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Automatic Credit Transfers
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the payment of benefit by automatic credit transfers involves the notification of the claimant's national insurance number to the receiving bank. [126542]
Mr. Rooker: The administration of benefit payments is a matter for Alexis Cleveland the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 19 June 2000:
- The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking if the payment of benefit by automated credit transfer (ACT) involves the notification of the claimant's National Insurance number to the receiving bank.
- Payments made by ACT are made through BACS (the UK's major automated clearing house). For BACS to accept a payment file completion of a number of identification fields is mandatory, for example bank/building society account number, sort code and amount.
- Another mandatory requirement is for the inclusion of a payment reference. The inclusion of a reference allows each benefit system to track and trace individual payments, facilitating action such as recalling a payment and responding to customer enquiries.
- All benefits use the customers' National Insurance number as a payment reference, with the exception of Child Benefit for which the Child Benefit number is used.
- This reference is passed over to the receiving bank with all other payment details.
- I hope this is helpful.
Minimum Income Guarantee
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners there are whose income takes them above the qualifying income for minimum income guarantee but who receive a final income below the minimum income guarantee once council tax rebates and Housing Benefit are deducted. [127074]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available.
State Pension
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of increasing the basic state pension for persons over (a) 75 and (b) 80 to the level of the minimum income guarantee. [126673]
Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.
| 2001-02 | 75 and over | 80 and over |
|---|---|---|
| Gross | 3,600 | 2,400 |
| Net of means-tested benefits | 2,600 | 1,600 |
Notes:
1. It is assumed that the Category A rate of basic Retirement Pension is raised to the level of the Minimum Income Guarantee in 2001-02 (assumed to be £84.80 for those aged 75 to 79, and £90.20 for those aged 80 and over).
2. It is assumed that basic Retirement Pension recipients with entitlement of less than the full Category A rate receive a pro-rata increase, except married women in receipt of the Category BL pension, who receive an increase such that the Category A and Category BL pension together are equivalent to the appropriate couple rate of the Minimum Income Guarantee.
3. These estimates include a saving of £30 million from the removal of the 25p age addition currently paid to those aged 80 and over.
4. Costs are rounded to the nearest £100 million and are in 2000-01 prices.
5. Costs include benefits whose rates are linked by statute to the rate of basic Retirement Pension.
6. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department. Costs net of means-tested benefit savings have been estimated using the Policy Simulation Model.
20 Jun 2000 : Column: 166W
Radiation Diseases
Mr. Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the recommendations made by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council in relation to diseases caused by radiation will be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [127226]
Mr. Bayley: Amendment Regulations to the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985 were laid yesterday implementing the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's recommendations with effect from 10 July 2000. All the Council's recommendations set out in their report "Diseases induced by Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation" (Cm 4280) are included in the amending regulations.
The regulations also clarify that the time limits that operate between leaving a prescribed occupation and making a claim for asthma (prescribed disease D7) and deafness (prescribed disease A10) refer to employed earners employment. The regulations also specify the exact lung function formulae that should be used in connection with claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema rather than making a reference to a textbook.
Fraud
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 13 June 2000, Official Report, column 606W, on the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997, (a) how many of those local authorities who have reported the appointment of an inspector have a serving inspector at present and (b) how many inspectors are serving at present. [127086]
Angela Eagle: The figures in my Written Answer on 13 June 2000, Official Report, column 606W, referred to the number of inspectors currently serving. Since then, the Department has been notified of the appointment of one additional inspector, bringing the total currently serving up to 720 in 209 local authorities.
TREASURY
Census
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on the steps he is taking on including a question concerning religious identity in the 2001 Census; [126011]
20 Jun 2000 : Column: 167W
- (2) how many representations he has received from (a) hon. Members and (b) others concerning the inclusion of a question in the 2001 Census concerning religious identity. [126012]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Colman) on 15 June 2000, Official Report, column 687W.
Single Currency
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector of changing from the pound to the euro. [126403]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Should the UK decide to join the euro, the costs of a changeover would depend on the detailed approach taken by organisations to a changeover.
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the Treasury's estimate of the economic and fiscal consequences of joining the first wave of the euro in 1999; and if he will update it. [126791]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Treasury published the paper, "UK Membership of the Single Currency: An Assessment of the Five Economic Tests", in October 1997. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said we will make another assessment of the five economic tests early in the next Parliament.
Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what safeguards he has put in place to ensure that money spent through the National Changeover plan will be neutral in its impact upon public opinion about whether the United Kingdom should join the euro. [126185]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 19 June 2000]: Government policy on the euro was set out in the Second Outline National Changeover Plan.
The Government are committed to making preparations both to help business deal with the euro following its introduction in the 11 participating member states on 1 January 1999, and also to making preparations for the possibility of the UK joining the single currency.
VAT
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers are available to him to offer a VAT rebate on holiday accommodation for visitors in the United Kingdom with particular reference to citizens of other EU states; and if he will make a statement. [126981]
Mr. Timms: There is no mechanism to rebate any of the VAT paid by tourists on the holiday accommodation they stay in while in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will use the powers available to him to vary the rate of VAT on specific services on a regional basis; and if he will make a statement. [126980]
Mr. Timms: The Chancellor has no powers to vary the rate of VAT on specific services on a regional basis.
20 Jun 2000 : Column: 168W
Opinion Research
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 2000, Official Report, column 384W, on opinion research, how he is intending to make the results of this research publicly available in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines. [126985]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Cabinet Office guide on Government research into public attitudes and opinions, published on 12 May 2000, says
- It is good practice to publish the results of research, or at least to place them in the House of Commons Library and make them publicly available on request and on the Internet.
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