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Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which projects relating to his Department that appeared in the Private Finance Panel's list of 29 November 1995 (a) have been completed, (b) are still pending, (c) have been dropped and (d) are being pursued by means other than a public private partnership. [105872]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 24 January 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer from my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 January 2000, Official Report, columns 117-18W.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what powers are available to the Child Support Agency to investigate and take action against elected members or former elected members of local authorities who withhold details of attendance allowances and other allowances in their disclosure of financial details on which the level of child support is determined; and if he will make a statement. [106470]
Angela Eagle: It is not right that some parents can seek to avoid their maintenance obligation by failing to provide information to the Child Support Agency (CSA) or by providing the wrong information.
Two new criminal offences are being introduced in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill which is currently before Parliament. The offences apply to
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anyone who fails to provide information or gives false information to the CSA, there is a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction.
Local authority councillors are treated as being employed by Local authorities. Flat-rate allowances and attendance allowances paid to local authority councillors are therefore treated as earnings for child support purposes.
Where the CSA receives an allegation that a non-resident parent is not declaring his full earnings they will contact his employer direct for the information. If details of the earnings are still not forthcoming, an inspector may be sent out to obtain them. If it were established that a councillor had deliberately withheld information about attendance or other allowances, a prosecution under the proposed new powers would certainly be considered. The Agency already has powers to pursue and enforce any arrears of maintenance which may become due.
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when male pensioners over the age of 60 years will be paid winter fuel allowance. [106921]
Mr. Hogg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) for what reason no winter fuel payments have to made to male claimants aged between 60 and 65 years following the decision of the European Court; [106795]
Angela Eagle:
I refer my hon. Friend and the right hon. and learned Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Dr. Brand) on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 81W.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reason he chose not to introduce home responsibilities protection into SERPs for carers and disabled people from April 1999. [106845]
Mr. Rooker:
The pension needs of carers and disabled people are being met through the State Second Pension, for which legislation is currently being considered by Parliament.
Mr. Ashdown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received about the planned April 2000 uprating of the state pension; how many of these are (a) in favour and (b) not in favour of the uprating; and if he will make a statement. [106739]
Mr. Rooker:
Around 5,000 letters were received up to 19 January regarding the April 2000 uprating of the State Pension. Only the subject of each inquiry is recorded, so the specific information requested is not available. Two early-day motions have been tabled, and several petitions, including newspaper campaigns, received. These claimed that the increase was inadequate.
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Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many more people would receive a state second pension if the child care qualification was amended to include individuals paid child benefit for children under (a) eight, (b) 10, (c) 12, (d) 14 years and (e) 16 years assuming retirement in (i) 2005, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2015, (iv) 2025 and (v) 2047; [106848]
Mr. Rooker:
The number of additional people who would be brought into State Second Pension by the suggested changes is likely to be negligible.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the annual cost of restoring benefits to 16 and 17-year-olds in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland. [106668]
Angela Eagle:
We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to achieve their potential. That is why our aim is to engage 16 and 17-year-olds in education, training or work with training, rather than starting their adult lives dependent on the benefits system.
Departments are working together to develop and implement the proposals in the Government White Paper, "Learning to Succeed", and the Social Exclusion Unit's report, "Bridging the Gap", which are aimed at supporting young people in making a successful transition from childhood to adult life.
The estimated cost of restoring full entitlement to Social Security benefits to 16 to 17-year-olds in Great Britain would be £100 million per annum, at present rates for the under 18s. The equivalent cost for Scotland would be in the order of £10 million per annum. These costs do not make any allowance for possible changes in labour market behaviour as a result of these changes.
The figures refer to Great Britain and Scotland. For information about Northern Ireland I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the impact on the level of benefit payments of setting the minimum wage for young people at £3.60 per hour. [106670]
Mr. Bayley:
It is estimated that expenditure on departmental benefits will decrease by £15 million if the minimum wage for young people is increased from
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£3.00 per hour currently to £3.60 per hour. This assumes there are no secondary effects on employment or wages.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the impact on the level of benefit payments of maintaining the minimum wage at its present level. [106669]
Mr. Bayley:
It is estimated that the cost to the Social Security budget of maintaining the minimum wage at its present level is £10 million at 2000-01 prices.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the impact on each benefit payable to those in paid employment of a national minimum wage of (a) £3.80 and (b) £4.00 for the next financial year. [107144]
(2) when he plans to start making winter fuel payments to male claimants between 60 and 65 years of age, pursuant to the decision of the European Court. [106794]
(2) how many more people would be recipients of the state second pension if he aligned the rules for home responsibilities protection for the state second pension with those that currently apply to the basic state pension taking (a) 2005, (b) 2010, (c) 2015, (d) 2025 and (e) 2047 as the year at retirement. [106849]
Notes:
1. Based on data taken from the 1997-98 Family Resources Survey.
2. Rounded to the nearest £10 million.
Notes:
1. Estimates based on 1996-97 Family Resources Survey data, uprated to 2000-01 prices and benefit rates.
2. Estimates rounded to the nearest £5 million. This covers Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit only.
Notes:
1. Estimates based on 1996-97 Family Resources Survey data, uprated to 2000-01 prices and benefit rates.
2. Estimates rounded to the nearest £5 million.
| £3.80 | £4.00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Income Support/JSA(IB) | -15 | -30 |
| Housing Benefit | -25 | -50 |
| Council Tax Benefit | -5 | -10 |
| Total | -50 | -90 |
Notes:
1. Estimates based on 1996-97 Family Resources Survey data, uprated to 2000-01 prices and benefit rates.
2. Estimates rounded to the nearest £5 million. Totals may not add up owing to rounding.
3. Estimates assume no secondary effects on employment or wages.
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