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2 Mar 2004 : Column 846W—continued
School Sport
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how she will measure her Department's performance against the Public Sector Agreement target to increase the percentage of school children who spend a minimum of two hours per week on high quality physical education and school sport to 75 per cent. by 2006. [157778]
Mr. Caborn: As I indicated in my written answer of 5 January 2004, Official Report, columns 137–38W, to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove, data are now being collected for the first time—for publication in April—on the number of pupils who choose to take up the
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entitlement to two hours of high-quality PE and school sport each week within and beyond the curriculum. This exercise will be repeated in future years so that performance against the PSA target can be assessed.
Sports Funding
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been given to
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(a) football and (b) cricket in (i) the north-west, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) Chorley in each of the last three years; and for what purposes. [157686]
Mr. Caborn: Details of Lottery support from Sport England for football and Cricket from the following programmes: Community Capital, Active Community Development Fund, Safer Sports Grounds, Football Youth Development and Awards For All are as follows.
| Football | Cricket | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | Total | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | Total | |||
| Awards in Chorley (Number) | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| Total Sum for Chorley (£) | 4,789 | 15,272 | 6,700 | 35,165 | 5,935 | 4,198 | 4,954 | 25,879 | ||
| Awards in Lancashire (Number) | 44 | 39 | 60 | 143 | 30 | 34 | 40 | 107 | ||
| Total Sum for Lancashire (£) | 852,448 | 869,748 | 275,737 | 1,997,933 | 137,702 | 317,323 | 164,937 | 619,962 | ||
| Awards in North West region (Number) | 103 | 74 | 131 | 308 | 68 | 68 | 79 | 218 | ||
| Total Sum for North West region (£) | 1,360,352 | 4,776,147 | 1,506,483 | 7,642,982 | 1,479,590 | 1,367,864 | 822,892 | 3,670,346 | ||
Note:
Lancashire figures do not include schemes in Greater Manchester.
Sunbeds
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public leisure facilities are equipped with sunbeds; what her Department's policy is on the provision of sunbeds in public leisure facilities; and what plans she has to phase out the use of sunbeds in public leisure facilities. [156950]
Mr. Caborn: There are 2,945 Public Sports Centres in England, 935 of which contain one or more sunbed.
As I am sure the hon. Member will appreciate, any decision to provide sunbeds in public leisure facilities will be for the individual local authorities to make. However, the Government acknowledge the risks to young people of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in all of its forms and the Health and Safety Executive has published guidance for operators and customers on using sunbeds. This guidance was developed after consultation with leading experts and is accepted as good advice.
The hon. Member may be interested to know that the potential dangers involved in the use of sunbeds will be the subject of a meeting of experts and industry on 29 March 2004. The campaign will review the latest scientific evidence and develop practical recommendations for better self-regulation.
Tourism
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people she estimates work in tourism in (a) the north-west, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley; and how many people are employed in hotels in each case. [157685]
Mr. Caborn: Research carried out by the North West Development Agency's Regional Intelligence Unit estimates that the number of people working in tourism in (a) the north-west is 193,871, (b) Lancashire is 47,828 and (c) Chorley is 3,839. It has not been possible to estimate the number of people employed in hotels but the North West Tourist Board estimates that 90 per cent. of tourism employees in each case work in the accommodation sector.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Ballast Plc
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the liquidation of Ballast plc, Salford Quays, on the value of the final salary occupational pensions of its former employees. [156683]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government are aware of the situation of the former employees of Ballast plc, but has not made an assessment of the effect the liquidation has had on their occupational pensions. However, we have great sympathy for the uncertainties they, and other people in similar circumstances, are facing in regard to their pensions.
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make representations to the authorities in the Netherlands about the protection of the assets of the occupational pension schemes of former employees of the Dutch construction group Ballast Nedam NV and its liquidated UK subsidiary Ballast plc. [156684]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government recognise the concerns that have been expressed about the financial responsibilities of parent companies and sympathises with the position of all members of pension schemes that may not receive the pension that they expected as a result of employer insolvency. However, the legal obligation to fund a salary-related occupational scheme is with the sponsoring employer of the scheme. The holding company is not responsible for the debts of an insolvent subsidiary because the two companies have separate legal identities. Any political intervention would, therefore, be inappropriate in this case.
