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10 Feb 2003 : Column 523W—continued
Pension Age Addition
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to increase the pension age addition for those over 80. [96337]
Mr. McCartney: The 25 pence age addition was introduced by the Conservative Government in 1971. We have gone much further. We have introduced measures which from October 2003 will mean that the poorest third of pensioner households will have gained over £1,500 a year in real terms.
We have introduced free TV licenses from age 75 worth over £100 a year, winter fuel payments of £200 per year for eligible households paid to some 11 million people in 8 million households and the minimum income guarantee which means that no single pensioner has to live on less than £102.10 and no couple on less than £155.80 from April.
In Scotland, nearly 1 million people got winter fuel payments last winter and some 185,400 are in receipt of minimum income guarantee. In the Edinburgh West constituency, some 17,500 people received winter fuel payments last winter and around 1,400 are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee.
We are going further still with the introduction of pension credit from October 2003.
We have therefore found a better way to help pensioners with the lowest incomes.
The age addition will be maintained, but on its own it is not the most cost-effective way to help elderly pensioners.
Pensioners (Lancashire)
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions What recent steps he has taken to improve the financial position of pensioners in Lancashire. [96334]
Mr. McCartney: Over 35,000 people in Lancashire benefit from the Minimum Income Guarantee—a policy we introduced—and receive an average £47 a week. 216,000 pensioners have benefited from the above inflation increases in the State Pension. Additionally 233,000 people received a Winter Fuel Payment of up to £200. Those Lancashire pensioners eligible for Pension Credit stand to gain around £400 a year on average.
The creation of The Pension Service provides an ideal opportunity to further encourage pensioners to take up their entitlements. The newly opened Burnley pension centre currently employs around 387 1 staff, and will have responsibility ultimately for around 500,000 customers. It has an active local service providing direct support to customers through appointment based and drop in advice surgeries and places a great deal of importance in outreach activity in order to maximise take up. There are currently 106 staff carrying out local service activities in Lancashire and Cumbria, including a number of surgeries in the South Ribble area including weekly surgeries at Leyland council offices.
- 1 Expressed as full-time equivalent unit
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Post Office Card Accounts
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of a post office card account; and if there will be a limit on the number of such accounts. [92001]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department's information campaign, which is central to the move to direct payment, provides customers with full information on all banking options available. This includes information on the post office card account and advises customers to contact the Department should they want to open one.
There will be no limit on the number of post office card accounts however as we have made clear on a number of occasions this type of account will not be the best option for many people as it only has very limited features—for example, it will not be able to receive payments of wages, it has no direct debit facility, and can only be used when post office branches are open.
It is important to remember that the post office card account is only one of three options that will be available to customers (standard bank/building society account, basic bank/building society account or post office card account). Customers will be supplied with the information they need to choose the account option which best meets their needs and circumstances.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he intends to limit the number of post office card accounts issued to benefits customers. [91133]
As we have made clear on a number of occasions the post office card account will not be the best option for many people as it only has very limited features—for example, it will not be able to receive payments of wages, it has no direct debit facility, and can only be used when post office branches are open.
It is important to remember that the post office card account is only one of three options that will be available to customers (standard bank/building society account, basic bank/building society account or post office card account). Customers will be supplied with the information they need to choose the account option which best meets their needs and circumstances.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Afghanistan
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of people in Afghanistan she estimates had access to clean water in (a) 1990, (b) 1997, (c) 2000 and (d) now. [96472]
Clare Short: Historical data on Afghanistan is very limited. Statistics on access to drinking water have not been collected consistently within Afghanistan. In September 2001, the WHO and UNICEF produced a Joint Monitoring Report which provided the following
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figures on the percentage of the population with access to improved drinking water sources for the period 1980 to 2000:
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 13 |
| 1985 | 21 |
| 1988 | 21 |
| 1990 | 23 |
| 1991 | 79 |
| 1994 | 13 |
| 1997 | 13 |
| 1999 | 28 |
| 2000 | 13 |
However, these estimates rely on ad-hoc surveys conducted by donors and may not represent the full picture as the surveys were not always conducted throughout the whole country and the different surveys relied on different methodologies. It is likely that sudden changes in the coverage (eg. 1990–91) are mainly explained by changing methodologies.
The most recent UNICEF estimate for the percentage of the population with access to safe water remains 13 per cent.
African Union
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcomes of the most recent meeting of the African Union in Ethiopia. [96154]
Clare Short: The 3 February African Union Extraordinary Summit was held in Addis Ababa and attended by about 35 African Heads of State and government. In their opening addresses, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa (Chairperson of the African Union) and Amara Essy (Interim Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union) both urged that an African Union Peace and Security Council should be established to lead Africa's work on conflict prevention and resolution. The UK supports the establishment of this body. A communiqué on conflict resolution was released following the meetings supporting efforts to resolve conflicts throughout Africa and urging that the Iraq crisis continue to be addressed through the UN. We understand that a number of amendments to the AU's Constitutive Act and a range of other issues, such as the roles and involvement of women and the African diaspora in the continent's development, were also discussed.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether representatives of her Department attended the most recent meeting of the African Union in Ethiopia. [96155]
Clare Short: No DFID representatives attended the 3 February meeting of African Union Heads of State in Ethiopia. This extraordinary Summit was internal to the African Union.
African Union
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial support her Department is providing to the African Union. [96153]
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Clare Short: DFID's has an existing agreement with the Conflict Management Centre of the African Union to provide capacity building support. Under the agreement, we are providing financial support equivalent to £677,933 over a period of 27 months from June 2001 to August 2003. We are in discussion with the African Union about provision of further support after the current agreement expires. Our work with the Conflict Management Centre is funded from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool as part of the UK's cross-departmental work on conflict resolution in Africa.
Botswana
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what importance her Department accords the rights of indigenous peoples in Botswana in developing her Department's aid programmes for Botswana. [96161]
Clare Short: DFID's Southern Africa Strategy, published in October 2002, notes the challenge faced by San communities in Botswana in overcoming social, political and economic exclusion and the importance of this issue being addressed in the government of Botswana's National Development Programme. DFID's support for rural development in Botswana aims to assist San communities as well as other poor people.
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