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4 Nov 2004 : Column 426W—continued
Pensions
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the percentage increase in the State Pension has been since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [194714]
Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the following table:
| Percentage increase on previous year | Retail Prices Index percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| 1998–99 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| 1999–2000 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| 2000–01 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| 2001–02 | 7.4 | 3.3 |
| 2002–03 | 4.1 | 1.7 |
| 2003–04 | 2.6 | 1.7 |
| 2004–05 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
State Pension is increased each year to ensure that, as a minimum, it retains its value in relation to prices. For the future lifetime of this Parliament we are committed to increasing the basic State Pension by the higher of 2.5 per cent, or the Retail Prices Index. For the years 2001–02 to 2003–04, the basic State Pension only was increased by more than the Retail Prices Index.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) self-employed people, (b) people earning less than the lower earnings limit, (c) unemployed people and (d) other non-contributing people did not have second-tier pension arrangements in each year since 2002. [194835]
Malcolm Wicks: We estimate that there are around 7 million people who are not accruing State Second Pension rights nor making private pension provision.
These seven million consist of:
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the number of people who are contracted out of the State Second Pension. [194847]
Malcolm Wicks:
At the end of the 2000–01 tax year—the latest year for which information is available—it is estimated that there were around 14.3 million people contracted out of the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme. We expect to be able to publish estimates of the number of people contracted out of the State Second Pension in the 2001–02 and 2002–03 tax years by the end of this year.
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John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of the state pension in the City of Edinburgh local authority area. [195156]
Malcolm Wicks: As at 31 March 2004, the number of people in receipt of State Pension in the city of Edinburgh Local Authority was 74,000. Of these 26,300 were male and 47,800 were female.
1. State Pension recipient figures relate to people getting any State Pension (basic or additional) or Graduated Retirement Benefit who reside in the city of Edinburgh Local Authority.
2. Figures are taken from a 5 per cent, sample and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
4. Local Authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant Office for National Statistics, postcode directory.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners living in the UK are in receipt of supplementary benefits. [194157]
Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.
As at May 2003, the latest date for which this information is available, the total number of beneficiaries, aged 60 and over, receiving income-related benefits in Great Britain was 3.28 million. Income-related benefits include income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit and job seekers allowance (income based).
Pension credit replaced income support for people aged 60 and over from 6 October 2003. As at 31 August 2004 there were 2.61 million households, equivalent to 3.17 million individuals, receiving pension credit.
1. The figures are based on 1 per cent. and 5 per cent. samples and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
2. The income-related benefits, figure excludes all overlaps between benefit recipients and refers to those in receipt of at least one of the following benefits: HB/CTB/IS/JSA(IB).
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of average earnings the state pension was in each year since 1997. [194149]
Malcolm Wicks: The information as is available is set out in the table.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 21 |
| 1998–99 | 20 |
| 1999–2000 | 20 |
| 2000–01 | 19 |
| 2001–02 | 20 |
| 2002–03 | 20 |
| 2003–04 | 20 |
Notes:
1. State pension figures are derived from a five per cent. sample of Department for Work and Pensions administrative data taken at March in each year.
2. Average earnings is represented by the average earnings of all adult full-time employees taken from the Annual Abstract of Statistics 2003 published by the Department for Work and Pensions.
3. State pension is calculated as the maximum rate of basic state pension plus the average amount of additional state pension in payment for recently retired men aged 65 and women aged 60.
4. The figures have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.
4 Nov 2004 : Column 428W
Press Officers
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many press officers the Department has employed in each of the past five years. [196060]
Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department of Social Security, the former Department for Education and Employment and the Employment Service. Information on costs prior to 2001 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| National press officers | Regional press officers | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 21 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | 16 | 13 |
| 2003–04 | 20 | 20 |
Note:
Staffing figures are whole time equivalents.
SERPS
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2004, Official Report, column 639W, on SERPS, what rating was applied to the (a) basic state pension and (b) additional state pension in each of the past 10 years. [195934]
Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the table.
Sure Start
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in Cleethorpes constituency have received Sure Start maternity grants in each year since 1997. [195211]
Mr. Pond:
Sure Start maternity Grants were introduced in 2000–01 to replace maternity grants. The change was phased in from 27 March 2000, with Sure
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Start maternity grants being available to claimants whose babies were expected, born, adopted or the subject of a parental order on or after 11 June 2000.
Data are not available by Parliamentary Constituency, only by District.
The available information is in the tables.
| Award type | Number of awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | MP | 1,596 |
| Award type | Number of awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | MP | 2,026 |
| 1999–00 | MP | 1,941 |
| 2000–01 | MP | 226 |
| 2000–01 | SSMG | 2,061 |
| Award type | Number of awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001/02 | SSMG | 3,045 |
| 2002/03 to Oct | SSMG | 2,139 |
| Award type | Number of awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 Nov | SSMG | 275 |
| Award type | Number of awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 from Dec | SSMG | 538 |
| 2003–04 to May | SSMG | 277 |
| Award type | Number of awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 from June | SSMG | 1,505 |
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System
Note: Cleethorpes Parliamentary Constituency has formed part of the Grimsby site since before 1997. This site has been involved in a large number of boundary changes since 1997:
4 Nov 2004 : Column 430W
The 6 tables above therefore refer to six different areas, so the data in different tables are not comparable.
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