House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Jul 2002 (pt 41)

Winter Fuel Payments

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answers of 12 March 2002, Official Report, column 959W, 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 242W and 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 88W, on winter fuel payments, if he has concluded his discussions with the European Commission about the extent of the United Kingdom's legal obligations under European regulations on winter fuel payments; and if he will make a statement. [72604]

Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Wayne David) on 19 July 2002, Official Report, column 599W.

23 Jul 2002 : Column 1035W

Annual Reports

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the 2000–01 annual reports and accounts for each of his agencies. [72980]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The 2001–02 annual reports and accounts for Benefits Agency (HC 929) and Employment Service (HC 955) which ceased to operate on the 31 March 2002 and those for The Appeals Service (HC1068) and Child Support Agency (HC 894) and have been laid before Parliament today.

Employer Direct

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employers have contacted Employer Direct since it was introduced; and what measures have been taken to ensure that this initiative meets the needs of employers. [61487]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive, Leigh Lewis. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Phil Sawford Esq MP, dated June 2002:

As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of employers who have contacted Employer Direct since it was introduced and the measures that have been taken to ensure that this initiative meets the needs of employers. This falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
Since the national implementation of Employer Direct on 26 January 2002 over 700,000 calls from employers have been received and nearly 600,000 vacancies notified.
During the development of Employer Direct there was wide ranging consultation with employers. This included the formation of a national group of employers in addition to discussion and liaison at local level.
In addition to taking employers' views in the development and roll out of Employer Direct we seek feedback from employers as a matter of course whenever they use the Employer Direct service.
I hope this is helpful.

Specialist Training

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance and specialist training is given to staff in benefits offices and jobcentres in dealing with people with learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement. [65785]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive, Leigh Lewis. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

23 Jul 2002 : Column 1036W

Benefit Information (Pilot Schemes)

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what pilot schemes he will run to ensure that information and procedures given to benefit recipients will have been fully tested prior to the April 2003 deadline; and if he will make a statement. [70556]

Mr. McCartney: There will be a phased introduction of different benefit types and customer volumes. This is aimed at reducing risk and operational complexity during the early part of the conversion period and will also be a way to test conversion processes and the information to be given to customers to ensure that it meets their needs.

Benefits Data

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals' personal data have been processed in data matching exercises in connection with benefit fraud; how many cases were identified as part of that data matching exercise as being possible cases of benefit fraud requiring further investigation; how many cases after investigation were deemed likely to be fraudulent; how many cases were prosecuted; what the total costs were of all data matching exercises, including staff and computer costs; and what the estimated total savings to the public purse are and the multiplier used in this calculation. [59210]

Malcolm Wicks: Data-matching is a powerful tool in the detection of fraud and incorrectness in the benefit system. The Department's Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service (MIDAS) operates the Generalised Matching Service (GMS) for benefits administered by the Department, and the Housing Benefit Matching Service (HBMS) for housing benefit and council tax benefit which are administered by local authorities.

The data-matching process involves data extracts being taken from the Department's main benefit computer systems and local authority benefit systems which are matched against each other using data matching "rules" to identify discrepancies between the data sets. Such discrepancies are then referred for local investigation. Legislation also provides for personal data held by other Government Departments to be matched against departmental and local authority data to identify discrepancies.

It is not possible to say how many individuals' personal data have been processed in data-matching exercises because each individual's details may be held on several systems at the same time.

Information on the overall cost of conducting data- matching exercises and investigating discrepancies is not available.

The available information on the results from GMS and HBMS data-matching operations is in the tables.

General Matching Service

1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02

Referrals issued 62,937 85,071 137,307 139,292 217,039 234,671 167,950

Positive results⁽²⁸⁾ ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 67,121 86,598 83,742

Successful prosecutions ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 63 844 952

Cautions and administrative penalties ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 288 2,417 2,497

Total overpayments⁽³⁰⁾ (£ million) ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 35.0 59.5 65.5

Total negative monetary value adjustment⁽³¹⁾ (£ million) ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 1.9 2.5 3.0

Housing Benefit Matching Service⁽³²⁾

Up to 1998 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02

Referrals issued 25,940 49,084 65,143 86,006 78,144

Positive results⁽²⁸⁾ ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 29,037 32,243

Successful prosecutions ⁽²⁹⁾— 75 208 392 319

Total overpayments⁽³⁰⁾ (£ million) 3.4 10.6 18.6 37.2 36.8

Weekly benefit savings x 32 weeks (£ million) 4.3 12.9 17.8 22.2 21.8

	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Referrals issued	62,937	85,071	137,307	139,292	217,039	234,671	167,950
Positive results⁽²⁸⁾	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	67,121	86,598	83,742
Successful prosecutions	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	63	844	952
Cautions and administrative penalties	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	288	2,417	2,497
Total overpayments⁽³⁰⁾ (£ million)	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	35.0	59.5	65.5
Total negative monetary value adjustment⁽³¹⁾ (£ million)	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	1.9	2.5	3.0

	Up to 1998	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Referrals issued	25,940	49,084	65,143	86,006	78,144
Positive results⁽²⁸⁾	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	29,037	32,243
Successful prosecutions	⁽²⁹⁾—	75	208	392	319
Total overpayments⁽³⁰⁾ (£ million)	3.4	10.6	18.6	37.2	36.8
Weekly benefit savings x 32 weeks (£ million)	4.3	12.9	17.8	22.2	21.8

⁽²⁸⁾ Cases where, following investigation, there was an increase or decrease in the rate of benefit because of fraud, customer error or official error.

⁽²⁹⁾ Information is not available.

⁽³⁰⁾ Arising from fraud, customer error or official error.

⁽³¹⁾ Monetary Value Adjustment (MVA) is the difference between the weekly amount of benefit that would have been paid, or would have continued to be paid, and the benefit paid following the decision-maker's decision on the information gathered. MVA was introduced during the 1999–2000 financial year. Prior to the GMS recorded a Weekly Benefit Savings (WBS) figure that used a multiplier of 32 weeks. This method of recording savings was used by HBMS until 31 March 2002, after which it began to use MVA. Separate GMS figures for WBS and overpayments prior to 1999–2000 are not available.

⁽³²⁾ HBMS does not record sanctions information.

Source:

Matching Intelligence Detection Analysis Services management information.

23 Jul 2002 : Column 1037W

Press Office

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) full time equivalents were employed by his press office and (b) secondees were placed in his press office in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [70537]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 22 July 2002]: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department of Social Security, parts of the former Department for Education and Employment and the Employment service,

The Department for Work and Pensions currently employs 21 full time press officers. No secondees have been placed in the press office.

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