Previous Section Index Home Page


Correspondence

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will answer the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight concerning HF Holidays and letters from HF Holidays to her Department. [12919]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 6 November 2001]: A response to the hon. Member's letter was sent on 23 October 2001. I apologise for the time taken to respond to this letter.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will answer the letter dated 8 August from the hon. Member for Banbury concerning Mr. Rodney Thompson and those leaving the pig industry. [15602]

Mr. Morley: A response to the hon. Member's letter of 8 August was sent on 10 December 2001.

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Wealden of 26 July relating to a petition on genetically modified foods. [16385]

Mr. Morley: A response to the hon. Member's letter of 26 July was sent on 27 November 2001. I apologise for the time taken to respond to this letter.

17 Dec 2001 : Column: 148W

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter (1) from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire dated 4 July concerning Mr. and Mrs. Don Holland of Shallow Grange Farm, Chelmorton, Derbyshire; [5444]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 26 November 2001]: A response to the hon. Member's letter of 4 July was sent on 10 December 2001.

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter from Mr. V. Patrick, of Woodmancote, Gloucestershire, a constituent, which was acknowledged by her Department on 25 June, Reference 156734. [19804]

Mr. Morley: A response to the hon. Member's letter was sent on 30 November 2001. I apologise for the time taken to respond to this letter.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letters of 14 May and 3 September from the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire concerning his constituent, Mr. John Sanders. [22265]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 December 2001]: My noble Friend Lord Whitty replied to the letter dated 14 May from the hon. Member on 21 November 2001. The Department has no record of the letter dated 3 September.

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 20 August concerning the foot and mouth disease slaughter policy. [15013]

Mr. Morley: Lord Whitty replied to the letter from the hon. Member on 10 December 2001.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter dated 10 October from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding livestock movement and traceability. [21477]

Mr. Morley: A response to the hon. Member's letter of 10 October was sent on 6 December 2001. I apologise for the time taken to respond to this letter.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions further to his answer of 16 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1209–10W, if he will commission an up-to-date assessment of the numbers of non-resident parents gaining and losing from the introduction of new child support mechanisms for 2002. [10264]

Malcolm Wicks: The assessment of gainers and losers carried out in 1998 was made in order to determine the general effect of the new child support scheme. As I indicated in my answer to my hon. Friend on 16 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1209–10W, simple comparisons between current and potential liabilities cannot provide reliable information on the effect of the

17 Dec 2001 : Column: 149W

reforms on individual parents. The new child support rates are now laid down in legislation and we do not intend to commission further work to establish the overall pattern of gain and loss resulting from conversion to the new scheme.

New Deal

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those who have entered work through the new deal programme have commenced unsubsidised employment in (a) Scotland and (b) the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency. [23265]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The available information is in the table.

Number of people entering unsubsidised jobs (up to the end of September 2001, unless otherwise stated)

ProgrammeScotlandGalloway and Upper Nithsdale
New Deal for Young People35,231424
New Deal 25 plus6,398107
New Deal for Lone Parents12,130108
New Deal 50 plus: Employment Credit(24)6,688(24)130
New Deal for Disabled People(24)16(26)
New Deal for Partners(25)243(26)

(24) At end of October 2001

(25) At 26 October 2001

(26) Information at constituency level is not available for the new deal for disabled people and the new deal for partners

Sources:

New Deal Evaluation Database

Employment Service Labour Market System


Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the proportion of those leaving for sustained jobs from (a) the new deal for young people and (b) the new deal for the long-term unemployed who were still in employment (i) six and (ii) 12 months after leaving the new deal. [9330]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The available information is in the table.

Proportion of clients leaving the programme for employment who had not re-claimed jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
Percentage

Within 6 months of leavingWithin 12 months of leaving
New Deal for Young People8066
New Deal for the Long-Term Unemployed8877

Notes:

(i) Figures for new deal for the long-term unemployed relate to the pre-April 2001 programme.

(ii) The figures include those leavers who have been in employment for less than 6–12 months, but who have not yet returned to JSA.

Source:

New Deal Evaluation Database


New Deal (Loughborough)

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Loughborough constituency are on the new deal programme, broken down by each category. [18491]

17 Dec 2001 : Column: 150W

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The available information is in the table.

ProgrammeNumber(27)
New Deal for Young People102
New Deal 25 plus41
New Deal for Lone Parents(28)74
New Deal 50 plus (Employment Credit claims)(29)63

(27) To end September 2001

(28) Figure for end of August 2001.

(29) Figure for end of October 2001.

Note:

The figures are not cumulative.

Source:

New Deal Evaluation Database


Information at constituency level is not available for the new deals for disabled people and partners.

Pensioner Poverty (South Tyneside)

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made in combating pensioner poverty in South Tyneside in the last 12 months [13210]

Mr. McCartney: Since taking office in 1997 we have made a significant impact on the lives of our poorest pensioners.

We have introduced the minimum income guarantee from which some 6,800 pensioners in South Tyneside have benefited. We have boosted retirement pension through above inflation increases, both this year and next, to the benefit of some 29,800 pensioners in South Tyneside. We have also introduced free TV licences for the over 75's and next winter the winter fuel payment will again be £200.

All in all, throughout Great Britain, 2 million people in pensioner households are now at least £15 a week, or £800 a year better off in real terms as a result of our measures.

Benefit Take-up

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he is taking to improve take-up of benefits by older people [23118]

Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mr. McWalter) on 10 December 2001, Official Report, columns 601–02W.


Next Section Index Home Page