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Forecast Expenditure
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list his latest estimates and forecast expenditure in cash terms for cyclical social security for (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, (iii) 1999-2000, (iv) 2000-01 and (v) 2001-02. [68385]
Mr. Darling: Government expenditure is no longer classified as being Cyclical or as part of the Control Total. Major reforms to tighten the control and to improve the long term planning of public spending were announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report (published June 1998). Spending plans across the public sector is known as Total Managed Expenditure (TME). Large demand-led programmes, such as DSS benefits expenditure, are brought together in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME). The latest forecasts for DSS benefits expenditure were published in the November 1998 Pre-Budget Report.
Departmental Papers
(Access for Visually Impaired)
Mr. Michael J. Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for departmental (a) White and (b) Green Papers to be made available on floppy disk format in a form which facilitates access for the visually impaired. [67846]
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Mr. Bayley:
I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Answer that my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, gave on 27 January 1999, Official Report, column 296.
It is the practice of this Department to facilitate access for the visually impaired by producing all White and Green Papers in braille and audio versions and they are made available from The Stationery Office at the same price as the print version. Free summary versions, also available in braille and audio, can be ordered by calling 0181 867 3201.
In addition, we produce an electronic version for publishing on the Internet and we are able to make floppy disk versions available on request.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to introduce new ways of detecting and combating Disability Living Allowance fraud following the abolition of the Benefit Integrity Project. [67760]
Mr. Bayley:
The Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) gathered up to date information about the care and mobility needs of disabled people with the highest awards of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), to check that they were receiving the right amount of DLA. The Benefit Integrity Project will end on 31 March 1999, to be replaced by a new and fairer system. No new cases will be selected for the project after this date. Cases where action has already started will continue to be processed through the remaining stages of adjudication, including review and appeal, in the normal way.
We are determined to ensure that people are receiving the correct amount of benefit. But there is currently no automatic review mechanism within DLA. Therefore, from April a new system of periodic review will be introduced. It will incorporate the lessons already learned and will be continually evaluated and refined as it develops. Staff involved in the new processes will receive full training before commencing this new work.
We are already talking to disability groups about ways to ensure the new system is sensitive to people's circumstances, and that it is both fair and effective.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of family credit there are in the (a) Maidstone area and (b) Medway area. [67468]
Angela Eagle:
The administration of Family Credit is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jonathan Shaw, dated 1 February 1999:
2 Feb 1999 : Column: 565
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many recipients of Family Credit there are in the (a) Maidstone and (b) Medway areas.
The Family Credit Unit produces statistics which show the number of recipients within the area covered by Benefits Agency (BA) offices. The area of Medway is covered by the BA Chatham office.
The number of Family Credit recipients for the Maidstone and Chatham areas are shown in the table.
| Office | Number of recipients |
|---|---|
| Maidstone | 1,146 |
| Chatham | 2,318 |
Notes:
Figures as at October 1998
Figures are provisional and subject to change
Source:
Family Credit Unit.
I hope you find this reply useful.
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many representations he has received about the creation of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; and how many representations opposed setting up the new body. [68058]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Following the announcement of the creation of a new Marine Agency on 19 August 1997 to combine the work of the Coastguard Agency and the Marine Safety Agency from 1 April 1998, several letters were received, mainly referring to the HM Coastguard 5 year Strategy. Of these received 7 made mention of the merger, of which four expressed concern but none opposed the setting up of a new body. Since the launch of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency there have been a number of letters from industry and others endorsing the benefits of the merged agency.
Freight Flights (Heathrow)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many air freight flights representing what freight tonnage were recorded (a) to and (b) from (i) Heathrow, (ii) Gatwick and (iii) Stansted in each of the last five years. [68575]
Ms Glenda Jackson: What information is available is shown in the table.
2 Feb 1999 : Column: 566
| Gatwick | Heathrow | Stansted | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freight | |||
| 1994 | |||
| Set Down | 15,292 | 41,904 | 39,206 |
| Picked Up | 18,838 | 47,348 | 44,004 |
| 1995 | |||
| Set Down | 22,521 | 43,151 | 42,811 |
| Picked Up | 28,014 | 51,267 | 45,403 |
| 1996 | |||
| Set Down | 32,219 | 44,983 | 50,513 |
| Picked Up | 33,540 | 49,521 | 51,440 |
| 1997 | |||
| Set Down | 14,316 | 58,536 | 64,020 |
| Picked Up | 19,258 | 56,022 | 60,748 |
| 1998 | |||
| Set Down | 6,944 | 55,527 | 94,312 |
| Picked Up | 10,896 | 51,353 | 82,818 |
Fly-tipping
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce further measures to discourage fly-tipping. [68627]
Mr. Meale: Stringent controls and severe penalties are in place to discourage the illegal disposal of waste (fly-tipping) and the Environment Agency has made clear its commitment to taking firm enforcement action. The main controls and the maximum penalties were set out in my reply to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice), on 8 December 1998, Official Report, columns 120-21. We have no plans to introduce further measures.
Sewerage
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department's programme of investment in cleaning up water and sewage will provide assistance to local authorities wishing to transfer Housing Act sewage works to water companies. [68586]
Mr. Meale:
The Department does not offer financial assistance to help bring Housing Act sewage works up to the required standard to enable them to be adopted by the sewerage undertaker. There are provisions in the Water Industry Act 1991 which enable these works to be adopted but the financial implications are a matter for the sewerage undertaker and local authority. Under section
2 Feb 1999 : Column: 567
105 of the 1991 Act, an owner of any sewerage works may appeal to the Director General of Water Services in the event of a dispute with the sewerage undertaker over an agreement to adopt.
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