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Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of pension credit are receiving (a) less than 10p per week, (b) 10p to 19p per week, (c) 20p to 29p per week, (d) 30p to 39p per week, (e) 40p to 49p per week, (f) 50p to 59p per week, (g) 60p to 69p per week, (h) 70p to 79p per week, (i) 80p to 89p per week and (j) 90p to 99p per week. [169396]
Malcolm Wicks:
The information is given in the table. An award of pension credit of less than 10p per week is not payable unless the person is receiving another benefit payable with pension credit.
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1244W
Amount | Number of awards |
---|---|
Less than 10p | 1,360 |
10p to19p | 1,107 |
20p to 29p | 1,156 |
20p to 39p | 1,152 |
40p to 49p | 1,241 |
50p to 59p | 1,271 |
60p to 69p | 1,355 |
70p to 79p | 1,302 |
80p to 89p | 1,419 |
90p to 99p | 1,428 |
Total | 12,791 |
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate (a) the gross cost, (b) the saving in expenditure on the state second pension, (c) the saving in expenditure on pension credit, (d) the saving in expenditure on other means-tested benefits, (e) the additional revenue from income tax and (f) the net cost to the Exchequer, of paying a full basic state pension to all individuals aged 65 or over from April 2006 onwards at the rate of the guarantee credit, regardless of contribution record, and subsequently indexed to average earnings, combined with the abolition from that date of all new accruals to the state second pension and the abolition of all payments of savings credit, including those to existing recipients for each of the 10 financial years from 200607. [167320]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 22 April 2004]: The information is not available in the format requested. However, such information as is available is in the following table:
(a) Gross Cost | (b) S2P Saving | (c) PC Saving | (d) IRB Saving | (f) Net Cost | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
200607 | 19.4 | 0 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 14.8 |
200708 | 20.7 | 0 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 15.8 |
200809 | 22.1 | 0.1 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 16.7 |
200910 | 23.5 | 0.1 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 17.8 |
201011 | 25.0 | 0.2 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 18.8 |
201112 | 26.6 | 0.3 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 20.1 |
201213 | 28.6 | 0.4 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 21.6 |
201314 | 30.5 | 0.6 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 23.0 |
201415 | 32.4 | 0.7 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 24.3 |
201516 | 34.2 | 0.9 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 25.6 |
Bob Spink: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many solicitors provided legal aid in each legal aid area (a) in 1997 and (b) at the latest time for which figures are available. [168619]
Mr. Lammy: The Legal Services Commission can provide figures for 199798 on the number of solicitors' offices paid for legal aid work in Family, Non-family and Crime but cannot provide any further breakdown by category. Some offices practiced more than one area of legal aid, therefore the total offices paid does not equal the sum of the breakdown. These figures are in the following table A.
In January 2000 the Legal Services Commission introduced a system of contracting. A breakdown of the number of solicitors' offices with contracts as at April 2004 is provided in the following table B. Some offices hold a contract in more than one category of law, therefore, the total offices with civil contracts does not equal the sum of the breakdown.
Category of law | Solicitors' offices paid in 199798 |
---|---|
Family | 9,082 |
Non-family | 9,497 |
Crime | 7,304 |
Total solicitors' offices paid | 10,601 |
Category of law | Solicitors' offices with contracts as at April 2004 |
---|---|
Actions against the police | 75 |
Clinical negligence | 288 |
Community care | 57 |
Consumer | 45 |
Debt | 158 |
Education | 47 |
Employment | 163 |
Family | 3,072 |
Housing | 450 |
Immigration: asylum | 380 |
Immigration: non-asylum | 376 |
Mental health | 297 |
Personal injury | 1,079 |
Public law | 40 |
Tolerance | 2,098 |
Welfare benefits | 186 |
Solicitors' offices with Controlled Work Contracts | 3,701 |
Additional Licence Only Contracts | 213 |
Total solicitors' offices with General Civil Contracts | 3,914 |
The number of solicitors' offices with criminal contracts as at 31 March 2004 | 2,750 |
Bob Spink: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of the legal aid budget was spent on asylum and immigration cases in each of the last five years. [167074]
Mr. Lammy: The proportion of the legal aid budget spent on immigration and asylum in each of the last five years was as follows:
Proportion | |
---|---|
199899 | 3.2 |
19992000 | 3.9 |
200001 | 4.8 |
200102 | 7.4 |
200203 | 9.2 |
Figures for 200304 are not yet available.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what the average waiting time from application to hearing for cases before the Social Security Commissioners was in the last three years in (a) Wales and (b) England; [167983]
(2) what the average waiting time from application to hearing for cases before the Social Security Commissioners was in each of the last three years for cases heard (a) wholly or partly in Welsh and (b) in English. [167986]
Mr. Lammy:
The Social Security Commissioners receive applications from the claimant, which are then considered by the Commissioners, and a ruling issued. The Commissioners will either grant or refuse leave to appeal. If leave to appeal is granted the appeal then proceeds to hearing. No cases before the Social Security Commissioners have been heard either wholly or partly in Welsh during the last three years. The Office of the Social Security Commissioners does not hold separate
29 Apr 2004 : Column 1247W
statistical information relating to waiting times for cases in either Wales or England. The average waiting times for an application for leave to appeal, and for appeals granted leave to proceed to hearing, over the last three years, are as follows:
Period | Average waiting time for application decision | Average waiting time from decision to hearing(28) |
---|---|---|
200102 | 16 | 34 |
200203 | 10 | 21 |
200304 | 8 | 20 |
Hywel Williams: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what written and other information material is provided (a) in Welsh and (b) bilingually to people taking cases to the Social Security Commissioners. [167984]
Mr. Lammy: The Office for the Social Security Commissioners has an internet site which is accessible in Welsh or English which provides a range of information in relation to the procedures of the Commissioners. Work is currently ongoing in translating the Social Security Commissioners appeal form, and an information leaflet, into the Welsh language.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases from Wales were heard in each of the last three years by the Social Security Commissioners; and how many of these were heard partly or wholly through the medium of Welsh. [167985]
Mr. Lammy: The Office of the Social Security Commissioners does not hold statistical information relating to the volume of cases received principally from Wales. However, over the last three years there have been 73 cases heard orally in Cardiff for which proceedings were conducted in English.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what provision is available for cases before the Social Security Commissioners to be heard either wholly or partly in Welsh in respect of (a) cases heard in Wales and (b) cases from Wales heard in England. [167987]
Mr. Lammy: A standard direction applies to cases received from Wales. This states that "A notice that it is intended to use Welsh must (a) identify those parts of the case or hearing in which Welsh will be used and (b) be given to the commissioner as soon as possible and in any event at least 21 days before any oral hearing. If notice is given that Welsh will be used the Commissioner will make any further directions that are necessary or expedient". This direction covers all cases received from Wales irrespective of whether they are heard in Wales or England.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases from Wales were heard by the Social Security Commissioners in England in each of the last three years. [168018]
Mr. Lammy: The Office of the Social Security Commissioners does not hold statistical information relating to the number of cases received from Wales and subsequently heard in England.
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