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Police (Lancashire)
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the latest data available to his Department in relation to Lancashire police force on the numbers of police officers who are (a) on the establishment of the force, (b) on sick leave, (c) undertaking light duties and (d) representing a full complement of officers for the force. [116975]
Mr. Straw: Under the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994, which was passed by the previous Government, it is for individual chief constables to determine the number of police officers in their force within the resources that are available. The Lancashire Constabulary does not have a target establishment. I understand from the Chief Constable that there were the full-time equivalent of 3,224 police officers available for ordinary duty in the Lancashire Constabulary on 31 March 2000.
She has also told me that as at 30 March 2000, 178 police officers were recorded by the Constabulary as absent from duty through sickness and 34 officers had formal restrictions placed upon the range of duties they are physically or psychologically able to perform. This latter figure does not include temporary arrangements made locally within the force as and when required.
Departmental Properties
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) number and (b) percentage of properties in his charge are empty; and what steps are being taken by his Department to reduce the number of such properties. [116915]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 3 April 2000]: There are currently empty properties at nine sites on the non-prison Home Office estate. Central records are not kept of the numbers of individual properties on large sites, but this comprises 3.4 per cent. of my Department's non-prisons Property Holdings (i.e. freehold buildings and sites, leaseholds, and occupations of other Departments' properties). Further detail on these and the action being taken to reduce the number were given in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 19 January 2000, Official Report, columns 468-72W.
My previous reply accurately reflects the current status of prison land, but the figures for Prison Service's residential properties are more volatile. The position as at
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30 March is that the Service owns some 983 residential properties of which 160 (16.3 per cent.) are vacant. Of these, 78 are retained on security/operational grounds, for occupation by future chaplains or for future development. The remaining 82 are being (49) or will be (33) offered for sale.
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been released on the tagging system since it was introduced; how many have reoffended while being tagged; and if he will list the crimes that they have committed. [117699]
Mr. Boateng:
As of 29 March 2000, 18,938 offenders have been placed on the Home Detention Curfew scheme. The Prison Service has been notified of 190 offenders who have been charged with an offence committed while subject to the scheme. A breakdown of the types of offences committed is shown in the table. This breakdown has been prepared from information supplied by police forces and drawn from the police national computer. Further analysis of re-offending by those subject to the Home Detention Curfew scheme, including procedures for notification of further charges to the Prison Service by the police, is currently under way as part of a long-term evaluation of the scheme.
| Offence type | Number |
|---|---|
| Burglary, theft and theft from shops (including taking without consent/taking and driving away) | 67 |
| Assault | 31 |
| Driving and Traffic Offences | 19 |
| Drug Offences | 16 |
| Breach of the peace (including Drunk and Disorderly) | 14 |
| Handling Stolen Goods/Deception | 10 |
| Criminal Damage | 12 |
| Threatening Behaviour | 8 |
| Possession of an offensive weapon | 3 |
| Breach of court injunction or Restraining Order | 3 |
| Rape | 2 |
| Harassment | 1 |
| Going Equipped | 1 |
| False Imprisonment | 1 |
| Arson | 1 |
| Indecent Exposure | 1 |
| Total | 190 |
SOCIAL SECURITY
Under-occupied Properties
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to address the problem of under-occupied properties in the social rented sector. [117974]
Angela Eagle:
We have introduced a three-year pilot scheme in the London Boroughs of Croydon, Newham and Haringey. Its aim is to test whether financial incentives can encourage Housing Benefit recipients living in under-occupied social housing to move to smaller and cheaper accommodation.
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Under the scheme tenants who move will be entitled to a lump sum payment of about half of the Housing Benefit savings that would be expected over three years from the lower rent. This gives them a financial interest in their rents, and an incentive to move somewhere cheaper. The scheme is entirely voluntary.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 31 January 2000, Official Report, column 471W, on benefit overpayments, if he will estimate, in relation to the overpayments which took place on 17 and 18 January, (a) the total value of the benefit overpayments considered too small to recover, (b) the total value of the benefits recovered so far and (c) the total number of customers who have repaid the overpayment in full. [116134]
Angela Eagle
[holding answer 27 March 2000]: Administration of benefits and recovery of overpayments is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, Peter Mathison. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 3 April 2000:
Mr. Ennis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners will benefit from the minimum income guarantee in (a) Barnsley and (b) Doncaster. [116080]
Mr. Darling:
There are around 8,000 pensioners in Barnsley and 9,000 in Doncaster, receiving their minimum income guarantee (MIG) which is paid through Income Support.
I have written to right hon. and hon. Members today advising them of our plans for a take-up campaign, to encourage pensioners to claim their entitlement to the MIG.
Starting in the spring, the campaign will see intense activity on a number of fronts. This will include television advertising, writing to around two million pensioners who our records suggest are likely to have an underlying entitlement, and the introduction of a tele-claims centre with special trained operators who can advise on entitlement and help complete the paperwork to claim the MIG.
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Today we are also publishing a paper which shows what has happened to pensioner incomes over the past 40 years. It shows that average pensioner incomes as a whole are rising faster than average earnings and that some have done very well. But it also shows that a significant minority of pensioners have missed out. We are helping all pensioners, but the paper shows why we should focus particular help on those who need help most.
The paper has been placed in the Library and copies are available from the Vote Office.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people over 65 years of age are receiving the minimum income guarantee in (a) the Crosby parliamentary constituency and (b) each constituency in the City of Liverpool. [116673]
Mr. Bayley:
The administration of the minimum income guarantee is a matter for Peter Mathison the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your recent question asking what estimate he has made, in relation to the ACT overpayments (which occurred on 17 and 18 January), of (a) the total value of the benefit overpayments considered too small to be recovered, (b) the total value of the benefit recovered so far and (c) the total number of customers who have repaid the overpayment in full.
Repayment was not requested where the overpaid amount was less than £5. Overpayments falling into this category totalled £8,500.
The benefit recovered to date is over £6.8m and approximately 68,000 customers have repaid their overpayments in full. In addition, it has been agreed with some customers that they can repay in instalments.
I hope this is helpful.
| Thousand | |
|---|---|
| Constituency | Claimants aged 65 and over |
| Crosby | 1.9 |
| Liverpool, Garston | 3.0 |
| Liverpool, Riverside | 4.4 |
| Liverpool, Walton | 3.2 |
| Liverpool, Wavertree | 3.3 |
| Liverpool, West Derby | 3.7 |
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if hon. Members will receive details of his take-up campaign for the minimum income guarantee in addition to that contained in press releases. [117603]
These figures are from the Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry of November 1999. Please note the sample size is 5% and therefore, subject to sampling error. They have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
I hope this reply is helpful.
Mr. Bayley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to right hon. and hon. Members on 29 March, advising them of our plans for a take-up campaign, to encourage pensioners to claim their entitlement to the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG).
Starting in the Spring, the campaign will see intense activity on a number of fronts. This will include television advertising, writing to around two million pensioners who our records suggest are likely to have an underlying entitlement, and the introduction of a tele-claims centre with special trained operators who can advise on entitlement and help complete the paperwork to claim the MIG.
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