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Mortgage Interest
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 November 1999, Official Report, column 310, if in response to his Department continuing to make payments direct to lenders, lenders have undertaken under the 1991 agreement to continue not to take possession; and if the agreement relates only to cases where income support covers 100 per cent. of the mortgage interest. [98191]
Mr. Bayley:
The payment of mortgage interest direct to lenders clearly reduces significantly the number of people who will fall into arrears or increase arrears that they might have had before they claimed Income Support
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Mortgage Interest. The Code of Mortgage Lending practice produced by the lending industry clearly states that people with arrears will be considered sympathetically and positively.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of vehicles used by his Department and its agencies fuelled by (a) petrol, (b) diesel and (c) liquid petroleum gas; and what plans he has to increase the rate of conversion of those vehicles to liquid petroleum gas. [98203]
Mr. Bayley:
The Department has a fleet of 2,849 vehicles of which 506 are fuelled with petrol, 2,287 with diesel and 56 with liquid petroleum gas (LPG). There are currently 15 LPG cars on order and it is departmental policy to replace all 'pool cars' primarily operating in urban areas or other Air Quality Management Areas with diesel-fuelled LPG cars when they become due for replacement.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to set targets for the recycling of waste (a) paper, (b) cardboard, (c) glass, (d) metal, (e) plastic and (f) other products created by his Department and its agencies; and if he will make a statement. [98229]
Mr. Bayley:
The Department's approach to waste management should help us to achieve the Green Ministers' target for Government Departments of recovering a minimum of 40 per cent. of total office waste, with at least 25 per cent. of that recovery coming from recycling or composting, in 2000-01.
To date the following targets have been established:
Mr. Browne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was the percentage withdrawal of benefit following all work test referrals and examinations at each Benefits Agency office in Scotland for each month in (a) 1998 and (b) 1999 up to the latest available month; and how many appeals against withdrawal of benefit and what percentage of such appeals were successful; [98413]
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Mr. Bayley:
I will write to my hon. Friend.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will define the category of individuals classified as credits only in his quarterly incapacity benefit statistics; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the increased size of this group since 1995. [98278]
Mr. Bayley:
Incapacity Benefit is payable to people who satisfy both the test of incapacity for the purposes of benefit entitlement and the relevant National Insurance contribution conditions. Where a person satisfies the test of incapacity but does not meet the contribution conditions, they are not entitled to Incapacity Benefit but can be awarded National Insurance credits (and may also be eligible for Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity). Such cases are known as "Credits Only" cases.
The number of Credits Only cases has been increasing steadily since the contribution conditions were changed in 1988. The continued increase is likely to be the result of a number of social and economic factors, including changes in patterns of working.
Mr. Winnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters his Department has received about his proposals on incapacity benefit; and how many of these were (a) in favour of and (b) against the proposals. [98148]
Mr. Bayley:
The information is not available in the format requested.
We have received around 800 letters about the Incapacity Benefit changes. Around 600 of these were from Members of Parliament and around 200 were from members of the public. There is no comprehensive record of the total number received by the Department as a whole on the subject, or of the breakdown between those in favour or those against the changes.
In addition, the Department received a total of 342 responses as part of the consultation exercise on the proposals for disability reform held earlier this year. A list of those organisations and academics who responded to the Welfare Reform Green Paper, excluding those who requested confidentiality, has been placed in the House Library. The Department has also placed a summary of responses in the Library.
Mr. Curry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the communications addressed to local authorities by his Department on the administration of housing benefit since 1 January. [98299]
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Angela Eagle:
Details of the circulars issued by the Department to local authorities on the adjudication and operation of Housing Benefit are as follows.
Recycling of "Confidential Waste" paper--target 100 per cent.--at present 75 per cent. is being achieved.
Recycling of glass from spent fluorescent tubes--target 100 per cent.--which is being achieved.
Plans are being developed to site bottle banks for both departmental and domestic glass recycling on DSS sites. Target--to site banks on 10 per cent. of sites within 12 months.
Recycling facilities for metal waste from drink cans already exists at a number of sites. Target--to cover 10 per cent. of sites within 12 months.
Targets for the recycling of carpets and of toner cartridges are being investigated.
In addition, an Environmental Management System (EMS) is being introduced at the large DSS site at Peel Park, Preston, and a further six sites have been identified for development of EMSs from next year.
(2) what the percentage success rate was for applications for incapacity benefit at each Benefits Agency office in Scotland in each month in (a) 1998 and (b) 1999 up to the latest available month; how many appeals there were against refusals: and what percentage of such appeals was successful. [98412]
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