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21 Jan 2003 : Column 255W—continued
Youth Development
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the latest estimate is of the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training. [90926]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The provisional figure for end 2001 was 173 thousand 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, training or employment. This is 9 per cent. of the cohort population.
The latest estimate of the number and percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, training or employment (NEET) was published in the annual statistical first release, "SFR 16/2002: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16–18 Year Olds in England: 2000 and 2001".
PRIVY COUNCIL
Paper Supplies
Sue Doughty: To ask the President of the Council who the suppliers are of his Department's (a) paper and (b) paper products. [91910]
Mr. Robin Cook: The vast majority of the paper and paper products used in my department is supplied by Banner Business Supplies Limited. My department follows Government guidance on the use of recycled paper, in the interest of fostering sustainable development.
CABINET OFFICE
Delivery Unit
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office from which vote the delivery unit will be funded. [91167]
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Mr. Alexander: Funding for the delivery unit is included in the Cabinet Office Estimates.
Departmental Costs
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the running costs of (a) the Department and (b) each of its sponsored agencies were in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available. [90717]
Mr. Alexander: Detailed information on administration costs for Cabinet Office, and its agencies the Centre for Management and Policy Studies and the Government Car and Despatch Agency, going back to 1998–99 and with projections to 2003–04, is set out in Table 5 on page 94 of the 2002 departmental report (Cm 5429). Data for years before 1998–99 are not available on the same basis. Provisional outturn for gross and net administration costs limits were published in Public Expenditure 2001–02 Provisional Outturn (Cm 5574), Tables 4 and 5. Updated information, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report in the spring.
Value for Money
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what level of output would constitute a failure to achieve the value for money target as defined in the technical note to the 2002 Spending Review Public Service Agreement on value for money; and if he will make a statement. [91960]
Mr. Alexander: The Public Service Agreement value for money target commits the Cabinet Office to deliver a 2.5 per cent saving year-on- year, on administrative resource, over the 2002 Spending Review period.
It also requires the Cabinet Office to find the 2.5 per cent efficiency saving without any reduction in it's published outputs or outcomes.
The Cabinet Office's aim is to achieve all of its published targets within its agreed expenditure limits. Therefore no specific level of output has been set as the determinant of failure.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Firearms
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary about extending to Northern Ireland the new penalties proposed for illegal possession of firearms in England and Wales. [91304]
Jane Kennedy: I am aware of the Home Secretary's proposal for a mandatory 5-year sentence for the illegal possession or distribution of firearms. Northern Ireland's firearms legislation is undergoing a major review and a Proposal for a Draft Firearms Order is currently the subject of consultation. I will consider the question of mandatory minimum sentences as part of that review.
Former RUC Officers (Employment)
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many former RUC officers who retired on severance pay have re-entered employment. [89439]
Jane Kennedy: To date, 252 have secured full time employment.
Housing Benefit
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on proposals to link antisocial behaviour to housing benefit penalties in Northern Ireland. [91302]
Mr. Browne: There are at present no proposals in Northern Ireland to link antisocial behaviour to housing benefit penalties. The proposed Housing (NI) Order contains a range of other measures to deal with antisocial behaviour in social housing.
Pensioner Poverty
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the extent of pensioner poverty in Northern Ireland. [91301]
Mr. Browne: There is no single measure of pensioner poverty. Poverty is a complex issue with various elements which affect many aspects of people's lives, including their income, living standards, health, housing and quality of environment.
A report was commissioned by Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) as part of the research and evaluation strategy for the Government's New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) initiative. This report was published in May 2002. The primary aim of the report was to assess the potential of establishing a baseline of poverty. The report utilised data from the Continuous Household Survey and estimated that there were 81,000 individual pensioners living in households in the bottom 30 per cent. of gross household incomes.
