House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 Feb 1999 (pt 19)

Young Homeless

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to assist young, homeless persons. [69599]

Angela Eagle: This Department supports organisations which provide temporary accommodation and an active resettlement programme for single homeless people under Section 30 of the Jobseekers Act 1995. All of the projects receiving Section 30 funding cater for young people aged 18-25, and 35 per cent. cater for 16-17 year olds.

In the current financial year, over £13.2 million is available in revenue funding to enable projects to operate on a break-even basis and over £5 million in capital to build new hostels or to refurbish existing buildings. This supports over 4,200 bed spaces, with nearly 300 more being developed. Provision has increased in recent years, particularly for women, people under the age of 25 and those with specific problems, such as drugs and alcohol.

The Social Exclusion Unit's report on Rough Sleeping recommended that the Department's resettlement provision for London be combined with provision from other Departments within a new London body, from April this year. It is proposed that the remainder of the Department's resettlement programme be transferred to the programmes of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (principally the Housing Corporation) in England and to the Scottish and Welsh Offices. This better co-ordinated approach is intended to reduce the number of rough sleepers, including young people sleeping rough, by two thirds by 2002.

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This Department is represented on the Ministerial Committee on Rough Sleeping, chaired by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Local Government.

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Pregnant Women

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (a) the benefit arrangements for pregnant women below 18 years of age, (b) the special dietary provisions organised by social services for pregnant women and (c) the criteria for eligibility for (a) and (b). [69668]

Angela Eagle: The information is in the tables.

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Benefits for pregnant women under 18

Benefits Qualifying criteria

Jobseekers Allowance Certain unemployed young people in prescribed groups, such as those at the end of the Child Benefit Extension Period can get JSA, as can those who can demonstrate that they would suffer severe hardship if JSA was not paid. Young people who are estranged from, or living apart from, their parents for good reasons (including the possibility of abuse) are one of the groups who can get JSA while looking for work or training.

Income support Those incapable of work by reason of pregnancy, and those within 11 weeks of their expected week of confinement and up to 7 weeks following the date on which the pregnancy ends;

Social fund maternity payments Awarded to recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance (or, if under 19, be a member of a family where one of these benefits has been awarded) who make the claim within the prescribed time limits

Housing Benefit Young people who live independently and have a liability to pay a commercial rent are entitled to claim Housing Benefit, irrespective of whether they are pregnant. If entitled they will receive the normal under 25 personal allowance (currently £39.85)

Council Tax Benefit As there is no liability for Council Tax from anyone under 18, Council Tax Benefit is not paid to this group

Statutory Maternity Pay (a) that she must have been continuously employed by her employer for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week (the qualifying week) before her expected week of childbirth and to have stopped work for that employer;

(b) that her normal weekly earnings for the period of 8 weeks ending with the qualifying week are not less than the lower earnings limit for the payment of national insurance contributions;

(c) that she is pregnant and has reached or been confined before reaching the start of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth.

Maternity Allowance (a) that she is pregnant and has reached, or has been confined before reaching the start of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth;

(b) that she has been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately preceding the expected week of childbirth;

(c) that she has actual paid employed earners and/or self employed earners national insurance contributions for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately preceding the expected week of childbirth;

(d) that she is not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay for the same week in respect of the same pregnancy.

Benefits	Qualifying criteria
Jobseekers Allowance	Certain unemployed young people in prescribed groups, such as those at the end of the Child Benefit Extension Period can get JSA, as can those who can demonstrate that they would suffer severe hardship if JSA was not paid. Young people who are estranged from, or living apart from, their parents for good reasons (including the possibility of abuse) are one of the groups who can get JSA while looking for work or training.
Income support	Those incapable of work by reason of pregnancy, and those within 11 weeks of their expected week of confinement and up to 7 weeks following the date on which the pregnancy ends;
Social fund maternity payments	Awarded to recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance (or, if under 19, be a member of a family where one of these benefits has been awarded) who make the claim within the prescribed time limits
Housing Benefit	Young people who live independently and have a liability to pay a commercial rent are entitled to claim Housing Benefit, irrespective of whether they are pregnant. If entitled they will receive the normal under 25 personal allowance (currently £39.85)
Council Tax Benefit	As there is no liability for Council Tax from anyone under 18, Council Tax Benefit is not paid to this group
Statutory Maternity Pay	(a) that she must have been continuously employed by her employer for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week (the qualifying week) before her expected week of childbirth and to have stopped work for that employer;
	(b) that her normal weekly earnings for the period of 8 weeks ending with the qualifying week are not less than the lower earnings limit for the payment of national insurance contributions;
	(c) that she is pregnant and has reached or been confined before reaching the start of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth.
Maternity Allowance	(a) that she is pregnant and has reached, or has been confined before reaching the start of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth;
	(b) that she has been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately preceding the expected week of childbirth;
	(c) that she has actual paid employed earners and/or self employed earners national insurance contributions for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately preceding the expected week of childbirth;
	(d) that she is not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay for the same week in respect of the same pregnancy.

