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5 May 2004 : Column 1560W—continued

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to Question 160679, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 8 March 2004. [169392]

Mr. Pond: A reply was given to the hon. Member on 28 April.

Pathways to Work

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what independent evaluation of the Pathways to Work pilot programme has been undertaken. [168847]

Maria Eagle: The first tranche of Pathways to Work pilots were launched in October 2003 and the second tranche in April 2004. An independent evaluation of the pilots has been commissioned and will be carried out by independent research organisations managed by DWP analysts.

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what role there is for (a) private companies and (b) voluntary organisations in the delivery of Pathways to Work. [168848]

 
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Maria Eagle: Seven Pathways to Work pilot areas are now operational; they are managed and run by Jobcentre Plus with additional specialist services provided from a number of sources.

The New Deal for Disabled People plays a key role in helping people on incapacity benefits into employment with support provided by organisations from the private, voluntary and public sectors. Jobcentre Plus also has contracts with private and voluntary organisations to deliver specialist disability employment programmes such as Work Preparation, Workstep, and Work Based Learning for Adults.

In addition, the Pathways to Work pilots provide condition management programmes in conjunction with NHS Primary Care Trusts to help people with health conditions to better manage their condition and help them successfully return to work. Primary care Trusts can commission services from local providers, from public, private or voluntary sectors, in order to meet specific requirements.

Pension Schemes

Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the Government will require solvent employers to make up any shortfall to the full buy-out value of an employer funded pension scheme that has been promised to members as their pension entitlement when the scheme is wound up, regardless of the date when the wind-up commenced. [169869]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have already announced its intentions on "full buy-out" and has introduced Regulations that bring about a significant change to the protection afforded to scheme members.

The Occupational Pension Schemes (Winding Up and Deficiency on Winding Up etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 were introduced to strengthen members' protection when a salary-related occupational pension scheme, subject to section 75 of the Pensions Act 1995, starts to wind up while its sponsoring employer is solvent.

The Regulations mean that the debt on the employer is calculated on the basis that the scheme should be able to meet the full costs of winding up and the full benefits that scheme members have accrued and expect to receive. The Regulations will ensure that members are more likely to receive the pensions they expect.

The Government expect sponsoring employers of pension schemes to take their obligations seriously and act in the spirit of the Government's stated intentions. However, the Government will not be requiring employers whose schemes started to wind up before 11 June 2003 to make up any shortfall in these schemes to the "full buy-out" level. To do so would mean that the Regulations affected schemes that started to wind up before the employer, trustees or other relevant parties were aware of the new requirements. It is possible that for some employers such a change could place a significant financial imposition on them that they had not budgeted for.
 
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Pensions

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which categories of contracted out rebates are (a) paid out in the form of reductions in the rate of national insurance contributions payable by an employee or employer and (b) paid directly into pension funds. [170980]

Malcolm Wicks: For Defined Benefit Occupational Schemes, the whole of the contracted-out rebate is paid through a reduction in the National Insurance contribution. For Defined Contribution Occupational Schemes, part of the contracted-out rebate is paid as a reduction in the National Insurance contribution and part is paid by the Inland Revenue direct to the scheme at the end of the relevant tax year. For Appropriate Personal Pensions Schemes (the term applied to personal pension schemes that can be used to contract out), the whole of the rebate is paid by the Inland Revenue direct to the scheme at the end of the relevant tax year.

Recycled Paper

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of copying paper used by the Department in 2002–03 was from recycled sources; and how much post-consumer waste this paper contained. [165671]

Mr. Pond: The UK Sustainable Development in Government Second Annual report shows that in the year ended 31 March 2003 recycled paper accounted for 3 per cent. of the value of desk top paper purchased by the Department for Work and Pensions. The post consumer waste element of that recycled paper was 80 per cent. or more.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of paper for printed publications used by the Department in 2002–03 was from recycled sources; and how much post-consumer waste this paper contained. [165672]

Mr. Pond: The UK Sustainable Development in Government Second Annual report shows that in the year ended 31 March 2003 recycled paper accounted for 41 per cent. of the value of paper for printed publications purchased by the Department for Work and Pensions. Subsequent information shows that these figures are inaccurate, and that the percentage of recycled paper made from post consumer waste is actually 10 per cent. We are working to identify the discrepancies in figures and progress will be reported on in the Department's annual Sustainable Development Report, and the annual Sustainable Development in Government report.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he has put in place to ensure that his Department meets the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that all copying paper bought by the Department is 100 per cent. recycled, with a minimum of 75 per cent. post-consumer waste content. [165673]

 
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Mr. Pond: The existing contract for the supply of office paper offers a mix of six different papers, of which two are recycled. An exercise is currently under way that will move the Department's office paper solely to recycled, which will have a minimum of 80 per cent. of post consumer waste, by early 2005.

Progress will be reported on in the annual Sustainable Development in Government report and in the Department's own annual Sustainable Development Report.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he has put in place to ensure that his Department meets the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that all paper for printed publications bought by the Department is 60 per cent. recycled, of which a minimum is 75 per cent. post-consumer waste. [165674]

Mr. Pond: Procurement units within the Department for Work and Pensions have been made aware of the quick win target for the purchase of paper for printed publications.

New print contracts are currently being developed that will include options for recycled paper and progress will be reported on in the annual Sustainable Development in Government report and the Department's own annual Sustainable Development Report.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what date his Department expects to attain the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that (a) all copying paper bought by the Department is 100 per cent. recycled with a minimum of 75 per cent. post-consumer waste content and (b) all paper for printed publications bought by the Department is 60 per cent. recycled, of which a minimum is 75 per cent. post-consumer waste. [165675]

Mr. Pond: An exercise is currently under way within the Department for Work and Pensions, which will be completed by early 2005, to move supply of core office copier paper to 100 per cent. recycled with a minimum content of 80 per cent. post consumer waste.

The Department is currently working to identify a common approach and policy, to enable us to meet the quick win targets for printed publications.

Progress on both these areas will be reported on in future Department for Work and Pensions Annual Sustainable Development Reports and the Governments Sustainable Development in Government Annual Report.

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