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5 Nov 2003 : Column 669W—continued

Scottish Stamps

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to discuss with the Royal Mail the (a) promotion and (b) marketing of the Scottish definitive stamps. [136155]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 3 November 2003]: The stamp programme is an operational matter for Royal Mail Group plc, I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of Royal Mail to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

Television Reception (East Kent)

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in negotiation with the French authorities towards agreed enhancement of South Coast television transmitters for those living in East Kent; and if she will make a statement. [135332]

Mr. Timms: Negotiations are continuing. The Radiocommunications Agency is in regular discussion with its French counterpart about sharing spectrum for our respective analogue and digital TV coverage requirements. These negotiations are conditioned by internationally agreed arrangements, and spectrum planning methods, for determining equitable spectrum shares. The close proximity of the two countries and the heavy demand for frequencies on both sides of the Channel requires difficult and complicated technical discussions to maximise the use of spectrum in both countries in a way that minimises interference effects. In some cases, compromises are having to be made on both sides to deliver TV networks, such as mutual toleration of the risk of greater interference for longer periods than advised by the international planning rules.

We are still in negotiation with the French authorities on acceptable channels and transmitter powers for digital TV from the Dover and Bluebell Hill stations in conjunction with the French requests for frequencies (and transmitter powers) for their own networks. Both sides are currently analysing the impact of each others' latest proposals and we hope to meet the French administration as soon as possible to take forward the discussions.

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Trade Missions

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's view of the benefits of trade missions. [135514]

Ms Hewitt: Trade missions are a tried and tested mechanism providing a framework of support, both practical and financial, in which companies new, or relatively new, to the markets concerned can receive support to travel overseas to explore or assess the market or reinforce existing marketing efforts.

The main benefits of participating in trade missions, apart from any financial support, are the raised profile of being seen as part of a UK group of companies; the opportunity to network and do business with fellow participants and the assistance, advice and knowledge provided by the mission organiser before the mission and during the visit.

Transport and Access

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints from British businesses her Department has received concerning transport and access issues in each of the last five years. [134868]

Nigel Griffiths: No such figures are available but the DTI is currently working on identifying optimal ways in which business's views on transport can be recorded and subsequently acted on.

CABINET OFFICE

Magistrates

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many magistrates there are under the age of (a) 30, (b) 35 and (c) 40 serving in Lancashire. [135572]

Mr. Alexander: At 31 March 2003 the available figures show that there were three magistrates under the age of 30 and 28 between the ages of 30 and 39 within the Lancashire Commission. A National Recruitment Strategy announced by the Lord Chancellor on 7 October will seek to find ways of recruiting younger magistrates and this will be actively promoted within the Duchy area.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Appeals

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) attendance allowance appeals, (b) disability living allowance appeals and (c) incapacity benefit (personal capability assessment) appeals there have been in each of the last three years. [133715]

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.

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Letter from Christina Townsend to Annabelle Ewing, dated 5 November 2003:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the number of attendance allowance appeals, disability allowance appeals and incapacity benefit (personal capability assessment) appeals there have been in each of the last three years.

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The attached table shows the number of attendance allowance appeals, disability living allowance appeals and incapacity benefit (personal capability assessment) appeals which were received by the Appeals Service during the last three years.

I hope this reply is helpful.

Attendance allowance (AA), disability living allowance (DLA) and incapacity benefit (personal capability assessment) (IB(PCA)) appeals received by the Appeals Service.

	Attendance allowance		Disability living allowance		Incapacity benefit
	Caseload as at28 February	Received at Appeals Service	Caseload as at28 February	Received at Appeals Service	Caseload as at28 February	Received at Appeals Service
April 2000-March 2001	1,279,000	14,875	2,210,600	106,405	2,324,400	41,835
April 2001-March 2002	1,291,400	11,505	2,337,700	83,790	2,337,700	43,595
April 2002-March 2003	1,333,400	10,300	2,387,900	81,735	2,387,900	54,140

Notes:

All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available. Figures for the latest months will rise as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.

Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

Source:

IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Caseload notes:

Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 100

Source:

IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times a tribunal has requested medical evidence from a general practitioner, consultant and other medical professional in support of (a) attendance allowance appeals (b) disability living allowance appeals and (c) incapacity benefit (personal capacity assessment) appeals in each of the last three years. [133716]

Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from Christina Townsend to Annabelle Ewing, dated 5 November 2003:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding how many times a tribunal has requested medical evidence from a general practitioner, consultant and other medical professional in support of attendance allowance appeals, disability living allowance appeals and incapacity benefit (personal capability assessment) appeals in each of the last three years.

We do not have this information prior to April 2002 but the attached table shows the figures for the period April 2002-March 2003 and April 2003-September 2003.

I hope this reply is helpful.

