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Nuclear Fleet Submarines
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if all nuclear fleet submarines currently withdrawn from service will be returned to full operational duties. [143045]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 15 December 2000]: We plan to repair all Swiftsure and Trafalgar class submarines currently withdrawn from service and return them to full operational duties.
Commercial Airlines (Recruitment)
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings he has had with the commercial airlines in the past year to discuss recruitment of former RAF and Fleet Air Arm pilots. [143026]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 15 December 2000]: My colleagues and I have had no such meetings this year. However, there is on-going contact with the airlines under the Royal Air Force Civil Airline Recruitment Scheme. In
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the light of the continuing shortage of pilots, the Government are considering a range of options to address the problem.
Parachute Battalions
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) manpower establishments and
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(b) actual manning levels are for each of the three regular parachute battalions. [143030]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 15 December 2000]: The establishments and actual staffing levels for each of the three Regular Parachute battalions, as at 1 November 2000, are shown in the table. The figures exclude Locally Employed Personnel and Royal Irish (Home Service).
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| 1 Para | 2 Para | 3 Para | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishment | Str | Establishment | Str | Establishment | Str | |
| Infantry: | 558 | 499 | 615 | 575 | 615 | 590 |
| Other Infantry Cap Badges | -- | 4 | -- | 8 | -- | 1 |
| Royal Logistic Corps | 23 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 23 | 18 |
| Royal Army Medical Corps | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Queen Alexandra Royal Auxiliary Nursing Corps | 1 | -- | 1 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | 11 | 11 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
| Adjutant General Corps (Staff and Personnel Support) | 22 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 22 | 21 |
| Adjutant General Corps (PRO) | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Army Physical Training Corps | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total UK Trained Army Personnel (UKTAP) | 620 | 557 | 687 | 651 | 687 | 654 |
| GURTAM (Gurkha Reinforcement Company) | -- | -- | -- | 117 | -- | -- |
| Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Total whole Army | 620 | 557 | 687 | 769 | 687 | 654 |
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HMS Sheffield
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list HMS Sheffield's deployments over the past 12 months and the planned deployments for the next 12 months. [143031]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 15 December 2000]: HMS Sheffield only had one main overseas deployment during 2000. This was to the Baltic region between 26 May to 26 July in order to participate in Exercise BALTOPS and to conduct a series of port visits in the region to support UK's Outreach and NATO's Partnership for Peace Programmes.
During the next 12 months, HMS Sheffield is scheduled to deploy between February and August as the Atlantic Patrol Task (North) ship. Her programme after August is still under consideration.
Official Publications
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each new publication issued by his Department since 1997 and the total cost to the Department of each publication. [141472]
Dr. Moonie [pursuant to his reply, 13 December 2000, c. 163-64W]: The cost of producing Britain's Defence Booklet in Financial Year 1997-98 is £728 and not £728,000, as previously stated.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action his Department is taking to improve access to Disability Living Allowance for those with a history of mental illness. [143180]
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Mr. Bayley: We recognise that it can be difficult accurately to assess the needs of people with mental health problems, and that for some of these people the process of claiming itself can be difficult to understand and stressful. That is why people claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are given six weeks to return the claim form to the Benefits Agency. Claimants with mental health problems are also encouraged to ask others, for example their carer or Community Psychiatric Nurse, for help in completing the claim form or to add comments on their behalf. In DLA/Attendance Allowance (AA), as with all benefits, claimants who are not able to manage their own affairs can have someone appointed to act on their behalf.
When gathering information to assess a claim for DLA, decision-making staff are encouraged to contact Community Psychiatric Nurses or other healthcare professionals who may have a good understanding of an individual's personal care and support arising from their mental health problems. As part of the Disability Benefits Modernisation programme we are always considering improvements in the taking of DLA/AA claims to provide all claimants, including those with mental health problems, with the necessary support to ensure they receive their correct entitlement.
