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Terminally Ill Children (Southend)
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Essex Police on the progress of police inquiries into allegations about the treatment of terminally ill children within the Southend Community Care Trust. [128061]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand from Essex Constabulary that the investigations are at an early and extremely sensitive stage.
Passport Agency
Mr. Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the report on the United Kingdom Passport Agency Quinquennial Review. [128296]
Mr. Straw: I have today published the United Kingdom Passport Agency Quinquennial Review Report and I have placed copies in the Library.
Immigration
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in
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the case of Mr. K. (reference K422196/2); when this case is likely to be concluded; and if he will make a statement. [127910]
Mrs. Roche: Mr. K.'s application for a reconsideration of his case will be reviewed shortly and he will be contacted directly once a decision is made.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Animal Welfare
Mr. Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to discourage developing countries from adopting industrial animal husbandry systems which have been shown by scientific research to have adverse implications for animal health and welfare; and if she will make a statement. [127849]
Mr. Foulkes: DFID's involvement in the livestock sector is based on an appreciation of the diverse contribution livestock make to the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable.
We are supporting the international "Livestock, Environment and Development" initiative, which seeks to identify policy interventions to correct the market distortions that currently favour industrial livestock production in many developing countries.
We are also developing a programme of support to FAO aimed at strengthening international norm-setting in the livestock sector: norms that will undoubtedly address issues of animal health and welfare.
DFID has anticipated the impact of globalisation on animal welfare and trade in developing countries. We already have guidelines on the use of animals in development programmes, which will now be revised in the context of global shifts in livestock production and markets. Dialogue with UK and international welfare groups and other stakeholders is under way.
Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with other Government departments regarding relief of debt to UK companies who supply services and goods to heavily indebted poor countries as a result of tied aid. [127902]
Mr. Foulkes: None. Debt relief is not provided to UK companies. It is provided to governments of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) who are committed to eradicating poverty, to benefit the poor. The Government have agreed to provide complete relief on all debts owed to the Export Credit Guarantee Department for those countries which qualify for the HIPC initiative. Aid debts have already been cancelled.
Uganda
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Uganda concerning the abolition of primary school fees once debt relief has taken place. [127900]
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Mr. Foulkes: There has been no need for discussions on this particular issue as the Government of Uganda abolished primary school fees in all Government schools, with the exception of those in municipal areas, in January 1997. HIPC1 is on-going and HIPC2 has yet to be finalised; both sets of resources will be used to support the Government of Uganda's primary education programme.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the UN concerning the suspension of debt relief to Uganda. [127899]
Mr. Foulkes: My right hon. Friend had no discussions with the UN concerning debt relief to Uganda. We agreed that Uganda's debt relief could not be finalised by the Paris Club of government creditors at their May meeting as planned, because of Uganda's involvement in fighting at Kisangani. We want an early and lasting resolution to the situation, and we urge all sides to implement their obligations under the Lusaka Accord. When Uganda has fulfilled the undertakings it has given on Kisangani, we will support their return to the Paris Club. Uganda is receiving interim relief from the IMF and the World Bank, and we believe this should continue.
Montserrat
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Montserratians who temporarily took refuge in the UK following the volcanic eruption in Montserrat have returned home; and if she will make a statement on (a) conditions in Montserrat and (b) the aid which is provided there. [127895]
Mr. Foulkes: Since May 1996, about 3,000 Montserratians have come to the United Kingdom because of the volcanic activity on the island. In May 1999, DFID introduced a Return Air Fare Scheme to provide assistance to those people who, having relocated to the UK or the Caribbean region, wished to return to Montserrat and had suitable accommodation on island. During the first year, 109 applications were received from people living in the UK and, as at the 31 May 2000, 83 people had returned to Montserrat.
