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Millennium Landmark Projects
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) which millennium landmark projects have undergone changes from the original approved scheme; which schemes were involved; and what changes have been made; [81605]
(2) how many millennium landmark projects have had significant elements removed from the original approved scheme; and which elements have been lost. [81604]
Mr. Chris Smith:
These are matters for the Millennium Commission. I shall reply to the hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.
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People's Panel
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list (a) what items of research have been commissioned from the People's Panel by Government (i) departments, (ii) agencies and (iii) non-departmental public bodies, (b) their purposes and (c) their cost. [80690]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The following is the information:
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| Department | Purpose | Cost (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Office | Collection of baseline data on public services, which will be used for tracking | 221,900 |
| Cabinet Office | Second wave of research (3,000 telephone interviews) into attitudes to a wide range of services, with a particular focus on transport, local democracy and complaints handling | 89,000 |
| Women's Unit Cabinet Office | To complement the Ministerial Roadshow element of the Listening to Women exercise which aims to identify issues of importance to women. (24 focus groups) | 63,800 |
| Cabinet Office | To collect the experiences of citizens using public services to evaluate how well Departments and agencies work together to deliver a joined-up service, and identify suggestions for improvement. The work was commissioned as part of the research for the Modernising Government White Paper. (14 depth interviews) | 12,750 |
| DfEE | To investigate parents' attitudes to value added information in school performance tables (6 focus groups) | 12,400 |
| Office of Science and Technology, DTI | To explore public attitudes to biosciences regulatory system (1,000 face-to-face interviews)--research not yet complete | 90,000 |
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A third wave of qualitative research has also been commissioned (the results of which will be published in July) comprising:
SOCIAL SECURITY
Motability Scheme
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was the total expenditure on the Motability scheme in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [81397]
- (2) how many manufacturers supplied vehicles under the Motability scheme in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [81399]
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(3) how many vehicles were bought under the Motability scheme in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [81398]
(4) what is the maximum amount of money available to a claimant under the Motability scheme to assist in the purchase of a vehicle. [81400]
Mr. Bayley:
The information is in the tables.
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| 1994-95 outturn | 1995-96 outturn | 1996-97 outturn | 1997-98 outturn | £ million 1998-99 estimated outturn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motability Administration | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Motability Equipment/Drivers Fund | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Total Motability Expenditure | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Note: Figures rounded to the nearest million. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
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| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 20 |
| 1995 | 20 |
| 1996 | 23 |
| 1997 | 25 |
| 1998 | 27 |
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 90,125 |
| 1995 | 105,025 |
| 1996 | 125,529 |
| 1997 | 137,509 |
| 1998 | 132,698 |
The maximum amount of money available to a claimant under the Motability scheme to assist in the purchase of a vehicle is the weekly amount of the benefits which allow access to the Scheme. These are £41.25 and £37.00 for War Pensioners Mobility Supplement and the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance respectively. Also, grants are available from Motability's charitable funds along with the Mobility Equipment Fund and Drivers Fund. There vary in amount from small sums to pay for initial deposits and grants of over £30,000 depending on the type of driving solution recommended by Motability. In respect of grants, Motability does ask its customers to contribute as much as they reasonably can towards the cost of their vehicle.
Reduced Earnings Allowance
Mr. John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants are awaiting the determination of appeals against loss of reduced earnings allowance. [81427]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested as the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS) do not record the reason for appeals against different benefit types. Such information as is available is as follows.
The latest available figures show that as at October 1998, the total number of appeals involving Reduced Earnings Allowance awaiting hearing was 2,618.
Source:
100 per cent. computer extract from the ITS Generic Appeals Processing System (GAPS).
Post Office (Bar-code Scanners)
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the installation of bar-code scanners for girocheques in post offices is a term of the Department's contract with the Post Office. [81696]
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Angela Eagle:
The installation of bar-code scanners in post offices is not a term of the Department's contracts with Post Office Counters Ltd. (POCL), nor is it a term of the Department's contract with Girobank plc who, in turn, contract with POCL for the encashment of girocheques at post offices.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the most recent estimates of the average incomes of pensioners in OECD countries as a proportion of average earnings. [81733]
Mr. Timms:
The information is not available.
Kosovo Refugees
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to take steps to enable refugees from Kosovo to accept temporary work on the land in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [81566]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
Evacuees from Kosovo who arrive in the United Kingdom under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Humanitarian Evacuation Programme will be granted exceptional leave to enter and, as a consequence, permitted to take employment immediately. In common with asylum applicants of other nationalities, those from Kosovo who have arrived independently in the United Kingdom will be entitled to seek permission to take employment if they have been waiting for a decision on their case for six months.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many refugees from Kosovo she expects will be given shelter in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [81564]
Mr. Straw:
I have been asked to reply.
The primary aim of the Government is to care for refugees in the region, and to facilitate their return to Kosovo. We are working together with our European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation partners and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
We have long made clear that we stand ready to respond to requests for UNHCR to take vulnerable refugees from Kosovo on a temporary basis. We have agreed with UNHCR that any recommendations for evacuation from the region should be co-ordinated through the office of the UNHCR.
I announced on 20 April that arrangements had been agreed for the admission of 120 evacuees, mainly women and children, expected in the next few days. This decision was made following advice from UNHCR that the refugees were deemed to be vulnerable and in need of temporary protection outside the region.
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