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16 Dec 2002 : Column 614W—continued
UKAEA/BNFL
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on how (a) UKAEA and (b) BNFL's liabilities are reflected in reports to Parliament about the national finances. [84758]
Mr. Boateng: The information is as follows:
UKAEA is a non-ministerial public body reporting to the Department for Trade and Industry. Its liabilities are recorded in its balance sheet and in its annual report and accounts. This is available in the Library of the House and is accessible at http://www.ukaea.org.uk/about/acc 2002/cover1.htm. The liabilities that are recorded in its accounts include financial debts and provisions for the future costs of nuclear decommissioning.
The financial debts of UKAEA, owed to the private sector, are included within public sector net debt—the statistic used to monitor the Chancellor's sustainable investment rule and reported to Parliament in the FSBR and PBR. Provisions are not recorded in public sector net debt.
UKAEA's nuclear provisions are included in DTI's resource accounts that are presented to Parliament each year.
BNFL is a public corporation. Its liabilities are recorded in its balance sheet in its annual report and accounts. This is available from the House of Commons Library and here http://www.bnfl.com/annualreport2002/pdfs/BN1726 Report.pdf. The liabilities that are recorded in its accounts include financial debts and provisions for the future costs of nuclear decommissioning. The financial debts of BNFL, owed to the private sector, are included within public sector net debt—the statistic used to monitor the Chancellor's sustainable investment rule and reported to Parliament in the FSBR and PBR. Provisions are not recorded in public sector net debt.
BNFL's nuclear provisions are included in the resource accounts of DTI and MOD that are presented to Parliament each year.
Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answers of 9 December (reference 86133 and 86134), whether a recipient of working families tax credit who marries prior to April 2003 and becomes responsible for children of his new wife can surrender his existing entitlement and make a new claim to include his new children. [87234]
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Dawn Primarolo: No. The award would continue regardless of the change of circumstances. Working families tax credit is a fixed award and generally runs for the period of entitlement. However, a claimant can surrender an existing award and make a new claim following the birth of a baby, the adoption of a child or granting of a parental order for a surrogate child. The new tax credits will replace the current system from April 2003 and will be more responsive to changes in family circumstances.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Application Forms
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the process by which his Department compiles the questions used on benefit application forms. [80815]
Malcolm Wicks: Questions used on the Department's benefit application forms are deemed to be those which are most appropriate in order to capture relevant information on entitlement to benefit and how benefit may be paid, as laid down in the relevant legislation.
They are arrived at by a process of research, consultation, testing and piloting.
Benefit Payments
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether claimants having to attend interviews to assess a claim to continue receiving a benefit as a cash payment (a) will be provided with travel assistance where they have no ready access to public transport and (b) will be able to claim travel expenses; and if he will make a statement; [83998]
- (2) whether interviews with claimants wishing to continue receiving cash payments will take place as close as possible to their home; and if he will make a statement; [83999]
(3) whether claimants will be required to attend an interview in order to continue receiving cash payments of their benefits from the Post Office; and if he will make a statement; [84000]
(4) what information benefit claimants will have to provide if they wish to continue receiving cash payments from the Post Office; and if he will make a statement. [84001]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: From April 2003 the normal method of payment for benefits and pensions will be directly into bank, building society or Post Office card accounts. Customers who wish to continue to collect their benefit or pension in cash at the Post Office need to choose one of the account options that can be accessed at post offices and provide these account details to the Department. Customers will not be required to attend special interviews as part of this process.
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Benefits
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) child-related benefits, (c) winter fuel payments and (d) sickness related benefits in (i) Lancashire and (ii) the North West of England in each of the last five years. [82147]
Malcolm Wicks: The available information is in the tables. Many benefit recipients fall within more than one category and there is therefore a degree of overlap between the figures.
| Lancashire | North West region | |
|---|---|---|
| May 1998 | 18,536 | 164,925 |
| May 1999 | 18,242 | 155,903 |
| May 2000 | 16,375 | 139,888 |
| May 2001 | 14,955 | 126,094 |
| May 2002 | 13,679 | 119,224 |
Notes:
1. Figures are unrounded.
2. Figures are not seasonally adjusted.
Source:
Jobseeker's Allowance Computer System, 100 per cent. claimant count.
| Lancashire | North West region | |
|---|---|---|
| August 1999 | 141,535 | 872,645 |
| August 2000 | 141,680 | 860,675 |
| August 2001 | 142,150 | 866,530 |
| August 2002 | 141,780 | 863,173 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
2. Figures by county and region are not available prior to 1999.
Source:
Child Benefit Computer System, 100 per cent. claimant count.
| Lancashire | North West region | |
|---|---|---|
| May 1998 | 27,100 | 218,400 |
| May 1999 | 26,500 | 208,900 |
| May 2000 | 25,900 | 200,600 |
| May 2001 | 24,800 | 194,300 |
| May 2002 | 24,100 | 188,500 |
Notes:
1. Key benefits are income support and jobseeker's allowance with a child premium, and incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance with a child dependency increase.
2. Child premia and child dependency increases are paid for children under 16 and young adult dependants aged 16–18 for whom child benefit is payable.
Source:
DWP Information Centre Client Group Analysis, 5 per cent. statistical samples.
| Lancashire | North West region | |
|---|---|---|
| Winter 1999–2000 | 210,000 | 1,207,400 |
| Winter 2000–01 | 233,600 | 1,335,900 |
| Winter 2001–02 | 233,000 | 1,336,500 |
Notes:
Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
Source:
Winter Fuel Payment Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service, 100 per cent. data.
16 Dec 2002 : Column 617W
| Lancashire | North West region | |
|---|---|---|
| May 1998 | 63,300 | 448,400 |
| May 1999 | 62,600 | 444,100 |
| May 2000 | 62,600 | 442,400 |
| May 2001 | 65,000 | 450,100 |
| May 2002 | 65,300 | 448,000 |
Notes:
1. Sickness related benefits are incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and income support with a disability premium.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
Source:
DWP Information Centre Client Group Analysis, 5 per cent. statistical samples.
Child Maintenance Payments
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the new system for calculating child maintenance payments will be extended to all Child Support Agency cases. [85322]
Malcolm Wicks : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Mr. Duncan) on 27 November 2002, Official Report, column 318.
Child Support Agency
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provisions are in place within CSA assessments to help with the additional costs that non-resident parents incur when they have to travel long distances and accommodate themselves in hotels in order to see their children. [83131]
Malcolm Wicks: A system of Departures from the formula exists in the current Child Support scheme. This allows a non-resident parent's maintenance assessment to be adjusted in cases where high contact costs are incurred. In the new scheme, this has been replaced by a system of Variations. These also take account of the cost of overnight accommodation where a return journey on the same day would be impractical. Under both schemes an award only takes effect when a threshold level of cost has been exceeded.
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the reforms to the CSA system will be introduced; and when they will be extended to parents already in the CSA system. [83132]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the letter sent to hon. Members on 19 September 2002 by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, a copy of which was placed in the Library. The new scheme will commence for existing clients when we are satisfied that it is working well, which we expect to be about a year later.
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will implement new guidelines for assessments by the Child Support Agency for existing clients. [84170]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent to hon. Members on 19 September 2002 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, a copy of which is available in the Library. The new scheme will commence
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for existing clients when we are satisfied that it is working well, which we expect to be about a year later than for new clients.
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