House of Commons Hansard Written Ministerial Statements for 21 Apr 2004 (pt 1)

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Written Ministerial Statements

Wednesday 21 April 2004

DEFENCE

Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles

The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram): I am pleased to be able to announce that we will be buying 64 Tomahawk land attack missiles from the United States under the terms of a foreign military sales case. These are conventionally armed land attack missiles. These new missiles will be to higher—Block IV—specification than our existing Block III missiles. As such, they will provide the ability to retarget or abort a mission in flight and will also provide battle damage indication. They will be capable of being fired from our current Trafalgar Class submarines as well as from our new Astute Class submarines when they enter service.

This decision shows our continued commitment to enabling precision attack at long range against selected targets.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Discretionary Social Fund

The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Spellar): I am pleased to announce that the Northern Ireland discretionary social fund budget for 2004–05 will be £58.25 million; £12.64 million will be allocated to grants, £45.51 million to loans and £0.1 million will be held as a contingency reserve. The new allocations represent an increase of £1.65 million over the initial gross budget set at April 2004. This increase will be funded through higher loan recoveries, plus an increase in net treasury funding of £0.94 million for this year. This £0.94 million is the second of three annual increases from a £8.2 million boost for the discretionary social fund announced in the autumn 2002 pre-Budget report.

The community care grant budget has been increased by £0.94 million to £12.64 million. This will provide more help to customers, in particular families with children and the disabled.

The loans budget has been increased to £45.51 million, an increase of £0.71 million on the initial 2003–04 loans budget. To improve the fairness of the scheme, budgets will be allocated in a way that will over time achieve greater consistency of outcome for customers wherever they live.

Details of the budget allocations, together with a note explaining the basis on which they have been made, have been placed in the House of Commons Library today.

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Youth Justice Agency

The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Spellar): I have placed copies of the Youth Justice Agency's Corporate Plan for 2004–07 and Business Plan for 2004–05 in the Libraries of both Houses.

Business Plan contains eight key performance targets I have set for the Service for 2004–05. These are:

Contribute towards the development and publication of an NIO Public Service Agreement target to reduce the reconviction rate for all offenders (compared to a predicted rate for Northern Ireland).

During term-time, 95 per cent. of children in the Juvenile Justice Centre will receive 20 hours a week of education and training.

No escapes from the Juvenile Justice Centre.

Over the year no more than 3 per cent. of the total new admissions to the Juvenile Justice Centre should be non-accidentally injured.

Over the year no more than 2 per cent. of the total members of staff should be non-accidentally injured while engaged in the work of the Agency.

No members of the public should be non-accidentally injured on Agency premises.

Deliver at least 70 per cent. of the planned training days specified in the Corporate Training Priorities Plan for 2004–05.

Expenditure is within budget allocated.

CABINET OFFICE

Election Guidance

The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander): The Government have today issued guidance to civil servants on the principles which they should observe in relation to the conduct of Government business in the period before the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament, Greater London Authority and to local authorities in England and Wales.

The guidance stresses that civil servants should conduct themselves in accordance with the civil service code and is based on the need to maintain the political impartiality of the civil service and the need to ensure that public resources are not used for party political purposes.

The guidance will come into force on Thursday 20 May 2004, ahead of the elections on Thursday 10 June 2004.

Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Sustainable Development

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Margaret Beckett): I am delighted to announce that the consultation "Taking it on: Developing UK Sustainable Development Strategy" was launched today.

The UK Government, together with the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland are consulting to develop new

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sustainable strategy for the UK. The consultation will include local and regional events and an online consultation facility, and will provide a strong basis for renewed action to deliver sustainable development.

The consultation will close on 31 July. We aim to publish the new UK strategic framework, and the UK Government's strategy, in spring 2005.

The consultation document will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and is also available on the UK Government's sustainable development website.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith): The new arrangements for child support came into operation for new cases and some linked old scheme cases from 3 March 2003. Progress has been slower than anticipated, chiefly due to problems with the new computer and telephony systems. However, over the course of the first year of operation of the new scheme, progress in performance has grown steadily. For example, more than a third of all maintenance

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calculations and over 45 per cent. of all first payments were made in the latest quarter. Further improvement is expected.

