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Departmental Staff (Scotland)
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of (a) civil service, (b) executive agencies and (c) non- departmental public body jobs under the remit of his Department are located in Scotland; and how many of each have been relocated to Scotland since May 1997. [56304]
Mr. McCartney: Information on the number and percentage of Department for Work and Pensions jobs in Scotland as at 1 April 2002 is in the following table.
None of these posts have relocated to Scotland since May 1997.
| Number of posts | Percentage of total DWP | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive agencies | 12,255 | 12.2 |
| Independent statutory bodies | 0 | 0 |
| Others | 1,192 | 6.2 |
Notes:
1. The numbers are expressed in whole time equivalent rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. The figures do not include casual posts.
Anti-fraud Hotline
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls have been dealt with by the anti-fraud hotline in the last year for which figures are available; how many cases of suspected fraud have been reported to the hotline; how many of these cases have
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been investigated; how many of them have led to a successful prosecution; and how many of them have led to a custodial sentence. [56417]
Malcolm Wicks: The National Benefit Fraud Hotline receives over 17,000 calls a month, resulting in more than two prosecutions a day.
The available information is in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Number of calls received | 205,999 |
| Number of cases of suspected fraud reported(5) | 161,052 |
| Number of resulting investigations | 108,986 |
| Number of resulting benefit rate changes | (6)6,385 |
| Number of prosecutions so far | 768 |
| Number of resulting custodial sentences | (7)Not available |
(5) Including referrals received by telephone, e-mail and post.
(6) Figures include increases and decreases and can relate either to fraud, client error or official error.
(7) Information is not collated centrally on the number of custodial sentences arising from investigations as a direct result of calls to the hotline.
Source:
National Benefit Fraud Hotline Management Information.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received about changing the eligibility for winter fuel payments when couples separate after the eligibility date; and if he will make a statement. [58393]
Mr. McCartney: Queries are received from time to time regarding revised entitlement to benefits following a change in a person's circumstances. However, entitlement to a winter fuel payment is based on the individual's circumstances in the qualifying week. Changes of circumstance occurring after that date are irrelevant but could affect entitlement to a winter fuel payment the following year.
Older People
Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to develop his Department's strategy to help older people. [59650]
Mr. McCartney: In developing the Department for Work and Pension's strategy to help older people, the creation of the Pension Service is a major step forward. The Pension Service has a customer focus that will provide support to pensioners via 26 pension centres, backed by a local service providing face to face contact to those pensioners unable to use the telephone.
Over the next 18 months the Pension Service will develop and implement the Government's new pension credit, which will provide additional income for some 3.9 million pensioners.
In addition to this the Pension Service is working closely with other Government Departments, local authorities and voluntary organisations to improve services to older people. Groups such as Better Government for Older People and Partnerships Against Poverty are helping the Pension Service to develop its
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strategies and service while local partnerships, for example through Care Direct, are being pursued to provide a more joined up service to pensioners.
For those older people not yet ready to retire, Jobcentre Plus will continue to provide support with new deal 50 plus and work to change employers attitudes to older people through the age positive campaign. In the longer term the Government will be legislating against age discrimination in employment by 2006.
Smoking
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Health of 21 May 2002, Official Report, column 302W, on smoking, if he will estimate the savings to public funds relating to pension payments as a consequence of premature deaths among smokers. [60267]
Mr. McCartney: The information is not available.
SERPS
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data he has collated on the proportion of people earning above £10,000 per year who have been contracted out of SERPS and the state second pension over the past three years. [60486]
Mr. McCartney: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals (a) receive SERPS and (b) have contributed to SERPS but are yet to receive any pension. [60487]
Mr. McCartney: The latest figures available show that 6.24 million people were in receipt of an additional pension from SERPS 1 .
The latest available information is that around 22.2 million people under state pension age have built up some entitlement to an additional pension from SERPS 2 .
- Sources:
- 1 Pensions Strategy Computer System.
- 2 National Insurance Recording System.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) mean and (b) median payment of SERPS has been in the five most recent years for which he has data. [60488]
Mr. McCartney: The information is in the table.
| Mean amount | Median amount | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 1997 | 10.90 | 6.87 |
| 31 March 1998 | 11.82 | 7.42 |
| 31 March 1999 | 13.10 | 8.35 |
| 31 March 2000 | 14.37 | 9.25 |
| 31 March 2001 | 15.13 | 9.64 |
Notes:
1. Average amounts are based on pensioners' entitlement records on Pension Strategy Computer System at the date of extraction.
2. Mean and Median amounts are rounded to the nearest penny.
3. Figures are for GB only.
Source:
RP administrative data.
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Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many pensioners he expects will be receiving SERPS in (a) five (b) 10 and (c) 15 years' time; [60489]
- (2) what the (a) mean and (b) median payment of SERPS will be in (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 15 years' time. [60490]
Mr. McCartney: The information available is in the following table.
| People in receipt of additional pension(8) (million) | Mean amount of additional pension(8) (£ weekly) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | 8.6 | 19.60 |
| 2012–13 | 9.9 | 21.70 |
| 2017–18 | 10.6 | 23.05 |
(8) SERPS and the state second pension.
Notes:
1. Number of recipients of additional pension rounded to the nearest 100,000.
2. Mean weekly amounts rounded to the nearest 5p, in 2002–03 prices.
Source:
Government Actuary's Department.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Key Stage 2 Tests
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils were omitted from the calculation of the LEA average in KS2 performance tables in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 because they met the criteria of having English as an additional language, being new to English schooling and having joined their primary school during years 5 or 6 in each. [60038]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what number and percentage of pupils were allowed additional time for completion of KS2 tests in 2002 because of special needs or EAL needs for each LEA. [60039]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority collects information on special arrangements, including the use of additional time, from local education authorities at pupil and school level. The information for 2002 is currently being collected and figures will be available at the end of June 2002.
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