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Post Office Card Accounts

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Post Office card accounts have been opened; and what targets have been set for (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005. [116178]

Malcolm Wicks: As at 23 May 2003,.321,000 customers have said they want to open a Post Office card account

We have no targets for the number of people opening a Post Office card account. But we do have a published target in our public service agreement to pay 85 per cent. of customers by Direct Payment by 2005.

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people reaching pensionable age or becoming eligible for another benefit on or after April 2005 will be offered the option of a Post Office card account; and if he will make a statement. [115952]

Malcolm Wicks: Payment directly into an account became the normal method of payment for pensions and benefit from April 2003. All customers, including pensioners, will continue to be provided with the information they need on all of their "banking options", including the Post Office card account.

3 Jun 2003 : Column 393W

Private Occupational Pension Schemes

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of working people in the United Kingdom who are members of private occupational pension schemes. [116712]

Maria Eagle: In 2000, there were 5.7 million active members of private sector occupational pension schemes in the UK.

Notes:

1. This estimate is taken from the Occupational Pension Scheme Survey 2000 conducted by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD). Full results from the survey were released by GAD in April this year. 2000 is the latest year for which data is available.

2. An 'active' member is a member of an occupational pension scheme who is at present accruing benefits under that scheme in respect of current service.

3. It is possible for an individual to be an active member of more than one occupational pension scheme.

Refinery Explosion (Killingholme)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the Health and Safety Executive to report on its investigation into the explosion at the Conoco refinery in Killingholme on 16 April 2001. [116153]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The detailed and complex investigation into the explosion at the Conoco refinery at Killingholme, Humberside on 16 April 2001 is complete and the HSE are considering what, if any, action to take. The Health and Safety Executive will report on the investigation as soon as possible after these considerations and any subsequent steps have been concluded. Shortly after the incident a safety alert was issued to ensure that immediate lessons learnt as a result of initial investigations were passed on to the petroleum refining industry.

Retirement Age

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to abolish mandatory retirement ages. [114612]

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to raise the retirement age to 70. [114839]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: There is no state retirement age, only a state pension age. This is the date from which a person can receive state pension, regardless of whether they have retired or remain in work. We have no plans to change that.

The Government are working on implementing the European Employment Directive (2000/78), under which compulsory retirement ages are likely to be unlawful unless employers can show they are 'objectively justified'. By summer 2003, the Government will consult widely, including with business, on proposals around this and other aspects of implementing age discrimination legislation.

Secondments

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals have been seconded to his Department from (a) the private sector, (b) NGOs

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and (c) other, in each case listing (i) from which organisation and (ii) dates of secondments, in each year since 1997–98. [108093]

Maria Eagle: Interchange and secondments, which are key components of the Civil Service Reform and Modernising Government agendas, promote the exchange of ideas and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. All sectors of the economy (private, public and voluntary) are involved.

Details of inward secondments to the Department for Work and Pensions, starting in each year from April 1997 to March 2002, are given in the table. Details for secondments starting since March 2002 are not yet available. For secondments from private sector organisations, the names of the individual organisations are shown. However, the names of seconding organisations in the public and voluntary sectors are not available.

Secondments into the Department starting between April 1997 and March 1998:

(a) Private sector—11 (see table)

Name of private sector organisation	Dates
Sacker and Partners	October 1997 to February 1998
Guardian Media Group plc	September 1997 to November 1997
Oracle	March 1998 to September 1998
Hospitality Foundation	January 1998 to December 1999
British Aerospace	December 1997 to November 1999
Abbey National	January 1998 to January 1999
GKN	January 1998 to January 1999
Tesco	December 1997 to December 1998
Manpower	October 1997 to September 1998
Standard Life	January 1998 to April 1998
Scottish Power	February 1998 to June 1998

(b) NGOs—3

(c) Other—4.

Secondments into the Department starting between April 1998 and March 1999:

(a) Private Sector—11 (see table)

Name of private sector organisation	Dates
British Airways	April 1998 to February 2001
Securicor	February 1999 to June 2000
HSBC	February 1999 to September 2000
BT	April 1998 to September 2000
Legal and General	February 1999 to February 2000
Abbey National	January 1999 to January 2000
EDS	July 1998 to July 1999
Lloyds TSB	May 1998 to April 1999
Anglian Water	April 1998 to April 1999
Rolls-Royce Military Aero Engines Ltd.	June 1998 to December 1999
Barclays Bank	May 1998 to May 1999

(b) NGOs—10

(c) Other—5.

Secondments into the Department starting between April 1999 and March 2000:

(a) Private Sector—3 (see table)

Name of private sector organisation	Dates
CSL Managed Services	August 1999 to March 2001
Carillion	February 2000 to January 2001
Nexus	November 1999 to March 2001

(b) NGOs—6

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(c) Other—28.

Secondments into the Department starting between April 2000 and March 2001:

(a) Private Sector—4 (see table)

Name of private sector organisation	Dates
Sema UK Ltd. (to DSS)	February 2001 to June 2001
Lloyds TSB (to DSS)	December 2000 to December 2001
Britannia Building Society	May 2000 to June 2001
Mouzer Associates	February 2001 to April 2001

(b) NGOs—0

(c) Other—86.

Secondments into the Department starting between April 2001 and March 2002:

(a) Private Sector—21 (see table)

Name of private sector organisation	Dates
British Gas	October 2001 to July 2002
Hays Personnel Services	November 2001 to 31 May 2002
Bovis Lend Lease	January 2002 to date
ERP	January 2002 to 31 December 2002
Action 4 Employment	October 2001 to 31 December 2002
MSHED	December 2001 to December 2002
MSHED	December 2001 to December 2002
CIS	December 2001 to 31 March 2002
Archon 2000	April 2001 to January 2002
The Albert Centre	October 2001 to 10 December 2002 (extended to 16 October 2003)
International Family Centre	December 2001 to 20 September 2002
East Durham Development Agency	August 2001 to 31 May 2002
East Durham Development Agency	August 2001 to date
East Durham Development Agency	August 2001 to January 2002
East Durham Partnership	July 2001 to date
Learning and Skills Council—Durham	July 2001 to date
Sunderland Housing Group	April 2001 to 31 May 2002
East Durham Substance Misuse Initiative	January 2002 to 31 January 2003
St. John Trust	September 2001 to 31 August 2002
London Advice Services	September 2001 to 31 August 2002
BY Syntegra	January 2002 to January 2003

(b) NGOs—8

(c) Other—20.

Tax Credits

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the workload on local authorities of reconfiguring (a) housing benefit, (b) council tax and (c) school meal application since the introduction of the new tax credit system. [116376]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has considered carefully the impact of new tax credits on housing benefit and/or council tax benefit (HB/CTB). There are likely to be significantly more HB/CTB customers qualifying for new tax credits, compared to those previously claiming working families tax credit and HB/CTB.

£6 million was distributed by the Department for initial fixed start up costs to local authorities in 2002–03. This was to cover the cost of IT, training and publicity arising as a result of the introduction of the new tax credits.

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In 2003–04, a total of £14 million was allocated to local authorities to cover transitional and ongoing costs of new tax credits administration. This money was distributed using a formula based on caseload size.

School meals are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

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