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23 Jun 2003 : Column 625W—continued

Risk Controls

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on controlling risk in financial markets in the UK. [117679]

Mr. Boateng: The Government established the Financial Services Authority to regulate the operation of financial markets in the UK, including how they manage risk. The Financial Services Authority also working through a standing Committee, has joint responsibility along with the Bank of England and HM Treasury for addressing issues which may have implications for financial stability in the UK.

Sunset Clauses

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to include a sunset clause in all new legislation promoted by his department unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause. [120755]

Mr. Boateng: It would be inappropriate to include a sunset clause in all legislation. The need to legislate repeatedly on the same subject matter would increase uncertainty for those who are affected by the legislation. The use of sunset clauses is therefore best assessed on a case-by-case basis.

VAT (Museums, Galleries and Zoos)

Jim Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the proposed changes to the national scheme to refund national museums and galleries the VAT they incur on purchases when they allow free admissions to the public, originally noted in Budget 2001, HC279, paragraphs 5.97 and 5.98. [121065]

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John Healey: The Section 33A VAT refund scheme for those main national museums and galleries to which the Government are committed to ensure free access came into effect in September 2001. Paragraph 5.87 of the 2002 Economic and Fiscal Strategy report (HC 592) described the success of the scheme in achieving free access to all those main national museums and galleries. The scheme is continuing to operate successfully and there are no plans to change it.

Jim Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what implications the recent judgment of the European Court of Justice in the case Customs v the Zoological Society of London (Case C-267/00) has for the way zoos, museums and similar bodies are required to account for VAT on their admission charges; and whether Customs has issued guidance on this issue. [121066]

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise are assessing the impact of this judgment. In the meantime, Customs will continue to look into the circumstances of any individual bodies who feel they may be affected by this judgment on a case-by-case basis. Guidance on the exemption from VAT for these bodies is contained in Customs' Public Notice 701/47, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Advertising

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total expenditure on advertising by the Department was in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the level of planned expenditure is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [114439]

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Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Work and Pensions has spent the following sums on advertising to inform the public on its rights, entitlements and responsibilities: £11.3 million in 2001–02 and £8 million in 2002–03.

For 2003–04 the figure for major advertising campaigns is likely to rise. This is because a number of key welfare reforms will start to impact directly on the public during this year and campaigns are needed to ensure that the public are aware of their rights and responsibilities. These are expected to include: Pension Credit, Direct Payment, New Deal targeting benefit fraud.

However media schedules are currently being finalised so it is not possible to give figures at this stage.

We are currently planning advertising for 2004–05 and are as yet unable to give indicative costs.

Advice Services

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultations he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with independent housing advice agencies about their engagement in the new advice services for older people. [115526]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has been in contact with many service providers, eg Department of Health, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, local authorities and the voluntary sector (Age Concern, RNIB, Citizens Advice) assessing current services and identifying opportunities for integration. There have been consultations at a national level with Shelter and Citizens Advice, and meetings are on-going to ascertain the views of as many interested parties as possible.

At a local level, The Pension Service are currently engaged with a number of information and advice providers on housing related matters in relation to the Supporting People initiative. Over the coming months we would expect this involvement to strengthen and deepen.

Benefits

Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if it is his policy to make regular deductions from benefits payments of people in receipt of certain benefits (a) to repay debt and (b) to pay for current energy consumption. [120594]

Maria Eagle: The Third Party Deduction Scheme provides protection as a last resort for vulnerable people with fuel debt who are threatened with the disconnection of a fuel supply.

Deductions may be made from income support or, in some cases, from jobseeker's allowance, for both arrears and current fuel consumption. These deductions are paid direct to the fuel supplier until the debt is cleared. Where people have a history of chronic mismanagement of fuel or utility bills, deductions may continue for current consumption. Either the benefit recipient who has accrued fuel arrears or their supplier may ask to take part in the scheme.

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Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 3 June 2003, ref 115520, what plans he has to institute mechanisms for the collection of information on (a) the numbers of claimants delayed from claiming benefits in the previous 12 months because the nature of their incapacity prevented them from claiming and (b) how long that delay was. [118237]

Mr. Browne: There is a three-month time limit for claiming incapacity benefit, and a rule whereby a claim for income support can be backdated for up to three months where the person making the claim is ill or disabled (and it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain help in making the claim earlier). These rules make the system relatively simple to operate and for people to understand, while also emphasising the importance of people making their claims promptly.

We have no plans to extend benefit claim forms in order to gather information about those for whom there has been a delay in making a claim. However, we are in the process of amending the claim forms for incapacity benefits (SC1, SSP1 and IB (Y)) to include more information about the time limits for claiming.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many advance payments have been made by the Child Support Agency in the last year for which figures are available. [118028]

Maria Eagle: The administration of 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. Edwards, dated June 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 advance payments have been made by the Child Support Agency in the last year for which figures are available.

During the year 2002/03 the Agency made 2,527 advance payments.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administration costs for each business unit of the Child Support Agency were in the last two years for which figures are available; and how much child support was distributed in each business unit area in the same period. [118316]

Maria Eagle: The administration of 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. Peter Duncan, dated 23 June 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 what the administration costs for each business unit of the Child Support Agency were in the last two years for which figures are available; and how much child support was distributed in each business unit area in the same period.

I am unable to provide you with figures for 2000–01 or earlier years but can provide figures for 2001–02. These are:

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Child Support Agency administration costs£ million

Business Units	Administration costs	Child support distributed
Scotland and north-east	28.2	96.1
Eastern	31.4	89.7
Midlands	24.9	72.4
Wales and north-west	25.1	84.2
South-east	21.3	79.8
South-west	23.1	89.4
Total	154.0	511.6

I will shortly have figures for 2002–03 and will let you have these when they are available.

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