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National Flag Shipping

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK takes advantage of EU state aid guidelines to encourage national flag shipping. [50574]

Mr. Jamieson: We have introduced the tonnage tax, which has in the last two years contributed to a 61 per cent. increase in tonnage of the UK registered fleet. We have also extended and increased funding to the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme, which subsidises the costs of seafarer training, and we are committed to extending the Crew Relief Costs Scheme

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to cover European as well as more distant ports, when parliamentary time is available. We have already cleared the first two measures with the Commission to ensure that they comply with state aid guidelines, and will seek clearance for the third when appropriate.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pension Credit

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the changes to (a) cost and (b) coverage of the proposed pension credit if the withdrawal rate of the savings credit were (i) 10 per cent., (ii) 22 per cent. and (iii) 25 per cent. [20296]

Mr. McCartney [holding answer 5 December 2001]: The Savings Credit is designed specifically to reward pensioners with low or modest second pensions or savings. Setting the Savings Credit rate at 60 per cent. strikes the right balance between affordability and the objective of helping pensioners at the lower end of the income scale. As illustrated in the table, below increasing the rate of the Savings Credit to 90 per cent. would require an additional £2 billion for a full year. It would also mean the Pension Credit would be payable to single pensioners with incomes over £300 per week (nearly £16,000 per year) and over £430 for pensioner couples (around £22,500).

Additional expenditure required for Pension Credit for a full financial year

Savings credit rate (percentage)	Change in costs (£ billion)	Changes in number of benefit units entitled (000s)
60	0	0
75	+0.6	+800
78	+0.8	+1,000
90	+2.0	+2,200

Notes:

1. Costs are the additional expenditure required for Housing and Council Tax Benefits and Pension Credit.

2. Numbers of benefit units relates to those entitled to Pension Credit.

3. The estimates are for 2004–05 (the first full year in which Pension Credit will be payable) and are based on estimates published in the pre-Budget report.

4. The estimates are for GB only and exclude persons residing in residential care and nursing homes.

5. The estimates are based on the Department's Policy Simulation Model, using data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) for 1999–2000.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of single pensioners entitled to the pension credit are expected to be in receipt of less than the full rate of the state basic pension on the inception of the pension credit scheme in October 2003; [47658]

(2) what proportion of pensioner couples entitled to the pension credit are expected to be in receipt of less than the full rate of the state basic pension for a couple based on the husband's contribution record on the inception of the pension credit scheme in October 2003. [47659]

Mr. McCartney: Information is not available in the format requested.

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In total around 4.1 million pensioner households will be entitled to Pension Credit in 2003–04, of which around 1.2 million households contain a couple.

Appeal Tribunals

Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many appeal tribunals in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK have been adjourned as a result of the Tribunal of Commissioners decision in CSDLA/1019/99; [49006]

(2) how many full sessions in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK have been adjourned as a result of the Tribunal of Commissioners decision in CSDLA/1019/99; [49007]

(3) if medical members who would be disqualified by conflict of interest as judged by the Tribunal of Commissioners decision in CSDLA/1019/99 are still being allocated to sit on Appeal Tribunal hearings; and if he will make a statement; [49008]

(4) what costs have been incurred owing to the cancellation of appeal tribunal hearings as a result of the Tribunal of Commissioners decision in CSDLA/1019/99; [49009]

(5) how many medical members in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK of appeal tribunal hearings he estimates could be disqualified from hearings when the findings of CSDLA/1019/99 are applied. [49011]

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Neil Ward, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. He will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from N. D. Ward to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 18 April 2002:

The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your recent parliamentary questions on the subject of the Tribunal of Commissioners decision (CSDLA/1019/99). You asked:

how many appeal tribunals in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK have been adjourned as a result (49006);

how many full sessions in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK have been adjourned as a result (49007);

what costs have been incurred owing to the cancellation of appeal tribunal hearings as a result (49009);

if medical members who would be disqualified by conflict of interest as judged by the decision are still being allocated to sit on Appeal Tribunal hearings (49008); and

how many medical members in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK of appeal tribunal hearings he estimates could be disqualified from hearings when the findings of CSDLA/1019/99 are applied (49011).

The jurisdiction of appeal tribunal administration by the Appeals Service extends to Great Britain only.

Information on the number of appeal tribunals, and full sessions, adjourned as a result of the Tribunal of Commissioners decision, and the costs, is unavailable.

The President of Appeal Tribunals has considered carefully the impact of the above decision. The decision is currently the subject of an appeal to the Court of Session. In the meantime, all medically qualified panel members are being offered hearings.

There are currently 133 fee paid medically qualified panel members in Scotland, of whom 28 also carry out work for Schlumbergersema/Nestor Disability Analysis. For Great Britain, the figures are 856 and 136 respectively.

I hope this is helpful.

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Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when an Appeal Tribunal is adjourned, what costs have to be met for personnel and services; and what these have amounted to on average in the last year. [49012]

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Neil Ward, chief executive of the Appeals Service. He will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from N. D. Ward to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 18 April 2002:

The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question regarding what costs have to be met for personnel and services, as a result of adjourned appeal tribunals; and what these have amounted to on average in the last year.

The costs may include administrative costs for staff and venues as well as those of panel members and travelling expenses for the appellant. Information regarding the specific costs of adjourned tribunals is unavailable. However, the average cost of an appeal cleared by an appeal tribunal is £155 (excluding first tier agency costs). An appeal may be cleared at the first hearing, or after one or more adjournments.

I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Mark Preedy

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will ensure that officials in her Department examine the case of Mr. Mark Preedy. [46298]

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Bill Wiggin, dated April 2002:

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply by me.

You ask if the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will ensure that officials in his Department will examine the case of Mr. Mark Preedy.

As individual cases are a confidential matter I have written to you separately concerning Mr. Preedy.

State Pension

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people above state pension age have (a) reduced entitlement to the basic state pension and (b) no entitlement at all to a basic state pension. [45911]

Mr. McCartney: There are around 1.46 million people in Great Britain with a reduced entitlement to the Basic State Pension and around 360,000 with no entitlement at all.

The Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) was introduced in April 1999 to provide a new higher income below which pensioners with little or no savings should not fall. From April 2002 no pensioner has to get by on less than £98.15 a week under MIG (£149.80 for couples). Over two million pensioners nationally benefit from this measure.

Source:

Administrative Data September 2001 and ONS mid 2000 Population Estimates.

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Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people failed to claim their state pension within three months of reaching state pension age; what the total amount of state pension left unclaimed was in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement. [47585]

Mr. McCartney [holding answer 10 April 2002]: There is no requirement to claim retirement pension at state pension age.

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