House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 25 Feb 2002 (pt 24)

Ministerial Trips

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list each of the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in each of the last four years specifying the purpose and cost of each trip. [30185]

Mr. Darling: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister gave him on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 707W.

Pensions Service

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff will be employed by the new Pensions Service; how he plans to advertise the service; and if he will make a statement. [32621]

Mr. McCartney: Departmental allocations for 2002–03 are being finalised but the current assumption is that there will be the order of 13,500 front line staff in the Pension Service next year. We will promote the Pension Service using a variety of different media targeted to the specific needs of individual audiences. Our plans include leaflets, individual letters, internet, interactive digital television, radio, as well as continuing our involvement with partner organisations who are crucial to the successful delivery of the Pension Service.

Pensioners

Mr. Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households there are in England and Wales. [32721]

Mr. McCartney: There are 6.7 million pensioner households in England and Wales.

Notes:

1. We have defined a pensioner household as any household containing a person of state pension age.

2. Figures rounded to nearest 100,000.

Source:

2000–01 Family Resources Survey.

Bereavements Benefit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many widowers are estimated to have failed to claim bereavement benefit as a result of the confusion over form BD8. [32742]

Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 5 February 2002]: The information requested is not available.

Winter Fuel Payments

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Lancashire, (b) the north-west of England, (c) Wales and (d) the UK have (i) received winter fuel allowance for the 2001–02 season and (ii) are deemed eligible for the winter fuel allowance and are yet to receive the payment for the season 2001–02. [32924]

Mr. McCartney: Figures for the number of payments made this winter are not yet available and information will not be available in the format requested. Last year's figures are shown in the table and we expect that the number this year will be similar.

25 Feb 2002 : Column 774W

Number of people receiving a winter fuel payment in Lancashire, the north-west of England, Wales and GB in 2000–01Thousand

Number

Lancashire 223.6

North-west England 1,336.0

Wales 614.0

GB 11,123.5

	Number
Lancashire	223.6
North-west England	1,336.0
Wales	614.0
GB	11,123.5

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

2. Figures exclude Northern Ireland cases.

Source:

Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuels Payment 2000–01 exercise.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many instances in the last five years his Department has recorded of overpayment of winter fuel payments. [36919]

Mr. McCartney: The amount paid to individuals depends on their household circumstances. Provisions in regulations allow for the automatic payment of a Winter Fuel Payment based on records held by the Department. If departmental records need updating, or the customer has failed to report a change in circumstances affecting the payment, the Department can accept the return of the payment. However, we do not collect centrally the reasons for the return.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the impact of overpayment of winter fuel payments to some households on other eligible households awaiting payment. [36921]

Mr. McCartney: In order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, certain conditions have to be met. Payment is, therefore, based on the individual's entitlement rather than the circumstances of other, non-related, households.

Entertainment Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by his Department and how much reclaimed. [34447]

Mr. McCartney: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Public Bodies (Contracts)

Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of (a) non- departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries,

25 Feb 2002 : Column 775W

(d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present. [33886]

25 Feb 2002 : Column 776W

Mr. McCartney: The information requested is as follows. It excludes past and present political affiliation which is not collected.

£

Chairmen

Bodies Name Term of office Salary

(a) Non-departmental public bodies

ACDET—Advisory Committee for Disabled People in Employment and Training Sue Maynard-Campbell July 1999 to March 2000 Nil

DLAAB—Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board Rodney Grahame April 1993 to April 2003. Re-appointed: April 1995, April 2000 ⁽³⁸⁾280

IIAC—Industrial Injuries Advisory Council Anthony Newman Taylor July 1996 to July 2002. Re-appointed: July 1999 ⁽³⁸⁾227

OPRA—Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority John Hayes CBE April 1996 to March 2001 ⁽³⁹⁾95,672

Harriet Maunsell OBE April 2001 to March 2006 ⁽³⁹⁾53,000

PCB—Pensions Compensation Board Dr. Julian Farrand August 1996 to August 2001 ⁽³⁹⁾8,824

