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Departmental Policies (Hull, North)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Hull, North constituency, the effects on Hull, North of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [211802]

Jane Kennedy: We have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
 
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Since 2001 the Government have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Hull, North will have benefited from these improvements in disability rights. Similarly families with severely disabled three and four-year-old children who are unable, or virtually unable to walk will have benefited from the Government's decision to lower the minimum age entitlement to the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance from April 2001, while older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.

In 2002–03 we estimate there were around 10 million adults (22 per cent.) and 0.7 million children (5 per cent.) in Great Britain likely to be covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995.

The figures can be broken down to regional level which shows that 25 per cent. of adults and 4 per cent. of children in the Yorkshire and Humberside region are likely to be covered by the provisions of the DDA.

Information on the numbers of customers in Hull, North who are in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) is in the following table.
Hull, North parliamentary constituency

Operational year	DLA/AA recipients
2001	6.4
2002	6.8
2003	7.2
2004	7.5

Note:
Figures are from a 5 per cent. sample at 31 August each year.
Source:
DWP Information Centre.

Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.5 million; in Hull, North, the proportion in employment has risen to 63.3 per cent.

Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1.2 million people have been helped into work by the New Deals, with over 4,300 in Hull, North alone.

Significant progress has been made in eradicating child poverty and the latest figures for 2002–03 show that, in the UK, there were over half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1996–97. Since 2001–02 incomes for lone parents in receipt of benefit have risen by more than prices or the cost of living. In April 2005 the child allowance rate in income support for a child up to 18 years old will have been increased by 40 per cent. since 2001–02. Child rates in income support and jobseeker's allowance are also being increased above inflation in April 2005 in line with child tax credit upratings. All of this has benefited 3,400 families in Hull, North.

We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country and our first priority has been
 
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to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending nearly £10 billion more in 2004–05 (in 2004–05 prices) on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997, with around half going to the poorest third.

Our reforms include the state second pension, which helps more future pensioners build up better pensions, especially carers. Pension credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for savings and income. As of October 2004, around 4,760 pensioners in Hull, North are receiving pension credit, with an average award of £39.61 per week.

We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. This winter (2004–05) we have again made available a winter fuel payment of £200 for each eligible household with someone aged 60 or over and £300 to those with someone aged 80 or over to help with their fuel bills. Additionally for this year eligible households with someone aged 70 or over will receive the one-off 70 plus payment of £100 to help with living expenses including council tax bills. It is paid with the winter fuel payment.

The constituency data on winter fuel payments and the additional 80 plus annual payment are available in the Library.

Since 1997 single pensioners and pensioner couples have seen a real terms increase in their basic state pension of 7 per cent. and 8 per cent., respectively. Some 12.6 thousand pensioners in Hull, North have benefited from this increase.

Employment Advisers (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) Ministers in the Scottish Executive, (b) the British Medical Association in Scotland and (c) the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland about the placement of employment adviser support in GPs' surgeries in Scotland. [211991]

Jane Kennedy: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the pre-Budget report, we will pilot the placement of employment advisers in GPs' surgeries in an area. We are currently considering potential alternative models and will actively seek to involve the relevant devolved Administrations and professional bodies in due course.

GPs play an important role in the early stages of sickness absence in certifying ill-health, in helping patients manage their health condition, giving fitness for work advice and encouraging an early return to work where possible.

New Deal (Selby)

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Selby parliamentary constituency have found work through the (a) New Deal for Young People, (b) New Deal for Disabled People, (c) New Deal for 25 plus and (d) New Deal for 50 plus. [213220]

Jane Kennedy: The information is in the table.
 
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New Deal in Selby

	Number
New Deal for Young People	560
New Deal 25 plus	260
New Deal 50 plus	140

Notes:
1.New Deal for Young People information is from January 1998 to September 2004.
2.New Deal 25 plus information is from July 1998 to September 2004.
3.New Deal 50 plus information relates to the number of New Deal 50 plus employment credit starts up to the end of March 2003. New Deal 50 plus information is not available at constituency level after March 2003.
4.New Deal for Disabled People data are not available at constituency level.
5.All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate

Outsourced Contracts (TUPE)

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice he (a) gives and (b) has givento contractors regarding the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations in respect of outsourced contracts

Jane Kennedy: We do not give specific advice to our contractors regarding the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) as they should seek their own legal advice.

We have, on some occasions, indicated whether webelieve TUPE is or is not likely to apply. Where we have considered TUPE likely to apply and services were being provided by our own staff, we have supplied information regarding the staff within the undertaking and have indicated to potential contractors that we shall comply with Cabinet Office guidance (Statement of Practice on Staff Transfers in the Public Sector).

Pension Credit

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work andPensions if he will estimate the number of people who would be entitled to pension credit if (a) every pensioner individual and (b) pensioner couple was paid the full basic state pension regardless of their contribution record. [213515]

Malcolm Wicks: It is estimated that if all people past State Pension age were paid the full basic state pension regardless of their contribution record in 2005–06 that 1.6 million individual pensioners would no longer have entitlement to pension credit. This would reduce the projected level of entitlement to pension credit from 4.8to 3.2 million people.

Notes:

1.The figures are for Great Britain, excluding cases in residential care homes, and rounded to the nearest hundred thousand for 2005–06. 2.The change in entitlement was calculated using the Department for Work and Pensions' Policy Simulation Model for 2005–06, and based on the Family Resources Survey 2002–03. 3.The projections of entitlement are indicative only until the publication of the National Statistics estimates of Income-Related benefits.
 
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