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7 Jul 2003 : Column 597W—continued
Secondments
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals have been seconded to his Department from NGOs, in each case listing (a) from which organisation and (b) dates of secondments, in each year since 1997–98. [108075]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Within the Northern Ireland Office one civilian was on secondment from the Metropolitan police service during 1999 and up to 31 March 2000. Within the Northern Ireland administration there have been a total of seven individuals seconded from NGOs since 1997–98. An analysis of this by year, organisation and dates of secondment is set out in the following table.
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| Number of secondees | Organisation | Dates of secondment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 2 | NI Voluntary Trust | 1/2/97–31/1/98 |
| NI Citizen's Advice Bureau | 12/5/97-current | ||
| 1998–99 | 1 | NI Audit Office | 1/2/99–1/2/02 |
| 1999–2000 | Nil | ||
| 2000–01 | 2 | NI Audit Office | 1/2/01–31/1/03 |
| NI Audit Office | 1/2/01-current | ||
| 2001–02 | Nil | ||
| 2002–03 | 2 | Omagh Independent Advice Centre | 30/9/02-current |
| NI Citizen's Advice Bureau | 3/10/02-current |
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants have been seconded from his Department to (a) the private sector, (b) NGOs and (c) other, broken down by (i) grade of civil servants seconded, (ii) location and (iii) dates of secondments, in each year since 1997–98. [108076]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Since 1997–98, 82 Northern Ireland Office staff and 378 Northern Ireland administration staff have been seconded to the private sector, NGOs or other organisations.
A copy of the analysis of the individual secondments will be placed in the Library.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what preventive action has been taken in Northern Ireland to counter an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. [119519]
Angela Smith: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a serious public health issue and the Department has acted quickly to strengthen its public health surveillance systems and ensure that the health service is prepared should a case occur in Northern Ireland.
The Department is represented on the National SARS Taskforce which itself works closely with the World Health Organisation. The taskforce agrees all relevant control measures and these are then implemented locally. The Chief Medical Officer contacted all relevant health care professionals on 14 March with detailed information on the symptoms of SARS, and what to do if they encountered a case. Updated guidance based on advice from WHO has been issued at regular intervals since both to professionals and people travelling abroad. The Department has established a SARS section on its website which is regularly updated. It has also provided and made arrangements for posters to be displayed at appropriate points in airports and seaports. There have been no SARS cases so far in Northern Ireland.
In conjunction with the Centre for Communicable Disease Control (CDSC) (NI), the Department is urgently developing a contingency plan for SARS or other emerging infection. A Northern Ireland taskforce
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is being established to monitor the situation and to implement the contingency plan. It will meet for the first time on Friday 20 June.
Transport
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what monitoring he undertakes on the usage of existing cycle lanes and routes. [122538]
Mr. Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Payments
11. Mr. Rosindell : To ask the Secretary of State for Works and Pensions what recent steps the Government has taken to ensure that pensioners are fully informed about the Post Office Card Account method of direct payment of benefits. [123531]
Mr. Pond: Pensioners are being provided with straightforward information about all of their account options so they can choose the account which is right for them.
Pensioners who want to continue to collect their money from the Post Office can choose a current account which offers Post Office access, a basic bank account or the new Post Office card account.
The letters and leaflets being sent to pensioners set out the procedures for opening a Post Office card account. So far over 74,000 pensioners—half of those who have responded—have chosen a card account.
I am today placing in the Library details of the latest key figures on the progress of conversion to Direct Payment.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements will be put in place for benefit and pension claimants who do not choose to take out either a bank account or a post office card account. [123853]
Mr. Pond: Around 87 per cent. of customers already have bank accounts. And for those who do not, new easy to operate accounts, which are accessible at the Post Office, are widely available. Our aim is to have an exceptions service available for those very few remaining customers who are genuinely unable to open or operate any type of bank account.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact that the increase in fee-charging ATMs will have on pensioners and those who receive benefits as the benefit system migrates to electronic transfer. [117080]
Malcolm Wicks: Customers are being provided with information that clearly sets out their account options as part of the move to direct payment. They will have more choice and flexibility about when, where and how much money they collect.
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Customers have a number of options as to how they access their money including the Post Office, over the counter at banks and building societies, ATMs and via the cashback facilities offered by retailers.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether there will be a formal consultation process on the details of the proposed Exceptions Service for people who are unable or unwilling to have their benefits paid directly into a bank account. [121223]
Mr. Pond: There are no plans for a formal consultation process.
The Department will continue to informally consult with a broad range of customer groups on payment options.
State Pension (Overseas Citizens)
15. Mr. Luff : If he will make a statement on the index-linking of the state retirement pension payable to British citizens living overseas. [123535]
Malcolm Wicks: State Pensions paid to people living abroad are index linked if there is a legal requirement to do so or where there is a reciprocal arrangement in place.
Housing Benefit
17. Bob Spink : If he will make a statement about the prevalence of housing benefit fraud. [123537]
Mr. Pond: We have introduced the first ever ongoing review of fraud and error in Housing Benefit. The first results will be available later this year. And we have set a firm target to reduce the level of fraud and error in Housing Benefit by 25 per cent. by 2006.
We are already seeing major successes from our work with local authorities to drive out fraud. Latest figures show that, in the last three years, local authorities have increased the number of prosecutions and sanctions for benefit fraud by more than 500 per cent.
20. Mr. Tony Clarke : What guidance he gives to local authority housing departments on the speed of payment of housing benefit. [123540]
Mr. Pond: Around four million households depend on Housing Benefit for help with their housing costs. It affects work incentives, choice, mobility and personal responsibility. That is why it is so important that all local authorities deliver Housing Benefit to the highest possible standards.
In March 2002 we introduced national Performance Standards setting out clearly for the first time, the standards of service local authorities should aim to deliver, including targets for speed and accuracy in claims processing.
To help authorities meet these standards, we offer financial and direct practical support such as the Help Team.
Where we have concerns about an authority's performance we can arrange for them to be inspected by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate. Furthermore, where a
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local authority persistently fails to deliver, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State can direct them to improve.
Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to improve the administration of housing benefit by local authorities. [123536]
Mr. Pond: We are committed to driving up standards of Housing Benefit administration across all local authorities. We have already taken significant steps by giving authorities practical and financial help with initiatives like the new Performance Standards and the Help Team, and we are continuing to build on the measures already in place. Furthermore, we will shortly be announcing the first awards from the Performance Standards Fund.
We are now starting to see improvement in the performance of many authorities.
This improvement was reflected in the report of the Local Government Ombudsman for England published last week which showed that the number of complaints about Housing Benefit administration has halved over the last two years.
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