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28 Apr 2003 : Column 186W—continued
Small Businesses
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of recent rent increases in the south east region on small retailers; and if she will make a statement. [109960]
Nigel Griffiths: The Department has not been asked to make such an assessment since rent increases incurred by small businesses are not subject to control by the Government.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to provide assistance for small businesses facing closure as a result of rent increases; and if she will make a statement. [109961]
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Nigel Griffiths: Rent increases incurred by small businesses are determined by market forces and are not subject to control by the Government.
Business Links can provide advice and support for small businesses facing difficulties or those wanting to diversify as a result of a crisis. Business Links can also advise small businesses on a number of disaster management strategies. Business Link services are either free or charged at affordable rates. Small businesses in difficulty can contact their local Business Link operator by telephone on 0845 600 9006 or via the website www.businesslink.org.
Steel Industry
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether she has had discussions recently with employers and unions on the steel industry to rebuild confidence and partnerships in the industry. [110089]
Alan Johnson: I fully recognise how worrying the current situation must be for Corus employees and the communities involved. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is in close contact with the company and with the steel trade unions. She continues to encourage them to work together to ensure we have a strong viable steel industry in the UK.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Energy Policy
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement, in relation to her Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which her Department is responsible, on (a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures, (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years. [108871]
Dr. Howells: The information requested is not available for a five year period. For 2001–02 expenditure on energy, including water, was £133,210. During 2002–03 the Department signed-up Office of Government Commerce contracts to better manage energy and water usage and expects to see further reductions in use and cost of those utilities. Annual data for 2002–03 is still being collated. Information for 60 non-departmental bodies is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
National Lottery
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the licence to operate the National Lottery issued by the National Lottery Commission to the Camelot Group Plc needed the approval of the European Commission. [109615]
Mr. Caborn: The licence to operate the National Lottery issued by the National Lottery Commission to Camelot Group Plc did not need the approval of the European Commission.
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Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what steps she is taking to ensure that the bid process for the third licence term to operate the National Lottery (a) avoids the controversies of the last bid process and (b) attracts more than one serious bid; [109616]
- (2) what plans she has to nationalise the National Lottery; and whether she is examining alternative ways of operating the National Lottery. [109614]
Mr. Caborn: The Government published a consultation document last year, which sought views on a number of options for changes to the statutory framework for the licensing of the National Lottery. The options included making the National Lottery Commission responsible for running the Lottery, rather than licensing a company to do so; and also included changes intended to secure more competition to run the Lottery, or for more companies to participate in it. We aim to announce conclusions shortly.
Youth Development (Football)
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Government will contribute its grant to The Football League's Youth Development Programme. [109781]
Mr. Caborn: The Government have committed £6 million to the Football League's Youth Development Scheme for the seasons 2002–03 to 2005–06. The Government are working towards including this £6 million in a wider funding package for sport and the arts, which I expect will be finalised before the beginning of the next football season. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made this clear to the Chairman of the Football League when she met him on 20 March.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefits
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people collect benefits from post offices in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK. [103559]
Malcolm Wicks: Pursuant to my written answer given to Parliamentary Question 103559 of 20 March 2003, Official Report column 911W information available on the number of people that receive benefits by a method of payment collectable from post offices as at 25 January 2003 is in the table. Included in these figures are customers paid by Girocheque. Girocheques are encashable either at a post office or they can be paid into a bank or building society account.
Some customers who are paid direct into an account can also collect their benefit in cash at post offices through network banking arrangements at the post office. There are no data available on the number of benefit claims collected in this way.
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| Total benefit recipients | Payable at post offices | |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrow constituency | 35,911 | 26,511 |
| South Tyneside | 68,886 | 51,931 |
| North East | 1,073,900 | 747,964 |
| Great Britain | 21,641,051 | 12,456,733 |
Note:
1. People in receipt of more than one benefit may have those benefits combined to a single benefit account. Figures are in terms of these accounts.
2. Figures for Great Britain are for England, Scotland and Wales. Information for Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
3. The 'Payable at post offices' column represents customers who have their benefit paid either entirely by paper method, or at least one of their benefits is by paper if they are receiving a combination of benefits and some are being paid direct.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received about the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations. [109434]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department began consultation with the Local Authority Associations on the draft Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations in mid-November. The consultation exercise ended on 7 January. Formal responses to the consultation were received from the Local Government Association and the Association of London Government.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the savings to public funds from ending benefit book payments to beneficiaries. [108326]
Malcolm Wicks: The move to payment directly into bank and building society accounts assures a safe, convenient, more modern and efficient way of paying benefits and will bring substantial savings in administration and encashment costs.
However, the final figure will depend upon the choice made by the customer when choosing their payment method.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 4 April 2003, Official Report, column 912W, on the Child Support Agency, how many successful applicants did not name the other parent in a child maintenance case in each calendar year. [109118]
Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith, and he will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 28 April 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 pursuant to his answer of 4 April 2003, Official Report, column 912W on the Child Support Agency if he will provide a breakdown for each calendar year of the total number of successful applicants who did not name the other parent in a child maintenance case.
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- I am able to provide you with approximate figures, which are as follows:
| To 31 March | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 23,000 |
| 1999 | 22,000 |
| 2000 | 20,000 |
| 2001 | 27,000 |
| 2002 | 14,000 |
| 2003 | 12,000 |
| Total | 118,000 |
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