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Lee Valley Athletics Stadium

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to underwrite the cost of (a) developing the proposed new athletics stadium at Picketts Lock and (b) staging the 2005 World Athletics Championships. [156363]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 2 April 2001]: We are fully committed to the successful staging of the IAFF World Athletics Championships in 2005 at the new Lee Valley Stadium. The Government are currently working with the project team to reduce the gap between the funding committed and the likely costs of the project, which are estimated overall to be between £83 million and £87 million.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what firm commitments he has received from (a) Sport England, (b) The Lee Valley Forum, (c) UK Sport and (d) other sources for the funding of the proposed new athletics stadium at Picketts Lock. [156365]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 2 April 2001]: Sport England have allocated within their budget up to £60 million to the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre. A further £7 million is available from the Lottery Sports Fund for the dedicated high performance centre which will be integrated with the stadium. Both these sums are subject to a satisfactory application for lottery funding being made.

The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority have committed £5 million to the project. UK Sport does not fund capital projects of this kind.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Benefits Agency

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Social

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 260W

Security (1) on how many occasions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have met decision makers within the Benefits Agency; [157043]

(2) for how long decision makers have decided on cases within the Benefits Agency; [157042]

(3) since when it has not been possible for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency to change a decision made by decision makers; and on what authority this change was made; [157044]

(4) how many decision makers there are in the Benefits Agency; on what basis they are appointed; and what the level of their salary is; [157045]

(5) if hon. Members may write on behalf of constituents direct to decision makers within the Benefits Agency; and if he will make a statement. [157046]

Angela Eagle: Ministers regularly visit staff within Benefits Agency offices.

Suitably trained and experienced staff make decisions. Staff are not recruited specifically as decision makers and may be of various grades; therefore, exact numbers are not available. The salary level of decision makers will vary according to grade.

Since the Benefits Agency was established in April 1991, it has never been possible for the Chief Executive to change a benefit decision made by a decision maker. It is only possible to change a benefit decision in accordance with the legislation.

Benefit decision notices encourage customers to contact the appropriate office if they want to know more about a decision or think it is wrong. Any queries received are directed to an appropriate officer to respond. If necessary the query will be directed to a decision maker to provide a response. Queries from customer representatives are dealt with in the same way.

Hon. Members are of course free to write to whomever they wish. However, it has been the accepted practice that, where a response is required on an individual case, the approach is made to the local office manager.

The Social Security Act 1998 transferred the functions of adjudication officers to the Secretary of State. Under new arrangements, all first instance Social Security decisions are made by officers acting on behalf of the Secretary of State. The Benefits Agency introduced the term "decision maker" during the period July to November 1999 when these provisions were introduced.

National Insurance

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 91W, if the new test for national insurance numbers will apply when child reference numbers are converted into national insurance numbers. [157279]

Mr. Rooker: No.

Disability Living Allowance

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many requests for (a) revisions and (b) supersessions were received in each month since November 1999. [154838]

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Mr. Bayley: The information is in the table.

Disability Living Allowance requests for reconsiderations⁽⁶⁾ and supersessions received in each month since November 1999

Month	Reconsiderations	Supersessions
November 1999	16,012	12,760
December 1999	10,419	8,056
January 2000	6,691	3,091
February 2000	6,201	14,148
March 2000	7,886	15,518
April 2000	6,361	11,759
May 2000	8,433	14,713
June 2000	9,346	14,284
July 2000	10,924	14,357
August 2000	10,812	12,691
September 2000	8,830	12,148
October 2000	9,634	13,359
November 2000	9,454	13,662
December 2000	6,198	8,330
January 2001	8,925	14,508
February 2001	8,566	13,938

⁽⁶⁾ Reconsiderations are revisions under the new system of decision making and appeals which was introduced in October 1999

Source:

DSS Information Centre: 100 per cent. data

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of decisions on a request for (a) revision and (b) supersession were made in favour of the claimant in each month since November 1999. [154835]

Mr. Bayley: The information is in the table.

Percentage of Disability Living Allowance reconsideration and supersession decisions made in favour of the claimant in each month from November 1999

Month	Reconsiderations	Supersessions
November 1999	24	65
December 1999	21	54
January 2000	25	50
February 2000	25	50
March 2000	26	50
April 2000	26	49
May 2000	25	48
June 2000	23	47
July 2000	26	53
August 2000	27	53
September 2000	30	53
October 2000	31	53
November 2000	31	53
December 2000	31	53
January 2001	31	52
February 2001	31	53

Source:

DSS Information Centre: 100 per cent. data

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of (a) initial claims, (b) renewal claims, (c) reviews and (d) appeals were decided in favour of the claimant in each quarter of each year since 1996. [154837]

Mr. Bayley: The information is in the table.

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 262W

Percentage of Disability Living Allowance initial claim, renewal claim, review and appeal decisions made in favour of the claimant in each quarter since 1996

Quarter	Initial claims	Renewal claims	Reviews(7)	Appeals
March 1996	48	85	41	60
June 1996	47	84	41	63
September 1996	47	83	41	38
December 1996	47	83	60	56
March 1997	46	82	40	38
June 1997	45	80	59	54
September 1997	45	79	39	35
December 1997	46	79	56	51
March 1998	46	77	34	47
June 1998	45	77	34	48
September 1998	46	78	34	47
December 1998	46	79	34	48
March 1999	46	79	33	49
June 1999	46	80	33	49
September 1999	47	81	33	48
December 1999	51	81	33	48
March 2000	52	80	36	47
June 2000	51	81	39	47
September 2000	50	84	43	46
December 2000	51	85	43	48

⁽⁷⁾ Includes reconsiderations and supersessions under the revised system of decision making and appeals introduced in October 1999.

Source:

DSS Information Centre: 100 per cent. data.

Benefit Claim Forms

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he last reviewed the application forms for benefit claims. [156701]

Mr. Rooker: We are determined to ensure that all those entitled to claim a benefit can do so with the minimum of inconvenience. The Department is currently developing a new Minimum Income Guarantee claim form. The lessons learned from that work are being extended to other benefits.

State Pension

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the role of the basic pension is in overall pension provision in the UK. [156552]

Mr. Rooker: We aim to give everyone the chance to make their own choices about how they want to provide for their own retirement. The basic state pension is a secure foundation but, by itself, it was never meant to support the lifestyle most people want today. We believe the best way to have a secure retirement is to build up an extra amount on top of the state retirement pension.

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