Statistics are not held by Her Majesty's Government or the Government of Montserrat on the number of people returning without assistance from the Return Air Fare Scheme.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Government of Montserrat concerning funding for the Reporter news-sheet. [127896]
Mr. Foulkes: None. Officials have discussed the matter with their counterparts on island, and the Chief Minister. The Montserrat Reporter received start up capital from HMG and for several years since has received budgetary aid from DFID, paid through the Chief Minister's Office in exchange for publishing Government news. The Government of Montserrat have recently concluded in a Public Service Inquiry that these payments did not represent value for money. DFID officials have now decided to withdraw the support, which was never intended as a permanent arrangement.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of (a) restoring the severe disablement allowance and (b) reversing the changes to Incapacity Benefit entitlement made since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [127497]
Mr. Bayley [holding answer 27 June 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 8 February 2000, Official Report, columns 129-30W.
Housing Benefit
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of Housing Benefit shortfalls on the family budgets of households on Income Support/Incapacity Benefit. [127006]
Angela Eagle: Restrictions on the rent met by Housing Benefit can arise for a number of reasons. For example, any rent met by Housing Benefit will be net of ineligible
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service charges. It is a basic principle of the scheme that such costs should be met from clients' other income, including Income Support.
Restrictions may also be made under the local reference rent scheme. This scheme is designed to give tenants an interest in their housing costs and to deter private sector landlords from charging higher rents to those claiming Housing Benefit than they would be able to get from tenants who are not in receipt of Housing Benefit.
The available information on family units receiving Housing Benefit and Income Support and Incapacity Benefit who were assessed under the local reference rent scheme in May 1998 (the latest date for which figures are available) is set out in the tables. It is important to note that there is no direct correlation between the average amounts of rent restriction shown in the tables and families' actual incomes which will vary with individual circumstances. For a family on Income Support their actual income may be higher than Income Support levels because of the various disregards on both earned and unearned income. In addition, local authorities have discretionary powers to make additional payments where they judge that the rent restriction would cause the family exceptional hardship.
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| Family type | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Single with dependants | Couple with no dependants | Couple with dependants | |
| Total in receipt of HB and IS | 1,130,000 | 816,000 | 188,000 | 127,000 |
| Total assessed under the Local Reference Rent scheme | 157,000 | 129,000 | 15,000 | 13,000 |
| Total restricted under the Local Reference Rent scheme | 55,000 | 45,000 | 6,000 | 4,000 |
| Average amount of restriction as a result of the Local Reference Rent scheme | £5.90 | £6.30 | £4.60 | £3.30 |
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Notes:
1. Information refers to the number of benefit units.
2. The figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and the average amounts of restriction or deduction are rounded to the nearest 10 pence.
3. Some people claim both IS and IB. Therefore, there is some overlap in the tables above.
4. Families are couples and benefit units with children; the tables exclude single people with no dependants.
Source:
Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken on the second Thursday of May 1998.
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Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) when he expects to receive a report from his inspectorate on Housing Benefit in Islington; and if he will make a statement; [127905]
- (2) what representations he has received on the competence of IT Net to administer Housing Benefit in Islington; [127906]
(3) what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that Housing Benefit claimants in Islington receive an appropriate level of service. [127907]
Angela Eagle: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate has recently started an inspection of the administration of
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Housing and Council Tax Benefit in the London borough of Islington. This inspection is part of a programme to inspect the 30 authorities with the highest Housing Benefit programme spend. The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate is working closely with the authority and expects to present the report to me for publication early in 2001.
The Department is aware of media reports on the administration of Housing Benefit in Islington and of the hon. Member's interest in this issue. However, we have not received any other representations on Housing Benefit administration in Islington.
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Where local authorities choose to contract out support functions for their benefit services, the local authority remains statutorily accountable for the service. It is their responsibility to manage these contracts robustly.
The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's work will contribute to ensuring that Islington's claimants receive an appropriate level of service. Where the inspection report identifies weaknesses we shall expect the authority to remedy them. If appropriate the Secretary of State has powers to direct authorities on the standards they are to meet and the timescales for achieving them.
More widely, Best Value performance indicators have also been introduced from this April for all local authorities. The indicators we have set for Housing Benefit delivery are designed to ensure that authorities provide their communities with a faster, more accurate service which is more secure against fraud, and which provides value for money and takes account of the views and needs of clients.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his Department's estimate is of the profits made to date by IT Net from the Housing Benefit contract with the London Borough of Islington. [127908]
Angela Eagle: Information on any profits made by IT Net is not held by the Department.
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