The number of cases cleared in the final quarter rose above 50,000 taking the total number of clearances (calculations and closures) to over 150,000. The ratio of cases reaching calculation compared to those that closed continued to be 6:4 to the year's end, comparing favourably with the ratio of 4:6 under the old scheme.

Technical issues continue to preclude reliable figures on compliance and throughput for the latest quarter. The Department continues to retain around 15–20 per cent. of each monthly payment due to EDS, the service provider, due to the continuing problems with the computer and telephony systems. A special exercise is being undertaken to test accuracy to the year-end.

Average weekly child support maintenance payments to parents with care are shown below. Figures are for March 2004 only and are calculated as the total amount received and allocated divided by the number of cases.

1 Qualifying Child 2 Qualifying Children 3 Qualifying Children

Average Weekly    Payment £34.25 £48.84 £53.91

Summary of Agency Performance to March 2004

Agency Performance Quarter 1Mar–Jun 2003 Quarter 2Jul–Sep 2003 Quarter 3Oct–Dec 2003 Quarter 4Jan–Mar 2004 Scheme toMar 2004

Applications received 73,582 78,982 85,306 83,652 321,522

Applications cleared 12,648 38,583 49,453 ⁽¹⁾51,876 ⁽¹⁾152,560

      of which:            Maintenance Calculations 6,671 23,857 29,672 ⁽¹⁾31,229 ⁽¹⁾91,429

            Closures⁽²⁾ 5,977 14,726 19,781 ⁽¹⁾20,647 ⁽¹⁾61,131

First payments made through the Agency 461 5,164 11,473 14,017 31,115

First Child Maintenance Premium payments made 77 3,314 6,173 7,484 17,048

Agency Performance(March 2003 to June 2003) March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 Total inQuarter

Applications Received 3,444 25,228 19,951 24,959 73,582

Applications Cleared 43 1,616 3,441 7,548 12,648

      of which:            Maintenance Calculations 10 721 1,810 4,130 6,671

            Closures⁽²⁾ 33 895 1,631 3,418 5,977

First payments made through the Agency 136 for 1st 3 months⁽³⁾ 325 461

First Child Maintenance Premium payments made 17 for 1st 3 months⁽³⁾ 60 77

Agency Performance(July 2003 to September 2003) July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 Total inQuarter Scheme toSeptember 2003

Applications Received 28,897 23,761 26,324 78,982 152,564

Applications Cleared 10,526 11,923 16,134 38,583 51,231

      of which:            Maintenance Calculations 6,922 7,199 9,736 23,857 30,528

            Closures⁽²⁾ 3,604 4,724 6,398 14,726 20,703

First Payment made through the Agency 1,032 1,752 2,380 5,164 5,625

First Child Maintenance Premium payments made 267 1,596 1,451 3,314 3,391

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Agency Performance(October 2003 to December 2003) October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 Total inQuarter Scheme toDecember 2003

Applications Received 35,724 28,841 20,741 85,306 237,870

Applications Cleared 19,832 16,011 13,610 49,453 100,684

      of which:            Maintenance Calculations 11,807 9,975 7,890 29,672 60,200

            Closures⁽²⁾ 8,025 6,036 5,720 19,781 40,484

First Payments made through the Agency 3,978 3,503 3,992 11,473 17,098

First Child Maintenance Premium payments made 2,108 1,915 2,150 6,173 9,564

Agency Performance(January 2004 to March 2004) January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 Total inQuarter Scheme toMarch 2004

Applications Received 27,950 24,680 31,022 83,652 321,522

Applications Cleared 16,418 16,316 18,318 ⁽¹⁾51,876 ⁽¹⁾152,560

      of which:            Maintenance Calculations 9,803 9,780 10,931 ⁽¹⁾31,229 ⁽¹⁾91,429

            Closures⁽²⁾ 6,615 6,536 7,387 ⁽¹⁾20,647 ⁽¹⁾61,131

First Payments made through the Agency 4,193 4,284 5,540 14,017 31,115

First Child Maintenance Premium payments made 2,283 2,220 2,981 7,484 17,048

Notes:
⁽¹⁾   Quarter 4 totals and Scheme to March 2004 figures include clerical cases (new scheme cases unable to be progressed on the new system) which are not included in the month-by-month figures. Figures for these are as follows:      Applications cleared                        824      Maintenance Calculations         715      Closures                                                      109
⁽²⁾   Closures: Applications close for a variety of reasons. The main reasons are that the parent with care withdraws the application, perhaps due to reconciliation, or having agreed private arrangements with the non-resident parent.
⁽³⁾   Figures marked with * are not available on a monthly basis for this period.

