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Television Licences
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will estimate how many direct debits for paying licence fees currently set up with the BBC by visually-impaired customers will have to be cancelled because of the evidence requirements contained within the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998; what guidance his Department has given the BBC to ensure that visually-impaired customers have equal access to this method of paying bills; and if he will make a statement. [125347]
Mr. Chris Smith: Under section 2(2) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act (as amended), the only evidence required to prove entitlement to the 50 per cent. reduction in the television licence fee for registered blind people, introduced by the Government on 1 April this year, is a certificate issued by a local authority. This requirement has no bearing on the method of payment. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not issue guidance to the BBC on the administration of the television licensing system, since this is a statutory responsibility of the Corporation.
No-smoking Policy
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 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. [125157]
Mr. Chris Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Crausby) on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 89W, and to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) on 16 December 1999, Official Report, columns 279-80W.
My Department's policy on smoking can be considered effective as it actively encourages a reduction in smoking by allowing smoking to take place only in the designated
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smoking rooms. Less than 1 per cent. of the Department's office space is given over to areas in which smoking is allowed.
Bowling Greens
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of bowling greens which have been closed and redeveloped in each of the last 10 years. [125870]
Kate Hoey: Neither my Department nor Sport England hold this information.
Analogue Televisions
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which action his Department has taken to advise purchasers of analogue televisions that the televisions will cease to function as soon as the analogue signal is withdrawn. [125919]
Mr. Chris Smith: The Government are working with industry on a public information campaign to inform viewers about digital television. I expect this to deliver messages about the timescale and the conditions which have to be met for the switch-over from analogue to digital transmissions, and advice about how to get digital television and that analogue television sets can be converted to receive digital signals by the addition of a set top box. One of the conditions for switch-over is that 95 per cent. of consumers have access to digital receiving equipment.
National Lottery (Computer Failures)
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 5 June, Official Report, column 96W; if, when he was informed of the defect in the National Lottery computer, he was told when the defect was identified and by whom; if he was informed of estimates Camelot had made of how long the defect affected its operation before it was corrected; and if he has been informed as to when the National Lottery Commission will complete its investigations. [125673]
Kate Hoey: Due to an error in my original answer, the incorrect date was given for the date on which the National Lottery Commission became aware of the defect in the National Lottery computer system. The correct answer is as follows. I apologise for any inconvenience that this might have caused.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State was informed when the defect was identified and by whom, and was also informed of how long the defect had affected operations.
The defect was first drawn to the National Lottery Commission's attention on 12 April 2000 in a letter from an ex-GTECH employee. The defect affected operations from the start of the Lottery until it was corrected on 27 July 1998.
The Commission intends to complete its investigations as soon as possible.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Vibration White Finger
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many men in South Wales were diagnosed by his Department and agencies as suffering from vibration white finger in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 to date; [125742]
- (2) how many former miners in South Wales applied for Disablement Benefit for vibration white finger in (a) 1997, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000 to date. [125741]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Number of claims made for industrial injuries disablement benefit for vibration white finger in Wales(1) | Number of men who were first diagnosed as suffering from vibration white finger for industrial injuries disablement benefit | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 2,300 | 300 |
| 1998 | 1,300 | 201 |
| 1999 | 1,300 | 108 |
| First quarter 2000 | 400 | 16 |
(1) Estimate
Notes:
1. Claims data are based on a 10 per cent. sample.
2. Diagnoses data are based on a 100 per cent. count of first diagnosed assessments.
3. Diagnoses will be made after the claim has been made. Claims and any resultant diagnoses may not be made in the same period.
Source:
DSS Information Centre
Employment Services
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the last two national surveys of employees in his Department; what action has been taken as a result of the most recent survey; and if he will make a statement. [125442]
Mr. Rooker: The last two national surveys of employees in the Department were the Child Support Agency's staff attitude survey carried out in May 1999 and an internal communications survey completed on 2 June 2000.
We do not expect to publish these surveys externally.
The recent survey of internal communications will be used to rationalise and improve internal communications processes. A summary of the results will be available for staff via internal staff media.
The Department is committed to the civil service reform agenda, which includes providing a better deal for staff. The results of national employee surveys will be used to deliver this aim and ultimately provide a better service for the public.
State Pension
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the date of October 2001 is to be maintained as the target for helping potential benefit customers
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understand (a) their future entitlement to retirement pension and (b) the importance of saving for their retirement; how this target will be achieved; how much it is expected to cost; and if he will make a statement. [125439]
Mr. Rooker: The first combined pension forecasts, which include details of both State and private pension rights, were issued to Prudential customers in April in one of a series of pilots we are conducting. Other pilot employers and pension providers will issue combined forecasts later this year. We are on course to meet or exceed our target to start the full-scale service from 2002.
Availability of the full service depends on putting in place a new computer system that can issue the much higher numbers of State Pension forecasts which will be needed, up to 15 million a year from 2005. Our target date for introducing this new service will be £14.5 million with ongoing running costs of £7.5 million a year once the service has bedded down.
Combined pension forecasts will, for the first time, provide individuals with a clear indication of what sort of retirement income to expect. This will enable them to make better-informed decisions on what savings they need to make.
Telephone Claims Service
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the estimated cost is of the national telephone claims service for pensioners which is planned to be introduced in October; what the continuing yearly cost to his Department of this service will be; and if he will make a statement. [125378]
Mr. Rooker: It is estimated that it will cost around £1 million to introduce the National Retirement Pension Tele-Claims Service from October 2000. The majority of this cost is associated with an upgrade of infrastructure that will provide a platform for further pensions modernisation in the future.
Introducing this service will:
- Provide active assistance to customers at the point of claim by allowing them to speak to a member of staff who will complete an electronic claim form on their behalf;
- Provide a simplified claim form tailored to customers individual requirements;
- Reduce the need to ask customers for supporting documentary evidence by making use of data held.
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