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17 Mar 2004 : Column 316W—continued
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
Equal Opportunities Commission
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister for Women what grants have been allocated to the Equal Opportunities Commission over the last five years; and if she will make a statement on changes in the level of funding during that time. [161921]
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Ms Hewitt: The value of the grants paid to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in the four previous financial years is:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 6,782,000 |
| 2000–01 | 8,382,000 |
| 2001–02 | 8,742,300 |
| 2002–03 | 6,887,500 |
These figures have previously been laid before the House as part of the EOC Annual Report and Accounts.
The agreed level of funding for this year is £8,005,000.
The increase for 2000–01 and 2001–02 funded the EOC's modernisation programme allowing them to develop a more pro-active and strategic role in promoting equal opportunities for women and men.
This year, the EOC received an increase in funding for additional work on tackling the pay gap. This reflects the key role played by the EOC in helping the Government deliver on gender equality.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Commercial Radio Mergers
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how she will operate the public interest test in proposed commercial radio mergers. [161672]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
Draft guidance on the operation of the public interest merger provisions relating to newspaper and other media mergers—including commercial radio—has been the subject of a public consultation which closed on 12 March 2004. We are currently analysing the responses and intend to publish our response by 16 April 2004.
Digital Television
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reports she has received from the Digital Televisions Consumer Expert Group. [161784]
Estelle Morris: None. We established the Digital Television Consumer Expert Group to help us review the criteria for switchover and to give their views on communications with consumers, equipment and installation issues, issues relating to the transitional stages and implementation of switchover and any regional issues. We have asked them to report by the end of March.
New Opportunities Fund (Chorley)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Chorley in each year since 1997; and how the money was spent. [161444]
Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999.
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The DCMS Lottery Awards Database, which uses information supplied by Lottery Distributors, shows that organisations based within the Chorley constituency have received 40 Lottery Awards. Of these, four were for projects specifically located within Chorley.
I am arranging for a full list of these awards to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Sports (Honours)
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the honours which have been awarded to surviving members of the Great Britain Rugby League World Cup winning sides of (a) 1954 and (b) 1972; and if she will make a statement. [161215]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 15 March 2004]: Chris Hesketh, who played in the Rugby League World Cup of 1972, received an MBE in 1976.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many honours were awarded for sporting involvement or achievement in the last five years, broken down by sport. [161217]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 15 March 2004]: The number of honours awarded for services to sport, broken down by category, over the last 10 honours lists are set out in the following table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Athletics | 19 |
| Bowls | 3 |
| Boxing | 7 |
| Cricket | 11 |
| Curling(19) | 6 |
| Cycling | 3 |
| Disabled Sport | 27 |
| Football (Association) | 38 |
| Football (Rugby)(20) | 53 |
| Golf | 11 |
| Hockey | 5 |
| Horse Racing | 5 |
| Martial Arts | 3 |
| Motor Cycling | 6 |
| Motor Racing | 5 |
| Rowing(21) | 17 |
| Equestrianism | 3 |
| Skating | 3 |
| Snooker | 2 |
| Swimming | 6 |
| Tennis | 5 |
| Yachting | 7 |
| General Sports Administration(22) | 32 |
| Other Sports(23) | 34 |
(19) Includes five members of the 2000 Winter Olympics squad.
(20) Includes 39 members of the Rugby World Cup 2003; one for services to Rugby League; and two for services to both Rugby League and Rugby Union.).
(21) Includes 13 members of the 2000 Olympics squad.
(22) Incorporates such areas as: Youth Sports Trusts/Charities/Councils, Dance and Leisure services, amenity management, Olympic and Commonwealth Games, sport medical associations.
(23) Among others: Angling, Archery, Badminton, Basketball, Canoeing, Gymnastics, Shooting, Mountaineering, Squash and Skiing.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Child Poverty
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a family's ability to buy healthy food is taken into account in the Government's measurement of child poverty. [161909]
Mr. Pond: The document 'Measuring child poverty' was published in December 2003. It outlines the Government's measure of child poverty for the long term. This new measure will include indicators of low income and material deprivation. The report provides details of the questions which will form part of the material deprivation tier of the new child poverty measure and the basis on which they were selected. Copies of the document are available in the Library.
EU Enlargement
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether there is a website giving advice and guidance for citizens from EU accession states wishing to work in the UK from 1 May; and if he will make a statement. [161982]
Mr. Pond: There is currently advice available for citizens of the EU accession states on the "working in the UK" website; www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/working in the uk/en/homepage/your status/european citizens. html
Further guidance, including application forms will be made available on the Home Office and "Working in the UK" websites in advance of 1 May.
Maternity Allowance
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to his Department of administering Maternity Allowance was (a) in total and (b) per claimant in the last year for which figures are available. [158080]
Maria Eagle: Information is not available in the format requested. The Department now accounts for its administration and benefit expenditure by Strategic Objective, as set out in its Public Service Agreements (PSA), and by individual Requests for Resources (RfRs), as set out in the Departmental Estimates and Accounts.
Pension Credit
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Pension Credit recipients have reported a significant and material change in their circumstances in each month since October 2003; and of these, how many subsequently (a) have had their claims reassessed, (b) have had their awards (i) increased, (ii) decreased and (iii) withdrawn and (c) are still waiting for their notifications to be processed. [160350]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the form requested. The table shows numbers of changes reported by Pension Credit recipients between October 2003 and January 2004, rounded to the nearest five. The numbers of 'changes reported' and 'changes outstanding' include all changes reported by customers,
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including some which required no action. The numbers of 'changes processed' include any change which required action. These include some minor changes, such as a change in address, which did not affect a customer's award. The number of changes currently outstanding is considered to be a normal head of work.
Information on the outcome of reported changes is not currently available.
| October 2003 | November 2003 | December 2003 | January 2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changes reported | 203,905 | 273,740 | 254,705 | 396,295 |
| Changes processed | 108,765 | 215,055 | 202,540 | 413,105 |
| Changes outstanding | 96,370 | 155,050 | 207,220 | 190,410 |
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Pension Credit applications have been made (a) through the pension credit application line, (b) in writing, (c) via the internet, (d) through a home visit, (e) through a local Pension Service surgery and (f) by another method. [160353]
Malcolm Wicks: A total of 841,000 Pension Credit applications had been received by 29 February. Of these, 703,000 were made through the Pension Credit application line and 138,000 were made on a paper application form obtained by some other means. Of the latter, 58,000 were made as a result of a home visit. It is not possible to say how many applications were made through a local service surgery. Applications for Pension Credit cannot be made via the internet, although the application form can be downloaded from the Pension Service website.
- Note:
- Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received concerning shortages of paper versions of the Pension Credit application pack; what discussions he has held with affected organisations; and if he will make a statement. [160676]
Malcolm Wicks: We have received no such representations this year and there is no shortage of Pension Credit paper application packs. In January, the Chief Executive of The Pension Service wrote to the Chief Executives of Age Concern, Citizens Advice, Help the Aged, the Local Government Association, the RNIB and the RNID to explain that supplies of paper applications packs are available through the local service of The Pension Service and that the application form can be downloaded from The Pension Service website. There will be a new version of the application pack from April.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 320W, on Pension Credit, how many home visits involving Pension Credit have been undertaken in each local authority cluster in each month since the Pension Service was created. [160510]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in precisely the form requested. Tables have been placed in the Library showing the number of home visits
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undertaken by the local service of The Pension Service in each local service cluster in Great Britain between April 2003 and January 2004. All visits undertaken since April 2003 have covered pension credit. Work is in hand to revise local service cluster boundaries to align them with local authority boundaries.
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