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Minimum Income Guarantee

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.

Benefit Take-up

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.

Benefit Costs

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.

Annual cost for families£ million

	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.

Incomes

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.

Notes:

1. Figures quoted are derived from the Family Resources Survey and are therefore subject to sampling error.

2. The individual income refers to the income accruing to women in their own right and includes earnings, income from self-employment, investments and occupational pensions/annuities, benefit income and income from miscellaneous and other sources. This estimate is from the Women's Individual Income 1996-97 dataset and is at 1996-97 survey prices.

3. Family income has been provided because the majority of mothers live with a partner and it is generally assumed that there is a certain amount of sharing of income within families. This estimate is based on 1997-98 data and is set at April 1999 prices.

Student Loans

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.

Child Support Agency

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:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency.

You ask about the number of liability orders sought by the Agency from courts in Scotland during the last calendar year.

The Agency's policy is to encourage compliance by non resident parents, but where this fails, to use the full range of powers given by Parliament to enforce payment of child maintenance. Where arrears do arise, the Agency will take firm and prompt enforcement action if the non resident parent does not make an acceptable offer to pay. Each case is considered on it merits and the Agency will take account of the likely effect of enforcement action on the welfare of any children involved.

Wherever possible the Agency will use a Deduction from Earnings Order to enforce payment. This is an administrative mechanism operated on the Agency's behalf by the non resident parent's employer and does not involve the court. Where it is not appropriate the Agency will take action through the courts.

In the last reporting year, April 1999 to March 2000, the Agency applied to the Sheriff's Court for 686 liability order, 354 of which were granted, 26 were withdrawn, dismissed or not granted and the remainder are still undergoing Court action. The information requested regarding liability orders granted and subsequently registered and average waiting time between submission of papers to the court and their action is not collected by the Agency.

I hope this is helpful.

Housing Benefit

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.

Employment Zones

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.

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NORTHERN IRELAND

Elections

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]

(2) what measures he will introduce to counter abuse and reinforce the integrity of the Electoral Register; and if he will make a statement; [120703]

(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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