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ONE Service

Mr. Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what reviews have been carried out to assess the success of the single work-focused gateway. [121100]

Angela Eagle: There will be a thorough evaluation of the ONE service, which will use a range of standard evaluation techniques; quantitative and qualitative research, operational research and cost-benefit analysis. The success of the pilots will be evaluated by comparing the outcomes for participants in the pilot areas with those for similar people from other, comparable areas. The evaluation will also include assessments about the effectiveness of ONE compared to the present system and it will compare data from the different model pilots to assess their relative effects.

Disability Living Allowance

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set up an independent review of the workings of the appeals system against refusal and downgrading of disability living allowance applications; and if he will make a statement. [121196]

Angela Eagle: A full evaluation exercise is currently being carried out following the changes to the decision making and appeals procedures introduced last year. All areas affected by the changes are being monitored.

We are aware that the Benefits Agency is experiencing some problems in dealing with revisions and appeals on Disability Living Allowance and this is being addressed separately.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of extending the entitlement for new claims to disability living allowance to all those aged below 70 years. [119246]

Mr. Bayley [pursuant to his reply, 17 April 2000, c. 402W]: The estimated programme cost would be £350 million in 2001-02, rising to £400 million in 2002-03 and £500 million in 2003-04.

Fraud

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 May 2000, Official Report, column 34W, on fraud savings, what are the abbreviated names of the initiatives and projects in full. [121280]

Mr. Rooker: The full names of the initiatives and projects are now included.

Initiatives since 1 May 1997

Initiative/Project	Cost (£ million)	Start date	End date
Benefits Agency (BA)
Area Benefit Review/Quality Support Team Linking and Devolution (AQLAD, ABR/QST)	0.2	April 1999	Continuing
Area Benefit Review (ABR)	16.24	September 1997	Continuing
Benefits Agency/Child Support Agency Closer Working (BA/CSA)	1.6	1997	Continuing
Benefits Agency/Local Authority Liaison (BA/LA liaison)	1.0	1997	Continuing
Card Fraud Investigation	0.04	1997	February 1999--Cancellation of the payment by card process
Child Benefit Initiatives	2.4	1997	Continuing
Closer Working with East of Scotland	0.1	April 1999	Continuing
Family Credit London Project (FAMC London project)	0.23	1997	October 1999--Migrated to IR
Habitual Residency Test	0.3	July 1999	November 1999--Recommendation for full implementation across the Agency
Housing Benefit Matching Service	2.35	1997	April 1999--Now part of BA core
Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance Premiums (ISA/JSA Premiums)	0.04	July 1999	Continuing
Jobseeker's Allowance Initiatives (JSA Initiatives)	0.02	April 1999	Fixes implemented
New Claims Activity/Target Reviews Central Team costs (NCA/TR central team costs)	2.5	1997	April 1999--Now a core activity
New Claims Activity/Target Reviews Training (NCA/TR training)	0.4	1997	April 1999--Now a core activity
Operation Rattle (incorrect payments of child benefit when recipient gone abroad)	0.18	1997	Continuing as a Child Benefit initiative
Overpayment of Legal Aid	0.22	September 1999	Continuing
Potential Debt	0.11	1997	August 1999--Continuing as the Strategic Debt solution
Programme Protection Expenditure measurement (PPE measurement)	0.79	1997	April 1999--Contributed to the performance indicators
Production of regs 113 by electronic media (death notification to Recovery of Estates section)	0.02	July 1999	Continuing
Professionalism in Security	2.88	July 1998	Continuing
Programme Expenditure Analysis	0.16	April 1999	Continuing
Risk management	1.46	1997	Continuing
Referral Management System (RMS)	0.42	1997	31 March 1998--Now part of core
Security Assurance Support Team (SAST)	0.10	1997	Continuing
Search by Address enhancements	0.13	1997	Continuing
Securing Family Credit	1.23	1997	October 1999--Migrated to IR
Security Projects Group	0.27	1997	April 1999--Transferred into core MIDAS function
Social Fund--of Benefit recovery (recovery of social fund once recipient off benefit)	0.22	August 1999	Continuing
Chilterns Secure Payments initiative	0.74	May 1997	Continuing
National Fraud database	0.30	June 1999	Continuing
National Insurance Contributions Office (NICO)
Gateways	0.52	October 1998	March 2000--Migration papers under development
Payroll Cleanse	0.82	April 1998	April 2000--Migrated into core
Customer Account Security (Operational)	0.85	October 1998	Continuing
Construction Industry Scheme	0.36	May 1998	March 2000--Migrated into core
National Intelligence Unit	0.51	October 1998	Continuing
Controlled Risk Self Assessment	0.06	April 1999	March 2000--Now operating Certificate of Conformance
Child Support Agency (CSA)
Fraud and Security Strategy	1.5	April 1999	Continuing
Housing Benefit Management (HBM)
Local Authority Verification Framework	34.50	March 1998	Continuing
Weekly Benefit savings	0.002	12 January 2000	Continuing
Electronic Transfer of Data	0.83	August 1999	Continuing
Remote Access Terminals	7.00	August 1998	Continuing
Fraud Strategy Directorate (FSD)
Local Authority Prosecution Pilot, England and Wales (LA prosecution pilot, E&W)	0.04	November 1998	Continuing
Scampion (review of organised fraud)	0.09	February 1999	Continuing
National Housing benefit Accuracy Review	2.0	April 1997	October 1998--Findings published by GSS
Large Scale Local Review project (Local Authorities)	2.0	April 1997	Continuing

10 May 2000 : Column: 417W

10 May 2000 : Column: 417W

Interest Rates

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what have been since 1992 the rates of (a) income support for mortgage interest and (b) the bank base rate. [120380]

Mr. Bayley: From April 1992 until October 1995, the amount included for mortgage interest within the Income Support assessment for mortgage interest was determined by the actual interest rate charged by each claimant's lender. Since October 1995, the amount of Income Support allowed for mortgage interest has been determined by use of a Standard Interest Rate, limited by a maximum amount allowable. There are transitional arrangements applicable to people who were receiving help with mortgage interest at the point of change in October 1995.

Standard interest rate changes from 1995 to date

Date in force	SIR
2 October 1995	8.35
2 October 1995	8.39
21 January 1996	8.00
21 April 1996	7.74
23 June 1996	7.48
25 August 1996	7.16
15 December 1996	6.89
13 April 1997	7.20
21 September 1997	7.57
23 November 1997	7.97
24 May 1998	8.34
20 December 1998	8.65
21 February 1999	8.24
21 March 1999	7.75
18 April 1999	7.39
9 May 1999	7.08
20 June 1999	6.66
16 April 2000	6.92

10 May 2000 : Column: 418W

Bank base rate from 1992 to date

Year/month	Base rate (percentage)
1992
5 May	10.00
16 September	12.00
17 September	10.00
22 September	9.00
16 October	8.00
13 November	7.00
1993
26 January	6.00
23 November	5.50
1994
8 February	5.25
12 September	5.75
7 December	6.25
1995
2 February	6.75
13 December	6.50
1996
18 January	6.25
8 March	6.00
6 June	5.75
30 October	6.00
1997
6 May	6.25
6 June	6.50
10 July	6.75
7 August	7.00
6 November	7.25
1998
4 June	7.50
8 October	7.25
5 November	6.75
10 December	6.25
1999
7 January	6.00
4 February	5.50
8 April	5.25
10 June	5.00
8 September	5.25
4 November	5.50
2000
13 January	5.75
10 February	6.00

10 May 2000 : Column: 419W

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