House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Dec 2004 (pt 60)

21 Dec 2004 : Column 1741W—continued

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether he has been informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation; [201343]

(2) how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004; and when each appeal was lodged. [201370]

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) on 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers since May 1997. [203443]

Maria Eagle: Special Advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether departmental special advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997. [203491]

Maria Eagle: Any speeches made by special advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Specific information is only available for the current special advisers who have been in position since September 2002. In this time departmental special advisers have not made any speeches in their official capacity.

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Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether departmental special advisers have written to external (a) bodies and (b) individuals in their official capacity since May 1997. [204300]

Maria Eagle: From time to time Special Advisers will write to external stakeholders in an official capacity.

All Special Advisers contacts with external bodies and organisations are undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by civil service pay-grade. [206512]

Maria Eagle: There are two special advisers.

One at special adviser pay band 2.

One at special adviser pay band 3.

Travel Costs

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total travel costs to his Department have been for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials for each year since 1997. [203781]

Maria Eagle [holding answer 9 December 2004]: Since 1999, the Government publishes, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. [Details on the cost of Ministers' domestic travel is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.] Travel costs for advisors who accompany their ministers overseas is included in the annual list on Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers. Other travel costs for advisors can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The available information for officials is in tables. DWP was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security (DSS) and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). Travel expenditure information is not available for the former DfEE prior to March 2000, therefore expenditure figures up to and including 31 March 2000 are for the former DSS only. All travel complied with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code.
Travel costs⁽⁵⁸⁾ from 1997–98 to 2000–01 for the DSS and its Agencies £

1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01

Benefits Agency⁽⁵⁹⁾ 18,968,615 18,692,979 20,803,862 18,382,607

Contributions Agency⁽⁶⁰⁾ 2,420,422 2,889,523 — —

Child Support Agency 2,380,132 2,244,467 3,114,557 3,841,188

War Pensions Agency 275,967 348,711 416,182 445,401

HQ 1,535,194 2,423,911 2,939,166 3,462,278

Independent Statutory Bodies 862,751 828,137 1,890,467 1,876,481

Employment Services — — — 2,613,873

Total 26,443,081 27,427,728 29,164,243 30,621,828

⁽⁵⁸⁾ Travel costs include vehicle rental, UK travel, foreign travel and official vehicle costs.
⁽⁵⁹⁾ BA costs included benefit offices, pensions, disability and carers directorate and DSS corporate centre.
⁽⁶⁰⁾ Contributions Agency transferred to Inland Revenue in 1999.

21 Dec 2004 : Column 1743W

Travel costs⁽⁶¹⁾ from 2001–02 to 2003–04 for DWP £

2001–02 2002–03 2003–04

Benefits Agency⁽⁶²⁾ 14,311,031 — —

Employment Services 2,730,854 — —

JobCentre Plus — 6,657,293 6,348,361

Pensions Service — 5,669,528 10,001,472

Child Support Agency 3,026,276 9,307,901 5,769,218

Disability and Carers Directorate — 1,563,153 1,305,638

War Pensions Agency 385,999 — —

Independent Statuary Bodies 542,783 — —

Appeals Service — 670,736 797,560

Corporate and Shared Services 13,434,816 11,213,697 12,308,030

Total 34,431,759 35,082,308 36,530,279

⁽⁶¹⁾ Travel costs include vehicle rental, UK travel, foreign travel and official vehicle costs.
⁽⁶²⁾ BA costs included benefit offices, pensions, disability and carers directorate and DSS corporate centre.

	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Benefits Agency⁽⁵⁹⁾	18,968,615	18,692,979	20,803,862	18,382,607
Contributions Agency⁽⁶⁰⁾	2,420,422	2,889,523	—	—
Child Support Agency	2,380,132	2,244,467	3,114,557	3,841,188
War Pensions Agency	275,967	348,711	416,182	445,401
HQ	1,535,194	2,423,911	2,939,166	3,462,278
Independent Statutory Bodies	862,751	828,137	1,890,467	1,876,481
Employment Services	—	—	—	2,613,873
Total	26,443,081	27,427,728	29,164,243	30,621,828

	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Benefits Agency⁽⁶²⁾	14,311,031	—	—
Employment Services	2,730,854	—	—
JobCentre Plus	—	6,657,293	6,348,361
Pensions Service	—	5,669,528	10,001,472
Child Support Agency	3,026,276	9,307,901	5,769,218
Disability and Carers Directorate	—	1,563,153	1,305,638
War Pensions Agency	385,999	—	—
Independent Statuary Bodies	542,783	—	—
Appeals Service	—	670,736	797,560
Corporate and Shared Services	13,434,816	11,213,697	12,308,030
Total	34,431,759	35,082,308	36,530,279

Winter Fuel Payment

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people eligible for a 2004–05 winter fuel payment needed to submit a claim to receive it; and how many of those have claimed, broken down by region. [206888]

Malcolm Wicks: We estimate that approximately 700,000 individuals in Great Britain reached age 60 in the qualifying period for the 2004–5 Winter Fuel Payment. About half of these will be paid automatically but others, who are not in receipt of certain benefits, will need to make a claim.

At the 10 December 2004 there have been 314,517 claim forms received. We are not currently able to give a reliable regional breakdown.

Those eligible have until 30 March to make a claim and it is up to them whether they do so. We publicise the availability and eligibility for the payments through out the claim period.

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many single (a) women and (b) men in Scotland will reach the age of 60 years after the qualifying week for winter fuel payment eligibility but before 25 December. [206889]

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Malcolm Wicks: It is estimated that around 2,000 single women and 2,000 single men in Scotland will reach the age of 60 after the qualifying week but before 25 December.

York Pension Centre

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs were lost with the closure of the York Pension Centre at Monks Cross. [205468]

Maria Eagle: When the closure of York Pension Centre was announced there were 317 people affected. Since that date 112 people have found alternative employment. The remaining 205 are currently considering deployment on Financial Assistance Scheme in the former Pension Centre, voluntary early release or redeployment into surrounding DWP businesses.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobs he expects to be created within the administrative unit for the Financial Assistance Scheme to be housed within the former York Pension Centre at Monks Cross. [205469]

Malcolm Wicks: The number of jobs required is still being assessed.