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War Pensions

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent discussions Ministers or his officials have held with the Ministry of Defence in respect of war pensions for widows; what was the outcome; and if he will make a statement. [100314]

Mr. Bayley: Officials of both Departments have been fully involved in the joint review of compensation for members of the Armed Forces who are disabled because of or whose death is due to service. Ministers and officials of both Departments also discussed the issues raised by the recent debates on war widows' pensions during the passage of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act.

29 Nov 1999 : Column: 59W

Widow's Benefit

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what effect the removal of widow's benefit will have on the widow's eligibility for the basic state pension. [99075]

Mr. Rooker: We have ensured that, when the new Bereavement Benefits scheme is introduced, a widow on reaching pension age, who has not remarried, will receive Retirement Pension as if she had been receiving Widow's Pension up to pension age under the current scheme. This provision will, of course, like the Bereavement Benefits themselves be available equally to widows and widowers.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the payment of the winter fuel allowance. [99098]

Mr. Rooker: For the third winter running, Winter Fuel Payments are being made to eligible pensioners. For the first time, payments this year will be made before Christmas. The issue of payments began on 8 November and should be completed by 3 December.

The payment has been increased to £100 for eligible pensioner households from this winter. Also, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced that the payments will be made every year from now on.

Pensioners (Benefits)

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of pensioners entitled to receive the minimum income guarantee (a) in the current year and (b) in each of the next five years, assuming it is uprated by earnings each year. [99398]

Mr. Rooker: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Estimates of the average number of pensioners entitled to receive the minimum income guarantee in each year, 1999-2000 to 2001-02Thousand

Income Support cases aged over 60	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Pensioner cases (excluding RA/RCNH)	1,390	1,380	1,350
Pensioner cases plus partners (excluding RA/RCNH)	1,640	1,620	1,580
Residential Allowance cases	170	180	180
RC/NH cases	50	40	30

Notes:

1. The partners of pensioner cases (excluding Residential Allowance (RA) and Residential Care and Nursing Home (RCNH) cases) may be under 60, but the majority will be over 60.

2. The figures are consistent with expenditure estimates published in the November 1999 Pre Budget Report for the years 1998-99 to 2001-02.

3. There are no published estimates for later years.

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Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners are entitled to means-tested benefit in 1999; and how many will be so entitled after the implementation of the increases in the basic state pension and the minimum income guarantee for pensions announced in his up-rating statement, when broken down between the different benefits. [99448]

Mr. Rooker: As at May 1998, the latest date for which information on all means-tested benefits is available, the estimated number of pensioners (aged 60 or over) who were entitled to means-tested benefit was 3.08 million. We estimate that a further 25,000 pensioners will become entitled to the minimum income guarantee from next April because of its link with earnings growth. 6,000 pensioners will become entitled to Housing Benefit and 9,000 will become entitled to Council Tax Benefit for the same reason.

Notes:

1. In this analysis, pensioners are defined as where the claimant or partner is aged 60 or over.

2. Means-tested benefits include Disability Working Allowance, Family Credit, Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based), Council Tax Benefit and Housing.

3. Numbers refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.

4. Figures do not include second adult rebates.

5. Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten thousand.

Sources:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry (5 per cent. sample), May 1998 and May 1999.

Jobseeker's Allowance Statistics Quarterly Enquiry (5 per cent. sample), May 1998 and May 1999.

Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.

Disability Working Allowance Statistics Quarterly Enquiry (100 per cent. sample), May 1998 and May 1999.

Housing Benefit Management Information System (1 per cent. sample), May 1998.

WALES

Special Advisers

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of special advisers working for the Secretary of State for Wales in each year from 1992-93. [100097]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Figures are not available for the financial year 1992-93. From that year they are as follows:

Date	Number
1993-94	1
1994-95	1
1995-96	1
1996-97	1
1997-98	2
1998-99	1
1999
1 April to 30 June	3
1 July to 29 November	1

From the start of December this year I will employ two special advisers.

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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office) (Amendment) Bill

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had since 27 March 1998 concerning the Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office) (Amendment) Bill [Lords] 1998; if he will make a statement on the statutory provisions concerning disbarment from holding the position of Lord Chancellor as it affects (i) Jews, (ii) Muslims, (iii) Buddhists and (iv) members of other non-Christian religions; and what steps he proposes to ensure there is no religious requirement in (a) holding the office of Lord Chancellor and (b) carrying out the functions of Lord Chancellor. [99810]

Jane Kennedy [holding answer 26 November 1999]: The Lord Chancellor and his officials have held preliminary discussions with the promoter of the Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office) (Amendment) Bill, the noble Lord Alderdice, and his advisers. The purpose of the discussions is to consider how legislation could provide for alternative arrangements to be made in the event of a Lord Chancellor considering that it was not proper for him or her personally to exercise ecclesiastical functions attached to the office of Lord Chancellor. The discussion follows proposals made during the debates on the Bill which Lord Alderdice introduced last year.

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I am not aware of any extant statutory provisions which would disbar any person from holding the office of Lord Chancellor on the ground of his or her religious persuasion.

The Government do not propose to take any steps to change any existing law which governs the holding of the office of Lord Chancellor, or the carrying out of the functions of that office. Traditionally, it has not been regarded as appropriate for the Government to introduce legislation intended to facilitate the holding or performance of such office by individuals of particular religious persuasions.

Magistrates Courts (Legal Aid)

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what would have been the hourly rate for legal aid work in magistrates courts had fees been raised annually in line with inflation, detailed by each year, in each of the last five years. [100470]

Mr. Lock: The majority of magistrates court criminal cases are paid for by a standard fee. Hourly rates are paid on non standard cases. Of cases receiving criminal legal aid, 9 per cent. are currently paid by non standard fees and account for 35 per cent. of expenditure. Although hourly rates have not increased during the period in question, the average amount paid in a case has increased from £1,554 to £1,649. Had the hourly rates increased in line with inflation, the rates would be as detailed.

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				£
	April 1996(2)	January 1997	January 1998	January 1999
Outside London
Franchisees
Preparation	46.00	47.29	48.85	50.02
Advocacy	57.75	59.37	61.33	62.80
Attendance at Court	31.50	32.38	33.45	34.25
Travelling and waiting	25.50	26.21	27.08	27.73
Routine letters and telephone calls	3.55	3.65	3.77	3.86
Non-Franchisees
Preparation	44.75	46.00	47.52	48.66
Advocacy	56.50	58.08	60.00	61.44
Attendance at Court	30.50	31.35	32.39	33.17
Travelling and waiting	24.75	25.44	26.28	26.91
Routine letters and telephone calls	3.45	3.55	3.66	3.75
London area
Franchisees
Preparation	48.50	49.86	51.50	52.74
Advocacy	57.75	59.37	61.33	62.80
Attendance at Court	31.50	32.38	33.45	34.25
Travelling and waiting	25.50	26.21	27.08	27.73
Routine letters and telephone calls	3.70	3.80	3.93	4.02
Non-franchisees
Preparation	47.25	48.57	50.18	51.38
Advocacy	56.50	58.08	60.00	61.44
Attendance at Court	30.50	31.35	32.39	33.17
Travelling and waiting	24.75	25.44	26.28	26.91
Routine letters and telephone calls	3.60	3.70	3.82	3.91

(2) Hourly rates for legal aid work in the Magistrates Courts were last raised in April 1996 and these are therefore the existing rates.

29 Nov 1999 : Column: 61W

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