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Housing Benefit
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of differences between levels of Housing Benefit and rent in London. [139925]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested as no research has been commissioned to assess the impact of the differences between levels of Housing Benefit and rent in London.
Benefit Payments
Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of households receive (a) Income Support and (b) Family Credit in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales at the latest date for which figures are available. [139456]
Mr. Bayley: The information is in the table.
| Great Britain | England | Scotland | Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income Support | 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 |
| Family Credit | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Notes:
1. Figures are based on a sample and subject to sampling error.
2. Figures exclude claimants in residential care and nursing homes.
Source:
Family Resources Survey 1998-99
Family Credit Statistics Quarterly Enquiry (5 per cent. sample), August 1999.
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry (5 per cent. sample), May 2000.
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Social Security Claimants (Reimbursement)
Mr. Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) when he received the conclusions of the working party reviewing the rates of reimbursement for social security claimants who use their own vehicles to attend appointments on his Department's business; and when he will make a decision on the report's recommendations; [139995]
- (2) when the working party reviewing the rates of reimbursement for social security claimants who use their own vehicles to attend appointments on his Department's business (a) first met and (b) last met. [139996]
Angela Eagle: The review of the rates of mileage allowances payable to social security claimants using their own vehicles to attend departmental appointments is not yet complete.
The first meeting of the review working party was on 15 July 1999, its most recent meeting was on 8 August 2000.
Mr. Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for the six-month period before 1 July 1998 and each full six-month period after 1 July 1998, how many social security claimants received reimbursements for use of their own vehicles to attend appointments on social security business; and what was the amount paid out on these reimbursements. [140006]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available.
Social Security Budget
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list for each Social Security Department administrative area the amount spent on (a) Attendance Allowance and (b) Disability Living Allowance in each of the last five years; [140525]
- (2) if he will list by his Department's administrative areas the amount paid to (a) the elderly, (b) people with long-term illness or disability, (c) families, (d) unemployed people, (e) children and (f) others in each of the last 10 years, indicating in each case the percentage of the budget spent on each group. [140512]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available.
Disability Benefits
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was spent for each nominal security administrative region on Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance over the last 10 years. [140681]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available.
Information Technology Services
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for ensuring an adequate infrastructure for the future delivery of information technology services within his Department; and if he will make a statement. [140955]
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Mr. Darling: The current IT network and office infrastructure will not support our modernisation plans and we need to ensure that it does not constrain either the long-term aspirations of the Department or joined up government in the future.
Following the successful completion of negotiations, the responsibility for delivery of a new, more cost effective network service for the Department transferred on 23 November to Arcway, a BT plc-led consortium. This offers the best approach for supporting the integrated IT that will be essential in delivering Government welfare reform.
Benefit Rule Changes
Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the introduction from April 2001 of changes to the backdating rules and to decision making and appeals for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit; and if he will make a statement. [140956]
Angela Eagle: We are developing a programme of work to resolve difficulties in the administration of Housing Benefit, and our response to consultation on the Housing Green Paper will be published shortly.
During separate consultation on draft regulations covering the backdating rules and benefit decision making and appeals, we received representations from the local authority associations and a report from the Social Security Advisory Committee.
We have considered very carefully the views of the Social Security Advisory Committee, the local authority associations and others on the proposal to align the backdating rules for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit with the other income-related benefits, and we have concluded that we should not proceed with it. The rules for the backdating of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit will therefore remain as now.
We have also considered representations made by the local authority associations about the ability of local authorities to implement from April 2001 changes to decision making and appeals in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
This is an important new initiative and it is vital that the ability of local authorities to implement it should be reflected in the time available. We have therefore decided that the changes to decision making and appeals for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit should be deferred by three months, to July 2001. This includes discretionary housing payments, which will come in at the same time as the appeals changes.
These measures are consistent with the programme of work being developed to resolve difficulties in the administration of Housing Benefit.
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DEFENCE
DARA
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the consultants' report into the proposed relocation of DARA at RAF St. Athan to Cardiff International Airport. [138885]
Mr. Spellar: DARA are currently conducting an in-house Investment Appraisal to identify cost effective proposals for the delivery of its future Aircraft Support services. While this process has involved some consultancy support it would not be appropriate to publish details of this commercial sensitive advice. I am therefore withholding this information under exemption 2 (Internal Discussion and Advice) and 7 (Effective Management and Operations of the Public Service) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Lynx Helicopters
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent representations he has received from the manufacturer of Lynx helicopter rotorheads concerning the sufficiency of their staff involved in the programme of rectification work on the helicopters' rotorheads; [139238]
- (2) how many Lynx helicopters, grounded due to problems with rotorheads, have been returned to service; [139234]
(3) what plans he has for the completion of the rectification work on Lynx rotorheads; when this work will be completed; and what representations he has received on this matter; [139242]
(4) what payment has been made to the manufacturer of Lynx helicopter rotorheads for the programme of rectification work on the helicopters' rotorheads; [139241]
(5) what his estimate is of the total cost of rectification work on Lynx helicopter rotorheads. [139235]
Mr. Spellar: Monobloc main rotorheads, withdrawn as a result of the reduced service life announced in April, are being replaced with new heads of an alternative bolted design. Replacement main rotorheads are being procured through GKN Westland Helicopters, with components sourced from a number of different manufacturers. Long lead times for certain materials means that the recovery programme will take some time.
We are in close contact with GKN Westland to ensure that replacement heads are available as quickly as possible. First deliveries are expected in the next month and will continue over the following two years. All available main rotorheads are being managed as a single pool, being fitted to either Navy or Army helicopters as required. Main rotorheads are currently available for around two thirds of the Lynx operational fleet allowing us to meet all our priority commitments. Previous plans already assumed the procurement of new bolted heads as part of a normal replacement programme. These plans have how had to be brought forward. In total, we expect to spend some £40 million on new Lynx main rotorheads in the next two years. Contract negotiations for these heads are ongoing and payments will be linked to deliveries.
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