Council Tax Benefit
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which local authorities do not actively promote the take-up of council tax benefit for elderly people. [153793]
Mr. Pond: The information requested is not available.
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Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote awareness of council tax benefit. But we want to do more to support authorities in their role, to encourage all those who may be entitled to claim. This is why I made a written statement on 15 December 2003, Official Report, column 125WS, in which I announced that we will be launching a take-up campaign to raise the awareness of council tax benefit among those who are likely to be entitled and also their family, friends and carers. Working with local authorities, we will provide promotional material, and will develop guidance and advice to help ensure that procedures are in place to handle inquiries about entitlement and provide support for those, particularly pensioners, making claims.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administration cost of the Child Support Agency was in each of the last six years; and what the projected expenditure is for 2003–04. [152843]
Mr. Pond: 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 Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 2 March 2004:
- In replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
- You asked what the administration cost of the Child Support Agency was in each of the last six years; and what the projected expenditure is for 2003–04.
- The net operating costs of the Agency as included in the Annual Statement of Accounts are.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 225.9 |
| 1998–99 | 231.2 |
| 1999–00 | 260.3 |
| 2000–01 | 250 |
| 2001–02 | 290.4 |
| 2002–03 | 294.3 |
The projected expenditure for 2003–04 for which the Agency is directly accountable is £320 million. The actual costs will be available when the Agency Accounts are published in July 2004.
I hope this is helpful.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when Child Support Agency cases initiated before March 2003 will be transferred to the new system; and if he will make a statement; [153619]
- (2) whether all Child Support Agency cases will be transferred to the new system at the same time; and if he will make a statement. [153620]
Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Dartford (Dr. Stoate) on 27 January 2004, Official Report, column 341W.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for migration from the old to the new Child Support Agency scheme; and what factors affect the timetable. [155145]
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Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1092W.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were on each of the Child Support Agency schemes in each month since the inception of the new scheme. [155412]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. David Drew, dated 2 March 2004:
- In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
- You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were on each of the Child Support Agency schemes in each month since the inception of the new scheme. Because of issues associated with producing management information from the new computer system I cannot answer your question precisely in the format that it is asked. I can however indicate in the table below, the number of cases where;
- either an assessment (old scheme) or a calculation (new scheme) has been completed as at each month end since March 2003, and
- for old scheme cases the record is held on the "old" computer system and for new scheme cases it is held on our "new" computer system.
| Old scheme | New scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| March | 993,940 | 10 |
| April | 978,420 | 731 |
| May | 960,680 | 2,541 |
| June | 943,880 | 6,671 |
| July | 917,520 | 13,593 |
| August | 899,200 | 20,792 |
| September | 882,800 | 30,528 |
| October | 861,340 | 42,335 |
| November | 839,620 | 52,310 |
| December | 824,460 | 60,200 |
In addition there are around 120,000 "old scheme" cases operating on the new computer system. I cannot at this stage indicate the number of these cases at monthly rests. But the growth in this number toward the current total will mirror the decline in old scheme case numbers set out in the table above.
I hope that this is helpful.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the performance of the Child Support Agency's new reforms IT system; [155885]
- (2) when he estimates the Department's Child Support Agency new reforms IT system recovery programme will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [155886]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 2 March 2004:
- In replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
2 Mar 2004 : Column 851W
- You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make a statement on the performance of the Child Support Agency's new reforms IT system and also asked when does he estimate the Department's Child Support Agency new reforms IT system recovery programme will be completed.
- The Secretary of State issued a Written Statement on the performance of the Agency on 12 February 2004. We are continuing to work with EDS on the detail of their proposed recovery plan and that has not yet been finalised.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the new computer programme for the Child Support Agency. [157254]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, dated 2 March 2004:
- In replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
- You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make a statement on the new computer programme for the Child Support Agency.
- The Secretary of State issued a Written Statement on the performance of the Agency on 12 February 2004.
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what date he will decide whether to cease to use the new computer system provided by EDS to assess Child Support Agency cases; and if he will make a statement. [158130]
Mr. Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins) on 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1591W.
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