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Disability Living Allowance

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of appeals against refusal of an award of Disability Living Allowance were successful; and how many appeals were made in each of the last three years. [2203]

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) appeal decisions

Total appeals received in the Appeals Service(16),(17)Successful appeals following hearing by Appeals Service (percentage)(18),(19)
199847,02514,900 (32%)
199949,85716,200 (32%)
200057,52220,800 (36%)

(16) Figures are based on 100 per cent. data from DLA computer system.

(17) Figures relate to appeals due to refusal of benefit or dissatisfaction with award.

(18) Figures are based on 5 per cent. data and relate to 12 months ending November.

(19) Successful appeals do not include successful appeals against the rate or period of an award of an existing award.

Notes:

1. It is likely that the increase in the appeal success rate between 1999 and 2000 (an increase from 32 per cent. to 36 per cent) results from the introduction of DMA in late 1999, together with the pressure of the recovery that followed during 2000. DMA introduced a number of changes to the decision-making process, including a move away from a mandatory review prior to the appeal going forward, to a reconsideration as part of the appeal procedure. Decisions appealed against are now routinely reconsidered, but we are aware that some decision-makers need time to become proficient in the new procedures following DMA implementation.

2. The figures quoted in the reply relate only to refusals of DLA. It is worth noting that the total figure for all DLA appeals shows no significant change in overturn rate in the same period.

Source:

Department for Work and Pensions


Annuities

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what investigations his Department is undertaking into the effectiveness of annuities. [1354]

Mr. McCartney: We have the issue under general review, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor made clear in his Budget statement.

3 Jul 2001 : Column: 139W

Minimum Income Guarantee

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of pensioners in Wales eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee. [1584]

Mr. McCartney: The latest estimate is that around 97,000 pensioners in Wales are benefiting from the Minimum Income Guarantee. An estimate of the number of pensioners eligible but not claiming is not available.







CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Tourism

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the number of overseas visitors to Britain in each quarter since May 1997. [140]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Quarterly figures for the number of visits to the UK from overseas are published by the Office for National Statistics as part of the international passenger survey. From May 1997, they are as follows:

Thousand

Year/QuarterVisits
1997
26,447
38,168
45,961
1998
14,804
26,834
38,027
46,080
1999
15,046
26,799
37,913
45,636
2000
14,993
26,733
37,923
45,541
2001
1(20)4,920

(20) Estimated


Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the funding made available to promote tourism in each regional tourist board area by its regional development agency. [1780]

3 Jul 2001 : Column: 140W

Dr. Howells: We have contacted the Department for Trade and Industry to request some of the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letters in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Dome

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed on the Dome site; and in what capacity. [84]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) currently employs 66 people at the Dome site in the following roles:

Number
Chairman's/Finance Director's Offices7
Decommissioning6
Finance17
Legal3
Human Resources5
Information Technology4
Press Office3
Support21

With effect from 1 July 2001, the number of people employed by NMEC was reduced to 31.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what are the total (a) maintenance, (b) security and (c) other continuing costs of the Dome; and if she will make a statement. [131]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has advised that its budgeted costs for June for the Dome and site on which its stands are as follows:





Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions officials of the Health and Safety Executive have visited the Dome since December 2000; and what the purpose of the visit was in each case. [85]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Officials from the Health and Safety Executive visited the site in January (at the invitation of the New Millennium Experience Company) to discuss its decommissioning programme and on 26 February as part of a routine inspection.

New Millennium Experience Company

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many court judgments have been made against the New Millennium Experience Company; and if she will list (a) settled and (b) pending court actions. [79]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 June 2001]: There have been seven county court judgments issued against the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), all of which were settled by 31 December 2000. Judgment

3 Jul 2001 : Column: 141W

against the company was awarded in an overseas action by a Belgian sub-contractor relating to a small contractual claim. This was paid in April 2001. In addition, an employment dispute resulted in a court action against NMEC for a small contractual claim. This has also been paid. NMEC has recently, out of court, settled court actions brought against it by a construction contractor and by an engineering company. The details of these claims are commercially confidential.

There are two cases currently involving pending court actions. One is a dispute with a lighting maintenance company, and the other arises from a trademark dispute.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the value of legal fees (a) invoiced and (b) paid by the New Millennium Experience Company in relation to settled or pending court actions. [83]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The value of legal fees paid to date by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) in respect of settled court actions against the company is circa £186k. The company is still awaiting final reconciliation of legal fees in relation to these cases.

Royal Armouries

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the finances of the Royal Armouries. [81]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Following restructuring of the Royal Armouries' relationship with their private sector partner in July 1999, additional grant-in-aid of £1 million per annum has been made available to cover the cost of the responsibilities transferred. The additional grant support is conditional on improvements in management and efficiency which are now being implemented as an essential component of the Royal Armouries' strategy for the future. Further grant has been made available to enable free access for children and the over-60s at the Royal Armouries' Leeds museum from 1 April 2001, and for adults from 1 December. The Royal Armouries is operating within its agreed budget and is so far on track to meet its major visitor and revenue targets for the year 2001–02.

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