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Autism Spectrum Disorders

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will amend the eligibility criteria for disability benefits for people with autism spectrum disorders. [127854]

Maria Eagle: No. People with autism spectrum disorders are entitled to disability living allowance and attendance allowance on the same basis as anyone else with a severe disability. They will qualify if they meet the entitlement conditions for the benefit, which depend on the effects that severe physical or mental disability have on a person's need for personal care and/or their ability to walk and not on particular disabilities or diagnoses.

The numbers of people receiving the benefits as a result of the effects of autism spectrum disorders are not recorded separately, but are included in the more general category of those with 'learning difficulties'. As at February 2003, over 239,000 people whose main disabling condition is recorded as learning difficulties were receiving disability living allowance.

Child Support (Consolatory Payments)

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency cases

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have been referred for consideration for consolatory payments in the last year, broken down by month; how many payments have been accepted and made in the last year, broken down by month; what has been the overall cost of such payments; and if he will make a statement. [125933]

Malcolm Wicks: 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 Mr. Doug Smith, dated September 2003:

The Secretary of State in replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You ask how many Child Support Agency cases have been referred for consideration for consolatory payments in the last year broken down by month; how many payments have been accepted and made in the last year broken down by month; and what has been the overall cost of such payments; and if he will make a statement.

It is not possible to determine the number of referrals made for consideration of consolatory payments, but I can tell you the number of consolatory payments made in 2002/03:

April	1,012
May	873
June	630
July	853
August	757
September	506
October	673
November	648
December	518
January	752
February	593
March	628
Total	8,443

The overall cost of consolatory payments in 2002/03 was £660,615.

Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 16 June 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. Willingham. [127745]

Maria Eagle: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 23 July 2003.

Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the progress of the work being carried out by his Department on employers' liability compulsory insurance. [127798]

Mr. Browne: The Department published the First Stage Report of its review of Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) on 3 June 2003. The report identified a number of significant areas for further action. These include working with interested parties to help develop the basis for more risk-related premiums; working with stakeholders to maximise the benefits for EL of current initiatives within the legal system; engaging with business, industry and other stakeholders to further evaluate the evidence for separating long-term occupational disease risks from

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accident risks; making rehabilitation play a more central role in the UK workers' compensation system; and reforming the arrangements for enforcement of EL.

We will report in autumn on the progress that has been made and any further steps we intend to take.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate the Department has made of the eligibility for receipt of the minimum income guarantee among the elderly in the UK; and what his latest estimate is of the take-up rate. [127396]

Malcolm Wicks: The latest information is contained in the publication, "Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take Up in 2000–01". A copy is held in the Library.

Pension Credit

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 10 July 2003, Official Report, column 979W, on pension credit, whether a pensioner who purchases an annuity after making a successful claim for pension credit will have to report that annuity purchase to the Department. [127231]

Malcolm Wicks: On applying for pension credit from age 65, pensioners are asked about any changes they expect to their pension income over the next 12 months. If additional income will become available within the next 12 months, but the amount is not yet known, their award will be fixed for reassessment at that date. If a change is expected in more than 12 months, their assessment will be fixed for the full five-year period allowed, during which any increases in pension income will be ignored. People who are entitled to any pension income which they have not yet drawn (including for instance an annuity from a personal pension) are treated as having that income available to them.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much he estimates the average pension credit recipient will receive in pension credit payments per year. [127170]

Malcolm Wicks: The average Pension Credit each recipient is estimated to receive per year is £2,250.

Notes

1 The estimates were arrived at by dividing forecast expenditure on Pension Credit y the forecast caseload and rounding to the nearest £50.

2 Estimates relate to 2004–05, the first full year of Pension Credit and are in cash terms.

3 All figures are based on published forecasts from Budget 2003, and are consistent with the DWP Departmental Report 2003.

4 These estimates are based on planning assumptions of Pension Credit and should be treated with caution.

Tax Credit Claims Forms

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average time taken to complete claim form TC 600; and what useability tests his Department has undertaken for completing the form. [124311]

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.

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The time taken to complete a Tax Credits claim form will depend on the particular circumstances of the claimant. Claims for which no further information is required, and which pass the various pre award checks, go through the stages of calculating the award quickly and will normally be in payment within a few days.

The form was subjected to rigorous usability testing before being introduced. This testing involved a sample number of existing Tax Credit recipients. The form was subjected to rigorous usability testing before being introduced. This testing involved a sample number of existing Tax Credit recipients.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Awards for All (Scotland)

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last received representations from the Scottish Executive on the operation of Awards for All in Scotland; and if she will make a statement. [128002]

Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received no representations from the Scottish Executive specifically on the operation of Awards for All in Scotland. However, there was correspondence in June 2003, before we published the National Lottery Funding Decision Document. That document proposes to increase the upper grant limit of Awards for All in England. We believe that given the local community focus of Awards for All, any changes to the programme in other parts of the United Kingdom should be considered separately within Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

BBC Freeview

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the proportion of the population of (a) the UK and (b) Scotland who are unable to receive BBC Freeview services. [128018]

Estelle Morris: I understand from the BBC that 73.1 per cent. of the UK households can now receive Freeview's services via digital terrestrial television. In Scotland, this figure is higher at 80.5 per cent. of households due to the nature of population distribution. Further information can be found on the website: www.freeview.co.uk.

Channels 4 and 5

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the proportion of the UK population who are able to receive (a) Channel 4 and (b) Channel 5. [128019]

Estelle Morris: I understand from the ITC that Channel 4 analogue services reach over 99.4 per cent. of the UK population and analogue Five coverage reaches about 80 per cent. of the UK population. Channel 4 and Five services are available across the whole UK via digital satellite and are also delivered by digital

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terrestrial television and cable. Further information on digital television coverage can be found on the website: www.dtg.org.uk.

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