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19 May 2003 : Column 627W—continued

Swale Borough Council

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will ask the Audit Commission to investigate the delays and loss of correspondence in the housing benefits department at Swale Borough Council. [114194]

Mr. Raynsford: The Audit Commission's work is restricted to auditing the relevant performance indicators and the housing benefit grant claim, and reviewing internal audit's work on housing benefit. The Audit Commission last undertook direct work on housing benefit delays in Swale in 2000–01. The authority has also been subject to two detailed reviews of the authority's benefit administration by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate—in September/October 1999 and February/March 2002. A further assessment will be made of Swale's performance as part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment to be undertaken later this year.

Wind Farms

Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to encourage regional workshops on wind farm planning applications for councillors and planning officers. [113976]

Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be consulting on a revision of planning policy guidance on renewable energy (PPG 22) later this year. When PPG 22 has been finalised, the Government will consider how best to support dissemination of Government policy on planning for renewable energy. In the meantime, the Renewables Advisory Board, chaired by my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy and Construction, is keen to support initiatives, including regional workshops, aimed at providing relevant information about renewable energy to a range of people.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pensioners

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in the Burton constituency who will benefit from the pension credit. [113148]

Maria Eagle: Estimates of pension credit entitlement are not available at individual constituency level due to the insufficient sample cases in the survey data used. However, around half of all pensioner households across Great Britain will be eligible for pension credit.

19 May 2003 : Column 628W

Such information as is available relates to pensioners in the Burton constituency receiving the minimum income guarantee (MIG) and is as follows:

As at November 2002 there were 2,300 MIG recipients in the Burton constituency.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry November 2002.

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female pensioners aged between 65 and 80 there are in the Burton constituency; and what percentage of them receive means-tested benefits to reach the minimum income guarantee. [113145]

Maria Eagle: As at September 2002 there were 5,800 male and 6,800 female pensioners aged between 65 and 80 in receipt of a state pension in the Burton constituency.

As at November 2002, 10.1 per cent. of male pensioners and 9.1 per cent. of female pensioners aged between 65 and 80 in the Burton constituency were claiming the minimum income guarantee.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2002

Pensions Strategy Computer System as at 30 September 2002

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in the Burton constituency who live (a) alone, (b) as a pensioner couple and (c) in a residential or nursing home. [113146]

Maria Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested but such information as is available shows that the number of pensioners receiving a state pension in Burton parliamentary constituency at September 2002 was 17,700.

Source:

Pensions Strategy Computer System at 30 September 2002.

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female pensioners aged over 80 there are in the Burton constituency; and what percentage of them are in receipt of means tested benefit to reach the minimum income guarantee. [113158]

Maria Eagle: As at September 2002 there were 900 male and 2,100 female pensioners aged 81 and over in receipt of a state pension in the Burton constituency.

As at November 2002, 11.4 per cent. of male pensioners and 39.4 per cent. of female pensioners aged 81 or over in the Burton constituency were claiming the minimum income guarantee.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2002

Pensions Strategy Computer System as at 30 September 2002

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leicester East of 28April 2003, Official Report, column 191–92W, on pensioner households, what the average women's state pension as a percentage of the average men's state pension was in each of the last 10 years. [112362]

19 May 2003 : Column 629W

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.

Average amounts of State Pension in payment in Great Britain and Overseas

	£ per week			Women's pension as a
September	All	Men	Women	percentage of men's
1993	57.68	70.24	50.88	72.4
1994	60.12	73.58	52.78	71.7
1995	55.76	67.21	49.56	73.7
1996	58.57	70.78	51.82	73.2
1997	60.39	73.14	53.22	72.8
1998	60.68	73.47	53.44	72.7
1999	65.95	79.97	57.83	72.3
2000	67.40	81.71	59.05	72.3
2001	72.57	87.82	63.57	72.4
2002	75.96	91.67	66.60	72.7

Notes:

1. Includes Great Britain and overseas pensioners but excludes the majority of Northern Ireland.

2. Figures for 1993 and 1994 include Attendance Allowance paid with the State Pension.

Sources:

1. Information for 1993–1994–1995 is from the Social Security Statistics publication 1995.

2. Information for 1996 onwards: 5 per cent. sample from the Pension Strategy Computer System at date of extraction.

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there are in Amber Valley; how many (a) are over 80 and (b) qualify for (i) additional winter fuel allowance and (ii) a free TV licence; and how many receive minimum pensions guarantee; and what the average payment was in the last 12 months. [113391]

Maria Eagle: As at November 2002 there were 18,700 pensioners receiving a key benefit in the Amber Valley constituency. 5,000 people are aged 80 and over and if they are entitled to a winter fuel payment from this winter, they will also be entitled to the additional payment announced in the Budget. There were 8,400 people aged 75 and over receiving a key benefit who would therefore be eligible to receive a free TV licence. 2,800 people received an average weekly minimum income guarantee of £43.34.

19 May 2003 : Column 630W

Note: Key DWP benefits for pensioners are state pension, minimum income guarantee, attendance allowance, disability living allowance, incapacity benefit, and severe disablement allowance.
Source: Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2002. IAD IC Client Group Analysis of the population over state pension age on key benefits (SP, MIG, AA, DLA, IB, and SDA)

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there are in Warrington, South; how many (a) are aged over 80 and (b) qualify for (i) additional winter fuel allowance and (ii) a free television licence; how many receive minimum pensions guarantee; and what the average payment was in the last 12 months. [113858]

Maria Eagle: As at November 2002, there were 17,800 pensioners receiving a key benefit in the Warrington South constituency. 3,500 people are aged 80 and over and if they are entitled to a winter fuel payment from this winter they will also be entitled to the additional payment announced in the Budget. There were 6,700 people aged 75 and over receiving a key benefit who would therefore be eligible to receive a free TV licence. 2,400 people received an average weekly minimum income guarantee of £43.46.

