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Pensioner Incomes

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of (a) male pensioners aged 70 years and under and (b) male pensioners aged 81 years and over, had incomes in (i) the bottom, (ii) the second bottom, (iii) middle, (iv) second top and (v) top income quintile in each of the past six years. [57968]

Mr. McCartney: The information is in the tables:

Percentage distribution of income for male pensioners. Excluding the self-employed

Percentage of pensioners	Net equivalised disposable household income
	Bottom quintile	Second quintile	Third quintile	Fourth quintile	Top quintile	Total (millions)
Before Housing Costs
Male pensioners
1995–6	26	28	21	14	11	3.5
1996–7	22	29	22	15	12	3.5
1997–8	23	30	21	15	11	3.5
1998–9	25	29	20	15	11	3.5
1999–2000	23	30	21	14	11	3.6
2000–01	24	29	21	15	11	3.6
of which: aged 70 and under
1995–6	20	26	24	17	14	1.4
1996–7	16	28	24	18	15	1.4
1997–8	18	27	23	18	14	1.4
1998–9	19	27	23	17	14	1.4
1999–2000	17	29	23	17	14	1.4
2000–01	18	27	24	16	14	1.4 aged over 80
1995–6	29	28	21	13	9	0.5
1996–7	29	32	20	11	8	0.5
1997–8	26	31	21	14	8	0.5
1998–9	31	30	16	14	10	0.5
1999–2000	32	27	22	12	7	0.5
2000–01	28	30	21	12	10	0.6

24 May 2002 : Column 655W

Percentage distribution of income for male pensioners. Excluding the self-employed

Percentage of pensioners	Net equivalised disposable household income
	Bottom quintile	Second quintile	Third quintile	Fourth quintile	Top quintile	Total (millions)
After Housing Costs
Male pensioners
1995–6	18	31	22	16	13	3.5
1996–7	16	31	22	17	14	3.5
1997–8	18	31	22	17	13	3.5
1998–9	18	30	21	16	14	3.5
1999–2000	17	31	22	16	14	3.6
2000–01	18	29	22	16	15	3.6
of which: aged 70 and under
1995–6	14	27	24	18	17	1.4
1996–7	12	27	24	21	16	1.4
1997–8	14	26	23	20	17	1.4
1998–9	15	25	23	18	18	1.4
1999–2000	14	27	22	20	17	1.4
2000–01	14	25	23	20	17	1.4
aged over 80
1995–6	22	33	19	15	11	0.5
1996–7	23	36	18	13	10	0.5
1997–8	19	34	21	15	10	0.5
1998–9	23	32	17	15	12	0.5
1999–2000	25	33	20	12	11	0.5
2000–01	22	34	19	13	13	0.6

Notes for tables:

1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland, and the latest year for which data is available is 2000–01.

2. The estimates are sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using multipurpose grossing factors. Estimates are subject to both sampling error and to variability in non-response. The income measure used is weekly net (disposable) equivalised household income (that is to say income that is adjusted to reflect the composition of the household).

3. The estimates are presented on both a Before Housing Costs (BHC) and an After Housing Costs (AHC) basis in line with HBAI conventions. Figures are provided excluding the self-employed, as research suggests that, for self-employed people, income as reported in surveys is often a poor indicator of living standards. HBAI convention is to present results excluding the self-employed, presenting results including the self-employed where the two differ significantly.

Minimum Income Guarantee

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee in (a) Scotland and (b) Midlothian. [58563]

Mr. McCartney: As at February 2002, there were 181,000 MIG recipients in Scotland and of these there were 1600 recipients in the parliamentary constituency of Midlothian.

Source: Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, February 2002.

24 May 2002 : Column 656W

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in (a) St Helens, South, (b) St Helens MBC area, (c) Merseyside, (d) the North West and (e) England are eligible to claim the minimum income guarantee. [44717]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [pursuant to his answer, 26 March 2002, c. 997–99]: Estimates of the number of people eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee are not available below National level. Figures for the number of pensioners who may be entitled to but are not receiving the MIG are contained in the publication, "Take Up of Income Related Benefits: Statistics for 1999–2000."

24 May 2002 : Column 657W

The figures in the report pre-date the MIG take up campaign in May 2000 which, up to the end of January 2002 has resulted in 128, 163 additional successful claims—pensioners are on average £20 a week better off as a result.

The table below shows the number of MIG recipients as at November 2001, by area:

Area	Number of MIG claimants
St Helens South Parliamentary
Constituency
	3,200
St Helens MBC	6,300
Merseyside	61,800
North West GOR	245,400
England	1,459,200

Source:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry November 2001.

Funding (Luton, South)

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what moneys have been provided (a) directly and (b) via agencies for which the Department has responsibility to the Luton, South constituency since 1997. [58590]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The Department does not maintain expenditure information in respect of individual Parliamentary constituencies.

EMI (Redundancies)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures the Government have taken to assist those made redundant recently by EMI. [59011]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: In March, EMI announced that they would be making 1,800 redundancies spread across their operations in 50 countries. Of these, over 250 were in the UK—190 in Swindon and 66 in London.

Where significant redundancies occur, we aim to support those affected by helping them to move quickly into new jobs and preventing them from becoming detached from the labour market.

Jobcentre Plus have met with EMI and arranged briefings for all the employees to ensure that those affected by the redundancies receive the help they need to make the transition into sustainable new jobs. Like other unemployed people, those who have been made redundant can access the range of help provided by Jobcentre Plus.

Pensions

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to allow investors in SERPS-related funds freedom to transfer funds to alternative providers when a particular provider is under-performing in the market; and if he will make a statement. [59293]

24 May 2002 : Column 658W

Mr. McCartney: Individual members can already transfer their funds to alternative providers if they wish to do so. Current legislation allows individuals in either a personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme who receive the contracted-out rebate to transfer funds to another appropriate personal pension or stakeholder pension scheme operated by another provider. We have no plans to amend this practice.

Incapacity Benefit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been diagnosed as being clinically obese and are in receipt of incapacity benefit. [59438]

Mr. Brown: As at 3 November 2001, 700 people receiving Incapacity Benefit had obesity (E66) recorded as their primary diagnosis.

Source: The figure is based on a 5 per cent sample of the Incapacity Benefit computer system which excludes a small number of clerically held cases. It is rounded to the nearest hundred.
Notes: 1. Diagnoses are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition. (ICD10), published by the World Health Organisation. The code in brackets shows the ICD10 code. 2. If a person has more than one medical condition only the primary diagnosis is recorded.

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