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Pensions Payment

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many recipients of state pensions who used a pension book to collect their pension have been written to by his Department to inform them that they must change to a direct payment method; and how many have chosen to have their payments made into (a) a bank or building society account and (b) a post office card account; [124081]

(2) pursuant to the statement of 11 June 2003 by the Minister for Pensions, Official Report, column 773, when the first report will be placed in the Library. [124133]

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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.

The first report, containing figures up to the 27 June 2003, has been placed in the Library.

Post Office Card Accounts

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire on 20 May 2003, Official Report, column 753W, on Post Office card accounts, if he has made an estimate of the number of customers to whom he referred who are unable to open or manage an account; if he will list the alternative payment methods which are being considered; and if he will make a statement. [117742]

Mr. Pond: Around 87 per cent. of our customers already have access to an account suitable for Direct Payment and there is now a wide range of easy to operate bank and building society accounts available. The availability of these accounts at the Post Office, and the Post Office card account will mean that there should only be a small number of people for whom direct payment will not be suitable.

We will gain better information on specific numbers as customers respond to their invitation letters.

We are looking to develop an alternative method to pay this group. We have analysed a range of options. However, further research with specific interest groups and customers will inform the final decision. This service will be accessible at Post Office branches.

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the statement of 11 June 2003, of the Minister for Pensions, Official Report, column 773, if he will list the client groups that his Department has contacted early on; and if he will make a statement on the order in which client groups will be written to inform them that they must specify a bank or a Post Office card account into which their benefits and pensions will be paid. [124134]

Mr. Pond: The mailing exercise for direct payment began in October 2002 with four weekly paid child benefit customers and people in receipt of a war pension.

Since then we have continued to issue mailings to recipients of these benefits and begun to issue mailings to people in receipt of weekly paid child benefit and those in receipt of pensions and some Jobcentre Plus benefits. These include income support, incapacity benefit, industrial injuries scheme benefits, severe disablement allowance, bereavement benefit and widows benefit.

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Jobseeker's allowance customers will be dealt with as part of their usual contact with the Department and will not receive a mailing.

We will begin mailing customers in receipt of disability and carer benefits, including carer's allowance, disability living allowance and attendance allowance, from August 2003.

The huge numbers of customers involved in the conversion process mean the changes will be phased over a two-year period. Customers do not need to do anything until they receive a letter from the Department.

Progress2work Scheme

John Mann : To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the Progress2work scheme on the number of ex-heroin users in employment. [123534]

Mr. Browne: We have introduced our Progress2work programme to provide specialist support to former drug misusers in their search for work. Many of these clients were previously users of class-A drugs, and most report that they have used heroin.

In the Progress2work Pathfinder locations 364 people have already been helped into work. And we will continue to build on this success with the national roll out of the programme next year.

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his Department's regulatory impact assessment procedure; and how many RIAs have been reviewed in respect of the Department over the last year. [120748]

Malcolm Wicks: A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is completed for all DWP regulatory proposals that have more than a negligible impact on businesses, charities or the voluntary sector. These RIAs follow the guidance, "Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment" (revised January 2003), and include details of arrangements for monitoring and reviewing policy proposals and their impact.

Information on the number of RIAs that have been reviewed by the Department over the last year is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

From this year, the National Audit Office (NAO) has a new role in independently evaluating a selection of RIAs. The Better Regulation Task Force put forward in its annual report (published in February 2003), suggestions of RIAs for the NAO to review.

The NAO review will focus on the quality of analysis in the RIAs and the thoroughness with which the RIAs have been undertaken. The findings and recommendations of best practice will be fed back to Departments. This will play a valuable part in improving the standard of RIAs.

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Sunset Clauses

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to include a sunset clause in all new legislation unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause. [120746]

Malcolm Wicks: The revised RIA guidance, "Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment", was published on 28 January 2003. It advises policy officials to consider time limiting or sunsetting at an early stage of policy development and gives specific examples of where sunsetting may be appropriate.

The Department for Work and Pensions actively promotes the better regulation agenda and the use of sunsetting where appropriate.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Isle of Man

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the Isle of Man; and when he next plans to visit the Isle of Man. [123371]

Mr. Lammy: My noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and I have yet to have discussions with the Government of the Isle of Man, but we look forward to doing so. My noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State is presently in the Isle of Man, accompanying Her Majesty The Queen at the Tynwald Day ceremony. I intend to visit the island soon.

Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many appointments he has made since Thursday 12 June; and how many are pending. [120829]

Mr. Leslie: The Lord Chancellor has made 67 appointments since 12 June 2003 (two of which were signatures of the Instrument of Appointment), recommended one appointment to HM the Queen (approved) and has sworn in seven Judges. There are 28 appointments pending for the Lord Chancellor to make recommendations to the Queen; five awaiting swearing in by the Lord Chancellor and 348 for the Lord Chancellor to make the appointments (of these 13 are for signature of the Instrument of Appointment).

Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when he intends to reply to the letter to the Lord Chancellor dated 15 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Sheila Burns. [121434]

Mr. Leslie: My noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor replied to the letter on 25 June 2003.

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Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when he intends to reply to the letter to the Lord Chancellor dated 12 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Ali. [121435]

Mr. Leslie: My noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor replied to the letter on 27 June 2003.

House of Lords

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to remove from membership of the House of Lords those Members convicted of an offence of dishonesty. [122112]

Mr. Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 124W.

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