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Pension Funds

Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether regulations on stakeholder pensions to require pension funds to spread charges evenly throughout the year will increase the cost of auditing such pension charges; what plans he has to amend these regulations to allow charges to be deducted on an annual or monthly basis; and if he will make a statement. [61788]

Mr. McCartney: One of the key features of stakeholder pensions is the 1 per cent. charge. The calculation of the charge by reference to a daily amount is the best way of taking an average 1 per cent. of the member's fund over a year.

Although charges have to be calculated as a daily amount, the valuation of the fund, on which the charge is based, can be made on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

We have no plans to change the rules on the way that the stakeholder charge is calculated. However we are looking at the audit requirements for stakeholder pension schemes, and any changes will be announced in due course.

Means-tested Benefits

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the costs of means-tested benefits, including housing benefit, were for (a) men over 65 and (b) women over 60 in 2001–02. [61261]

Mr. McCartney: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available shows that cost of means tested benefits to people aged 60 and over for 2001–02 was £10.214 million.



European Year of Disabled People

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who will sit on his Department's Co-ordinating Committee for the European Year of Disabled People. [62607]

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Maria Eagle: The following organisations sit on the UK National Co-ordinating Committee for the European Year of Disabled People 2003.


National Pensions Systems Plan

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the organisations that he plans to consult in drawing up the national pension plan; and if he will make a statement. [61364]

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what discussions he has had with Ministers from other EU countries about the National Pensions Systems Plan; and if he will make a statement; [61951]

Mr. McCartney [holding answer 17 June 2002]: The Department for Work and Pensions has a range of regular contacts with organisations with an interest in pension provision and plans to use these contacts to ensure appropriate input to the preparation of the UK's national strategy report on the future of pension systems. EU member states have agreed to produce reports by September 2002, as part of an exercise to exchange information and best practice.

The report will set out measures currently in place and others that are currently planned or under consideration. A draft Joint Commission/Council Report based on the information in the reports from member states will be considered by EU Heads of State and Government at the spring European Council in 2003.

Representations have been received from organisations representing pensioners about the national strategy report process. They will have an opportunity to contribute to the process through the contacts we are arranging.

Committee Mandates

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the mandate of the Committee of Senior Labour Inspectors is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what

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the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [61725]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 13 June 2002]: I have been asked to reply.

The Committee of Senior Labour Inspectors (SLIC) was formally established by the European Commission in 1995 (Decision 95/319/EC) and mandated to give its opinion on all problems relating to the enforcement by member states of Community law on health and safety at work. In the last 12 months SLIC has met once in Belgium and once in Spain during their respective presidencies of the EU.

Each member state has two representatives. The UK is represented by Mr. Justin McCracken, Deputy Director General (Operations) and Dr. Adrian Ellis, Director of Field Operations both of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Travel and subsistence for their attendance of the last two meetings cost £2,320 of which the European Commission reimburses the cost of travel (£940).

The latest meeting discussed progress with the SLIC work programme including the assessment of health and safety systems in EU and candidate countries, asbestos, the European campaign on health and safety in construction, future co-operation with candidate countries, health and safety aspects related to working time, and SLIC's role in the European Commission's future health and safety strategy.

SLIC is accountable to the European Commission and submits an annual report on its activities to the Commission with particular reference to any problem relating to the enforcement or monitoring of Community legislation on health and safety at work. The Commission forwards that report to the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work.

The Advisory Committee produces an annual report which is sent to the Cabinet Office which is then passed to the House of Lords and Commons European Scrutiny Committee; HSE submits an explanatory memorandum to the Scrutiny Committee on the Advisory Committee's report.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Criminal Offences

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many criminal offences have been (a) created and (b) abolished by his Department since 1997. [55425]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

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A comprehensive and exhaustive list of new and abolished offences could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We can however provide information about the following measures which have been enacted since 1997 by the former DETR and DTLR.


Pensions

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much was spent by his Department on paying pensions to retired employees of his Department in 2001–02; if he will estimate the corresponding amounts to be spent in (a) five years' time, (b) 10 years' time, (c) 20 years' time and (d) 30 years' time; if he will estimate in each case the proportion of such liabilities which will arise from (i) unfunded pension schemes and (ii) pre-funded pension schemes; and in the case of pre-funded schemes, if he will estimate the value of the corresponding pre-funded funds in each of these years. [57367]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave when I was Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 23 May 2002, Official Report, columns 561–62W.

Press Releases

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each month of 2002; [59491]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

The DTLR was created in June 2001. Figures for the former DETR(c) are as follows:

1997Number
May37
June85
July 98
August41
September2
October81
November 86
December87

DTLR (c) has issued 197 press releases in the period from 1 January to 23 May 2002 as follows:

Number
January25
February46
March57
April28
To 23 May41

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