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Assisted Areas
Mr. Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the reasons for certain areas being (a) removed from and (b) added to the assisted areas map. [124004]
Mr. Caborn: The reasons for the amendments to the Government's assisted area proposals are set out in "Amendments to the Government's Proposals for new Assisted Areas". A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
"Made in Britain"
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice he gives to British companies wishing to include a "Made in Britain" emblem on their products. [125676]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 12 June 2000]: British companies are free to apply a made in Britain emblem if their products meet the definition of origin in section 36(1) of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. This states that for the purposes of the Act goods shall be deemed to have been manufactured or produced in the country in which they last underwent a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change. My Department has issued a guidance note on this aspect of the Act, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Post Office Users' Council
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of the system of Post Office advisory committees and the Post Office Users' Council in the latest full year for which figures are available; and what the cost will be of the new arrangements he is proposing. [125456]
Mr. Alan Johnson [holding answer 12 June 2000]: The cost of the Post Office Users' National Council (POUNC); the Post Office Users' Councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Post Office Advisory Committees was approximately £800,000 in 1999-2000.
Peter Carr (the Chairman of POUNC and the Chairman designate of the CCPS) issued a consultation document on the structure of the new Council on 17 April. I am now awaiting a report on the outcome of the consultation together with proposals about the structure and costs of the CCPS.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statistics relating to the responsibilities of his Department are collated by parliamentary constituency, indicating the dates covered in each case. [123840]
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Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 May 2000]: My Department has wide-ranging responsibilities. The majority of statistics used in this Department are collated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS collects a wide range of statistics that can be provided at parliamentary constituency level including economic statistics on employment, unemployment and inactivity, claimant count, employee jobs, average earnings and Census of Population data. Details of all these data could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Pylons
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the recent inquiry commissioned by the National Farmers Union into the alleged link between skin cancer and pylon lines; and if he will make a statement. [123906]
Mrs. Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health on 8 June 2000, Official Report, columns 328-29W.
Miners (Compensation)
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases have been lodged by former miners living in Amber Valley for compensation for emphysema and other respiratory diseases. [123940]
Mrs. Liddell: The Department's claims handling agents have registered 1,565 claims for respiratory diseases from former miners living in the Amber Valley region, centring on the towns of Alfreton, Heanor and Ripley. Of these the Department has settled 69 claims and made interim payments to a further 394, totalling nearly £900,000.
No-smoking Policy
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on (a) the effectiveness of his Department's no-smoking policy and (b) the proportion of his Department's offices that do not allow smoking. [125147]
Dr. Howells: My Department operates a smoking policy designed to minimise staff exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in order to ensure their health, safety and welfare, and prevent significant discomfort. Advice and guidance is available to staff who wish to give up, cut down, or control their smoking. In buildings occupied and controlled by my Department, smoking is only permitted in a small number of designated rooms or areas.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Expenditure Limits
Mr. Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to amend his Department's expenditure limit and running costs limit for 2000-01. [126157]
Mr. Rooker: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Revised Estimate for Class XII Vote 3 (Department of Social Security: administration) the Department of Social Security's Departmental Expenditure Limit will be reduced by £16,869,000 from £3,207,614,000
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to £3,190,745,000. The reduction is the net effect of the continuing consequences of the transfer of the Department of Social Security Contributions Agency and Working Family Tax Credit Unit to Inland Revenue. There will be a corresponding increase on Class XVI, Vote 5, Inland Revenue: administration.
As a result of this change the running cost limit of this department will be reduced by £16,869,000 from £2,958,599,000 to £2,941,730,000.
Single Room Rent
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 5 June 2000, Official Report, column 101W, regarding single room rent, if he will make available the methodology used in calculating the cost of abolishing the single room rent restrictions. [125898]
Angela Eagle: The methodology used to estimate the cost of abolishing the single room rent is based on a number of data sources, for example, rent officer statistics, departmental forecast of the Housing Benefit caseload and administrative data following the introduction of the single room rent restriction. These data sources have been used to, for example, estimate the proportion of cases restricted by the single room rent and the shortfall in the amount of rent used to assess Housing Benefit.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 5 June 2000, Official Report, column 101W, regarding single room rent, if he will publish the full range of the estimate of the cost of abolishing the single room rent restrictions, including the lowest point of the range. [125887]
Angela Eagle: The range is between £10 million and £160 million but these figures are heavily dependent on how single young people, landlords and the rental market would react to the abolition of the single room rent.
Mrs. Maud Beaver
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the decision of the Benefits Agency on a winter fuel payment in respect of Mrs. Maud Beaver of Buckfastleigh. [124916]
Angela Eagle: The administration of Winter Fuel payments is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Anthony Steen, dated 12 June 2000:
- The Secretary Of State has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning your constituent Mrs. Maud Beaver and a question arising as to her entitlement to a Winter Fuel payment (WFP) and a review of that decision.
- As you will appreciate, individual customers' cases are confidential. I will therefore, write to you privately on this matter.
Lone Parents
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many initial invitation letters have been sent to lone parents in the target group for the New Deal for Lone Parents since the national programme began in October 1998. [125635]
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Angela Eagle: The total number of initial invitation letters issued since the full national programme began in October 1998 was 482,874.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents, broken down into the target and non-target groups for the New Deal for Lone Parents have claimed Income Support for (a) less than a year, (b) between one and two years, (c) between two and three years, (d) between three and four years, (e) between four and five years and (f) over five years. [125629]
Angela Eagle: The target group for the New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) is all lone parents on Income Support. Invitation letters are sent to lone parents on Income Support with a youngest child aged at least five years and three months. From 22 May lone parents whose youngest child is aged three or four have also started to receive invitation letters.
