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25 Oct 2004 : Column 1024W—continued
PRIME MINISTER
Invasions (Parliamentary Votes)
Tony Wright: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to provide an opportunity for a parliamentary vote when there is future intention to invade another country. [193495]
The Prime Minister: The Government have given repeated assurances that Parliament will be given the opportunity to debate significant decisions about the military engagement of British forces in armed conflict overseas. It might not always be possible to hold a debate in advance of a military engagement, if the effect of that would be to give advance notice of our military activities and endanger the lives of our troops.
Iraq
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister when he was first made aware that the Joint Intelligence Committee had described evidence of Iraq's weaponry as sporadic, patchy and limited. [193501]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the remarks that I made on this issue in the debate on Iraq on 20 July 2004, Official Report, columns 196–202.
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Prime Minister whether the war cabinet for the Iraq war is still extant. [193712]
The Prime Minister: The ad hoc Ministerial group on Iraq that I chaired met over the period of the conflict. Ministers have met regularly since April 2003 to discuss progress in Iraq, including in meetings of the ad hoc Ministerial group on Iraq Rehabilitation.
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Prime Minister how often the full Cabinet has considered the committal of extra troops to Iraq. [193713]
The Prime Minister:
As my official spokesman made clear, on 21 October the Cabinet had discussed the request by the American military for a redeployment of British forces already within Iraq. The Cabinet discuss a wide range of issues as they arise. However, it is
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established practice, as reflected in the Ministerial Code and under Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of the Cabinet and its committees.
Kofi Annan
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had with the Secretary General of the UN during his visit to London on 19 October 2004 over alleged corruption at the UN during the Oil for food programme in Iraq. [193176]
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what (a) matters were discussed and (b) agreements were made during his meeting with United Nations Secretary—General Kofi Annan on 19 October 2004; and if he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with the United Nations. [193512]
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The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Members to the press conference I held with the United Nations Secretary General on 19 October 2004, a transcript of which is available on the Number 10 website.
Lord Chancellor
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to reduce the salary of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor to the salary of other Cabinet Ministers from the date on which the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs ceases to act as head of the judiciary. [193766]
The Prime Minister:
The Salary of the Lord Chancellor is set out in section 1 of the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 as amended by the Ministerial and other Salaries Order 1996. Legislation determines the salary and the Constitutional Reform Bill contains provisions relating to it.
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WORK AND PENSIONS
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the letter to him dated 7 September 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M Gibbons. [192538]
Mr. Pond: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Alan Johnson) replied to my right hon. Friend on 15 October.
Sure Start Maternity Grants
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in (a) Yorkshire and Humber and (b) City of York received Sure Start maternity grants in each year since 1997. [191161]
Mr. Pond: The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.
| Award type | Number of awards | |
|---|---|---|
| Awards in the area covered by Directorate of Yorkshire | ||
| 1997–98 | MP | 15,111 |
| 1998–99 | MP | 17,831 |
| 1999–2000 | MP | 17,073 |
| 2000–01 | MP | 1,912 |
| 2000–01 | SSMG | 17,047 |
| 2001–02 | SSMG | 20,678 |
| 2002–03 to November | SSMG | 16,124 |
| Awards in the area covered by the Government Office Region of Yorkshire and Humber | ||
| 2002–03 from December | SSMG | 8,078 |
| 2003–04 | SSMG | 26,111 |
| Awards in North Yorkshire Social Fund District | ||
| 1997–98 | MP | 1,081 |
| 1998–99 | MP | 1,377 |
| 1999–2000 | MP | 1,325 |
| 2000–01 | MP | 159 |
| 2000–01 | SSMG | 1,356 |
| 2001–02 | SSMG | 1,794 |
| 2002–03 | SSMG | 2,144 |
| 2003–04 to October | SSMG | 1,300 |
| Awards in the area covered by North Yorkshire Jobcentre Plus District | ||
| 2003–04 from November | SSMG | 860 |
Notes
1. Maternity payments (MP) were abolished in 2000–01 and replaced by Sure Start Maternity Grants (SSMG). The change was phased in from 27 March 2000.
2. The Government Office Region (GOR) of Yorkshire and Number was created in April 2002. However, data on the area covered by this GOR is available only from December 2002. Prior to that, data is given for the Area Directorate of Yorkshire, which corresponds to a large part of the Yorkshire and Humber GOR. Therefore the tables refer to different areas, and the data is not comparable.
3. City of York parliamentary constituency used to be part of North Yorkshire Social Fund District and is now part of North Yorkshire Jobcentre Plus District. The latter was formed in November 2003 from North Yorkshire Social Fund District and part of Bradford and Keighley Social Fund District. Therefore the tables refer to different areas, and the data is not comparable.
4. The very small number of SSMG awards for 1999–2000 has been excluded for data protection reasons.
5. All Sure Start Maternity Grant awards have been included not just those awarded to mothers.
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System
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Benefit Assessments (Appeals)
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals were made in relation to benefit assessments in the last 12 months. [191961]
Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. Norman Egan to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 25 October 2004:
The Secretary of State has asked Christina Townsend, Chief Executive, to respond to your question regarding how many appeals were made in relation to benefit assessment in the last 12 months. Christina is away from the office at the moment and I have been asked to reply.
The table shows the number of appeals received by the Appeals Service in the last 12 months.
Appeals Data Notes:
1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
2. Figures for the latest months may rise significantly as information feeds through the Appeals Service.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
4. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
5. Denotes data equal to nil or negligible.
Source:
IAD information Centre, 100 per cent. sample
Benefit Data:
All benefit caseload information is based on 5 per cent. sample at May 2003 and the source is that of IAD Information Centre, unless expressed otherwise as follows.
Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance Data Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. From November 2002, the methodology for producing these figures was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner. This has resulted in a small increase in the reported caseload. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
Carers Allowance Data Notes:
1. Data is rounded to the nearest 5.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. Sample
Child Benefit/ One Parent Benefit:
1. Data as at February 2003
Source:
IAD Information Centre Child Support Agency Data Notes:
Child Support Agency Data Notes:
1. Data as at Feb 2003. All new cases after the 3rd of March 2003 were placed on a new computer system. Therefore, this is the last quarter when the Child Support Computer System (CSCS) contained all CSA cases.
2. Figures show the total number of live and assessed cases on CSCS. This includes Full Maintenance Assessment cases and Interim Maintenance Assessment cases. Pre-maintenance assessment cases are excluded.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. Sample
Council Tax and Housing Benefit Separately Data Notes:
1. Data is in Benefit Units
2. Council Tax Benefit totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.
3. Housing Benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. Sample
Council Tax/Housing Benefit Combined Data Notes:
1. The figure is based on 1 per cent. sample and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
2. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
3. Due to the estimation procedure to produce the figures for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit, this figure is rounded to the nearest ten thousand.
4. Council Tax Benefit totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.
5. Housing Benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.
Incapacity Benefit Data Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
Income Support Data Notes:
1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling variation.
2. Figures rounded to the nearest hundred.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Notes:
1. Data as at June 2003.
Jobseekers Allowance Benefit Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. JSA figure excludes 'Nil' benefit cases, i.e. those signing for National Insurance Credits only.
Pension Credits Benefit Data Notes:
1. Data as at November 2003.
2. Pension Credit replaced MIG on 6 October 2003
Retirement Pension:
1. Data as at March 2004
Widows benefit Data Notes:
1. Data as at March 2004
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