endangerment from a third party, to persons affected by disclosure or their descendants.

13 Jun 1996 : Column: 256

Court Service

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consideration has been given to market testing of the services provided by the Court Service agency; and if he will make a statement.[31553]

Mr. Streeter: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 13 June 1996:

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about market testing of services provided by the Court Service.
Since the establishment of the Court Service as an Executive Agency on 2 April 1995, no further consideration has been given to market testing its services. Most of the ancillary services it uses such as cleaning, catering, judges' car hire, security and maintenance are already contracted out. Other support services such as IT, Internal Audit and Pay were market tested before the Court Service became an Agency.
Statutory constraint and the fact that much of the Court Service's work is in support of the judiciary means that the scope for further market testing is very limited. Consideration is, however, being given to involving the private sector through partnership schemes under the Private Finance Initiative.

Computers (Millennium)

Mr. Ingram: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment has been made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by his Department. [32674]

Mr. Streeter: My Department is currently assessing the impact of the millennium date change on its computer systems.

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