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Winter Fuel Allowance

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of men aged 60 to 65 years in Cleethorpes constituency who are entitled to winter fuel allowance. [123877]

Angela Eagle: The Department does not hold sufficient data to enable us to determine the number of men aged between 60 and 64 years in the Cleethorpes constituency.

We are not able to identify all those people between 60 and 64 who may not have had any need to contact the Department and who are not receiving a Social Security benefit. However, claim forms are in the process of being issued to those people whom we think may be eligible and whom we can identify from the Department's records. A publicity campaign will run to ensure that those people who do not get a claim form are encouraged to claim.

Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice leaflets have been issued to (i) DSS offices and (ii) the general public in relation to the operation of the winter fuel scheme as revised by the announcement of 11 April. [123718]

Angela Eagle: Departmental local offices have been kept up to date with changes to the winter fuel payment scheme by means of a series of internal bulletins issued between January and May. The public are being kept informed through a number of means. We are in the process of contacting people who we think are eligible for backdated payments, and whom we can identify. In addition, information and advertising started in April and will run until Christmas. The campaign will aim to ensure that newly eligible people know what the arrangements are for claiming backdated payments resulting from the revised eligibility rules. It will also provide information about the operation of the scheme next winter.

The provision of a leaflet for the general public will be timed to ensure that it has the maximum possible impact on their awareness in the period prior to next winter's qualifying week. Current thinking is that the best time to issue the leaflet will be in either late August or early September.

Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which categories of women aged 60 or over during the week ending 24 September 2000 who are living in their own houses and are not subject to immigration control will not be included in the winter fuel scheme. [123719]

Angela Eagle: All households where there is someone with the characteristics set out in the question will receive an appropriate payment. For administrative reasons, in the case of older couples receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, the winter fuel payment of £150 is paid to the claimant in the same way as weekly payments of benefit. So partners of Income Support

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or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance claimants who are aged 60 or more do not receive an individual payment. Partners in couples receiving Income Support or income- based Jobseeker's Allowance are the only group to whom this arrangement applies.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in Crosby received winter fuel payments in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000; and how much was paid in total. [123530]

Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.

Pensioners in receipt of winter fuel payments in Crosby and Great Britain

	Crosby		National
	Number of recipients	Amount (£)	Number of recipients	Amount (£)
1998-99	14,812	283,690	10,191,367	198,549,440
1999-2000	14,892	1,114,500	10,224,698	773,890,550

Notes:

1. Pensioners are defined as women over 60 and men either over 65 or over 60 and in receipt of Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance.

2. Constituency boundary as at May 1997.

SEMA

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reason the Benefits Agency does not publish the standards and scope of services required in its contract with SEMA. [120694]

Mr. Bayley: The contract with SEMA remains confidential for commercial reasons. However, I have placed in the House of Commons Library a document setting out the standards and scope of services required by the Benefits Agency in the contract. A periodic report issued by the Medical Quality Surveillance Group, chaired by the Department's Chief Medical Adviser, will also be published. This report will describe SEMA's performance against these standards.

State Earnings-related Pension

Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of exempting all persons who have already reached pensionable age from the reduction in SERPS entitlements contained in the provisions of the Social Security Act 1986. [123575]

Mr. Rooker: The estimated cost of exempting all persons who had reached pensionable age by April 2000 from the change in the rate of SERPS inheritance that was due to have taken effect at that time is estimated at £7,100 million. This excludes the effect of other changes to SERPS also introduced by the 1986 Act.

The cost was estimated by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) and is expressed as the net present value of the annual figures from 2000-01 to 2050-51 in 1999-2000 prices, discounted at an annual real rate of 6 per cent. It has been prepared on a basis which is consistent with the latest GAD Quinquennial Review.

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Research Projects

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those research projects funded by his Department at the (a) Bologna Centre, (b) College of Europe and (c) European University Institute; and what the cost of each such project is. [123605]

Angela Eagle: The Department is not funding any research projects at the Bologna Centre, the College of Europe or the European University Institute.

Northern Region (Relocations)

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the executive agencies, non- departmental public bodies and local public spending bodies for which his Department is responsible that have been transferred since 1992 or are planned to be transferred (a) to and (b) from the Northern Region. [123410]

Mr. Rooker: The Headquarters and some central financial/accounting functions of the Child Support Agency were transferred to Newcastle upon Tyne in May 1997.

The Occupational Pensions Board, based at Newcastle, was dissolved in March 1997 and the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) established in Brighton. Responsibility for the Pensions Scheme Registry was transferred to OPRA but remains sited in Newcastle.

Note:

"Northern Region" is defined as the area covering the Government offices for the North-East and Cumbria.

Pain Management (Funding)

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Heath regarding the impact of pain management funding decisions on social security expenditure. [124359]

Mr. Bayley: We frequently discuss issues concerning health and disability with colleagues in the Department of Health and elsewhere as appropriate.

Single Room Rent

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 14 March 2000, Official Report, column 147W, on the single room rent, when the single room rent was introduced (a) what was the methodology used to estimate the yearly savings, (b) whether these savings have been achieved and (c) what estimate has been made of the likely cost of abolishing the single room rent. [123531]

Angela Eagle: The Single Room Rent restriction was introduced in October 1996 by the previous Administration. The reasons, rationale and assumptions for making the change were set out by them in Command Paper (Cm 3225). The estimated savings have been achieved.

The estimated cost of abolishing the Single Room Rent can only be given as a range, because the figures depend on behavioural changes by young people and landlords which are difficult to quantify. For example we need to include the effects of additional household formation.

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Subject to these caveats, we estimate it could cost up to £160 million. Based on current data, we estimate that the cost of removing the Single Room Rent restriction in 2001-02 would be £140 million.

CABINET OFFICE

Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology

Commission

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when she will announce the membership of the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission. [124371]

Marjorie Mowlam: I am pleased to announce that the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC) is being launched today with Professor Malcolm Grant, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge as Chair.

The Commission will provide the Government with independent strategic advice on biotechnology issues that have an impact on agriculture and the environment, including ethical and acceptability issues. It will report to me and to my colleagues in the Devolved Administrations. Its members have a breadth of backgrounds and skills, ranging from experience of consumer and green issues to farming, science, ethics and industry. A complete list of the members and the Commission's terms of reference have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

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