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Pensioners (Home-ownership)
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners are home-owners. [34709]
Mr. Denham: 60 per cent. of pensioners own or are buying the property in which they live.
- Notes:
- 1. An individual is defined to be a home-owner when he or she lives in a property which is either owned outright or being purchased, and has their name on the relevant deeds.
- 2. Figures are based on information from the 1995-96 Family Resources Survey. The 1995-96 survey is the latest for which data are available.
- 3. The estimates are based on sample counts which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which control for region, Council Tax Band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.
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Occupational Pensions
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average lump sum payment received by pensioners with (a) occupational pensions and (b) personal pensions retiring in 1995. [34706]
Mr. Denham: The information is not available.
Motability
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make it her policy to ensure that bridging funding is made available to disabled people who have (a) sought a review of a BIP adjudication and (b) appealed against the Adjudication Officer's decision to ensure that they do not lose their Motability vehicle pending the outcome of the review or appeal, respectively. [34486]
Mr. Denham: The Benefit Integrity Project aims to ensure that those in receipt of DLA are entitled to it. While it is right to check that people are receiving the correct amount of benefit, we are determined that those checks should be undertaken as sensitively as possible. Also, that we should ensure all decisions taken as a result of the project are right. We have, therefore, acted to introduce an extra safeguard to improve the quality of, and confidence in, benefit decisions made by the Project.
Eligibility for the Motability Scheme is dependent on a claimant being entitled to the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for a period of three years or more.
Officials are currently liaising with Motability to see what can be done to protect Motability customers who are dissatisfied with a decision made, as part of the Benefit Integrity Project, to reduce or remove their entitlement to the mobility component of DLA. There is no provision in legislation for bridging funding to be made available in these or any other circumstances. If an adjudication officer decides, whether as a result of the information gathered as part of the Benefit Integrity Project or not, that a person is no longer entitled to the higher rate of the DLA mobility component, there is no legal basis for leaving benefit payments unchanged.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate her Department has made of the number of DLA claimants who will lose their Motability vehicle as a result of decisions taken as part of the Benefit Integrity Project. [34488]
Mr. Denham:
The Benefit Integrity Project aims to ensure that those in receipt of DLA are entitled to it. While it is right to check that people are receiving the correct amount of benefit, we are determined that those checks should be undertaken as sensitively as possible. Also, that we should ensure all decisions taken as a result of the project are right. We have, therefore, acted to introduce an extra safeguard to improve the quality of, and confidence in, benefit decisions made by the Project.
Eligibility for the Motability Scheme is dependent on a claimant being entitled to the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for a period of three years or more.
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Up to the end of February 1998, nearly 1,100 people with Motability agreements, involved in the Benefit Integrity Project, have had their award of the higher rate mobility component reduced or removed. It is not possible to gauge how many individuals will lose their Motability vehicle as a result of this exercise. Claimants have the right to a review of, and appeal against, an Adjudication Officer's decision to disallow or reduce either or both components of DLA, and assumptions cannot be made as to outcomes. Officials are currently liaising with Motability to see what can be done to protect Motability customers who are dissatisfied with a decision made, as part of the Benefit Integrity Project, to reduce or remove their entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many DLA claimants who have been subject to BIP to date have had their Motability vehicle repossessed. [34487]
Mr. Denham:
Motability is an independent charity and, as such, it is not informed of the reasons why an individual has had their benefit entitlement changed. Motability does, however, record reasons for early terminations of lease hire agreements. The Director of Motability has advised me that, on average, 1,300 people a month seek early termination. This is broken down as follows:
Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of the embarkation control in the immigration control process. [35037]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We have undertaken a detailed study of the residual embarkation control over persons leaving the United Kingdom. I have concluded, in the light of this, that the present arrangements are an inefficient use of resources and that they contribute little to the integrity of the immigration control. They will be replaced by a targeted, intelligence-led approach creating a more efficient and effective control.
The revised and improved arrangements will be brought into operation as soon as practicable. We will employ appropriate technology and will build upon the existing co-operation between the border agencies, port operators and carriers.
We conducted this study against the background of the decision, in 1994, by the previous administration to scrap the embarkation checks for passengers travelling from ferry ports and small ports to destinations within the European Union; so, for four years, 40 per cent. of departing passengers have not been seen by an immigration officer.
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In common with most comparable countries, the United Kingdom has never had a comprehensive check-out system because experience has shown that the use of intelligence and denunciatory information is the most effective tool against illegal immigration. This approach will continue and will be developed.
Although it does not contribute to the overall effectiveness of the immigration control, the residual embarkation control is resource intensive. In 1997, 7 per cent. of the Immigration Service's operational duties were deployed on the embarkation control, compared with 11 per cent. on asylum-related work. Estimated staffing costs were over £3 million.
We inherited an embarkation control which serves little purpose in the tracking down of immigration offenders. Enhanced technology, such as closed circuit television, combined with close liaison between the border agencies, port operators and airlines, will create a stronger deterrent than the current immigration departure checks. We will also ensure that systems will be in place to mount comprehensive embarkation checks when required in the interests of national security. We are committed to the continued operation of the All Ports Warning System for child abduction cases.
Finally, by better use of technology and liaison, we will release Immigration Service resources to be re-deployed on more effective elements of the control. We will keep the revised arrangements under review.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what date he required NOP's research on Attitudes to Euro Elections and Electoral Reform to be completed; [34142]
(3) if he approved the methodology employed by NOP in their research on Attitudes to Euro Elections and Electoral Reform; [34146]
(4) how many members of the public were involved in (a) focus group discussions and (b) in other ways in the NOP research on Attitudes to Euro Elections and Electoral Reform; [34145]
(5) on what date he commissioned NOP to carry out the research entitled Attitudes to Euro Elections and Electoral Reform. [34143]
Mr. George Howarth:
The decision to commission a study into voters' attitudes was taken in December 1997. A number of potential individuals and organisations who might have been interested in carrying out the task were contacted. National Opinion Poll (NOP) were formally commissioned to undertake the study on 13 February. They were asked to report by 27 February.
Their methodology was approved by Home Office officials acting on behalf of my right hon. Friend.
NOP's study involved six groups, each of between six and eight people. A total of 40 members of the public were involved.
The cost of the study was £9,800 plus Value Added Tax.
16 Mar 1998 : Column: 508
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors underlay his decision to select the Belgium electoral system for examination rather than the Danish electoral system. [34141]
Mr. George Howarth:
Representations were made to my right hon. Friend by Charter 88 and the Liberal Democrats inviting him to consider the Belgian electoral system.
The Danish electoral system is considerably more complicated than the Belgian one, involving a two-tier seat allocation process and the use of three different divisors.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received since 25 November 1997 in favour of (a) an open list system and (b) a closed list system for electing MEPS. [34140]
Mr. George Howarth:
Since 25 November 1997, the Home Office has received several hundred letters covering all aspects of electoral reform. It would not be possible, except at disproportionate cost, to identify separately those which expressed a view specifically on open and closed list systems for electing Members of the European Parliament.
80 per cent. due to death/increasing disability/lack of driver;
15 per cent. due to a different car being required due to worsening disability or a change in the family situation;
5 per cent. due to a reduction in mobility allowance or other financial reason.
(2) what was the cost of the NOP research on Attitudes to Euro Elections and Electoral Reform; [34144]
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