This information is in the table.
| Duration of current claim | All lone parents | Of those receiving invitation letters |
|---|---|---|
| All cases | 918.6 | 448.3 |
| Less than 1 year | 216.5 | 83.3 |
| 1 to 2 years | 149.1 | 53.2 |
| 2 to 3 years | 105.6 | 40.0 |
| 3 to 4 years | 74.2 | 30.3 |
| 4 to 5 years | 60.5 | 27.8 |
| 5 years and over | 312.7 | 213.8 |
Notes:
1. Numbers are based on a five per cent. sample and are therefore subject to sampling error.
2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed to the nearest thousand therefore totals may not sum.
3. Lone parents are defined as single people with dependants not in receipt of a pensioner or disability premium.
4. Numbers do not include lone parents who choose to sign unemployed and are in receipt of Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
5. In some cases, when claims are first entered on the Income Support Computer System (ISCS), the date of claim was incorrectly input as the date of conversion of the ISCS system. This means that for some cases (which we are unable to identify) the length of claim is inaccurate for claims made before the end of 1992 when the conversion period ended.
6. Lone parents on Income Support with a youngest child aged at least five years 3 months receive NDLP invitation letters. From May 22 lone parents whose youngest child is aged three or four have also started to receive invitation letters.
Source:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Inquiry--February 2000
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security of the lone parents who successfully find work after participating in the New Deal for Lone Parents, how many had previously been claiming Income Support for (a) up to six months, (b) six months to one year, (c) one year to two years, (d) between two and three years, (e) between three and four years, (f) between four and five years and (g) over five years. [125630]
Angela Eagle: The information is not currently available. However, developmental work is currently being undertaken which will facilitate the link between a New Deal for Lone Parents participants' records and their Income Support details.
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In the period ending March 2000, 50,911 lone parents have gained employment from the New Deal for Lone Parents since the programme began.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time on Income Support of a lone parent; and what had been the average length of time on Income Support of a lone parent who found work after participating in the New Deal. [125633]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available. A total of 50,911 lone parents have found jobs through the New Deal to March 2000.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents joined the target group for the New Deal for Lone Parents in the last month for which figures are available; and how many initial invitation letters have been sent to these people. [125636]
Angela Eagle: The target group for the New Deal for Lone Parents is all lone parents on Income Support. The information is not available in the format requested. However, 84,200 joined this category during the quarter ending February 2000.
Initial invitation letters are sent to all lone parents on Income Support with a youngest child aged over 5 years 3 months eight weeks after claiming Income Support except those in receipt of Invalid Care Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, or Severe Disability Allowance. In the quarter to February 2000, 40,100 lone parents qualified for letters. From 22 May lone parents on Income Support with a youngest child aged 3 or 4 have also started to receive invitation letters.
- Notes:
- 1. Numbers obtained by looking for claimants who were not in the relevant category in November 1999 but who subsequently appear in it in February 2000. This method will underestimate the true number of people who "flow" into the group as people who join and leave benefit between quarters, or those who leave Income Support before the second quarter will not be counted.
- 2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to sampling errors.
- 3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
- 4. Lone parents are defined as single people with dependants not in receipt of a pensioner or disability premium.
- 5. Numbers do not include lone parents who choose to sign unemployed and are in receipt of income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
- Source:
- Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents have been in the target group for the New Deal for Lone Parents in total since the national programme began in October 1998. [125634]
Angela Eagle: The target group for the New Deal for Lone Parents is all parents on Income Support. Over the Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries for November 1998 to February 2000, there have been a total of 1,248,700 who fall into this category, of whom 482,874 have received invitation letters.
- Notes:
- 1. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to sampling error.
- 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
13 Jun 2000 : Column: 604W
- 3. Lone parents are defined as single people with dependants not in receipt of a pensioner or disability premium.
- 4. Numbers do not include lone parents who choose to sign unemployed and are in receipt of income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
- 5. From 22 May 2000 lone parents on Income Support with a youngest child aged 3 or 4 have started to receive invitation letters.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents who have found work through the New Deal for Lone Parents have a youngest child aged between three years and five years and three months; and how many have a youngest child aged below three years, broken down on a monthly basis. [125637]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested.
Figures are available for the numbers of lone parents whose youngest child is aged under 5 years and 3 months gaining jobs after the full national phase of the programme in October 1998. The information is in the table.
| Month | Lone Parents with youngest child aged under 5 years and 3 months |
|---|---|
| 1998 | |
| November | 530 |
| December | 380 |
| 1999 | |
| January | 630 |
| February | 880 |
| March | 990 |
| April | 1,310 |
| May | 1,030 |
| June | 900 |
| July | 1,020 |
| August | 750 |
| September | 1,010 |
| October | 2,250 |
| November | 1,910 |
| December | 1,130 |
| 2000 | |
| January | 810 |
| February | 1,270 |
| March | 1,910 |
| Total | 18,700 |
Notes:
1. Figures in above table are for Phase 3 of the programme (from 26 October 1998). Information is not available in this format for phases 1 and 2 because results were kept clerically and it is not possible to accurately break them down on a monthly basis.
2. Figures for the most recent months may subsequently rise slightly. This is due to the backdating of jobs gained by leavers to unknown destinations which we subsequently discover have found employment.
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