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2 Mar 2004 : Column 851W—continued
Cockle Bed Workers
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive has powers to prevent working after dark on cockle beds if this activity presents a risk of serious personal injury. [156860]
Mr. Pond [holding answer 27 February 2004]: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no existing powers to impose a general ban on cockle picking after dark.
However, HSE inspectors do have the power to issue a prohibition notice on a person carrying on or in control of a work activity until the risks are remedied, if there is sufficient evidence of a breach of health and safety law.
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive has powers to prohibit work on cockle beds if those activities present a risk of serious personal injury. [156852]
Mr. Pond: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no existing powers to impose a general ban on cockle picking.
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However, HSE inspectors do have the power to issue a prohibition notice on a person in control of a work activity to stop that activity until the risks are remedied, if there is sufficient evidence of a breach of health and safety law.
Final Salary Pension Schemes
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to protect the final salary pension schemes of employees; what assistance is provided to those people who are denied access to their pensions following company bankruptcy; and if he will make a statement. [156686]
Malcolm Wicks: We are taking significant steps to protect members of defined benefit schemes. We are introducing the Pension Protection Fund, which will protect scheme members by paying compensation if their employer becomes insolvent and the pension scheme is under funded. We are also introducing a new Pensions Regulator that has the flexibility and powers to take a targeted and proportionate approach to protecting the funds held in pension schemes.
Additionally, on 23 February, we laid Regulations that strengthen members' protection when a defined benefit occupational pension scheme starts to wind up while its sponsoring employer is solvent. On 24 February, we announced changes to the priority order which applies on wind up. This will help ensure that assets of the pension scheme are shared as fairly as possible between non-pensioner and pensioner scheme members.
In the event of employer insolvency assistance is available to pension scheme members under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Pensions Scheme Act 1993. Under these Acts, the Redundancy Payments Directorate makes insolvency payments from the National Insurance Fund (NIF) to qualifying former employees. Claims for unpaid employees' contributions are limited to the actual amount deducted from wages during the 12 months prior to the date of insolvency. Unpaid employers' contributions for the 12 month period prior to the insolvency date are also payable, but are subject to monetary limits depending on the type of pension scheme.
Pension Credit
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money has been allocated to promote Pension Credit; what proportion of these funds will be spent on regional and local media sources; and how much money has been spent advertising the new payment in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. [156620]
Malcolm Wicks: The marketing campaign for Pension Credit has been designed to be flexible, and the level of expenditure may change according to need. However, in England, Scotland and Wales, it is currently estimated that media costs, including direct mailing, television and press advertising, will be in the region of £12–£17 million, excluding VAT, to October 2004.
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In Northern Ireland the Department for Social Development is responsible for the promotion and take-up of Pension Credit.
A direct mail pack to pensioner households remains at the heart of our marketing campaign for Pension Credit. From September 2003 to March 2004 this is being supported by commissioning largely national press and television advertising to introduce Pension Credit in England, Scotland and Wales.
The proportion of advertising spend in regional and local media is approximately 25 per cent., although this is likely to increase with the identification of key areas for targeting during 2004.
Actual spend from September 2003 to date is given as follows. Figures exclude VAT.
- England: £7,725,000
- Scotland: £759,000
- Wales: £623,000
Triplex Components
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the situation of the employees at Triplex Components, Peterborough following the closure of its final salary pension scheme; and if he will make a statement. [156933]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government are aware of the situation of the employees at Triplex Peterborough and Ministers have recently met representatives of the Triplex Pension scheme.
The Government have not made an assessment of the pension fund prospects in question. However we have great sympathy for the uncertainties they, and other workers in similar circumstances, are facing with regard to their pensions.
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many final salary pension schemes have been wound up in (i) England and (ii) Cambridgeshire in each of the last five years. [156934]
Malcolm Wicks: We are unable to provide these figures. The only source of information on winding up schemes is the Pensions Schemes Registry, which is administered by the Occupational Pension Schemes Regulatory Authority (OPRA). The information on this database is limited and does not allow us to identify the location of schemes winding up.
Winter Fuel Payments
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets the Pensions Agency has set for the issuing of Winter Fuel Payments to those eligible to receive them as (a) existing claimants and (b) new claimants. [156771]
Malcolm Wicks: There are no targets set for issuing Winter Fuel Payments. The majority of those who are entitled are paid automatically. We aim to ensure their payments are sent to them before Christmas. People who have not previously received a payment and who do not receive a Social Security benefit other than Child Benefit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit must
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claim. Provided they have claimed by the Friday of the qualifying week we aim to send them their payments before Christmas as well.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Population Profile
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the population of Northern Ireland is over (a) 50, (b) 55, (c) 60, (d) 65, (e) 75, (f) 85 and (g) 100 years. [156377]
Mr. Pearson: The percentage of the Northern Ireland estimate of population (mid-2002) aged 50 years and over, 55 years and over, 60 years and over, 65 years and over, 75 years and over and 85 years and over is given in table 1 as follows. Mid-year estimates for those aged 100 and over are not routinely published. However this information is available from the 2001 Census and is given in table 2 as follows.
| Age-group | Percentage of Northern Ireland population (2002 mid-year estimate) |
|---|---|
| (a) 50 years and over | 29.06 |
| (b) 55 years and over | 23.30 |
| (c) 60 years and over | 17.83 |
| (d) 65 years and over | 13.40 |
| (e) 75 years and over | 6.05 |
| (f) 85 years and over | 1.39 |
| Age-group | Percentage of Northern Ireland Population (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| (g) 100 years and over | 0.01 |
Prison Suicides
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost of maintaining suicide watch observations in prisons in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [156324]
Jane Kennedy: Prisoners who are considered to be at risk of suicide or self-harm are managed within the normal prison regime and no additional staffing resources are required to keep prisoners at risk under observation.
Any costs associated with managing prisoners at risk are largely notional. Hence there has been no requirement to quantify costs in monetary terms.
Asbestos
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what regulations apply to building contractors when asbestos is discovered in (a) schools and (b) school premises during building work; and how they are enforced. [156554]
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Mr. Pearson: The legislation that applies in such circumstances is as follows:
- 1. The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order l978
- 2. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995
- 3. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003; and
- 4. The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1984
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is the enforcing authority for the above legislation in relation to a wide range of work premises, including schools. HSENI adopts a risk-based approach to carrying out inspections of asbestos removal operations and insist on a very high standard of compliance with statutory provisions in relation to all such work.
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