	1 Qualifying Child	2 Qualifying Children	3 Qualifying Children
Average Weekly Payment	£34.25	£48.84	£53.91

Agency Performance	Quarter 1Mar–Jun 2003	Quarter 2Jul–Sep 2003	Quarter 3Oct–Dec 2003	Quarter 4Jan–Mar 2004	Scheme toMar 2004
Applications received	73,582	78,982	85,306	83,652	321,522
Applications cleared	12,648	38,583	49,453	⁽¹⁾51,876	⁽¹⁾152,560
of which: Maintenance Calculations	6,671	23,857	29,672	⁽¹⁾31,229	⁽¹⁾91,429
Closures⁽²⁾	5,977	14,726	19,781	⁽¹⁾20,647	⁽¹⁾61,131
First payments made through the Agency	461	5,164	11,473	14,017	31,115
First Child Maintenance Premium payments made	77	3,314	6,173	7,484	17,048

Agency Performance(March 2003 to June 2003)	March 2003	April 2003	May 2003	June 2003	Total inQuarter
Applications Received	3,444	25,228	19,951	24,959	73,582
Applications Cleared	43	1,616	3,441	7,548	12,648
of which: Maintenance Calculations	10	721	1,810	4,130	6,671
Closures⁽²⁾	33	895	1,631	3,418	5,977
First payments made through the Agency	136 for 1st 3 months⁽³⁾	325	461
First Child Maintenance Premium payments made	17 for 1st 3 months⁽³⁾	60	77

Agency Performance(July 2003 to September 2003)	July 2003	August 2003	September 2003	Total inQuarter	Scheme toSeptember 2003
Applications Received	28,897	23,761	26,324	78,982	152,564
Applications Cleared	10,526	11,923	16,134	38,583	51,231
of which: Maintenance Calculations	6,922	7,199	9,736	23,857	30,528
Closures⁽²⁾	3,604	4,724	6,398	14,726	20,703
First Payment made through the Agency	1,032	1,752	2,380	5,164	5,625
First Child Maintenance Premium payments made	267	1,596	1,451	3,314	3,391

Agency Performance(October 2003 to December 2003)	October 2003	November 2003	December 2003	Total inQuarter	Scheme toDecember 2003
Applications Received	35,724	28,841	20,741	85,306	237,870
Applications Cleared	19,832	16,011	13,610	49,453	100,684
of which: Maintenance Calculations	11,807	9,975	7,890	29,672	60,200
Closures⁽²⁾	8,025	6,036	5,720	19,781	40,484
First Payments made through the Agency	3,978	3,503	3,992	11,473	17,098
First Child Maintenance Premium payments made	2,108	1,915	2,150	6,173	9,564

Agency Performance(January 2004 to March 2004)	January 2004	February 2004	March 2004	Total inQuarter	Scheme toMarch 2004
Applications Received	27,950	24,680	31,022	83,652	321,522
Applications Cleared	16,418	16,316	18,318	⁽¹⁾51,876	⁽¹⁾152,560
of which: Maintenance Calculations	9,803	9,780	10,931	⁽¹⁾31,229	⁽¹⁾91,429
Closures⁽²⁾	6,615	6,536	7,387	⁽¹⁾20,647	⁽¹⁾61,131
First Payments made through the Agency	4,193	4,284	5,540	14,017	31,115
First Child Maintenance Premium payments made	2,283	2,220	2,981	7,484	17,048

A proportion of cases that have a maintenance calculation in place may already be receiving payment directly, but will not be reflected in the figures shown above.

Figures for child maintenance premium payments include an estimate of the number of parents who receive the premium by way of a disregard to their income support/income-based jobseekers allowance. The disregard has been added from August as data were not available prior to this, and has also been included in the scheme to date figure.

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