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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost of implementing a national minimum income guarantee for pensioners; how he will ensure that pensioners are made aware of what they can claim; how much he is expecting to spend on public awareness campaigns; and if he will make a statement. [124547]
Mr. Bayley: During the lifetime of this Parliament the extra total cost of the minimum income guarantee (MIG) for pensioners over and above the cost of Income Support for which pensioners were previously eligible is estimated to be £2.2 billion pounds in real terms.
One 29 May the MIG Take-up Campaign was launched to encourage pensioners who may be entitled to claim their MIG. Around £15 million will be spent over the course of the campaign which includes national TV advertising, writing to around two million pensioners whose records indicate that they may be entitled, and the introduction of a tele-claims centre with specially trained operators who can help complete the paperwork to claim the MIG.
Since the launch was announced at the end of March, there have already been around 50,000 calls to the tele-claims centre, and 24,000 MIG claim packs have been sent to pensioners.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was spent in (a) Scotland, (b) Dumfries and Galloway and (c) Galloway and Upper Nithsdale parliamentary constituency on increasing benefit take-up in each of the last five years. [124719]
Mr. Bayley: No specific allocation was made to the Benefits Agency either nationally or locally for increasing benefit take-up. However, we have recently launched a national take-up campaign for the minimum income guarantee. Around £15 million will be spent over the course of the campaign, which includes intense activity on a number of fronts. This includes television advertising, writing to around two million pensioners and a new tele-claims centre which allows pensioners to make a claim over the telephone.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the cost to the Exchequer would be of providing to all households with children under (a) three years of age, (b) two years of age and (c) one year of age, a weekly benefit of (i) £25, (ii) £50, (iii) £75, and (iv) £100. [124777]
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Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
Children under age of | |||
---|---|---|---|
Weekly payment | One | Two | Three |
£25 | 750 | 1,590 | 2,330 |
£50 | 1,510 | 3,190 | 4,650 |
£75 | 2,260 | 4,780 | 6,980 |
£100 | 3,020 | 6,370 | 9,310 |
Notes:
1. Proportions of families with children in the relevant age group have been taken from the February 2000 5 per cent. scan of the Child Benefit computer system.
2. Based on forecast 2001-02 Child Benefit caseloads.
3. Rounded to the nearest £10 million.
4. If there is more than one family in a household with children in the relevant age group we are assuming that they will both receive a payment.
5. Increases are assumed to be carried through into the income-related benefits.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the average weekly income is of mothers with children under three. [124776]
Angela Eagle: The average gross weekly individual income of mothers with children under three is £139. However, the majority of mothers live in families with a partner, and the latest estimate for the gross income of families with children under three is £517 a week.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the rules under which mature students with dependent families have their student loan classed as family income; and if he will make a statement. [124787]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the right hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 26 November 1999, Official Report, column 219W.
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many liability orders were sought by the Child Support Agency from courts in Scotland during the last calendar year for which figures are available; how many were (a) granted and (b) granted and subsequently registered in each relevant judicial area in Scotland; and
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what the average waiting time between submission of papers to the court and the granting of liability orders was (i) in total and (ii) in each judicial area. [125112]
Angela Eagle: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Ian Davidson, dated 12 June 2000:
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much each local authority spent in the most recent available year on Housing Benefit to tenants of Registered Social Landlords to which their housing stock has been transferred. [124878]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available. This is because the data local authorities provide on Housing Benefit spending do not enable us to distinguish between spending on tenants who live in stock that has been transferred and those who live in other stock owned by Registered Social Landlords.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will introduce employment zones; where they will be; when the greater Portsmouth area will benefit from such a scheme; and if he will make a statement. [124551]
Ms Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
Fifteen Employment Zones were introduced in April 2000 in Glasgow, Liverpool, North West Wales, Heads of the Valleys, Doncaster, Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Plymouth, Brent, Haringey, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Nottingham, and Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland (one Zone). We have no plans to introduce an Employment Zone in Greater Portsmouth.
12 Jun 2000 : Column: 490W
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) when the Government will implement the recommendations contained in the report entitled, "Administering Elections in Northern Ireland"; [119565]
(3) what further progress he has made on combating electoral malpractice since May 1998; [120707]
(4) if he will introduce the electoral card proposal as outlined in the Second report of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Session 1997-98, HC 316, on Electoral Malpractice; [120706]
(5) what improvements to electoral procedure he has announced since May 1998; [120704]
(6) when he will establish the team to investigate applications for absent and proxy votes that was referred to in the response from the Government to the Second report of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of Session 1997-98, HC 316, on Electoral Malpractice. [120705]
Mr. George Howarth: The report entitled "Administering Elections in Northern Ireland" contained a number of recommendations to counter the issue of electoral abuse and it is our intention to implement as many of them as is practical.
One of the major recommendations was the introduction of smart cards for voters. This remains our objective but further work is needed before we can be confident that a reliable, cost-effective system exists that would be resistant to abuse. However, the Government have already introduced legislation to extend the time available to the Chief Electoral Officer to scrutinise absent vote applications and has extended to Northern Ireland the provisions of the Representation of the People Act which makes provision for rolling registration and hence a more accurate electoral register. Additionally, officials are exploring the role which enhanced computerisation and increased staffing might play in assisting the Chief Electoral Officer in the scrutiny process.
Many of the other recommendations contained in the report will require legislation by bill. We would hope to find Parliamentary time for this before the General Election, but the timing of this will depend on the time of the election.
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