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Search and Rescue Helicopter

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the plans to move the Portland search and rescue helicopter to Lee-on-Solent. [68371]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

The Government are committed to a continuing helicopter search and rescue capability along the south coast. Discussion between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and other organisations about the future location of the helicopter based at Portland are continuing. No final decisions have been made.

Asylum Centre (Throckmorton)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he is making to conduct an environmental impact assessment for the proposed asylum accommodation centre at Throckmorton; and when that assessment will be available to the planning authority. [59085]

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.

We have agreed with Wychavon District Council that an environmental impact assessment will be submitted with the planning notification.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Women's Organisations

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what women's organisations have been

9 Jul 2002 : Column 857W

consulted on proposed legislation by his Department during 2000–01 and 2001–02 Sessions; and if their responses have been published. [66528]

Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland consulted the following groups during the period in question.

Lesbian Line


Omagh Women's Area Network


Women's Resource and Development


The Women's Centre


Women's Forum NI


NI Women's Aid Federation


Mid-Ulster Women's Network


Family Planning Association NI


Derry Well Woman


Newry and Mourne Women


Fermanagh Women's Network


NI Women's European Platform


Gay and Lesbian Youth NI


Women's Support Network


Women's Information Group


NI Women's Coalition.

The responses from these consultations have not been published.

Data Commissioning

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since August 1997. [66527]

Jane Kennedy: During 2001, the Northern Ireland Office commissioned the 2001 sweep of the Northern Ireland Crime Survey, which contains data on the gender, race, disability (or activity-limiting long-standing illness) and age of each of the 3,010 respondents.

Also, in 2002 the NIO published "Gender and the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice System", which presents a wide range of statistical data and research findings on the Northern Ireland criminal justice system in terms of gender comparisons. Similar Northern Ireland criminal justice system publications focusing on age and race are planned for 2002–03.

Gender Impact Assessment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published. [66525]

Jane Kennedy: There have been no specific single gender impact assessments put to consultation or published by the Northern Ireland Office since 1997.

Equal Treatment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progress on equal treatment; and what progress has been achieved. [66526]

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Jane Kennedy: Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to 'promote equality of opportunity' and have regard to 'promoting good relations' within Northern Ireland. The legislation also requires them to produce an 'Equality Scheme' stating how they will fulfil these requirements. In January 2000 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) commissioned the preparation of an 'Equality Scheme' which was approved by the Quality Commission for Northern Ireland on 20 November 2001. The Scheme sets out how the Department and its Agencies fulfil their duties and obligations with regard to all of their policies, functions and duties.

An 'External Assessor' has recently produced the first Annual Progress Report on the operation of the NIO's Equality Scheme. The report looked at the work of the Department to date and commented favourably on progress.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Fraud Inspectorate

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the next programme of inspections for the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate. [69184]

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) latest programme of activity includes inspections of both central and local government.

The local authority inspections will focus on various aspects of benefits administration and counter fraud performance in the following local authorities:

Crawley district council


Barnsley metropolitan council


Basingstoke and Deane district council


Waveney district council


Castle Morpeth district council


East Renfrewshire council.

This is the first programme of inspections following the publication of the "Performance Standards for Housing Benefits" in March 2002. The BFI inspections will consider, among other things, the progress councils have made in assessing their own performance against the standards.

BFI will also inspect a number of councils to test compliance against the Race Relations Amendment Act 2001 in the area of benefits administration.

BFI will be writing to Chief Executives with more details in the coming week.

BFI will also be undertaking an inspection of Jobcentre Plus to establish how the new organisation is taking forward the recommendations made in the BFI report on the Benefits Agency's relationship with local authorities, published in September 2001.

Alongside these inspections, BFI will continue to contribute to the comprehensive performance assessments of local authorities.

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Poverty

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he will consult on the definition of older persons' poverty. [59601]

Mr. McCartney: Poverty can be caused by a number of factors and no one measure can capture all of these factors. Accordingly, we have developed a number of measures of poverty which we track and report on in the annual "Opportunity for All" report.

Child Support Agency

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people have been prosecuted for making a false statement to the Child Support Agency in respect of their income; and if he will make a statement; [65782]

(2) what measures are taken by the Child Support Agency to ascertain that details of claimed income by an absent parent are correct; and if he will make a statement; [65783]

(3) how many cases were raised by hon. and right hon. Members with the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [65784]

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. Bob Russell, dated 8 July 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 three questions:

1. How many people have been prosecuted for making a false statement to the Child Support Agency in respect of their income; and if the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will make a statement.

Our aim is to encourage parents to support their children. In the majority of cases our demonstrated intention to take a case to court has been sufficient to encourage the non-resident parent either to provide the correct requested information or to make arrangements to pay maintenance.

Against that background since April 2002, four cases have been taken to court in regard to the provision of false information.

2. What measures are taken by the Child Support Agency to ascertain that details of claimed income by an absent parent are correct, and if the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will make a statement.

The Agency requests verification of all income declared by our clients before the maintenance is calculated.

If we are unable to get the necessary information from the client, either because they are unable or unwilling to provide it, we will contact third parties who might reasonably be expected to hold relevant information.

3. How many cases were raised by hon. and right hon. Members with the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

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Members of Parliament have written to the Agency through Parliamentary Correspondence Unit about the following total number of cases in each of the last five years:

April 1997 to March 1998: 6962

April 1998 to March 1999: 7690

April 1999 to March 2000: 5338

April 2000 to March 2001: 4218

April 2001 to March 2002: 3050

Members of Parliament are also encouraged to contact our offices directly in relation to cases. We do not have a central record of the total number of those cases.

I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2002, Official Report, column 1212W, on the Child Support Agency, when testing of the child support reforms new rules implementation IT project will be complete. [66588]

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. Steve Webb, dated 8 July 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 pursuant to the Answer of 19th April Official Report column 1212W on the Child Support Agency when testing of the Child Support Reforms New Rules Implementation IT project will be complete.

The testing of the new IT system to support Child Support Reform is progressing. When this work is complete I will advise the Secretary of State accordingly.

I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people were committed to prison because they had committed offences relating to the work of the Child Support Agency in each year since the Agency was established; [62577]

(2) how many parents have faced criminal sanctions under the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 because they have (a) failed to provide the Child Support Agency with required information and (b) provided false information. [62606]

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. David Willetts, dated 8 July 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 two questions;

how many people were committed to prison because they had committed offences relating to the work of the Child Support Agency in each year since the Agency was established and

how many parents have faced criminal sanction under the Child Support Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 because they have (a) failed to provide the Child Support Agency with required information and (b) provided false information.

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Our aim is to encourage parents to support their children. In the majority of cases our demonstrated intention to take a case to court has been sufficient to encourage the non-resident parent either to provide requested information or to make arrangements to pay maintenance.

Against that background:

Since April 2001, one person has been committed to prison. Prior to this, the information wasn't centrally gathered.

There have been no cases taken to court in respect of failing to provide required information.

Since april 2002, four cases have been taken to court in regard to the provision of false information.

I hope this is helpful.

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