| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Housing Benefit Quarterly Performance Statistics
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Chris Pond): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions I am announcing the publication of performance statistics for local authority administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit (HB and CTB) for the first quarter of 2004–05. A copy of the quarterly statistics for all local authorities in Great Britain has been placed in the Library and has been published on the Department for Work and Pensions website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/other– stats.html.
Publishing these statistics is part our strategy for reforming housing benefit and for ensuring that local authorities are accountable for their performance in administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit.
Housing benefit and council tax benefit performance statistics show that in the first quarter of 2004–05, authorities that returned data reported that:
new claims were processed in an average of 50 days, compared to 52 days in the first quarter of 2003–04
some 146 authorities had met the performance standard for processing new claims, compared to 103 in the same quarter of 2003–04
change of circumstances were processed in an average of 14 days, compared with 16 days in the first quarter of 2003–04
some 40 authorities met the performance standard for processing change of circumstances, compared to 113 in the same quarter of 2003–04.
The statistics are un-audited and are provided quarterly by local authorities to my Department.
The most recent audited Best Value performance information for English local authorities for 2002–03 was published by my right hon. Friend the Deputy
16 Sept 2004 : Column 185WS
Prime Minister on 18 December 2003 on the Best Value Performance Indicators website at: http://www.bvpi. gov.uk/home.asp. A copy is available in the Library.
The most recent corresponding data for local authorities in Wales is also for 2002–03.This is published on the Audit Commission website at http://www.lgdu-wales.gov.uk/eng/Project.asp?id=SX99Al-A77F4BA8. A paper copy of the relevant extract from this site is available in the Library.
The most recent corresponding data for local authorities in Scotland are also for 2002–03 and are in the Accounts Commission publication "Performance Indicators 2002–03: Benefits, Finance and Corporate Issues", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Pension Credit
The Minister for Pensions (Malcolm Wicks): I can now provide the latest monthly progress report on the take-up of pension credit, which became payable on 6 October 2003.
There are now 2.61 million pensioner households (3.17 million individuals) being paid pension credit, an increase of 25,000 households (31,000 individuals) during August. As at 31 August, there are 1.94 million households (2.36 million individuals) now receiving more money as a result of the introduction of Pension Credit, gaining by an average £16.33 a week. The average pension credit award is £41.71 per week.
There is plenty of time for pensioners to apply for pension credit. To ensure that people do not lose out, customers whose applications are successful in the period up to October 2004 will have their payment backdated to 6 October 2003 (or to the date of entitlement if this is later). The 2004 Budget statement confirmed that backdating arrangements will continue beyond October 2004. This means that anyone eligible applying after October 2004 will see their payment backdated by up to 12 months.
I am placing in the Library a report showing progress so far, including regional breakdowns of the number of pension credit households and accompanied by tables showing the numbers of pension credit awards in Parliamentary constituencies in Great Britain. Copies of the report and the tables are also available for hon. Members in the Vote Office.
PRIME MINISTER
House of Lords Appointments Commission
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair): I have today placed the House of Lords Appointments Commission annual report for 2003–04 in the Libraries of the House.
I am grateful to the members of the commission for the report and the work that has gone into preparing it.
Official Histories of Privatisation and the D-Notice System
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair):
I have appointed Professor David Parker, Professor of Business Economics and Strategy at Cranfield University, to write "The Official History of Privatisation". I have also appointed Rear Admiral Nick Wilkinson, who will
16 Sept 2004 : Column 186WS
shortly be succeeded as Secretary of the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee, to write "The Official History of the D-Notice System".
Chief Surveillance Commissioner/Surveillance Commissioner
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair): I am pleased to announce that I have approved the re-appointment of the right hon. Sir Andrew Legatt as chief surveillance commissioner and the appointment of the noble Lord Coulsfield as a surveillance commissioner under the terms of section 91 of the Police Act 1997.
Both appointments commenced on 1 July 2004 and are until 30 June 2007.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
North Korea
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell): I visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or north Korea) from 11 to 14 September. It was the first ever visit by a British Minister. I undertook the trip because the north Koreans had agreed, for the first time, to substantive discussions on the nuclear issue and human rights. I met Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly Chae Thae Bok, Human Rights Minister Choe Su Hon and Kim Gye Gwan, head of the DPRK's delegation to the six-party talks on dismantling north Korea's nuclear programme.
I stressed to Foreign Minister Paek and Chief Negotiator Kim Gye Gwan the importance which the UK and the international community attach to the continuation of the Six Party Talks. For some time, it has been clear that the north Koreans might not proceed with the scheduled fourth round of talks by the end of September. The Foreign Minister restated the DPRK's commitment to the talks process, but admitted the DPRK's reluctance to meet again in September. I also impressed the need for the DPRK to admit its Uranium Enrichment Programme, and encouraged the regime to look to the example of Libya.
Before my visit the FCO delegation consulted on the human rights situation with three leading NGOs—Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Christian Solidarity World-wide. Armed with detailed information on individual cases, I was able to hand to Human Rights Minister Choe Su Hon a list of 18 named individuals, and asked for a full written response. In particular, I raised the cases of two south Korean pastors reportedly abducted to the DPRK from China whose details we learned about from Christian Solidarity World-wide. I handed over satellite photographs of what appear to be a number of large prison camps in the DPRK and asked for both an explanation and for access to them by diplomats resident in Pyongyang. I also pressed for the north Koreans to allow visits, so far barred, by the recently appointed UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in
16 Sept 2004 : Column 187WS
the DPRK and by other thematic UN human rights Special Rapporteurs; and further visits by Foreign Office Human Rights experts. I hope to hear more about this at the UN General Assembly next week when I will meet Choe Su Hon again to continue our discussions. I repeatedly made the points that blanket denials by the north Koreans of alleged human rights violations were simply not credible.
My visit coincided with reports of a large explosion in the north of the country. Having asked for an explanation, Foreign Minister Peak said it was a planned explosion of a mountain for the construction of a hydro-electric power plant. He agreed to my request that diplomats might visit to see for themselves. The
16 Sept 2004 : Column 188WS
arrangements are now in hand. The British Ambassador visited the blast site today; I have asked for an urgent report on the visit.
SOLICITOR GENERAL
Treasury Solicitor
The Solicitor-General (Ms Harriet Harman): The Treasury Solicitor's annual report and accounts 2003–04 have today been published and laid before Parliament.
Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.