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31 Mar 2004 : Column 1495W—continued
Pension Credit
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Government Office for the South West Region were eligible for Pension Credit on the latest date for which figures are available; how many eligible pensioners in Taunton were claiming Pension Credit on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many pensioners in Taunton were claiming the minimum income guarantee prior to the introduction of Pension Credit. [164661]
Malcolm Wicks: We estimate that there are approximately 300,000 pensioner households in the South West Government Office Region likely to be eligible for Pension Credit, equivalent to approximately 350,000 individuals. As at 29 February there were 3,870 households in the Taunton constituency, comprising approximately 4,615 individuals, receiving Pension Credit. As at 3 October 2003 there were 2,840 households in Taunton, comprising approximately 3,275 individuals, receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee.
- Notes:
- 1. Estimates of numbers eligible are rounded to the nearest 50,000.
- 2. Numbers of recipients have been rounded to the nearest five.
- 3. Numbers of recipients of pension credit exclude small numbers of clerical cases.
Pensions
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the Government will make it their policy to restore parity between the state pension available to British citizens resident overseas and that available to UK residents. [164592]
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Malcolm Wicks: The UK state pension is payable in all countries abroad to those who are entitled to it. It is uprated in the normal way for UK pensioners living overseas where there is a legal requirement or a reciprocal social security agreement to do so.
The Government are focusing their resources on helping poorer pensioners in the UK and has no plans to unfreeze UK state pensions paid overseas.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the additional payment of £100 for those over 70 announced in the Budget will be paid to pensioners in Northern Ireland. [164388]
Malcolm Wicks: We anticipate that payments will be made in the same way for people in Northern Ireland as for the rest of the United Kingdom. We are looking at the most cost-effective and efficient way to deliver payments.
Redundancies/Redeployment
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many (a) redundancies and (b) redeployments he plans to make in (i) his Department, (ii) Jobcentre Plus, (iii) the Child Support Agency, (iv) the Pension Service, (v) the Disability and Carers Service, (vi) the DWP Corporate Centre and (vii) the Appeals Service in each of the next four years; how many will be front-line staff; and if he will make a statement; [163294]
- (2) what estimate has been made of the savings which are likely to be made through the redundancy programme in his Department in each of the next four years; and if he will make a statement; [163297]
(3) to what areas of his Department he plans to redeploy staff in the next four years; how many of these will be front-line positions; and if he will make a statement. [163298]
Maria Eagle: The Department has been developing plans for a reduction of up to 18,000 posts since 2002. This is now part of a four-year plan to reduce the number of posts by 30,000. This will reflect the new business model being rolled-out in Jobcentre Plus including more front-line staff conducting work-focused interviews; a Pension Transformation Programme and reductions in staffing in The Pension Service; the introduction of Child Support reform; and savings in "back office" functions in HR, finance and IT support.
The detail of how reductions will be allocated and profiled between businesses and corporate services will be developed in the normal way through our business planning processes and in discussion with the trade unions. We will provide further detail after the Spending Review settlement.
Sure Start Maternity Grant
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in Stroud have (a) applied for and (b) obtained the Sure Start maternity grant. [164166]
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Mr. Pond: The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.
| Applications | Awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 1,449 | 1,146 |
| 2001–02 | 1,723 | 1,335 |
| 2002–03 | 2,150 | 1,696 |
| 2003–04 (to February) | 2,089 | 1,599 |
Notes:
1. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Stroud parliamentary constituency is part of Gloucestershire Jobcentre Plus District, which was previously Gloucestershire Social Fund District.
2. Sure Start Maternity Grants were introduced on 27 March 2000. The very small numbers of cases for 1999–2000 have been excluded for data protection reasons.
3. Data for 2003–04 is for April 2003 to February 2004 only.
4. Data is given for all applications and awards, irrespective of whether the application was made by the mother or her partner.
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start Maternity Grants were awarded in north Tyneside in each of the last seven years. [164374]
Mr. Pond: The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.
| Awards | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 2,842 |
| 2001–02 | 3,096 |
| 2002–03 | 3,626 |
| 2003–04 (to February) | 3,139 |
Notes:
1. Data are not available by local authority. North Tyneside local authority is part of Newcastle and North Tyneside Jobcentre Plus District, which was formed in January 2003 when Wallsend and North Shield sites were transferred from Northumbria Social Fund District to Newcastle Social Fund District. The remainder of Northumbria became Northumberland Jobcentre Plus District. Prior to the boundary change, North Tyneside was partly in Newcastle Social Fund District and partly in Northumbria Social Fund District. For comparison purposes, data are given for the area covered by the Newcastle and North Tyneside Jobcentre Plus District and the Northumberland Jobcentre Plus District.
2. Data for 2003–04 is for April 2003 to February 2004 only.
3. Sure Start Maternity Grants were introduced on 27 March 2000. They replaced Maternity Payments.
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.
Winter Payments
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the £100 announced in the Budget Statement to pensioners aged 65 years and over; and if he will make a statement. [164953]
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Malcolm Wicks: The estimated cost of extending the £100 one-off payment to all households containing a person aged 65 or over is £230 million.
- Notes:
- 1. Figure is rounded to the nearest £10 million and is given in 2004–05 prices.
- 2. Figures exclude cases in residential care or nursing homes.
- Source:
- Estimate based on DWP administrative data and 2002 based population forecasts from the government actuary's department.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Bailiffs
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister by what procedure certificates are issued authorising private companies to act as bailiffs on behalf of local authorities; and how many companies have (a) been refused certification and (b) had certification withdrawn in the past year. [164096]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
Certificates are not issued to private companies. Certificates can only be issued to individuals who fulfil the requirements of the Distress for Rent Rules 1988. Statistics are not kept for the number of refusals of certificates. Nine individuals have had their certificate cancelled by a county court judge in the past year.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to record the (a) number and (b) nature of complaints against bailiffs employed by local authorities. [164097]
Mr. Raynsford: None. This is a matter for local authorities and the bailiffs they employ.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on ensuring that the activities of bailiffs employed by local authorities are in compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998. [164098]
Phil Hope: The former Lord Chancellor's Department published 'National Standards for Enforcement Agents' in April 2002.
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