Following recommendations from the Social Security Select Committee, we are looking at the possibility of assessing entitlement to DLA and AA in a different way--using a set of daily activities undertaken by disabled people in managing their lives as a means of assessing need. We are looking for an approach which would be more transparent, easier for disabled people to understand and could be administered with greater consistency. Clearly, we would not wish to make such a major change without clear evidence that it would lead to better assessments. Any changes would be made only after their impact on disabled people, including those with mental disabilities, had been thoroughly tested and
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discussed with the representative organisations. The new system is being developed in consultation with disability organisations.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what the average cost in administration is of (a) reviewing life awards for Disability Living Allowance and (b) appeals against the outcome of reviews of Disability Living Allowance; [142998]
- (2) how many reviews of life awards for Disability Living Allowance have been conducted in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK in each year since 1993. [142997]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK are in possession of a life award of Disability Living Allowance, broken down by rate. [142996]
Mr. Bayley: The information is:
| Great Britain | Scotland | |
|---|---|---|
| All awards | 1,564,100 | 181,600 |
| Care component(4) | ||
| Higher rate | 286,800 | 34,500 |
| Middle rate | 394,400 | 48,100 |
| Lower rate | 375,500 | 41,100 |
| Mobility component(5) | ||
| Higher rate | 1,147,500 | 136,400 |
| Lower rate | 264,800 | 30,600 |
(3) Figures relate to 31 May 2000. A clarification, introduced by the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999, means that awards are now made "for an indefinite period" instead of "for life".
(4) Includes people who also receive the mobility component.
(5) Includes people who also receive the care component.
Source:
DSS Information Centre: 5 per cent. data.
Social Security in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. [143662]
Mr. Rooker: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of the London Borough of Waltham Forest and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.
Inspectors found that Waltham Forest had clear aims to provide high quality benefit service, but this aim is not always being met. Waltham Forest had contracted out benefits administration in 1999. Since then, a backlog of work had developed on a number of occasions which meant that the requirement to process benefit claims within 14 days is not now being met and there are frequent breaks in payment.
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Weaknesses were also found in the verification of information and the testing of the accuracy and quality of the work being done. The report notes that while there were some good counter fraud practices in place, this good work is undermined by a failure properly to establish fraud, resulting in weekly benefit savings being incorrectly claimed. Inspectors consider Waltham Forest also needs to do some work to increase the levels of deterrence offered to those committing fraud.
The report notes a number of positive aspects to Waltham Forest's performance. It provides good services for new claimants, has a good claim form and makes sure claimants make further claims at the right time.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London Borough of Newham. [143660]
Mr. Rooker: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of the London Borough of Newham and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.
Inspectors found that Newham had some good working practices, but the efficiency, responsiveness and security of the benefits system was compromised by a substantial backlog of work and lengthy delays. The report notes that after Newham contracted out the benefits administration in 1999, customer dissatisfaction increased sharply, remedial expenditure outweighed any savings that might have been made, and benefits work fell badly into arrears. These arrears caused further deterioration of Newham's service and prompted it to defer the introduction of the Verification Framework, leaving it at greater risk of making incorrect benefit payments.
Inspectors found the lack of a counter fraud manager in the past and an ineffective prosecution policy have limited Newham's counter fraud work. BFI notes Newham's fraud investigations were poor and needed considerable improvement in the preparation and quality of work undertaken.
The report notes that Newham is keenly aware of the deficiencies in the current benefits operation and has recently introduced significant improvement programmes. It has had some success working with the contractor to clear backlogs and address inefficiencies and has developed an action plan to tackle the weaknesses in countering fraud.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.
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Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Leeds City Council. [143659]
Mr. Rooker: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of the Leeds City Council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
The report provides recommendations aimed at helping the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.
Inspectors report that there is no doubting Leeds' desire to provide a good service to benefit claimants and at the time of the inspection the council was processing new claims quickly, an important component of the quality of service available to claimants. The council has, to its credit, implemented the Verification Framework; however, inspectors found that there were weaknesses in verification and consider that the council could strike a better balance between clearance rates and the need to verify claims.
Although Leeds has implemented the Verification Framework (VF), Inspectors found there were weaknesses in verification. At the time of inspection, Leeds processed new claims quickly, which contributed significantly to the quality of service offered to claimants. Nonetheless, inspectors considered that the council could strike a better balance between clearance rates and the need to verify claims.
Inspectors found that Leeds makes effective use of management information to manage the workload, resulting in no significant arrears of new claims. However, the report notes that the council did not renew any claims for most of 1999 as it was changing its IT system to support the implementation of VF. This created significant backlogs, contravened regulations and has potential subsidy implications for the authority.
The BFI notes the council's commitment to tackling fraud but reports that the standard of fraud investigations is inadequate, with most investigations only scratching the surface. The report recommends that Leeds should improve the quality of its investigative work and develop a corporate counter fraud policy and strategy.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the responses to the consultation document 'Safeguarding Social Security: Getting the information we need'. [143661]
Mr. Rooker: We have placed a summary of the responses in the Library and have arranged for copies to be sent to all those who replied.
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