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Media Releases
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the average cost of issuing a media release from his Department in the last 12 months. [108891]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 8 February 2000]: The average cost of issuing media release in 1999 was £194.
Minimum Wage (Northern Ireland)
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the application of the minimum wage in Northern Ireland. [107696]
Mr. Michael J. Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the impact of the minimum wage in Northern Ireland. [107681]
Mr. Alan Johnson: The national minimum wage helps eradicate in-work poverty, in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Latest Office for National Statistics figures indicate that some 20,000 low-paid workers in Northern Ireland had already benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage at the time of implementation (March-May 1999). We asked the independent Low Pay Commission to report on the impact of the introduction of the minimum wage and the Commission's report, with the Government's response, will be published shortly.
EU Structural Funds (Northern Ireland)
Judy Mallaber:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultation he has held relating to the future of EU structural funds allocated to Northern Ireland. [107682]
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Dr. Howells:
Throughout the negotiations on the new European Structural Funds Regulation my Department consulted with Ministers and officials of the Department of Finance and Personnel, Northern Ireland.
Following the special deal agreed for Northern Ireland at the Berlin European Council, the Department of Finance and Personnel consulted my officials on their Structural Funds Plan, which was lodged with the Commission on 15 November 1999. Negotiations with the Commission on a new Community Support Framework are expected to begin soon.
A public consultation was held to determine the United Kingdom's new eligible areas for Objective 2 European Funding. The consultation document was issued jointly on behalf of several Government Departments, one of which was the Department of Finance and Personnel, Northern Ireland.
Mr. Pound:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on low pay in Northern Ireland. [107698]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
We introduced the national minimum wage and the Working Families Tax Credit to help eradicate low pay and lift workers out of in-work poverty, in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Latest Office for National Statistics figures indicate that some 20,000 low-paid workers in Northern Ireland had already benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage at the time of implementation (March-May 1999). We estimate that some 50,000 working families in Northern Ireland have benefited from the Working Families Tax Credit. Latest Office for National Statistics figures indicate that some 20,000 low-paid workers in Northern Ireland had already benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage at the time of implementation (March-May 1999).
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of people moving from income support to (a) family credit and (b) working families tax credit who face combined marginal rates of taxation and benefit withdrawal of more than 100 per cent. as a result of the loss of income support for mortgage costs. [108762]
Mr. Bayley:
The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have paid both Class 1 and Class 2 National Insurance contributions towards SERPS in the last full year for which figures are available. [108004]
Mr. Rooker:
Around 275,000 people accrued entitlement to additional pension under SERPS as a result of paying a combination of Class 1 and Class 2 contributions in 1996-97, the latest year for which figures are available. 1
9 Feb 2000 : Column: 210W
Assuming a similar number for the current year, we estimate that some 68,000 of these individuals may be affected by our proposals to base entitlement to the State Second Pension solely on Class 1 contributions. While we have no information about the level of their earnings from self-employment, we estimate that 18,000 of these will have Class 1 earnings in excess of £18,000.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 21 December 1999, Official Report, columns 541-42W, what restrictions were placed on contractors carrying out research projects funded by his Department in 1999 in respect of them discussing their findings with journalists (a) before and (b) after publication. [108202]
Mr. Rooker:
Dissemination of social research findings commissioned as part of the Department's research programme is governed by the standard conditions for research grants. These state:
The Department's Communications Directorate contracts its research work through the Central Office of Information (COI). The COI contract specifically states that
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what changes to Housing Benefit have been proposed by the Housing Benefit Simplification and Improvement Project; and what plans he has to implement them; [108614]
Angela Eagle:
The Housing Benefit Simplification and Improvement Project was set up with local authority representatives to look at ways of simplifying and improving the delivery of Housing Benefit. The work of the project is being carried forward in a number of ways, including initiatives in this year's spending review. The planned Housing Green Paper will also address issues highlighted by the project work. There are no plans to publish a report of the project.
9 Feb 2000 : Column: 211W
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what comparative research his Department has undertaken into the performance standards of local authority housing benefit administration and that provided by private sector contractors; [108987]
Angela Eagle:
The Department has not undertaken comparative studies of the performance standards of local authorities' administration of Housing Benefit and that provided by private sector contractors.
The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate will collect information on standards of administration across all authorities in the course of its inspection cycle. No advice has been offered to authorities specifically on how to deal with private providers who fail to achieve agreed performance standards as these are matters for local decision in the light of available evidence. However, in August 1998, the Department issued to all local authorities good practice guidance on the preparation of Housing Benefit administration for competitive tendering.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will assess the benefits of removing scrutiny of the effectiveness of housing benefit administration from the remit of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate and setting up a separate agency to focus on aspects other than fraud. [108985]
Angela Eagle:
We attach great importance to there being a comprehensive end-to-end review of local authorities' Housing Benefit operations in which the effectiveness of both benefit administration and counter- fraud work are complementary factors in the assessment of overall performance.
Source:
1 Lifetime Labour Market Database
"Any publication of research material . . . is subject to the prior consent of the Secretary of State which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld" (para 12.2).
Publication refers not only to reports but also includes any oral presentation (para 1--Interpretation). Once published, the Department actively promotes the dissemination of its research.
"the Contractor shall not reproduce, publish or supply any such material to any party other than COI without the prior written approval of COI".
COI would not give that permission without first consulting us. We would not normally give that permission before the results had been published. After publication, in most cases we would ask researchers if they are contacted by journalists to refer them to the Department's Press Office.
(2) on what date he will publish the report of the Housing Benefit Simplification and Improvement Project. [108605]
(2) what advice is offered by his Department to local authorities on dealing with private sector providers of housing benefit administration services which fail to achieve agreed performance standards. [108986]
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