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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the EU directives implemented by the Department since 8 June 2001. [126600]
Mr. Pond: Since 8 June 2001 the Department for Work and Pensions has implemented the following EU Directives:
Directive 1997/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 July 1997 amending for the first time Directive 90/394/EEC on the protection of workers from risks relating to exposure to carcinogens at work (Sixth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)
Directive 1998/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 April 1998 on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work (fourteenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)
Council Directive 1998/49/EC of 29 June 1998 on safeguarding the supplementary pension rights of employed and self-employed persons moving within the Community
Directive 1999/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 1999 amending for the second time Directive 90/394/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work and extending it to include mutagens, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and hardwood dusts (VCM was previously the subject of a separate Directive). (Sixth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)
Directive 1999/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 1999 concerning the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations
Directive 1999/92/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1999 on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres (15th individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)
Commission Directive 2000/39/EC of 8 June 2000 establishing a first list of indicative occupational exposure limit values in implementation of Council Directive 98/24/EC on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work
Parts of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. DWP implemented the disability discrimination aspects of the Directive in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations
Commission Directive 2001/58/EC of 27 July 2001 amending for the second time Directive 91/155/EEC defining and laying down the detailed arrangements for the system of specific information relating to dangerous preparations in implementation of Article 14 of European Parliament and
Commission Directive 2001/59/EC of 6 August 2001 adapting to technical progress for the 28th time Council Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances
Commission Directive 2001/60/EC of 7 August 2001 adapting to technical progress Directive 1999/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) counterparts in the European Union about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European Constitution. [124785]
Mr. Pond: As part of the normal Whitehall process, the Department has had regular correspondence with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss all aspects of the Convention, including legislative competences. We have also had regular contact with member and accession states to discuss issues arising in the Convention. In line with exemptions 1 and 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not the normal practice of Governments to disclose details about internal discussions, or information whose disclosure would harm the conduct of international relations or affairs.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Answer of 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1036W, on fee-charging ATMs, what information is given by his Department to customers who change to direct payment about fee-charging ATMs; and if he will make a statement. [126906]
Mr. Pond: The letters and leaflets being issued to customers set out clearly their account options. It is for the customer to decide which account best meets their needs and circumstances. Customers who want to have their benefit or pension paid into a bank or building society account should discuss with their account provider the features of their chosen account.
Customers have a number of options as to how they access their money free of charge. Including, at the Post Office, over the counter at many banks and building societies, many ATMs and via the cashback facilities offered by retailers.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed to detect and prosecute suspected fraud in each of the last six years; and what the cost was of their employment. [124498]
Mr. Pond:
I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire North-East (Mr. Heald), by my hon. Friend the former
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Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Malcolm Wicks), on the 12 December 2002, Official Report, column 502W.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have committed benefit fraud on two or more separate occasions since 1 April 2002; and of that number how many have had their benefit reduced under the two strikes provision of the Social Security Act 2001. [124504]
Mr. Pond: The provision to sanction people convicted of two separate benefit fraud offences in a three-year period, known as the 'two-strikes provision', came into force on 1 April 2002. This provision cannot be applied retrospectively and only applies to people who have committed, and then been convicted for, two separate benefit offences after that date.
To date, we have recorded five individuals who have committed and been convicted of benefit fraud on two or more occasions since 1 April 2002. In three of these cases a benefit sanction has been imposed. In the two other cases there is no current claim to a sanctionable benefit but these cases have been noted and a sanction will be imposed if they claim benefit in the next three years.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of fraud in (a) order books and (b) giros was in 200203, broken down by type of fraud; and if he will make a statement. [125265]
Mr. Pond: We estimate that total losses arising from the fraudulent encashment of order books and giro cheques during the year 200203 was £71.1 million.
The £21.4 million for giro cheque losses arises from three main sources. £1.8 million was lost from counterfeiting, £2.6 million from manipulation/forgery and £17.0 million from duplicate encashment/repudiation. £49.7 million was lost through fraudulent encashment of order books. It is not possible to break this figure down by type of fraud.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many instances there were of income support fraud in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997; [124837]
(2) what the estimated cost of job seeker's allowance fraud in Scotland was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; [1248348]
(3) what the estimated cost of income support fraud in Scotland was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; [125320]
(4) how many instances there were of jobseeker's allowance fraud in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997. [125321]
Mr. Pond:
Information on the level of fraud in Scotland broken down by local authority is not available. However, information on the estimated level
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of fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance in the whole of Scotland is in the following reports, copies of which are available in the Library:
The Results of the Area Benefit Review from April 1998 to March 1999 and Measurements for the Public Service Agreement: Fraud and Error in Claims for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance.
The Results of the Area Benefit Review and the Quality Support Team from April 1999 to March 2000: Fraud and Error in Claims for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance.
The Results of the Area Benefit Review and the Quality Support Team from April 2000 to March 2001: Fraud and Error in Claims for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance.
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