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Pensions (Leeds, Central)
Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners in the Leeds, Central parliamentary constituency receive (a) less than a full old age pension and (b) no old age pension. [148815]
Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.
| Number (Thousand) | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| All | 13.9 | 100 |
| Nil | 0.1 | 1.0 |
| Less than full rate | 4.5 | 32.3 |
| Full rate | 9.3 | 66.7 |
Notes:
1. The case count figures quoted are in thousands and are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. The figures quoted are based on the monetary value of the basic State Pension.
Source:
5 per cent. sample from the Pension Strategy Computer System at 31 March 2000.
Minimum Funding Requirement
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many responses to the consultation on the minimum funding requirement had been received by the end of the consultation period; when the Government plan to respond; and if they will publish the responses. [148595]
Mr. Rooker: To date 73 responses have been received. We are giving careful consideration to them and will then decide on the best way forward. A summary of views will be published in due course.
Pension Entitlement on Re-marriage
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what discussions he has had with pensioner groups of the importance of pension entitlements after re-marriage; [147490]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the impact of pension sharing on an individual after (a) divorce and (b) re-marriage; [147488]
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that a divorcee does not receive a reduced pension entitlement after re-marriage. [147489]
Mr. Rooker [holding answer 26 January 2001]: We have consulted widely on our pensions policies, including that relating to pension sharing.
Since 1 December 2000 divorcing couples can apply to the courts to share pension rights held in occupational and personal pensions, the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and the stakeholder pension, and the state second pension, when these are introduced.
Pension sharing will give each divorcing individual a share in the pension rights. These rights will belong to the recipient and will not be dependent on the circumstances
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of the ex-spouse. They can be kept regardless of subsequent changes in personal circumstances including re-marriage.
Some women expecting to receive a Category B basic pension, based on their former husband's national insurance record, may see a reduction in that pension if they re-marry before reaching pension age. That is because their Category B pension will be based on their new husband's contribution record. However, the exact financial impact on an individual who re-marries will depend on a variety of factors, in particular the couple's financial circumstances.
Benefits (Young People in Scotland)
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Scotland under 25 years of age were claiming benefits in the years (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000. [145636]
Angela Eagle: The available information is in the table.
| Year | Total | Under 16s in receipt of DLA | 16 to 25 year olds claiming a key benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 111,700 | 17,900 | 93,800 |
| 1998 | 107,900 | 18,600 | 89,300 |
| 1999 | 104,900 | 19,400 | 85,400 |
| 2000 | 93,600 | 20,000 | 73,500 |
Notes:
Key benefits are Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Income Support (IS), Family Credit (FC) and Disability Working Allowance (DWA) were replaced by Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit from October 1999.
Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
Source:
Five per cent. caseload samples taken in May of each year.
National Insurance Numbers
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many new national insurance numbers have been (a) created and (b) cancelled in each year since 1992. [148487]
Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.
| National Insurance numbers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year(24) | Created on DCI | Removed from DCI |
| 1992 | 9,763,571 | 20,709 |
| 1993 | 3,289,259 | 18,514 |
| 1994 | 1,057,419 | 14,523 |
| 1995 | 1,007,641 | 16,285 |
| 1996 | 978,666 | 55,492 |
| 1997 | 1,017,500 | 57,859 |
| 1998 | 1,026,885 | 28,963 |
| 1999 | 1,021,776 | 60,878 |
| 2000 | 995,351 | 181,880 |
(24) January to December
Source:
Departmental Central Index (DCI)
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Departmental Projects
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the projects undertaken for his Department by (a) outside consultants, (b) academic researchers and (c) university departments since 1 May 1997, giving the total expenditure incurred in each category. [144077]
Mr. Rooker: The information requested regarding outside consultants could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department commissions a wide range of social research to help inform, develop and evaluate its policies; academic researchers carry out a significant proportion of this work. Details of all social research commissioned by the Department, including costs, are listed in the Department's Social Security Research Yearbook, which is published annually. Copies are in the Library.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Miners' Compensation
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the monthly totals for the number of medical assessment procedures conducted at each testing centre in the miners' compensation for chest disease agreement from January 2000 to date. [149090]
Mr. Hain: A breakdown by testing centres undertaking medical assessment procedures is available only from June 2000 onwards. Between January and June, Healthcall, the company contracted to undertake the Medical Assessment Process, completed a total of 1,163 MAP assessments.
