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SERPS
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a breakdown for each of the next 20 financial years of the estimated cost of (a) his proposed deferral until October 2002 of the cuts in widows' SERPS and (b) his proposed preserved rights scheme. [115527]
Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.
| Year | Cost of deferral | Illustrative scheme costs assuming 30 per cent. reduction in expenditure that would otherwise have occurred |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 60 | 0 |
| 2001 | 160 | 0 |
| 2002 | 260 | 0 |
| 2003 | 270 | 40 |
| 2004 | 260 | 70 |
| 2005 | 260 | 110 |
| 2006 | 250 | 150 |
| 2007 | 240 | 190 |
| 2008 | 240 | 220 |
| 2009 | 230 | 260 |
| 2010 | 220 | 300 |
| 2011 | 210 | 330 |
| 2012 | 200 | 370 |
| 2013 | 200 | 410 |
| 2014 | 190 | 440 |
| 2015 | 180 | 470 |
| 2016 | 170 | 500 |
| 2017 | 160 | 530 |
| 2018 | 150 | 560 |
| 2019 | 140 | 590 |
| 2020 | 130 | 610 |
Notes:
1. Estimates of gross SERPS are provided by the Government Actuary's Department in 1999-2000 prices, rounded to the nearest £10 million.
2. In order to produce long-term estimates, the figures are based on those used in the Government Actuary's Department's latest quinquennial review.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if his proposal to give preserved rights to those who were given incomplete information about their widow's SERPS entitlement will include those who were given no information. [115526]
Mr. Rooker: I refer the hon. Member to the statement my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State made on 15 March 2000, Official Report, columns 307-21.
Stakeholder Pensions
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his targets are for the number of people taking out stakeholder pensions; over what time-scale this is set; and how many such people he expects to be people who do not currently have a pension. [114990]
Mr. Rooker:
The Department's targets will be set out in the Public Service Agreement covering the period from April 2001 to March 2004. It will be published later this year.
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 457W
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much of the budget for the exceptional hardship payment scheme was (a) spent, (b) unspent and (c) retained by local authorities in each year since it was introduced. [115310]
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 458W
Angela Eagle:
The exceptional hardship payments scheme was introduced from 1995-96. The amounts spent and unspent from the local government contributions to the exceptional hardship payments schemes are in the table. The amount that is unspent is retained by local authorities, and therefore, for part (c) of the question the amounts are as shown in the third line of the table.
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 457W
| 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government contribution | 2.50 | 18.25 | 18.25 | 20.00 | 20.00 |
| Amount spent | 0.10 | 3.13 | 6.42 | 7.49 | (8)-- |
| Amount unspent | 2.40 | 15.12 | 11.83 | 12.51 | (8)-- |
(8) Not yet known
Source:
1995-96 to 1998-99 Housing Benefit Subsidy claim forms from Local Authorities
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 457W
Housing Benefit
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the DETR/DSS publication, Housing Benefits and the Private Rented Sector, concerning (a) the availability of private rented accommodation for people aged under 25 years, (b) the ability of people aged under 25 years to negotiate lower rents and (c) the impact of the single room rent restriction; [115305]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the DETR/DSS report, "Housing Benefit and the Private Rented Sector", on the average weekly difference between rents charged and housing benefit paid to people under 25 years affected by the single room rent restriction. [115306]
Angela Eagle: The findings of the report concluded that the single room rent restriction is causing difficulties for some young people under 25 years in accessing and maintaining accommodation. We are considering the future of the single room rent as part of our wider review of housing. We will be taking account of all the available research which will include the localised reports we received from a variety of organisations on the effects of the single room rent.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of people aged under 25 years affected by the single room rent restriction who have successfully applied for an exceptional hardship payment. [115309]
Angela Eagle: We do not collect statistical information on the number of single people aged under 25 years affected by the single room rent restriction who have successfully applied for an exceptional hardship payment. However, research done in 1997 showed that overall 3 per cent. of a sample of tenants affected by the Single Room Rent and Local Reference Rent restrictions interviewed in the survey had successfully applied for and received exceptional hardship payments.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single pensioners claiming housing benefit live in accommodation comprising two bedrooms or more. [114988]
Angela Eagle:
The information requested is not available.
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 458W
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the impact of the single room rent restriction for people aged under 25 years. [115308]
Angela Eagle:
Representations about the impact of the single room rent (SRR) provision for under 25-year-olds have been received from hon. Members, members of the public and a variety of voluntary and charitable organisations. The representations we have received from voluntary organisations and others suggest that the single room rent restriction is causing localised difficulties for some young people under 25 years in that the accommodation to which the restriction relates is not readily available.
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of calls received by the Benefit Fraud Hotline in each month since January 1999. [114987]
| Calendar month | Calls answered 1999 | Calls answered 2000 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 13,925 | 14,272 |
| February | 13,798 | 19,285 |
| March | 16,901 | -- |
| April | 11,996 | -- |
| May | 11,303 | -- |
| June | 13,415 | -- |
| July | 10,491 | -- |
| August | 10,336 | -- |
| September | 12,971 | -- |
| October | 9,291 | -- |
| November | 14,683 | -- |
| December | 10,906 | -- |
Sick Notes
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health about sick notes signed by doctors for those on long-term sick leave. [114989]
Mr. Bayley:
There have been no such discussions.
20 Mar 2000 : Column: 459W
Home Affairs Research and
Statistics Directorate
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the titles of projects (a) undertaken and (b) completed by the Home Affairs Research and Statistics Directorate in the past six months, indicating which have been published and how their findings have otherwise been made available. [114647]
Mr. Straw: I have placed a table in the Library providing the information requested.
In addition to publication, Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate findings are available on the Home Office website and may also be referred to at seminars and conferences. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris) on 9 February 2000, Official Report, columns 164-65W, concerning the Department's policy for releasing research reports.
Fire Authorities
Mr. Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate means of rationalisation of the system for funding fire authorities in metropolitan authorities, county councils and combined fire authorities. [114912]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is leading a fundamental review of local government finance, which is being carried out in partnership with local authorities. The review is looking at the distribution of revenue support grant for all local authority services, including the fire service, to investigate whether there is a way of distributing the grant which is simpler, more stable and fairer than the present arrangements. The review is also considering options for improving and simplifying the local authority capital finance system. The aim is to publish a Green Paper in the summer.
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