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Sudan
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan concerning the camps which they have set up for people displaced in the civil war in Sudan. [90529]
Mr. Hoon: The return of UK staff to Khartoum, announced on 25 June, will allow us the opportunity to have a dialogue with the Government of Sudan on a whole range of humanitarian issues.
Kosovo
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current security situation in the Kosovo town of Mitrovica. [91231]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: KFOR is tasked with providing robust and even-handed protection for everyone in Kosovo. There has been some tension in Mitrovica where Serbs have tried to keep Kosovo Albanians out of an area of the city. KFOR has been present and escorted a relatively peaceful march through the affected part of the city by 2,000 people on 7 July. Most recently French troops broke up a demonstration on the bridge dividing the two areas on 11 July. KFOR has a strong presence in the area and has kept the situation under control, in line with their mandate under UNSCR 1244 to provide a secure environment for all the people of Kosovo.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) malicious calls and (b) well intended but unfounded calls were made to the Benefit Fraud Hotline in each of the last three years; what was each category as a percentage of the total number of calls; and what was the average cost of investigating each such call. [90448]
Mr. Timms: This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 13 July 1999:
14 Jul 1999 : Column: 260
The Secretary of State has asked Mr. Mathison to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many malicious and well intended but unfounded calls were made to the Benefit Fraud Hotline in the last three years; what was each category as a percentage of the total number of calls; and what was the average cost of investigating each such call. As Mr. Mathison is currently away from the office on annual leave I am replying.
Calls to the Hotline and investigations costs are not collated in the format you have requested. We do not seek to establish the motives and intentions of the caller.
It may be helpful if I explain that from its introduction on 5th August 1996 to March 1999, the Benefit Fraud Hotline has received 550,000 calls. Each case is scrutinised to establish whether a fraud investigation is appropriate. Of the above total 69% have
been referred to the relevant fraud section for further action. Of these, 33% resulted in the reduction, cessation or the identification of an overpayment of benefit. The estimated average benefit staving per call was £218.
The Benefits Agency (BA) does not disclose the results of any investigation to any caller to the Hotline. Our aim is to provide a vehicle by which the public can become involved in protecting the benefits system. The BA believes that the Benefit Fraud Hotline provides a valuable and popular service to the public in helping to reduce the level of fraudulent claims.
I hope that this is helpful.
Savings
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the percentages of households with (a) savings of up to £1,000, (b) savings between £1,000 and £20,000, in bands of £1,000 and (c) savings above £20,000; and if he will give the same data for households where the head of household is between 50 and 65 years. [91053]
Mr. Timms: The information is in the table.
| Capital | Households with a head aged between 50 and 65-years | Total households |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £1,000 | 38 | 48 |
| £1,000 but less than £2,000 | 5 | 6 |
| £2,000 but less than £3,000 | 5 | 5 |
| £3,000 but less than £4,000 | 4 | 4 |
| £4,000 but less than £5,000 | 3 | 3 |
| £5,000 but less than £6,000 | 3 | 3 |
| £6,000 but less than £7,000 | 2 | 2 |
| £7,000 but less than £8,000 | 2 | 2 |
| £8,000 but less than £9,000 | 2 | 2 |
| £9,000 but less than £10,000 | 2 | 1 |
| £10,000 but less than £11,000 | 2 | 1 |
| £11,000 but less than £12,000 | 2 | 1 |
| £12,000 but less than £13,000 | 2 | 1 |
| £13,000 but less than £14,000 | 1 | 1 |
| £14,000 but less than £15,000 | 1 | 1 |
| £15,000 but less than £16,000 | 1 | 1 |
| £16,000 but less than £17,000 | 1 | 1 |
| £17,000 but less than £18,000 | 1 | 1 |
| £18,000 but less than £19,000 | 1 | 1 |
| £19,000 but less than £20,000 | 1 | 1 |
| £20,000 or more | 22 | 14 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Notes:
1. The estimates are based on sample counts which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for region, Council Tax band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.
2. It should be noted that questions on assets are a sensitive part of the FRS questionnaire and have relatively low level of response, and hence a higher level of imputation compare to other parts of the survey. Responses are imputed in around 1 in 10 cases. Past evidence has suggested some under reporting of capital by respondents, and figures for income from these sources for pensioners are lower on the FRS compared to other surveys such as the Family Expenditure Survey.
3. In the 1997-98 Family Resources Survey the head of the household is classified using standard procedures:
In a household containing only husband, wife and children under 16 (and boarders) the husband is always the head of the household.
Similarly, when a couple have been recorded as living together/cohabiting the male partner is treated as the head of the household.
14 Jul 1999 : Column: 261
Social Security Administration (Scotland)
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Cunningham) of 6 July 1999, Official Report, columns 506-07, if his estimate assumed that (a) a separate Scottish system would require the provision of new buildings or (b) a separate Scottish system would be denied access to existing computer systems; and if he will make a statement. [90926]
Mr. Timms: No detailed assessment has been made of the costs of administering the Social Security system separately in Scotland. The estimate of £600 million in my previous reply, 6 July 1999, Official Report, columns 506-07, was based on assumptions which were made about the apportionment of the Department's central and fixed costs which include these elements.
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the procedural steps for assessing eligibility, reviewing, appealing and making payment of (a) child support allowance, (b) housing benefit, (c) council tax benefit and (d) income support; and which of the offices of his Department and its agencies in Scotland handle each of these steps. [90866]
Mr. Timms: Applications for Child Support in Scotland are administered from the Child Support Agency Centre in Falkirk. Details of the procedure for applying for child maintenance and for review of assessment and appeals are set out in the booklet CSA 2008 "A guide to child support maintenance".
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are administered by Local Authorities, or in some cases Scottish Homes in respect of Housing Benefit only. The procedural steps on a claim, including those for assessment, reviews, appeals and payments, are set out in the booklet RR2 "A guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit".
Eligibility to Income Support is assessed and payments are made in each local office of Benefits Agency in Scotland. The steps involved are set out in the booklet IS20, "A guide to Income Support". All aspects of appeals are handled by the Independent Tribunal Service.
Copies of all these documents are in the Library.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Cunningham) of 6 July 1999, Official Report, columns 506-07, what were the total fixed costs for his Department in the UK; and if he will provide a breakdown by category of these costs for (a) his Department and (b) each relevant agency. [90928]
14 Jul 1999 : Column: 262
Mr. Timms:
The information is not available in the format requested. The costs of administering the Department and its agencies are set out in the Social Security Departmental Report 1999-2000 (Cm 4214).
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