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Poverty Indicators

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what progress his Department has made in developing the new material deprivation indicator for measuring child poverty; what consultation has taken place on the development of the new material deprivation indicator; whether further consultation is planned; what research his Department has commissioned to inform the development of the new material deprivation indicator; and if he will make a statement; [201996]

(2) what assessment his Department has made of the experience of using a material deprivation indicator to measure poverty in other EU countries. [201998]

Mr. Pond: During 2005 scoping work will be carried out to investigate the different methodologies that can be used to construct material deprivation measures. This will include reviewing the methods used in other countries including those in the EU. Baseline data for the material deprivation element of the child poverty measure will not be available until 2006.

The document "Measuring child poverty" sets out a number of research reports which were commissioned in order to inform the development of the material deprivation measure. These include: McKay and Collard, (2004) "Developing Family Resources Survey Questions", DWP working paper no. 13; Berthoud and Bardasi, (2004) "The dynamics of deprivation and the relationship between income and material deprivation overtime" DWP research report no. 219; and Calandrino, M., (2003) "Low income and deprivation in British Families", DWP working paper 10.

All reports have are available in the Library. We do not plan to undertake a further formal consultation on the construction of the material deprivation indicator.
 
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Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment his Department has made of the distribution of poverty by (a) region and (b) housing tenure to inform the development of the new material deprivation indicator; [201997]

(2) whether his Department intends to follow the recommendation in the report The Dynamics of Deprivation to conduct further research into the relationship between material deprivation and housing tenure. [201999]

Mr. Pond: The document Households Below Average Income provides data on the household tenure of those in low income and shows that those living in local authority or housing association accommodation were more likely to live in low-income households than other tenure types. It also shows that individuals living in Inner London and the North East are more likely to live in low-income households.

The new material deprivation measure will collect data on deprivation items and has a higher 70 per cent. income threshold, and as such it will capture most families who use a large proportion of their disposable income to pay high housing costs.

This means that many families will be counted as poor for the first time because they are seen to be deprived—even if their income is above the cash poverty line. The quality of housing will be directly measured as part of material deprivation indicators, and will include housing that is poorly repaired, overcrowded or cold.

Housing is an important part of the Government's overall strategy on poverty and social exclusion. Our annual Opportunity for all report monitors the proportion of children in non-decent homes, and from this year, includes a new indicator monitoring the proportion of families with children in temporary accommodation.

We recognise the continuing interest in income after housing costs. Households Below Average Income will continue to publish results both for income before housing costs and income after housing costs. The after housing cost data will continue to be published in "Opportunity for all".

We do not plan to undertake further research on housing tenure and material deprivation.

Copies all of documents are available in the Library.

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of children who would need to be removed from material deprivation for the Government to meet its target of reducing child poverty by half by 2010–11; [202000]

(2) how the Government intends to measure progress against its child poverty target (a) before and (b) after the material deprivation indicator is announced. [202001]

Mr. Pond: Baseline data for the material deprivation element of the child poverty measure will not be available until 2006. Therefore it is not possible to anticipate how many children will need to be lifted out of poverty using the new material deprivation measure.
 
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The technical note setting out details of how the child poverty PSA target announced in the 2004 spending review will be measured has now been published on the DWP website at www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2004/psa/tech_note_2005_2008.paf and on the HM Treasury websites. We have made a clear commitment to set a target on the new material deprivation measure in the 2006 spending review when data on material deprivation become available. All of these targets will need to be met for us to have fully realised our ambition to halve child poverty by 2010.

We will continue to report progress on the target to decrease the number of children living in relative low income by 2004–05. Final data for this target will be published in 2006.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [201418]

Maria Eagle: All special advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.

Between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 the special advisers for the Department for Work and Pensions did not give any attributable interviews to newspapers, journals, books or other media in their official capacity.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [201444]

Maria Eagle: All special advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.

Between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, the special advisers of the Department for Work and Pensions did not make any attributable articles or contributions to newspapers, journals, books or other media in their official capacity.

State Second Pension

Ms Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the state second pension and its impact on women. [203859]

Malcolm Wicks: For the first time we now have a system that helps more women build up a decent second pension.

State second pension provides an additional pension for low earners, including carers and disable people—the very people who were excluded from the previous (SERPS) scheme.
 
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State second pension will lift the incomes of generations of future female pensioners. Latest data from the Family Resources shows that around 12.2 million of working age are accruing the state second pension, compared to 13.4 million men.

Timber

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to fund the establishment and maintenance of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber. [202190]

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions currently has no plans to fund the establishment and maintenance of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber. Timber is supplied by our Estates Partners, Land Securities Trillium, who are required to provide evidence that it is legal and sustainable. This evidence is then subject to independent audit and verification.

Vibration White Finger

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will implement the recommendations of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council in relation to vibration white finger. [201272]

Jane Kennedy: The regulatory changes required to implement the recommendations from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council relating to Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (commonly known as Vibration White Finger) are currently being worked on. It is intended that the new regulations will come into force in April 2005.

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