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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.

Retirement Pension in the parliamentary constituency of Leeds, Central, 31 March 2000

Number (Thousand)Percentage
All13.9100
Nil0.11.0
Less than full rate4.532.3
Full rate9.366.7

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]

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

7 Feb 2001 : Column: 553W

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.

Recipients in Scotland aged under 25 years in receipt of key social security benefits May 1997-2000

YearTotalUnder 16s in receipt of DLA16 to 25 year olds claiming a key benefit
1997111,70017,90093,800
1998107,90018,60089,300
1999104,90019,40085,400
200093,60020,00073,500

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.

Number of National Insurance numbers created and removed

National Insurance numbers
Year(24)Created on DCIRemoved from DCI
19929,763,57120,709
19933,289,25918,514
19941,057,41914,523
19951,007,64116,285
1996978,66655,492
19971,017,50057,859
19981,026,88528,963
19991,021,77660,878
2000995,351181,880

(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:

June 2000

Test centreNumber medically assessed
Ayr30
Barnsley0
Cannock1
Chesterfield5
Coventry0
Deal0
Durham2
Edinburgh42
Hamilton34
Leeds0
Lochore25
Manchester4
Mansfield40
Mexborough21
Mountain Ash67
Newcastle9
Newport104
Nottingham31
Pontefract0
Sheffield41
Stoke0
Swansea77
Domiciliary Visits105
Total638


7 Feb 2001 : Column: 555W

July 2000

Test centreNumber medically assessed
Ayr14
Barnsley5
Cannock0
Chesterfield0
Coventry4
Deal0
Durham6
Edinburgh31
Hamilton22
Leeds12
Lochore12
Manchester9
Mansfield18
Mexborough11
Mountain Ash47
Newcastle2
Newport51
Nottingham5
Pontefract45
Sheffield4
Stoke0
Swansea51
Domiciliary Visits34
Total383

August 2000

Test centreNumber medically assessed
Ayr50
Barnsley0
Cannock4
Chesterfield24
Coventry13
Deal8
Durham26
Edinburgh55
Hamilton91
Leeds8
Lochore70
Manchester9
Mansfield73
Mexborough33
Mountain Ash11
Newcastle43
Newport103
Nottingham41
Pontefract44
Sheffield22
Stoke18
Wrexham0
Huddersfield0
Swansea72
Domiciliary Visits69
Total993

September 2000

Test centreNumber medically assessed
Ayr49
Barnsley55
Bristol0
Cannock13
Chesterfield33
Coventry16
Deal35
Durham34
Edinburgh29
Hamilton48
Huddersfield0
Leeds16
Lochore68
Manchester7
Mansfield74
Mexborough30
Mountain Ash135
Newcastle22
Newport60
Nottingham28
Pontefract65
Sheffield33
Stirling0
Stoke16
Swansea55
Wigan0
Wrexham0
Domiciliary Visits51
Total972

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October 2000

Test centreNumber medically assessed
Ayr37
Barnsley63
Bristol0
Cannock24
Chesterfield55
Coventry29
Deal4
Durham61
Edinburgh41
Hamilton57
Huddersfield7
Leeds31
Lochore65
Manchester20
Mansfield67
Mexborough36
Mountain Ash139
Newcastle34
Newport84
Nottingham42
Pontefract68
Sheffield46
Stirling0
Stoke13
Swansea83
Wigan40
Wrexham0
Domiciliary Visits58
Total1,204

November 2000

Test centreNumber medically assessed
Ayr32
Barnsley51
Bristol0
Cannock26
Chesterfield50
Coventry33
Deal28
Durham62
Edinburgh57
Hamilton57
Huddersfield0
Leeds33
Lochore52
Manchester17
Mansfield55
Mexborough48
Mountain Ash111
Newcastle40
Newport90
Nottingham47
Pontefract66
Sheffield51
Stirling0
Stoke38
Swansea81
Wigan22
Wrexham11
Domiciliary Visits149
Total1,307

7 Feb 2001 : Column: 557W

December 2000

Test centreNumber medically assessed
Ayr27
Barnsley57
Bristol0
Cannock28
Chesterfield24
Coventry32
Deal0
Durham49
Edinburgh31
Hamilton37
Huddersfield2
Leeds30
Lochore50
Manchester17
Mansfield36
Mexborough46
Mountain Ash93
Newcastle33
Newport73
Nottingham39
Pontefract55
Sheffield42
Stirling0
Stoke43
Swansea79
Wigan25
Wrexham8
Domiciliary Visits105
Total1,061

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:

£ million

MonthTotal amount paid
February6.2
March6.5
April24.5
May12.5
June15.0
July12.8
August14.5
September7.3
October10.3
November17.0
December11.5

Total amount of compensation paid relating to respiratory disease on a month by month basis since January 2000 is as follows:

£ million

MonthTotal amount paid
February4.3
March3.4
April2.7
May2.8
June3.2
July2.4
August5.7
September2.5
October7.3
November9.6
December12.5


7 Feb 2001 : Column: 559W


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