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Income Support Computer Software
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of (a) pension, (b) income support and (c) both have had their payment delayed as a result of the income support computer software being unable to calculate payment due to increases in retirement pension; if such problems in making payments had been anticipated; if similar failures in processing payments are expected at the beginning of the next financial year; and if he will make a statement. [58032]
Mr. McCartney: We are not aware of any delay in payments of (a) retirement pension, (b) income support or (c) both as a result of the income support computer software being unable to calculate payment due to increases in retirement pension.
Asylum Seekers
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the mechanism by which the Benefits Agency issues guidance to its offices on working with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to ensure that the issuing of national insurance numbers, NASS 35 documents and asylum decision letters are co-ordinated; [61958]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the mechanism by which the Benefits Agency has informed its offices of the provision allowing access to documentation directly from NASS if an asylum seeker wishing to have access to mainstream benefits has not received his or her NASS 35 document through the post. [61959]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Procedural bulletins issued routinely to all staff provide guidance on the handling and processing of claims from successful asylum seekers. The transition for asylum seekers moving from National Asylum Support Service support to benefits is, like any claim to benefit, subject to the relevant evidence requirements being satisfied. In some cases this can lead to delays although every effort is made to keep that delay to a minimum.
A procedural bulletin was issued to all income support and jobseeker's allowance processing staff in December 2001, informing them of new procedures designed to minimise delays in assessing claims to benefit from successful asylum seekers. Where an asylum seeker has reported that they have not received their NASS 35 form, staff are instructed to send a fax to NASS requesting that another one is issued within 48 hours. The NASS 35
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provides details of the level of support the person has received from the National Asylum Support Service and the date when the support ceased. This information is necessary so that full rate benefit can be paid. The new procedure was introduced in consultation with the National Asylum Support Service.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to reply to the letter to his predecessor dated 7 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Winifred Lang. [66207]
Mr. Andrew Smith: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 28 June 2002.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the letter to him dated 7 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Abdul Kader. [61691]
Mr. Andrew Smith: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 3 July.
Young Disabled People
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received concerning the impact on young disabled people of the change from severe disablement allowance to incapacity benefit; and what action he is taking to mitigate this, with particular reference to (a) the low income scheme for health charges and (b) non-dependent deductions from housing benefit. [65797]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We have reformed severe disablement allowance (SDA) in order to provide more support to young people disabled early in life who have never had the opportunity to work. Existing SDA recipients under the age of 20 on 6 April 2001 were automatically transferred to long-term incapacity benefit (IB) in April 2002, making them up to £28.10 per week better off. We estimate that around 175,000 young people will benefit from the change over time.
We have received some representations from hon. Members and a small number of letters from the public about the change.
Depending on their circumstances, young disabled people receiving IB can qualify for help with NHS charges (for example, prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests, money-off vouchers for glasses, wigs, fabric supports and help with the cost of travel to hospital for NHS treatment) on the grounds of low income. We recognise that some will no longer have automatic entitlement to this help but many in this group will already be considerably better off as a result of the changes we have introduced and it would be unfair to treat these people differently to other IB recipients.
Non-dependant deductions are made where a housing benefit recipient has another adult living in the household who could reasonably be expected to make a contribution towards the rent. The level of deduction depends upon the income and other circumstances of the non-dependant adult.
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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Listed Places of Worship
Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what money was taken from the English Heritage budget in 2001 to fund the listed places of worship grant scheme. [64609]
Dr. Howells: English Heritage redirected £2 million in grant in aid in the financial year 2001–02, from the existing Joint Places of Worship (JPOW) Scheme. For 2001–02 only, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) agreed to allocate an additional £5 million to the JPOW scheme. English Heritage and the HLF have jointly agreed a revised repair grant scheme for places of worship in England for 2002–03 which is currently expected to make grants totalling £21 million available for this financial year.
Regulatory Impact Unit
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many members of her Department have been employed in its regulatory impact unit in the past five years; and if she will make a statement. [65962]
Dr. Howells: Departmental responsibility for regulatory impact issues has been located in various central units over the past five years. The number of posts in the relevant unit has been as follows:
- 1997–98: five full-time posts
1998–99: five full-time posts
1999–2000: six full-time posts
2000–01: four and a half full-time posts
2001–02: six and a half full-time posts.
Subtitling
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has had with the film industry over subtitled films for deaf people. [65529]
Dr. Howells: The Department has discussed disability issues, including the provision of subtitled films for deaf people, with the Film Council and the Cinema Exhibitors Association. The Film Council has provision for sub-titled films in its new specialised distribution and exhibition strategy and the Cinema Exhibitors Association is also working towards more subtitled films for the deaf with the provision of new equipment. The Department has also liaised with the audiovisual industry, for example via the Broadcasters Disability Network and the British Video Association, as well as with organisations representing those with hearing difficulties in order to promote the availability of sub-titled material throughout the audiovisual sector.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how she plans to ensure that the quality standards for television subtitling are maintained once the regulatory requirements for television subtitling are extended to digital cable and satellite in future communications legislation. [66252]
Dr. Howells: The draft Communications Bill gives OFCOM a requirement to produce, publish and from time to time review, a Code relating to provision of television
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services for the deaf and visually impaired and the means by which such services should be promoted. The Code will include guidance on the technical standards to be attained for subtitling, as the current Code produced by the Independent Television Commission does. The Code applies to the services listed in subsection (9) of Section 203 of the draft Communication Bill.
Green Minister
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who her Department's green minister is; when they (a) have attended and (b) plan to attend meetings of the Green Ministers' Committee; what the outcomes of meetings were for her Department's activities; and if she will make a statement. [65987]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Blackstone is the Minister with responsibility for green issues at the DCMS. This Parliament the Green Ministers Committee has been reconstituted as the Cabinet Sub-Committee of Green Ministers, ENV(G), under the Chairmanship of the Minister for the Environment. It is established practice under exemption two of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees.
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