Sir Bryan Carsberg September 2001 to August 2004 ⁽³⁸⁾343

PO—Pensions Ombudsman Dr. Julian Farrand August 1996 to August 2001 ⁽³⁹⁾89,216

David Laverick September 2001 to August 2004 ⁽³⁹⁾100,000

Remploy Ltd. David Heywood CBE September 1993 to September 1999 14,250

Alan Pedder January 2001 to January 2003 ⁽³⁹⁾72,500

SSAC—Social Security Advisory Committee Thomas Boyd-Carpenter August 1995 to August 2001. Re-appointed: August 1998 ⁽³⁸⁾277

(b) Commissions

DRC—Disability Rights Commission Bert Massie, CBE January 2000 to March 2004 ⁽³⁹⁾69,528

(c) Inquiries

Hosker Inquiry Sir Gerald Hosker February 2001 to May 2001 39,307

(d) Agencies

The Appeals Service TAS (previously the Independent Tribunal Service—ITS) Judge Michael Harris October 1999 to September 2002 ⁽³⁹⁾107,346

	Chairmen
Bodies	Name	Term of office	Salary
	(a) Non-departmental public bodies
ACDET—Advisory Committee for Disabled People in Employment and Training	Sue Maynard-Campbell	July 1999 to March 2000	Nil
DLAAB—Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board	Rodney Grahame	April 1993 to April 2003. Re-appointed: April 1995, April 2000	⁽³⁸⁾280
IIAC—Industrial Injuries Advisory Council	Anthony Newman Taylor	July 1996 to July 2002. Re-appointed: July 1999	⁽³⁸⁾227
OPRA—Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority	John Hayes CBE	April 1996 to March 2001	⁽³⁹⁾95,672
	Harriet Maunsell OBE	April 2001 to March 2006	⁽³⁹⁾53,000
PCB—Pensions Compensation Board	Dr. Julian Farrand	August 1996 to August 2001	⁽³⁹⁾8,824
	Sir Bryan Carsberg	September 2001 to August 2004	⁽³⁸⁾343
PO—Pensions Ombudsman	Dr. Julian Farrand	August 1996 to August 2001	⁽³⁹⁾89,216
	David Laverick	September 2001 to August 2004	⁽³⁹⁾100,000
Remploy Ltd.	David Heywood CBE	September 1993 to September 1999	14,250
	Alan Pedder	January 2001 to January 2003	⁽³⁹⁾72,500
SSAC—Social Security Advisory Committee	Thomas Boyd-Carpenter	August 1995 to August 2001. Re-appointed: August 1998	⁽³⁸⁾277

(b) Commissions
DRC—Disability Rights Commission	Bert Massie, CBE	January 2000 to March 2004	⁽³⁹⁾69,528

(c) Inquiries
Hosker Inquiry	Sir Gerald Hosker	February 2001 to May 2001	39,307

(d) Agencies
The Appeals Service TAS (previously the Independent Tribunal Service—ITS)	Judge Michael Harris	October 1999 to September 2002	⁽³⁹⁾107,346

⁽³⁸⁾ Per day

⁽³⁹⁾ Annually

(e) Information on the number, remit, and membership of task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews has been published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period between 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000 and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report, "Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews", was issued in October 2001 and covers the period of the financial year 2000–01. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Mobile Telephones

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) for telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff. [34318]

Mr. McCartney: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.

Mobile telephone running costs for DWP (formerly DSS)£000

Year Departmental total

1997–98 1,330

1998–99 1,213

1999–2000 1,447

2000–01 1,344

2001–02⁽⁴⁰⁾ 1,423

Year	Departmental total
1997–98	1,330
1998–99	1,213
1999–2000	1,447
2000–01	1,344
2001–02⁽⁴⁰⁾	1,423

⁽⁴⁰⁾ To date

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