Note:

Key DWP benefits for pensioners are state pension, minimum income guarantee, attendance allowance, disability living allowance, incapacity benefit, and severe disablement allowance.

Source:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2002. IAD 1C Client Group Analysis of the population over state pension age on key benefits (SP, MIG, AA, DLA, IB, and SDA).

Pensioner Benefits

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate expenditure (a) in cash terms, (b) in current prices and (c) as a share of GDP on (i) retirement pensions, (ii) winter fuel payments, (iii) means-tested benefits for pensioners, (iv) all other benefits for pensioners and (v) free TV licences in (A) 1992–93 and (B) each succeeding year to the end of the public expenditure planning period. [112332]

Maria Eagle: The information requested is given in the tables.

Table 1: Benefit spending on pensioners in cash terms£ million

	Retirement pensions	Winter fuel payments	Income related benefits	Over 75 TV licences	Otherbenefits	Total
1992–93	27,944	0	7,290	0	2,572	37,806
1993–94	29,548	0	8,105	0	3,027	40,680
1994–95	30,178	0	8,363	0	3,314	41,855
1995–96	31,222	0	8,529	0	3,752	43,503
1996–97	33,031	0	8,618	0	4,148	45,797
1997–98	34,379	191	8,626	0	4,466	47,661
1998–99	36,154	194	8,577	0	4,793	49,718
1999–2000	38,077	759	8,869	0	5,086	52,792
2000–01	38,854	1,749	9,426	306	5,434	55,769
2001–02	42,023	1,692	10,183	365	5,820	60,083
2002–03	44,513	1,712	10,644	374	6,120	63,363
2003–04	46,628	1,891	11,479	406	6,398	66,802
2004–05	48,767	1,911	13,044	426	6,710	70,859
2005–06	51,088	1,933	13,975	448	7,072	74,515

19 May 2003 : Column 631W

Table 2: Benefit spending on pensioners in real terms (2002–03 prices)£ million

	Retirement pensions	Winter fuel payments	Income related benefits	Over 75 TV licences	Otherbenefits	Total
1992–93	36,060	0	9,407	0	3,319	48,787
1993–94	37,210	0	10,206	0	3,813	51,229
1994–95	37,507	0	10,394	0	4,119	52,019
1995–96	37,729	0	10,306	0	4,534	52,570
1996–97	38,688	0	10,094	0	4,858	53,640
1997–98	39,062	217	9,801	0	5,074	54,153
1998–99	39,980	215	9,484	0	5,301	54,979
1999–2000	41,112	820	9,575	0	5,492	56,999
2000–01	41,020	1,847	9,952	323	5,737	58,878
2001–02	43,284	1,743	10,488	376	5,994	61,885
2002–03	44,513	1,712	10,644	374	6,120	63,363
2003–04	45,380	1,840	11,172	395	6,227	65,014
2004–05	46,305	1,815	12,385	405	6,371	67,280
2005–06	47,325	1,790	12,945	415	6,551	69,026

Table 3: Benefit spending on pensioners as a percentage of GDPPercentage

	Retirement pensions	Winter fuel payments	Income related benefits	Over 75 TV licences	Otherbenefits	Total
1992–93	4.5	0.0	1.2	0.0	0.4	6.1
1993–94	4.5	0.0	1.2	0.0	0.5	6.2
1994–95	4.4	0.0	1.2	0.0	0.5	6.1
1995–96	4.3	0.0	1.2	0.0	0.5	6.0
1996–97	4.3	0.0	1.1	0.0	0.5	5.9
1997–98	4.2	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.5	5.8
1998–99	4.2	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.6	5.7
1999–2000	4.1	0.1	1.0	0.0	0.6	5.7
2000–01	4.0	0.2	1.0	0.0	0.6	5.8
2001–02	4.2	0.2	1.0	0.0	0.6	6.0
2002–03	4.2	0.2	1.0	0.0	0.6	6.0
2003–04	4.2	0.2	1.0	0.0	0.6	6.0
2004–05	4.2	0.2	1.1	0.0	0.6	6.0
2005–06	4.1	0.2	1.1	0.0	0.6	6.0

Notes:

1. Forecasts for 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 consistent with Budget 2003 DWP benefit expenditure forecasts, and published in the DWP 2003 Departmental Report.

2. Expenditure for 2002–03 reflects the latest benefit-by-benefit estimate of outturn, and not the amounts voted by Parliament.

3. Includes all spending on pensioners including that outside the departmental objective to "Combat poverty and promote security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners".

4. Widow's/bereavement benefits and incapacity benefit paid to pensioners are included in the Retirement Pensions spending.

5. All numbers are on a Great Britain basis except over 75 TV licences which also includes Northern Ireland.

6. Pensioner spending on income related benefits and winter fuel payments includes payments to men aged 60–64.

7. Housing benefit and council tax benefit spending (included in income-related benefits) covers benefits paid to pensioners, regardless of whether the payments are funded by DWP, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister or the Welsh Assembly Government (and predecessor Departments), or from local authorities' general funds.

8. Figures for 1999–2000 onwards are on a Resource Accounting and Budgeting basis. Previous years' figures are on a cash basis, but the impact of the change is unlikely to be significant.

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