Ensuring that pensioners have a decent income is a key measure in combating pensioner poverty. At present, no pensioner has to live on less than £98.15 a week under the minimum income guarantee (£149.80 for couples). From April 2003 these rates will increase to £102.10 for single pensioners and £155.80 for couples.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Pension Tax Credit
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners in the Twickenham constituency will benefit from the introduction of the pension tax credit in October; and if he will make a statement. [91669]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 333W.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish in the Official Report the notes accompanying the combined pension forecast on page 45 of the pensions Green Paper (Cm. 5677). [89647]
Mr. McCartney: The explanatory notes that accompany the example of a combined pension forecast are as follows:
- Plan pay is your total pay-including any overtime and bonus.
- You choose how much to invest from 2 per cent to 15 per cent of plan pay in 1 per cent steps. Emap matches your investment for up to 5 per cent of plan pay (7 per cent for members with 10 or more years' service).
- The balance shown is not guaranteed and may fluctuate up or down. The balance excludes funds fron earlier periods of flexiplan membership.
- If you joined flexi plan before 1 January 1997, part of your flexiplan account (called 'protected rights') replaces some of the state earnings-Related Pension and must be taken as a pension which cannot start to be paid before age 60. The protected rights balance is shown separately as well as being included in the total balance on your statement.
- The pension illustration overleaf is based on certain assumptions, which are that Contributions to Flexiplan continue at the current rate;
the pension bought is guaranteed for five years, has an attaching 50 per cent partner's pension and increases in line with price inflation up to 5 per cent a year (up to 3 per cent a year on any protected rights):
the average annual rate of inflation over the period to retirement is 3 per cent, investment returns over the same period will exceed your salary increases by2.5 per cent a year, and the cost of the pension at retirement is calculatedassuming future investments yields 3 per cent ahead of inflation; and
for members who are a long way from retirement, the cost of the pension iscalculated using the assumptions described above and for members who areclose to retirement, the cost is in line with current market prices.
- The assumptions used relate to the future. As this is uncertain, your actual Flexiplan benefits could differ significantly from this illustration. For example, you may leave Emap before reaching retirement, in which case your contributions would stop, oryou may simply alter the level of contributions to Flexiplan. The financial assumptions about the future (see note five) all have "a significant effect on the level of the pension illustration. The investment return achieved by your account before retirement is very important, particularly for younger
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- members. For example an average return of just 1 per cent per annum ahead or behind the illustration assumption could increase or decrease the resulting pension percentage by as muchas a quarter. It is important for older members nearing retirement, where volatility of returns becomes an important issue. This is when your account is switched graduallyinto special "retirement units" to provide more certainty of pension level.
- The person to whom the lump sum death benefit is payable is at discretion of the Trustees so that inheritance tax does not have to be paid. It is therefore important that you complete a nomination form to let the trustees know to whom you would like the benefit to be paid. If you have not completed a form or would like to make a change, please contact the Benefits helpdesk.
- Flexiplan is approved by the Inland Revenue which means that all contributions and investment income are free to tax. This also means that the benefits provided underFlexiplan and contributions paid into your account are subject to Inland Revenue limits. Where practicable these limits have been taken into account in preparing thisstatement. However, if you have benefits retained in a pension arrangement of aprevious employer, it may be necessary to restrict the amount quoted.
- Regular updates of the projections are important, so an illustration of your Flexiplan benefits will be prepared for you at least once a year, even if you leave Emap. If you would like any further details please contact the Benefits Helpdesk.
- Empa plc and the trustees hold this and other information about you in order that your benefits can be administered correctly. this information is also used to identify you when you make enquiries. This information is disclosed to the Trustee's advisers and administrators as necessary. Emap plc and the Trustees are required to keep information about you as up-to-date as possible. If the information about you given in this statement is incorrect or incomplete, please contact the Benefits Helpdesk on 01733 311399. You may also contact the Benefits Helpdesk if you would like more information about this or a copy of the information held about you (there is a fee payable for this service).
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