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12 Jul 2004 : Column 955W—continued

Long-Term Hospital In-Patients (Benefit)

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how and when the present level of benefit payable to long-term hospital in-patients to meet day-to-day personal requirements was set. [179021]

Malcolm Wicks: The question of entitlements for hospital in-patients was originally looked at by the National Insurance Advisory Committee in 1949 shortly after the present national insurance system was introduced. The Committee recommended that after 52
 
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weeks hospital in-patients should receive an amount sufficient to meet their day-to-day personal requirements, roughly 20 per cent. of the standard rate of State Pension.

Minimum Income Guarantee

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of pension credit guarantee element recipients in each region were previously in receipt of the minimum income guarantee. [181928]

 
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Malcolm Wicks: The information is given in the following table.
Percentage of pension credit guarantee element recipients previously in receipt of Minimum Income Guarantee, by region, 31 May 2004

Government office region	All guarantee element recipients	Guarantee element recipients converted from MIG	Percentage of Guarantee element recipients converted from MIG
Great Britain	2,018,185	1,635,490	81
North East	115,775	95,810	83
North West	274,075	225,610	82
Yorkshire and The Humber	190,980	155,620	81
East Midlands	139,970	111,885	80
West Midlands	210,305	172,370	82
East of England	158,840	124,690	79
London	232,585	197,800	85
South East	200,790	155,980	78
South West	163,980	127,560	78
Wales	120,100	95,770	80
Scotland	210,780	172,395	82

Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
2. Those converted from MIG are those households in receipt of MIG at 3 October 2003.
3. Guarantee element recipients include those receiving both the guarantee element and savings element.

National Insurance Numbers

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what new strategies have been (a) developed and (b) implemented by his Department since June 2001 to ensure that national insurance numbers are issued, used and controlled consistently. [182069]

Mr. Pond: The Department is committed to ensuring that national insurance numbers (NINOs) are issued, used and controlled correctly. We will continue to develop and implement strategies and processes to enable us to achieve this commitment.

In April 2001, we introduced the Enhanced NINO allocation Process (ENP). This process ensures a consistent robust approach to NINO allocation for benefit applications and for those starting work, or in employment. The ENP includes face to face interviews, the provision of more tools for verifying that documents are genuine, and comprehensive training for staff who are interviewing customers regarding applications for NINOs. We have continued to refine this process to achieve a balance between security and customer service.

Before entitlement to benefit can be considered an individual and their partner need to satisfy section 19 of the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997 regarding NINO provision. This requires the customer to provide enough information and evidence to confirm that the NINO quoted on the claim is their own. Where a customer does not know their NINO, they are required to provide enough information and evidence in order that the correct NINO can be traced. If the customer does not have a NINO, they are required to verify their identity and provide enough information in order that a NINO can be issued.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases his Department have discovered where (a) an individual has been using more
 
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than one national insurance number and (b) a number is being used by more than one individual in each year since 1992. [182070]

Mr. Pond: The information is in the tables. Cases of national insurance numbers being used by more than one individual may derive from fraud, customer error or official error; it is not possible to give a breakdown of numbers from each cause.
Individuals found to be using more than one national insurance number

	Number of cases
2001	586
2002	447
2003	303
2004	(28)218

⁽²⁸⁾ To date.



Cases of a national insurance number being used by more than one individual

	Number of cases
2001	2,539
2002	2,418
2003	2,533
2004	(29)1,522

⁽²⁹⁾ To date.
Note:
Information is not available prior to 2001.
Source:
Departmental Central Index frontline services.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers there have been on (a) the Departmental Central Index and (b) NIRS1/NIRS2 in each year since 1992. [182138]

Mr. Pond: The information is in the tables.

The numbers of national insurance numbers (NINOs) held on the Departmental Central Index (DCI) is greater than on NIRS1/NIRS2 as DCI also holds records for 12.5 million children; such records are only notified to NIRS2 when the children reach age 16. In addition, DCI holds NINOs allocated to customers who are over retirement pension age; these records are not notified to NIRS2 as there is no contribution liability.
NINOs held on DCI at 31 December each year

	Total NINOs (million)
1992	71
1993	75
1994	76
1995	77
1996	77
1997	79
1998	80
1999	81
2000	82
2001	83
2002	84
2003	85

Note:
Figures rounded to the nearest million.
Source:
Departmental Central Index





 
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NINOs held on NIRS1/NIRS2 at 31 December each year

	Total NINOs (million)
1992	61
1993	62
1994	63
1995	64
1996	65
1997	66
1998	67
1999	68
2000	69
2001	70
2002	72
2003	73

Note:
Figures rounded to the nearest million.
Source:
Inland Revenue

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the process is for deleting national insurance numbers. [182139]

Mr. Pond: National insurance numbers are deleted where a duplicate account has been identified or where a national insurance number has been allocated but not used.

When a national insurance number is deleted any benefits currently in payment against that national insurance number are transferred or ended. The national insurance number is then deleted completely from the database. However, just prior to deletion, a hardcopy of the account history is obtained and retained for 18 months for audit purposes.

New Deal

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have participated in the New Deal in Wansdyke. [182491]

Jane Kennedy: 430 lone parents have started the New Deal for Lone Parents in Wansdyke since the beginning of the programme in October 1998. Lone parents may have gained work through other New Deal programmes but cannot be identified separately.

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 50 years and over in Wansdyke have participated in (a) the New Deal and (b) other employment initiatives since 1997. [182492]

Jane Kennedy: 160 individuals aged 50 years and over have participated in the New Deal programme in Wansdyke. Information on the number of people aged 50 years or over involved in employment initiatives or programmes other than the New Deal is not available.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the budget for the New Deal for Disabled People. [182535]

Jane Kennedy: Funding for employment programs is being considered as part of the 2004 spending review and an announcement will be made in due course.
 
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