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27 Mar 2003 : Column 370W—continued
Older People
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many older people live in fuel poverty. [104455]
Mr. McCartney: The English House Condition Survey of 2001 shows that between 1996 and 2001 the number of households with at least one person over age 60 in fuel poverty, after taking all income into account, fell by over 50 per cent. The figures fell from just over two million to around 940,000.
This change is due to a number of measures introduced by this Government including changes in income, lower fuel prices and installation of energy efficiency measures.
The minimum income guarantee, introduced in April 1999, has boosted the income of the poorest pensioners and means that, from April, no single pensioner will need to live on less than £102.10 a week (£155.80 for couples). In 2003–04, the Government will spend an extra £7.5 billion a year on pensioners as a result of policies introduced since 1997. This includes £3.5 billion more on the poorest third of pensioners—almost six times more than an earnings-link in the basic state pension since 1998 would have given them.
Most people aged 60 and over are entitled to a winter fuel payment of up to £200. More than 11 million people aged 60 and over receive payments, totalling £1.7 billion.
Overall, prices for all fuel and light for domestic customers fell by 13 per cent in real terms between 1997 and 2002.
VAT on fuel was reduced shortly after we came to office.
500,000 private sector households—many of them pensioners—have been assisted with energy efficiency measures through the home energy efficiency scheme, which is marketed as Warm Front.
Parents with Care (Child Support)
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents with care entitled to child support received (a) no child support and (b) less than they should be receiving in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total of unpaid child support arrears was. [102287]
Malcolm Wicks: The administration for 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. Andrew Selous, dated 27 March, 2003:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
- You ask how many parents with care entitled to child support received (a) no child support and (b) less than they should be receiving in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total of unpaid child support arrears was.
- In the year to 30 November 2002 I estimate that 384,000 parents with care were entitled to receive child maintenance following an assessment made by this Agency. Of those 79,000 received no payment and 193,000 received less than they were entitled to.
- In the same period I estimate that £790 million in child support was charged in relation to full maintenance assessments. Of this around £250 million was not paid.
- We have now started to implement the new child support arrangements legislated in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000. These will facilitate an improvement in the number of parents with care who receive their maintenance entitlement on a regular basis.
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Pension (Part-time Workers)
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what timescale he has proposed to settle the outstanding public sector part-time workers' pension cases. [104568]
Mr. McCartney: No general time-scale has been proposed for such a settlement. That is a matter for the individual schemes and employers concerned.
A number of outstanding issues remain in respect of public sector schemes. Practical arrangements for a settlement in relation to public sector schemes are to be the subject of a case management hearing before the London Employment Tribunal at the end of March.
Pension Provision
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many working age people are in work; how many employees there are; how many people are self-employed; how many are covered by a state second pension; how many have a private pension; and how many have no private pension in 2002–03. [104564]
Mr. McCartney: The working age population is 34.2 million. There are 25.5 million people in work, of which 22.6 million are employees and 2.9 million are self-employed.
Of the total working age population of 34.2 million, approximately 25.6 million people are accruing rights to the state second pension or a contracted-out equivalent. This includes people receiving credits due to caring responsibilities or disability.
There are 14.7 million people of working age currently making contributions to a private pension, and 19.5 million people of working age not making contributions to a private pension.
These estimates are based on the Family Resources Survey 2001–02.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who are accruing entitlement to the basic state pension, including effective accrual through home responsibilities protection, are not accruing entitlement to the state second pension or a funded pension through contracting-out arrangements. [104576]
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Mr. McCartney: We estimate that approximately 5 million people of working age are accruing rights to the basic state pension but not accruing rights to the state second pension or a contracted-out equivalent.
All sources of credits for both the basic state pension and state second pension have been included to determine which people are accruing future pension rights.
- Source:
- The figure of 5 million was calculated using information on individual characteristics from the Family Resources Survey 2001–02.
Pensioner Households
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households in which the benefit recipient or their partner is (a) over 60 and (b) over 75 are in receipt of (i) an amount of council tax benefit and (ii) full council tax benefit. [103992]
Mr. McCartney: The information is shown in the following table:
| Over 60(19) | Over 75(20) | |
|---|---|---|
| All CTB recipients | 2,345,000 | 1,170,000 |
| Partial CTB | 685,000 | 304,000 |
| Full CTB | 1,660,000 | 867,000 |
(19) 'Over 60' refers to benefit units where the claimant and/or partner are aged over 60 (ie aged 61 and over).
(20) 'Over 75' refers to benefit units where the claimant and/or partner are aged over 75 (ie aged 76 and over).
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual one per cent. sample, taken in May 2001.
Pension Credit
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a copy of the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Pension Credit in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [105177]
Mr. McCartney: A summary of the Pension Credit Regulatory Impact Assessment can be found at paragraphs 183–84 of the Explanatory Notes to the State Pension Credit Bill as brought from the House of Lords on 25 February 2002, a copy of which is in the Library. The proposals are expected to have a minimal impact on business.
27 Mar 2003 : Column 373W
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
ADHD
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many schoolchildren there are with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) north-east and (d) England; [104584]
- (2) what procedures are in place to identify schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; [104585]
(3) what measures have been introduced to help schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. [104586]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not collected centrally. From January 2004 the Department will be collecting data on SEN by type of need. This will include children with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties, but will not contain a separate category for ADHD.
All schools and local education authorities have statutory duties to identify, assess and make suitable provision for children with SEN, which includes those pupils with behavioural difficulties and ADHD. The SEN Code of Practice provides practical advice to schools and Early Years settings to help them carry out these duties. It recommends a graduated, school-based approach to meet the needs of children with SEN, and specifically offers a range of interventions for schools to use in supporting pupils who are hyperactive and lack concentration.
Children with ADHD normally receive help and support from within the spectrum of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) which range from primary care, including school and social services interventions, to specialist and inpatient services. Child and adolescent psychiatrists, and increasingly paediatricians, provide specialist diagnostic and treatment services for children with ADHD, supported by members of multidisciplinary teams. The joint DfES/DH good practice guidance for schools "Supporting Pupils With Medical Needs" gives advice to schools and LEAs on supporting pupils with medical needs, including those who may be prescribed medication for ADHD.
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