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Salmon Freshwater Fisheries
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the report of the independent Salmon Freshwater Fisheries Review Group will be published. [114309]
Mr. Morley: I am pleased to announce that the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group's report is being published today. The group has carried out a very thorough and wide ranging examination of salmon and freshwater fisheries policy and legislation in England and Wales. We now intend to seek the views of interested parties; the consultation period will run until 31 July 2000. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefit Claims
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants have been denied access to any benefits for each month of (a) 1999 and (b) the current year to date. [110486]
Ms Jowell [holding answer 21 February 2000]: I have been asked to reply.
Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. Leigh Lewis to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn dated 9 March 2000:
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The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your question about the number of claimants who have been denied access to any benefits after failing to attend an Employment Service advisory interview. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.
Information on the numbers and types of decisions given by Employment Service Decision Makers on labour market questions are recorded quarterly rather than monthly, and published in the 'Analysis of Sector Decision Making' (formerly known as the 'Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions'), copies of which are held in the House of Commons Library. The most recent publication is for the quarter ending 30 September 1999.
For each quarter in the calendar year 1999, the numbers of jobseekers whose entitlement to Jobseeker's Allowance ceased as a result of failing to attend an Employment Service advisory interview are as follows:
| Quarter ending | Number |
|---|---|
| 31 March 1999 | 29,335 |
| 30 June 1999 | 31,400 |
| 30 September 1999 | 35,189 |
Information for the quarter ending December 1999 will be published by 31 March 2000 and lodged with the Library.
I hope this is helpful.
Unclaimed Benefits
Mr. Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the number of people in the Elmet constituency aged over 60 years who are not claiming benefit to which they are entitled. [113416]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available. It is not possible to produce reliable estimates of numbers not claiming their entitlement at constituency level.
Pensions
Mr. Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the compensation and general levies payable under the Pension Schemes Act 1993 by occupational and personal pension schemes. [114334]
Mr. Rooker: I am pleased to announce that the rate of the Compensation Levy will remain unchanged at a maximum of 23 pence per member for the third year in a row and that it will not be necessary to raise a Compensation Levy in 2000-01.
Regulations are being laid today for the General Levy that will increase rates for most pension schemes from 1 April 2000 with the exception of occupational schemes with 6,604 or more members. Rates for these schemes have been frozen at their present levels for the coming year. The rates for 2000-01 are shown in the table.
The General Levy covers the costs of the bodies that safeguard the rights of pension scheme members or provide them with help, advice and information. These bodies are the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra), the Pensions Ombudsman, the Pensions Advisory Service and the Pension Schemes Registry. It is essential that these bodies have the resources necessary to meet their continuing and new responsibilities so that all scheme members' interests are properly protected.
The increase in the General Levy rates for most, but not all, occupational pension schemes reflects that the biggest schemes generate little work for Opra, and have not contributed to the steady increase in the number of cases referred to them or to the complexity of the issues with which they deal. The new rates for personal pension
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schemes reflect that Opra's regulatory functions are extended to those schemes and to Stakeholder pension schemes by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999.
| Scheme size | Amount per member | Minimum payment per scheme(7) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Number of members) | Basis | (£) | (£) |
| Occupation Pension Schemes | |||
| 2 to 11 | £12 per scheme | -- | -- |
| 12 to 99 | Per member | 1.25 | -- |
| 100 to 999 | Per member | 0.90 | 125 |
| 1,000 to 4,999 | Per member | 0.70 | 900 |
| 5,000 to 9,999 | Per member | 0.53 | 3,500 |
| 10,000 or more | Per member | 0.37 | 5,300 |
| Personal Pension Schemes | |||
| 2 to 11 | £5.20 per scheme | -- | -- |
| 12 to 99 | Per member | 0.50 | -- |
| 100 to 999 | Per member | 0.35 | 50 |
| 1,000 to 4,999 | Per member | 0.30 | 350 |
| 5,000 to 9,999 | Per member | 0.20 | 1,500 |
| 10,000 or more | Per member | 0.15 | 2,000 |
(7) Minimum payments ensure that schemes in the lower bands do not pay more overall than those in the higher bands.
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to consult on draft regulations on employer payments to personal pensions and stakeholder pensions. [114332]
Mr. Rooker: We are today issuing a consultation document containing draft regulations on employer payments to personal pensions and stakeholder pensions.
The new requirements represent a major change for both insurance companies and employers. The consultation document contains a full description of the new arrangements. We want to alert employers and insurance companies now so that they can start planning for the new regime, which we plan to bring into force in April 2001.
An important part of our pension reforms is that people should have greater confidence in private pensions. Regulations require deductions from pay to be paid by employers to occupational pension schemes within set deadlines. Today's draft regulations extend this requirement to personal pensions and stakeholder pensions.
Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he plans to make to the all work test in Incapacity Benefits. [114333]
Mr. Bayley:
We are laying regulations today which, together with regulations made in November (The Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1999), give effect to the changes to the All Work Test which were introduced by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act.
The All Work Test provides an assessment of the effect of a person's medical condition on their functional abilities, to determine whether they reach the threshold at which it is appropriate to pay incapacity benefits rather than to treat them as unemployed. It is a negative test in that it currently looks only at people's incapacities and
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not at why they are able to do despite their illness or disability. The very name gives the wrong impression that people who reach the benefit threshold are unfit to do any work. But many sick and disabled people already work, and many more want to and may be able to, given the right encouragement and support.
From 3 April 2000 the All Work Test will be replaced by the Personal Capability Assessment. The threshold for entitlement to incapacity benefits, and the way that incapacity is assessed will not change in any way. But the doctor who advises the decision maker will also be able to prepare a Capability Report, with positive and constructive advice on what the person can do despite their incapacity and on measures such as workplace adaptations which might help them to work. This report will not be seen by the benefit decision maker but will go to Personal Advisers, to help them and their clients plan a return to employment.
As part of the ONE pilots, our doctors are already providing Capability Reports in appropriate cases. The process was trialled successfully last summer. We aim to extend the use of Capability Reports as we gain experience through the pilots and as Personal Adviser services are expanded.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the pilot areas for enhanced medical assessment for incapacity benefits in respect of incapability information; and on what basis they were selected. [113046]
Mr. Bayley:
From 3 April, the All Work Test for incapacity benefits will be replaced by the Personal Capability Assessment. This will continue to determine benefit entitlement in exactly the same way as now but will also allow the doctor who assesses a person's incapacity to prepare a separate Capability Report with positive information on what they can do despite their medical condition and on measures such as workplace adaptations that might enable them to return to employment.
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