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SOCIAL SECURITY
Departmental Consultation
Dr. Tony Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the public consultation exercises on policy matters carried out by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; who was
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consulted and by what means; how responses were analysed; how and in what form the results were transmitted to those responsible for the consultation; how the results of the consultation were published; and what analysis has been carried out of the extent and nature of policy changes resulting from the consultation. [106296]
Mr. Rooker:
The Department and its agencies are continually and routinely engaged in consulting the public and external stakeholders on a wide range of policy and other matters, both nationally and locally, and through formal written exercises, as well as more informally.
A list of the main national public consultation exercises on policy matters carried out by the DSS since May 1997 has been placed in the Library. Details of consultation exercises prior to May 1997 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
We are very grateful to the many individuals and organisations which have taken the time to let us have their views during public consultation exercises.
All responses to public consultation exercises are categorised and carefully examined by the relevant policy areas.
The consultation exercises listed cover specific, detailed policy proposals as well as broader aspects of social security policy and the responses served to inform the development of detailed policy.
Mr. Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will make winter fuel payments to men over the age of 60; if men have to claim these payments; and if he will make a statement. [110033]
Angela Eagle:
An announcement on the arrangements will be made soon. We will be able to identify some of those newly eligible for a payment through the benefits systems; however the majority will have to make a claim.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what resources he has made available to the Benefits Agency to expedite the processing of applications by men aged 60 and over for winter fuel allowance; and when application forms will be available to enable claims to be paid in Stoke-on-Trent. [109986]
Angela Eagle:
An announcement on the arrangements will be made soon. To ensure that payments are made accurately and securely to those who are newly eligible, a project team has been set up to deal specifically with winter fuel payments.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will obtain a copy of the report on the research undertaken by the Financial Services Authority into the effect of decision-tree approaches to pension choices; and if he will place it in the Library. [109842]
Mr. Rooker:
We see a key role for decision trees, as part of a package of information, in enabling many of those considering a stakeholder pension scheme to make an informed choice about whether it will be a suitable option for them. We have been working closely with the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which is carrying out
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a three-stage programme of consumer research aimed at developing an effective decision tree. The final stage is currently under way and is due for completion in April. The FSA will be publishing a report of its completed research in due course.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of employees who fall within the target group for stakeholder pensions and who will not be entitled to workplace access to a stakeholder pension because they currently work for a firm with fewer than five employees. [109838]
Mr. Rooker:
We estimate that the exemption for employers with fewer than five employees will mean that around 750,000 employees, from a target group of over five million, will not have an automatic right of access through the workplace. We expect, however, that some employers will voluntarily offer access. Furthermore, those who cannot join a stakeholder pension scheme through the workplace will be able to join a scheme on an individual basis.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what restrictions he proposes on the investment strategies which may be adopted by the managers of stakeholder pension funds. [109840]
Mr. Rooker:
The position for trustees of stakeholder pension schemes is set out in legislation and mirrors the current requirements on trustees of occupational pension schemes. For example, the trustees will have a duty to consider the need for diversification and the suitability of proposed investments, and to take appropriate advice when making investments. They will also have to prepare a statement of investment principles.
Details of the rules applying to schemes run by an authorised scheme manager, as an alternative to a trustee board, including any rules relating to investments, will be announced shortly.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate for each of the 10 financial years after the introduction of the State Second Pension the number of people receiving the State Second Pension; and of these, how many will also be receiving Income Support. [109839]
Mr. Rooker:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
It is not possible to provide precise estimates of the numbers of individuals who will receive the State Second Pension for specific years following its introduction. The table shows very broad brush estimates of the numbers who will benefit from the State Second Pension. These are subject to uncertainty and possible subsequent revision.
Income Support is means-tested and is paid on a benefit unit basis. Therefore, in order to estimate the overlap between those receiving the State Second Pension and Income Support we would need information on the incomes, assets and family circumstances of the State Second Pension recipients for up to 12 years in the future. No sufficiently reliable estimates of all these factors are available to answer this question.
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| Year | Millions |
|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 0.3 |
| 2004-05 | 0.5 |
| 2005-06 | 0.8 |
| 2006-07 | 1.2 |
| 2007-08 | 1.7 |
| 2008-09 | 2.1 |
| 2009-10 | 2.6 |
| 2010-11 | 3.0 |
| 2011-12 | 3.5 |
| 2012-13 | 3.7 |
Notes:
1. The numbers given are the estimated numbers of individuals who will benefit from the State Second Pension at the end of each financial year. For example, with the first year of awards being 2003-04, the entry in the table headed 2003-04 shows the number of beneficiaries after the first full year of awards.
2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 0.1 million.
3. Figures include people who would receive the State Second Pension payments as well as those receiving contracted-out pensions where they have benefited from higher contracted-out rebates than would have applied under SERPS.
4. The figures exclude those higher earning individuals who are contracted-out and whose rebates would be the same under the State Second Pension as under SERPS, since such individuals would not benefit from awards of the State Second Pension, nor would they gain from any increase in contracted-out rebates.
Departmental Initiatives (Grants)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the initiatives launched by his Department since May 1997 under which specific grants are allocated, indicating in each case and for each financial year the funding provided by central Government. [109315]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 10 February 2000]: No formal grants have been awarded by the Department in respect of new initiatives since May 1997 although the Department does make a small number of grants and grants in aid to voluntary organisations and other outside bodies based on specific legislation established before that date.
We are reforming the welfare system to encourage work for those who can and to improve security for those who cannot. In delivering this, the Department is already working locally with a number of outside bodies and is looking to extend the involvement of the voluntary sector as its resources and statutory powers permit, including the establishment of a Children's Fund to help voluntary organisations to do more to eliminate child poverty. For existing local schemes, payment is generally on the basis of remuneration for services provided rather than by direct grant, and information on these arrangements is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Austria (Bilateral Meetings)
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many bilateral meetings were held between his Department and its Austrian counterpart in each of the last five years; and what was discussed at each meeting since May 1997; [109904]
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Angela Eagle:
Routine bilateral contacts at official level between the UK and Austrian Governments regularly take place in the margins of meetings of Council and Commission working groups. No bilateral meetings between my Department and the Austrian Government were specifically arranged during 1995 and 1996. The information for subsequent years is as shown.
(2) if he will list those previously planned meetings, and their subject, between his Department and its Austrian counterpart which have been cancelled since the formation of the new Austrian Government. [109892]
No meetings previously arranged by the Department have been cancelled since the formulation of the new Austrian Government.
September 1997:
DSS officials met their Austrian counterparts as part of a tour of member states in preparation for the UK's forthcoming Presidency on the EU.
February 1998:
My hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley), then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security, met Frau Eleonara Hostach, the then Austrian Minister for Labour Health and Social Affairs. They discussed issues of mutual interest, including the social security agenda of the UK Presidency of the EU and prospects for the forthcoming Austrian Presidency.
June 1998:
Austrian officials met DSS officials to review the EU social security agenda to be handed on from the UK Presidency to the Austrian Presidency.
July 1999:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had a discussion on issues of mutual interest with Frau Hostach in the margins of an informal meeting of EU social affairs ministers convened by the Finnish Presidency.
October 1999:
The Department's Head of International and EU Relations met his Austrian counterpart to review the two Governments' respective positions on current EU social security business.
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