The monthly totals for the number of medical assessment procedures conducted at each testing centre in the miners' chest disease agreement from June to December 2000 are as follows:
| Test centre | Number medically assessed |
|---|---|
| Ayr | 30 |
| Barnsley | 0 |
| Cannock | 1 |
| Chesterfield | 5 |
| Coventry | 0 |
| Deal | 0 |
| Durham | 2 |
| Edinburgh | 42 |
| Hamilton | 34 |
| Leeds | 0 |
| Lochore | 25 |
| Manchester | 4 |
| Mansfield | 40 |
| Mexborough | 21 |
| Mountain Ash | 67 |
| Newcastle | 9 |
| Newport | 104 |
| Nottingham | 31 |
| Pontefract | 0 |
| Sheffield | 41 |
| Stoke | 0 |
| Swansea | 77 |
| Domiciliary Visits | 105 |
| Total | 638 |
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 555W
| Test centre | Number medically assessed |
|---|---|
| Ayr | 14 |
| Barnsley | 5 |
| Cannock | 0 |
| Chesterfield | 0 |
| Coventry | 4 |
| Deal | 0 |
| Durham | 6 |
| Edinburgh | 31 |
| Hamilton | 22 |
| Leeds | 12 |
| Lochore | 12 |
| Manchester | 9 |
| Mansfield | 18 |
| Mexborough | 11 |
| Mountain Ash | 47 |
| Newcastle | 2 |
| Newport | 51 |
| Nottingham | 5 |
| Pontefract | 45 |
| Sheffield | 4 |
| Stoke | 0 |
| Swansea | 51 |
| Domiciliary Visits | 34 |
| Total | 383 |
| Test centre | Number medically assessed |
|---|---|
| Ayr | 50 |
| Barnsley | 0 |
| Cannock | 4 |
| Chesterfield | 24 |
| Coventry | 13 |
| Deal | 8 |
| Durham | 26 |
| Edinburgh | 55 |
| Hamilton | 91 |
| Leeds | 8 |
| Lochore | 70 |
| Manchester | 9 |
| Mansfield | 73 |
| Mexborough | 33 |
| Mountain Ash | 11 |
| Newcastle | 43 |
| Newport | 103 |
| Nottingham | 41 |
| Pontefract | 44 |
| Sheffield | 22 |
| Stoke | 18 |
| Wrexham | 0 |
| Huddersfield | 0 |
| Swansea | 72 |
| Domiciliary Visits | 69 |
| Total | 993 |
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 556W
| Test centre | Number medically assessed |
|---|---|
| Ayr | 37 |
| Barnsley | 63 |
| Bristol | 0 |
| Cannock | 24 |
| Chesterfield | 55 |
| Coventry | 29 |
| Deal | 4 |
| Durham | 61 |
| Edinburgh | 41 |
| Hamilton | 57 |
| Huddersfield | 7 |
| Leeds | 31 |
| Lochore | 65 |
| Manchester | 20 |
| Mansfield | 67 |
| Mexborough | 36 |
| Mountain Ash | 139 |
| Newcastle | 34 |
| Newport | 84 |
| Nottingham | 42 |
| Pontefract | 68 |
| Sheffield | 46 |
| Stirling | 0 |
| Stoke | 13 |
| Swansea | 83 |
| Wigan | 40 |
| Wrexham | 0 |
| Domiciliary Visits | 58 |
| Total | 1,204 |
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 557W
| Test centre | Number medically assessed |
|---|---|
| Ayr | 27 |
| Barnsley | 57 |
| Bristol | 0 |
| Cannock | 28 |
| Chesterfield | 24 |
| Coventry | 32 |
| Deal | 0 |
| Durham | 49 |
| Edinburgh | 31 |
| Hamilton | 37 |
| Huddersfield | 2 |
| Leeds | 30 |
| Lochore | 50 |
| Manchester | 17 |
| Mansfield | 36 |
| Mexborough | 46 |
| Mountain Ash | 93 |
| Newcastle | 33 |
| Newport | 73 |
| Nottingham | 39 |
| Pontefract | 55 |
| Sheffield | 42 |
| Stirling | 0 |
| Stoke | 43 |
| Swansea | 79 |
| Wigan | 25 |
| Wrexham | 8 |
| Domiciliary Visits | 105 |
| Total | 1,061 |
The tables only show a breakdown for MAPs carried out for live claimants. In the year in total, Healthcall, undertook 8,572 MAPs; a further 5,246 were invited for an appointment.
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the new testing centre for the Medical Assessment Procedure at Ammanford will be operational; and if he will make a statement. [149089]
Mr. Hain: The new testing centre for the Medical Assessment Procedure at Ammanford should be operational by the end of February.
The Department currently has five centres in operation in Wales to undertake the Medical Assessment Process, MAP, for respiratory disease. A further centre at Ystrad
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 558W
Mynach, in addition to that in Ammanford, is due to open in March. It is intended that the two new centres will initially be used for the purpose of assessing priority claimants only, including the eldest of the illest. All the MAP centres are also equipped to carry out spirometry assessment.
In Wales as a whole, over 28,000 claims have been registered. Of these 2,250 claimants have proceeded through the full MAP, and a further 1,729 have appointments.
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total amount paid out to miners (a) for vibration white finger and (b) for chest disease in each month from January 2000 to date. [149168]
Mr. Hain: In total, the Department has now made around 65,000 individual payments, including bereavement awards, interim settlements and full and final settlements to claimants in respect of compensation for respiratory disease and vibration related disease, totalling over £333 million. The Department continues to pay out around £1 million per day in compensation.
Total amount of compensation paid relating to Vibration White Finger, VWF, on a month by month basis since January 2000 is as follows:
| Month | Total amount paid |
|---|---|
| February | 6.2 |
| March | 6.5 |
| April | 24.5 |
| May | 12.5 |
| June | 15.0 |
| July | 12.8 |
| August | 14.5 |
| September | 7.3 |
| October | 10.3 |
| November | 17.0 |
| December | 11.5 |
Total amount of compensation paid relating to respiratory disease on a month by month basis since January 2000 is as follows:
| Month | Total amount paid |
|---|---|
| February | 4.3 |
| March | 3.4 |
| April | 2.7 |
| May | 2.8 |
| June | 3.2 |
| July | 2.4 |
| August | 5.7 |
| September | 2.5 |
| October | 7.3 |
| November | 9.6 |
| December | 12.5 |
7 Feb 2001 : Column: 559W
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