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Bilateral Concordat (Northern Ireland)

Mr. Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the bilateral concordat between the Department of Social Security and the Northern Ireland Department for Social Development. [152673]

Mr. Darling: The Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development and I have agreed the text of the concordat between the Department of Social Security and the Department for Social Development. Copies of the concordat have been placed in the Library and the text will be available on the internet at www.dss.gov.uk.

Departmental Policies (Stroud)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effects on the Stroud constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152399]

Angela Eagle: The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:

Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;

Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,

Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.

These goals are being pursued nationwide and our achievements are set out in our annual "Opportunity for all" reports. Our second report, "Opportunity for all--One year on: making a difference" (CM4865, September 2000), sets out what progress has been made in the past year, as well as highlighting what more needs to be done. Nationwide statistical information is necessarily more complete than constituency level data, but the following provides a comparative guide to the effect of the Department's policies and actions in Stroud since May 1997.

Measures in our first four Budgets will lift over 1 million children out of poverty. These include record increases to Child Benefit, Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income-related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.

Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about 7 million families receive child benefit, and in Stroud 11,870 families benefit.

We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over-50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. In the period since May 1997 the

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number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 1,044,900; in Stroud the number has reduced from 1,400 to 1,100. Since May 1997 the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally; in Stroud the number has increased from 900 to 1,000.

Older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty, so we have introduced Winter Fuel Payments to help with their heaviest fuel bill. This winter, the payment is £200 for households who qualify. Over 20,500 older people in Stroud have received a Winter Fuel Payment for this winter.

To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 20,200 pensioners in Stroud will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic State pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over-75s of whom we estimate there are about 9,000 in Stroud. 2,500 pensioner families in Stroud are receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.

Other reforms in the pipeline include: the new Pension Credit in 2003 designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings; the launch of Stakeholder Pensions in April this year; and the introduction of the State Second Pension in April 2002 both of which will help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.

Departmental Policies (Warrington, North)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Warrington, North constituency, the effects on Warrington, North of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152318]

Angela Eagle: The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:

Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;

Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,

Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.

These goals are being pursued nationwide and our achievements are set out in our annual Opportunity for all reports. Our second report, "Opportunity for all--One year on: making a difference" (Cm 4865, September 2000), sets out what progress has been made in the past year, as well as highlighting what more needs to be done. Nationwide statistical information is necessarily more complete than constituency level data, but the following provides a comparative guide to the effect of the Department's policies and actions in Warrington, North since May 1997.

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Measures in our first four Budgets will lift over one million children out of poverty. These include record increases to Child Benefit, Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income-related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.

Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about seven million families receive Child Benefit, and in Warrington, North 12,778 families benefit.

We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over-50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. In the period since May 1997 the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 1,044,900; in Warrington, North the number has reduced from 2,000 to 1,700. Since May 1997 the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally and in Warrington, North from 1,700 to 1,300.

Older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. So we have introduced Winter Fuel Payments to help with their heaviest fuel bill. This winter, the payment is £200 for households who qualify. Around 16,300 older people in Warrington, North have received a Winter Fuel Payment for this winter.

To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 14,400 pensioners in Warrington, North will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic State pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over-75s of whom we estimate there are about 5,700 in Warrington, North. 2,500 pensioner families in Warrington, North are receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.

Other reforms in the pipeline include: the new Pension Credit in 2003 designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings; the launch of Stakeholder Pensions in April this year; and the introduction of the State Second Pension in April 2002 both of which will help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress is being made to speed up the decision-making process on CSA departures. [152397]

Mr. Bayley: A parent may apply for a departure where they feel they have exceptional circumstances that should be taken into account in their maintenance assessment. The process by which the Child Support Agency deals with these exceptional cases includes gathering information from one or more sources. Details of the

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application are then sent to the other party, giving them the opportunity to comment. Complex cases may be referred to the Appeals Service for determination. This process can often be time consuming especially when the information required is difficult to obtain.

The reformed child support scheme, which we plan to introduce for new cases by April 2002, will not include any provision for departures. However, either parent will be able to apply for the child support rates to be varied in specified, exceptional cases. The decision-making process for variations will be streamlined. Applications for a variation will be accepted before the maintenance calculation has been made, thus enabling the system to operate more quickly.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what changes will be made to the Child Support Agency's procedures on disclosure following the proposed changes to the Child Support Agency to be introduced after April 2002; [152182]

(2) if he will make a statement on Child Support Agency procedures for the disclosure of information on one partner to another; [152180]

(3) what advice he has taken since the coming into force of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the Child Support Agency's approach to disclosure of information. [152181]

Mr. Bayley: The Child Support Agency treats the protection of personal information very seriously. A parent's details will not normally be disclosed by the Agency to anyone unless that parent consents. However, where a court makes an order requiring child support information to be disclosed, the Agency must comply with that order. The Agency also has the power to give any information it holds to a court or tribunal when child support cases are being considered, or to the appropriate authority for the calculation of Housing or Council Tax Benefits.

Regulation 10 of the Maintenance Assessment (Procedure) Regulations 1992 sets out the information which the Agency is required to provide when telling parents about a new maintenance assessment, or a revision or supersession of an existing assessment. This information includes the net and assessable income of both parents, and the non-resident parent's housing and travel costs allowed in the assessment. This information will not include details of addresses unless permission is given.

In the event that a parent appeals against a decision, they have the opportunity to opt into a confidentiality agreement so that any information which might lead to their whereabouts is not passed to the other parent.

In the new scheme, less information will be required to make a maintenance calculation and consequently, less information will be communicated in explaining that calculation. Regulation 23 of the Maintenance Calculation and Procedure Regulations 2000 provides that the notification of a maintenance calculation will set out a limited range of information, including the non-resident's net weekly income.

Provisions for the disclosure of information are entirely compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

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