Appeal tribunals for AA, DLA and IB (PCA) at which medical evidence has been requested

Number
	AA	DLA	IB (PCA)
April 2002-March 2003	755	8,735	560
April 2003-September 2003	370	4,580	350

Medical evidence requested at tribunal includes:

Consultant Report, Existing Records

Consultant Report, Fresh Examination

Examining Medical Practitioner Attendance Allowance

Examining Medical Practitioner Care and Mobility

Examining Medical Practitioner Care only

Examining Medical Practitioner Mobility only

General Practitioners Factual

General Practitioners Specialist

Hospital Case Notes/Extract From DEC

Hospital Case Notes (Direct to Hospital)

Hospital Factual Report

Obtain Fresh X-Rays

Notes:

All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available. Figures for the latest months will rise as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.

Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

Source:

IAD Information Centre, 100% sample.

Fraud

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of council tax benefit fraud in the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [134131]

Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett) on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 432W.

New Deal

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Employment Service personal advisers have been recruited under the New Deal programme since 1997. [133161]

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Nick Gibb, dated 5 November 2003:

As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many Employment Service personal advisers have been recruited under the New Deal programme since 1997. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

In line with the Departments policy, Jobcentre Plus recruits people under the Employment Option of the New Deal into the Administrative Assistant or Administrative Officer grades. As

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Personal Adviser posts are graded at the Executive Officer grade we would not recruit for these posts under the New Deal programme.

However, people on the New Deal caseload can apply for any posts advertised externally by Jobcentre Plus which would include grades at the Executive Officer level. People recruited using this method would not be classed as one of our New Deal employees.

I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the New Deal for Communities since 1998 in (a) St. Helens, South, (b) Merseyside and (c) the north west region on (i) reducing crime, (ii) creating jobs and (iii) raising standards in education. [134616]

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.

(a) There are no New Deal for Communities (NDC) Partnerships in St. Helens, South.

(b) and (c) There are two NDC Partnerships in Merseyside—Liverpool (Kensington) and Knowsley (North Huyton). There are six partnerships in the north west region. These include the two Merseyside Partnerships and those in Manchester (Beswick and Openshaw), Oldham (Hathershaw and Fitton Hill), Rochdale (Heywood) and Salford (Central).

The NDC programme is scrutinised and reviewed using two, complementary and linked streams of work:

a performance management system, which drives annual and mid-year reviews, lead by the Government Offices for the Regions;


the NDC National Evaluation, providing external assessment at partnership, programme and theme level, lead by Sheffield Hallam University.

The performance management system was introduced in 2003 and used for the first time for the 2002–03 annual reviews. Partnerships reviewed their own performance and the results that they are starting to achieve.

The evidence provided in these reviews by the NDC Partnerships show that partnerships in the Merseyside and the north west are beginning to make an impact in reducing crime, creating jobs and raising standards in education. For example:

In the Kensington area of Liverpool, the rate of all recorded offences has fallen from 185.3 instances per 1,000 population before the NDC, to 148.8 in 2002–03.


In Salford, the gap between the proportion of pupils getting five or more GCSEs at grades A to C narrowed from 12 per cent. to 8 per cent. in 2002–03.


In east Manchester, the percentage of the working age population who are in employment has risen from 52 per cent.to 65 per cent., which exceeded the city average in 2002–03.

Alongside this evidence from partnerships themselves, data from the national NDC evaluation about the progress NDC Partnerships are making towards achieving their outcome targets is now beginning to come through. An overview of the latest position was recently published in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Research Report 7 "New Deal for Communities: The National Evaluation: Annual Report 2002–03". Copies are available in the Library of the House.

5 Nov 2003 : Column 674W

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals he has to (a) continue and (b) develop New Deal for Communities schemes in (i) St. Helens, South, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the north west region. [134646]

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.

(a) There are currently no New Deal for Communities (NDC) Partnerships in St. Helens, South. There are no plans to develop any NDC Partnerships in the St. Helens south area.

(b) There are two NDC Partnerships in Merseyside—one in Liverpool (Kensington) and one in Knowlsey (north Huyton). These partnerships have both been awarded a grant to spend over a ten year time period, and so the Liverpool Partnership will continue until 2009–10 and the Knowsley Partnership until 2010–11. There are no plans to develop any further NDC Partnerships in Merseyside.

(c) There are six NDC Partnerships in the north west, these include the two mentioned in part (b) of this answer and also partnerships in Oldham (Hathershaw and Fitton Hill), Rochdale (Heywood), east Manchester (Beswick and Openshaw) and Salford (Central). The Manchester Partnership will continue until 2009–10 and the Oldham, Rochdale and Salford Partnerships until 2010–11. There are no plans to develop any further NDC Partnerships in the north west.

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