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SOCIAL SECURITY
Civil Servants (Benefits)
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the administrative arrangements within the Benefits Agency for the payment of benefits to civil servants. [16988]
Mr. Keith Bradley: The administration of Social Security benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 20 November 1997:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what are the administrative arrangements within the Benefits Agency for the payment of benefits to civil servants.
No special arrangements are made for the payment of benefits to civil servants. However, individual benefit areas do try to ensure that claims from civil servants are treated sensitively. A member of staff may highlight that they are a civil servant when making a claim for benefit, particularly if they are employed locally. Claims which are identified in this way are dealt with by nominated officers within each particular benefit unit and can only be accessed by authorised members of staff.
Some benefits, for example Child Benefit, do not require details of a customer's employment. It is unlikely that claims to these benefits will be identified as being from a civil service employee, unless the member of staff actually works in the area responsible for their claim.
I hope you find this reply useful.
Benefit Fraud
Mrs. Fiona Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will publish the reports of inspections made by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate; and if she will make a statement. [17704]
Mr. Denham: Our aim is to bring about a permanent reduction in the amount of benefit fraud. The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) will play a vital role in driving up operational standards to maximise counter-fraud performance and minimise the risk of fraud throughout the Social Security system. A key role of the BFI is to identify and disseminate good practice to bring the performance of all up to the standards already achieved by the best.
Over recent months, BFI's procedures have been developed and rigorously tested in a series of trial inspections. The BFI is now carrying out the first formal inspection of Blackpool Borough Council's administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, in particular their performance in the prevention and detection of benefit fraud.
Starting with the Blackpool inspection, all BFI reports, including those on DSS Agencies, will be made publicly available. We will not include sensitive material of potential benefit to fraudsters in published reports.
Copies of the reports will be placed in the Library. Further copies will be available from the Department on request.
21 Nov 1997 : Column: 329
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have made use of the 26-week linking period on income support for those whose mortgage protection insurance has fully paid out during the previous benefit claim. [17225]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
The information is not available.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the jobseeker's allowance payment system; and if she will make a statement. [17192]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
Since the Jobseeker's Allowance Payment System (JSAPS) went live on 6 October 1996 the system has continued to meet the levels of service specified in the service level statement.
There has been a number of system releases. Each of these has been subject to review and has been found fully to fully meet the requirements as specified.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had or plans to have with his World Trade Organisation counterparts on the problems facing computer systems through the century date change; and if he will make a statement. [13155]
Mrs. Liddell:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Small Firms, Trade and Industry on 12 November 1997, Official Report, column 569.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Government will measure the convergence between the United Kingdom economy and the economies of European states participating in the first stage of EMU; and at what measurable point it will be possible to establish that convergence has been achieved. [14427]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Chancellor's statement to the House on 27 October 1997, Official Report, columns 583-88, set out the five economic tests which define whether membership of the single currency would be in Britain's national economic interest.
Applying the economic tests, the Government have concluded that there is no proper convergence between the British and the other European economies now. And there is no realistic prospect of our having demonstrated, before the end of this Parliament, that we have achieved convergence that is settled rather than transitory.
What is needed is a period of stability and intensive preparations, so that Britain will be in a position to join a single currency, should we wish to, early in the next Parliament.
21 Nov 1997 : Column: 330
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that exchange transfers between sterling and the euro before British membership of EMU are (a) free of exchange costs and (b) not affected by rate fluctuations. [15926]
Mrs. Liddell:
The exchange rate between sterling and the euro will continue to fluctuate unless the UK joins the single currency. The cost of, and exchange rates used for, exchanges between sterling and the euro will be principally a matter for financial institutions and their customers.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requirements will apply to the United Kingdom in respect of the management of the exchange rate in circumstances where the United Kingdom is not a member of EMU in the first round and has signified an intention to join later. [15918]
Mrs. Liddell:
The fact of having signified an intention to join EMU would not result in any additional requirements applying to the UK in respect of the management of the exchange rate. In particular, membership of the new exchange rate mechanism will be voluntary.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the provisions of those treaties relating to European Economic and Monetary Union on which the influence of (a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) other bodies within the United Kingdom can be exercised (i) before the date of United Kingdom full entry to Monetary Union and (ii) after such entry in respect of the duties and operations of the proposed European Central Bank. [16958]
Mrs. Liddell:
Protocol 11 of the EC Treaty defines the terms of the UK's opt-out from the third stage of economic and monetary union. Paragraph 5 of that protocol lists the articles which shall not apply to the UK as a result of our exercising the opt-out.
Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the minimum period for which a country must belong to the ERM in order to participate in the single currency. [16962]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 20 November 1997]: The Maastricht Treaty states (article 109j) that the Commission and the European Monetary Institute shall report to the Council inter alia on
"the achievement of a high degree of sustainable convergence"
by Member States. On the basis of these reports the Council shall assess whether each Member State fulfils the necessary conditions for the adoption of a single currency. The UK Government have made clear their view that, given the changes in the operation of the ERM since the Treaty was signed, ERM membership is not necessarily a precondition for participating in EMU. It will be for the Council to decide whether each Member State fulfils the necessary conditions for the adoption of the single currency.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his target for the United Kingdom fiscal deficit related to GNP for the next four years. [15924]
21 Nov 1997 : Column: 331
Mrs. Liddell:
The Government's fiscal policy will be guided by two strict rules:
the golden rule: over the economic cycle the Government will only borrow to invest and not to fund current expenditure; and
public debt as a proportion of national income will be held over the economic cycle at a stable and prudent level.
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