WAR PENSIONS AGENCY BUSINESS PLAN 1999-2000
Prior Options Review
16. As a Next Steps Agency, the War Pensions
Agency is required to undertake a Prior Options Review of its
Framework Agreement every three to five years. As the Agency was
launched in 1994, it is currently subject to the first of these
reviews to examine the available options for administering the
war pensions scheme for the next five years. The results of this
review will be announced in Autumn 1999 after Ministers have agreed
the findings.[47]
The role of the War Pensions Agency is to inform the review, which
is being conducted independently within the DSS. The Chief Executive
identified the key options that are likely to be addressed:
"In the field we operate
in the likelihood is that they will be considering whether we
could be administered by the Ministry of Defence or by the Benefits
Agency or continue as a separate Agency. I think they are probably
likely to be the three front runners which would receive real
consideration."[48]
17. The Prior Options Review is the source of some
concern among the ex-service community. The National Association
of Far East POW Clubs and Associations told us that they "have
never known War Pensioners to be so worried about their future."[49]
The consensus among the ex-service community is that significant
changes in the administration of war pensions are not yet needed.
BLESMA told us that "there is a very real need to retain
the War Pensions Agency as a 'stand alone' body for the next five
years."[50]
The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society told us that it would "be
unwise to change the present arrangements under which the WPA
operates in a period of anything less than 5 to 10 years."[51]
The Burma Star Association considers that "it should be possible
for War Pensions to remain as a separate Agency for some years
despite the increasing reduction in workloads."[52]
We believe that the War Pensions Agency should be retained
as a 'stand alone' body for at least the next five years. Moreover,
we consider it to be very important that ex-service organisations
should be consulted fully in the course of the Prior Options Review.
18. One of the areas of the Agency's work which will
be examined in the course of the Prior Options Review is the management
of the Ilford Park Polish Home.[53]
The Ilford Park Polish Home is a residential care and nursing
home, managed by the Agency under the terms of the Polish Resettlement
Act 1947. It has evolved into a residential care and nursing home
for elderly Poles and has retained a strong sense of community
and commitment to Polish values and traditions.[54]
Over the course of the year 1998-99 the average occupancy rate
in the Home has been 95 per cent. The War Pensions Agency's memorandum
states that "this will be increasingly difficult to maintain
in the long term because of the diminishing pool of potential
residents and their increasing average age, which is now over
eighty."[55]
We recommend that consideration should be given to hiving off
the administration of the Ilford Park Polish Home, while continuing
to place priority on providing a high level of service to the
residents of the Home and the community that it serves.
47 Ev. p.4, para. 1.19, 1.20. Back
48
Q 73. Back
49
Appendix 8. Back
50
Appendix 4, para. 4. Back
51
Appendix 3, para. 4. Back
52
Appendix 6, para. 4. Back
53
Ev. p.3, para. 1.16; Q74. Back
54
Ev. p.3, para. 1.15. Back
55
Ev. p.3, para. 1.16. Back
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