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Special dietary provision Qualifying criteria

Welfare foods All pregnant women in families entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker's allowance are entitled to receive milk tokens which may be exchanged for seven pints (or four litres) of cows' milk per week. Vitamin supplements are also available free of charge

Special dietary provision	Qualifying criteria
Welfare foods	All pregnant women in families entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker's allowance are entitled to receive milk tokens which may be exchanged for seven pints (or four litres) of cows' milk per week. Vitamin supplements are also available free of charge

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Pensioners (Benefit Take-up)

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the numbers of pensioners currently receiving (a) housing benefit, (b) council tax benefit and (c) income support. [69817]

Mr. Timms: The information is in the table.

Income support, housing benefit, and council tax benefit pensioner recipients--May 1997

Benefit Thousand

Income Support 1,720

Housing Benefit 1,853

Council Tax Benefit 2,646

Benefit	Thousand
Income Support	1,720
Housing Benefit	1,853
Council Tax Benefit	2,646

Notes:

1. The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit figures have been recently revised and supersede any previously released figures.

2. Figures at May 1997, the latest date for which figures for all three benefits are available.

3. Sample size 5 per cent.

4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

5. Pensioners are defined as single people aged 60 or over, or couples where one or both members is aged 60 or over.

6. Information refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.

7. The information excludes second adult rebate cases.

8. There is an overlap in the figures as many people receive Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

Source:

1. Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 1997.

2. Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample inquiries for recipients with and without Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income-based), taken at the end of May 1997.

At August 1998, the most recent date for which information on Income Support recipients is available, there were 1,651 thousand pensioners receiving Income Support.

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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC Funding Review Panel

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the BBC Funding Review Panel will consider the concession for the blind; and if he will make a statement. [69101]

Janet Anderson: The review panel will consider the concession for blind people together with the other current concessionary arrangements.

Independent Radio Stations

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many independent radio stations catering principally for the Muslim community operate in the United Kingdom. [69060]

Janet Anderson: There are no full term independent local radio stations catering specifically for the interests of the Muslim faith. However, some independent radio stations which provide services for Asian communities, such as Sunrise Radio in Bradford and Asian Sound Radio in East Lancashire, operate in areas with a high Muslim population, and their service is expected to reflect this. In addition, the Radio Authority issues short term Restricted Service Licences which enable stations to broadcast during special events such as religious festivals. I understand the Authority licensed thirteen such short- term services for the most recent Ramadan festival.

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received concerning the running of independent radio stations in the Greater London area; and if he will make a statement. [69061]

Janet Anderson: From time to time, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State receives representations about various aspects of the operation of individual radio stations. These include concerns about programme content and management of the licences. Under the provisions of the Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996, the Radio Authority is responsible for the award and regulation of all independent radio licences in the UK.

Millennium Dome (Catering)

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if applicants for contracts for catering facilities at the Dome were interviewed by a panel which included a person who was not employed by the New Millennium Experience Company; [69085]

(3) what steps were taken by the NMEC to ensure that interviews for catering contracts were conducted by the same panel; [68175]

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(4) what external legal advice was taken by the NMEC before commencing the tenders procedure for catering contracts. [68174]

(5) if all applicants for catering facilities at the Dome were interviewed by the same panel. [67269]

Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) adopted a competitive tendering process for procuring a range of catering services. The NMEC had previously sought general advice from Treasury Solicitors about public procurement rules and regulations to satisfy itself that the processes it was implementing to procure goods, works and services across the project reflected the competitive principles of public sector procurement. The interviewing panel comprised three voting and one independent members. The aim of the panel was to bring the bidders to a position where they were all on an equal footing given that the nature and the content of each bid varied. Consequently, therefore, the questions put to each bidder were framed differently depending on the written material provided by them. Of the three voting members, all were present at all interviews. The independent non-voting members varied and included the NMEC's Deputy Operations Director and the Chair of the NMEC Catering Review Group.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if visitors to the Millennium Dome will be able to purchase food free of Genetically Modified Organisms. [67484]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 25 January 1999]: Visitors to the Millennium Experience at Greenwich will be able to purchase a wide variety of foods including food free of Genetically Modified Organisms.

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what provision there is for (a) Chinese food, (b) halal food and (c) kosher food at the Dome; [68183]

Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company's policy is to provide as wide a range of catering services and food types as possible at the dome recognising the varied tastes which the anticipated 12 million visitors will have. Ethnic cuisine and food meeting some religious needs will be available. Foods from around the world will be showcased in the Global Food Court and elsewhere within the Dome.

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