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Consultation Documents

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the consultation documents issued by his Department in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and    how many responses were received in each consultation. [124571]

Mr. Pond: The Department for Work and Pensions came into being in June 2001. The following table gives the titles of consultation papers issued, dates of issue, number of copies issued, and written replies received. All consultation documents are also posted on the DWP internet site www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/index.asp. Formal consultation documents are only one part of the
 
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policy development process. Other additional activity employed by DWP includes seminars, public meetings, meetings with professional and other expert groups and
 
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a web-based discussion forum. Costs of producing and printing documents is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Title of consultation	Start date	Number of documents issued	Number of written responses
Amending the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979	23 July 2001	70	13
Occupational Pension Scheme Winding-up Notices and Reports (etc) Regulations 2001	1 August 2001	57	29
Occupational and Personal Pension schemes (Disclosure of Information) Amendment Regulations 2001	13 August 2001	57	17
Occupational and Personal Pension schemes (contracting-out)-draft miscellaneous amending regulations	3 May 2001	160	75
Changes to Invalid Care Allowance	23 July 2001	445	133
The Minimum Funding Requirement: the next stage of reform. Consultation on the draft Occupational Pension schemes (Minimum Funding Requirements and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2001	18 September 2001	740	140
Private Pensions simplification	19 October 2001	225	119
Bulk transfer of accrued Pension rights without member consent	20 December 2001	35	19
Revised code of practice on gathering of information as required in Social Security Fraud Act 2001	8 April 2002	100	1
Consultation on Three Recommendations in the Myners' report "Institutional Investment in the UK—a review"	4h February 2001	102	21
Member nominated trustees and directors	12 February 2002	72	22
Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) quinquennial review	10 May 2002	100	50
Measuring Child Poverty	18 April 2002	2,000	80
The future of the residential allowance component of income support, minimum income guarantee, jobseeker's allowance	22 May 2002	90	44
Equality, Opportunity and Independence for all (Race Relations Amendment Act)	30 May 2002	400	30
Social Security Advisory Committee review	16 January 2002	33	13
Pathways to work—helping people into employment	18 November 2002	500	137
Simplicity, security and choice—helping people into retirement	17 December 2002	15,039	800
Replacing benefit periods	20 December 2002	100	60
The Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) (Amendment) Regulations 2003	29 January 2003	12	16
The Social Security (Earning Factor) Amendment Regulations 2003	31 January 2003	5	0

Contracted-out Rebates

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) with reference to Figure A3.1 on page 148 of the Pensions Green Paper (Cm 5677), what the assumed number of people receiving contracted-out rebates is in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2011–12, (c) 2021–22, (d) 2031–32, (e) 2041–42 and (f) 2051–52; [125411]

(2) with reference to Figure A3.1 on page 148 of the Pensions Green Paper (Cm 5677), what the projected level of expenditure is (a) as a percentage of GDP and (b) in 2003 prices on contracted-out rebates in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2011–12, (iii) 2021–22, (iv) 2031–32, (v) 2041–42 and (vi) 2051–52. [125412]

Malcolm Wicks: The available information is in Tables 1–3.

Figure A3.1 on page 148 of Simplicity, Security and Choice (Cm 5677), shows projected future expenditure on state benefits to people over state pensions age, including state Second Pension. The tables set out assumptions on the levels of contracting-out over time which underpinned Figure A3.1.

There have already been many changes to the contracting-out regime since the date of the last available data. The Green Paper therefore makes it clear that these assumptions should be interpreted with considerable care because of the uncertainties surrounding the assumptions used. Projecting over such a long period can be significantly affected by even minor changes in the assumptions used.
Table 1: Assumed number of people receiving contracted-out rebates GB-million

	Number
2001–02	13.0
2011–12	12.0
2021–22	10.7
2031–32	9.2
2041–42	8.9
2051–52	8.8

Table 2: Assumed expenditure of providing contracted-out rebates GB-billion

	Number
2001–02	9.5
2011–12	11.4
2021–22	11.4
2031–32	10.4
2041–42	10.6
2051–52	11.6

 
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Table 3: Assumed expenditure as a percentage of GDP GB

	Percentage
2001–02	0.9
2011–12	0.9
2021–22	0.7
2031–32	0.5
2041–42	0.4
2051–52	0.3

Note:
(a) The figures shown in Table 1 were used as a basis for the Green Paper and are based only on the assumed number of people contracted out, and earning above the Lower Earnings Limit, and hence eligible for a rebate.
(b) They show the average number of people contracted out at any point in the year, rather than the total number of people who have been contracted out some time during the year.
(c) Figures are shown in constant 2002–03 price terms, except the figure for 2001–02 which has not been adjusted.
(d) The projected rebate expenditure for 2011–12 reflects the sharp rise in the cost of rebates between the 2001–02 and 2002–03 tax years. This was due to the introduction of the State Second Pension which resulted in a large increase in the amount of rebates paid to Appropriate Personal Pensions.
(e) The figures reflect the analysis of long term economic and demographic developments in the governments long term public finance report presented in November 2002.
Source:
Government Actuary's Department

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that the Department sends out acknowledgements to letters from hon. Members writing on behalf of constituents; and when the practice of sending acknowledgements ceased. [126461]

Maria Eagle: It has not been our practice to send acknowledgements automatically to all letters received by hon. Members. We do however aim to reply to correspondence within 20 working days and send interim replies where appropriate.

Countryside Agency

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and   Pensions when he last met the Chairman of the Countryside Agency to discuss rural proofing. [115576]

 
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Maria Eagle: My right hon. Friend met Sir Ewen in February of this year.

Customer Conversion Centre

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work   and Pensions what procedures are available to customers who wish to register complaints regarding his Department's Customer Conversion Centre. [126034]

Mr. Pond: Procedures are in place to ensure that customers wishing to register a complaint regarding the Customer Conversion Centre are able to do so. Complaints are recorded and dealt with by the appropriate responsible office in line with Departmental standards.

The Department can receive complaints regarding the Customer Conversion Centre through a number of channels and the procedures in place depend on the method of approach taken by the customer.

Complaints can be made directly over the telephone to call centre operatives, in writing to the call centre, the relevant business unit, or the Payment Modernisation Programme direct. Customers may also register complaints with their respective Member of Parliament or the relevant client group Chief Executive's office.

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