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Gas/Electricity (Disconnections)

8. Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD): How many (a) gas and (b) electricity customers were disconnected from supply in error in the last year for which figures are available. [170685]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Gerry Sutcliffe): Those are not among the data collected by the industry regulator, Ofgem. Such errors are unacceptable. If there is a pattern of
 
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them, I encourage Energywatch to put evidence before Ofgem so that it can take appropriate or necessary regulatory action.

Bob Russell : The Minister will be aware that there are 20,000 disconnections every year among gas and electricity customers, some of whom will have been disconnected in error. Will he bring pressure to bear on the industry to put into immediate effect Ofgem's recommendation that customers should have direct face-to-face contact with the supplier before the energy is disconnected, as then no error would be made?

Mr. Sutcliffe: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. Procedures are in place to make sure that vulnerable customers are looked after. Ogem recommendations following the Bates case have been applied, and I believe that that is the appropriate position.

Tony Lloyd (Manchester, Central) (Lab): But will my hon. Friend consider whether there is any other industry in which disconnection of service with such consequences would be allowed? In this day and age, are there not more appropriate means of debt collection than disconnection? Should we not move beyond this antiquated system of allowing the power utilities to cut off supply?

Mr. Sutcliffe: As I said, the issue is vulnerable people and how they are protected. A code of practice is in place that protects people, and there are many steps to take before disconnection, which I believe are appropriate. If Energywatch can come up with evidence of errors, it is appropriate that Ofgem should then take action.

Mr. David Cameron (Witney) (Con): One way in which customers are disconnected is through power cuts. Does the Minister recognise that that is a real problem in rural areas such as mine? I will not ask him to comment on the fact that a number of those seem to be caused by swans flying into electricity pylons, but will he consider the compensation regime, which seems capricious? Is he aware that someone who undergoes four power cuts of three hours each gets compensated, but someone who undergoes six power cuts of two hours each does not?

Mr. Speaker: Order. That question is far too wide.

Coal Miners' Compensation

9. Anne Picking (East Lothian) (Lab): What action she is taking to ensure full payment of compensation to coal health claimants. [170686]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Nigel Griffiths): The Government established two schemes to compensate miners for industrial diseases. So far, more than 340,000 sick miners, their widows or children have received £2 billion. I have taken steps to ensure that those who are eligible receive their full compensation payments.
 
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Anne Picking: I thank my hon. Friend very much for that answer. I am sure he will agree that what the Government are doing in terms of compensation for miners is a good news story. It has been seriously marred, however, by the long delays caused by the unscrupulous behaviour of lawyers and third parties involved. Because the case of a constituent of mine, Mr. Brian Davie, has taken so long, his fee has gone up from 5 per cent. to 15 per cent., which they will glean. We want the money to get to the dying miners—the proud miners who spent 40-odd years down the pits working very hard and who are likely to die before they get their money. Will he fast-track the cases of those who are still alive?

Nigel Griffiths: Certainly I want my hon. Friend's constituent to benefit, as 2,000 of her constituents have benefited, from compensation of £8 million paid in East Lothian to date. I advise all her constituents, and all hon. Members' constituents, to use those who have signed the claims handling agreement, which makes no charge to the claimant because the Department of Trade and Industry meets those fees. It is unacceptable that anyone should have to pay fees out of their compensation and see any increase in their fees. I will be keen to have details of the case that my hon. Friend mentioned.

Mr. Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire) (Con): The Government are to be congratulated on this scheme. What casts a shadow over it, as has been said, is the amount of money that has been paid to solicitors. When the Minister says from the Dispatch Box that there has been no charge on the individuals, and it has been covered by the Department, of course, that is still a cost on the taxpayer. Is the Minister satisfied and happy with the way in which the legal profession has responded to this scheme?

Nigel Griffiths: Yes, I am, by and large. An agreement was reached with the responsible solicitors, the profession and other claims handlers early in the compensation scheme to ensure that every penny that the Government set aside for compensation went to the sick miners, their widows or their families. A separate fund totalling many millions of pounds was set up to pay the legal fees. Those were capped at, from memory, about £2,100, and that agreement was acceptable to all. This is the biggest public compensation scheme in our history. I am grateful for the expert legal advice and help that we have had from the legal profession, and I want to see the payments made as quickly as possible to those sick miners, and when they have passed on, to their widows or families.

Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab): Is the Minister aware that, after privatisation, many miners, especially in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire coalfield, decided to work for private contractors at different pits? In some cases, they worked for the Coal Board, British Coal and perhaps two or three others. The problem is that some of the unscrupulous firms for which the miners worked refuse to take part in the multi-settlement that is necessary. Will my hon. Friend make sure that he gets on to those firms to make them pay their share of the bill? Did he also detect that the hon.
 
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Member for West Derbyshire (Mr. McLoughlin) almost hinted that if the Tories got into power they might scrap the scheme?

Nigel Griffiths: That would indeed be terrible. My hon. Friend speaks with great authority on this matter. I want to ensure that no party is responsible for any delay in the securing of a settlement. We are currently looking at those who are not co-operating fully to establish how we can neutralise that unco-operative attitude and make certain that payments are made, especially to claimants who are still alive and can benefit.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

The Minister was asked—

Women Prisoners

21. Dr. Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park) (LD): What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department regarding women prisoners. [170670]

The Deputy Minister for Women and Equality (Jacqui Smith): My officials and I have had various discussions with the Home Office. With regard to women prisoners, we welcome the recently published women's offending reduction programme action plan, which aims to ensure that interventions are better tailored to meet the needs of women. I heartily support the Home Secretary's April announcement of a substantial new initiative to fund specialists units, with specially trained staff, for young women in prison.

Dr. Tonge : I thank the Minister for her response, but she must realise that the number of women in prison has now reached an all-time high—more than 4,600. Even more disturbing is the 200 per cent. increase in suicide rates among women prisoners over the past five years. When can we expect to see some improvement? I appreciate that the Government are trying to do something, but in view of the responsibilities that women have over and above those of men, when will we see a reduction in the number of women prisoners and better conditions for those in prison?

Jacqui Smith: The objective of the women's offending reduction programme is to help reduce the number of women in prison by ensuring that sentencers have confidence in alternatives to custodial sentences. That is already happening. I share the hon. Lady's concern about suicides: that is why I am pleased that there are now "suicide co-ordinators" in each women's prison to tackle the pressures that contribute to the disproportionate number of suicides among women prisoners. I hope that they will begin to make progress in reducing that unacceptable level.

Julie Morgan (Cardiff, North) (Lab): Is my right hon. Friend aware that there are currently about 70 women under 18 in prison? Does she think prison a suitable place for young women of that age? The Government have managed to get all the 15 and 16-year-olds out of
 
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prison; what can my right hon. Friend do to ensure that the same is done for the very small, very vulnerable group of 17-year-olds?

Jacqui Smith: I hope my hon. Friend will join me in welcoming the Home Secretary's announcement of considerable investment in the development of specialist units so that when there is no alternative to custody, those young women are kept separately from adults and receive education and support that will prove important for their resettlement.

Also important is the development of initiatives such as the accommodation-plus initiative, which is being piloted in certain areas. Young women who are at risk of offending are given accommodation, along with educational support to prevent them from offending and ending up in prison.

Sandra Gidley (Romsey) (LD): As the Minister will know, in 2002 most women's convictions were for shoplifting and non-violent offences. Two thirds of those convicted of such offences were women. Reoffending rates have soared to 60 per cent. What is the Department doing, along with employers, to ensure that women receive training and a promise of employment, so that those cycles are not repeated endlessly?

Jacqui Smith: The hon. Lady makes a very important point about the need for resettlement services, and I know that the women's team that is responsible for prisons is focusing on them in the action that it is taking forward. In particular, it is investing an additional £640,000 in those services to strengthen the employment advice that she mentioned and to make sure that housing advice and housing provision—they are often a top priority for women—are available to women when they come out of prison so that they can return to their child care responsibilities. It also provides them with the base on which to build their work and lives back in the community so that they avoid reoffending and ending up back in prison.

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