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9 Mar 2005 : Column 1863W—continued
Thameslink
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make a decision on whether to reopen the inquiry into Thameslink 2000; and if he will make a statement. [220523]
Mr. McNulty: The Planning Inspectorate announced in letters sent to interested parties on 6 January 2005 that the inquiry into the Thameslink 2000 scheme is to be re-opened. The re-opened inquiry will consider all the applications relating to the scheme that are now before the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Transport for determination. I understand that no date has yet been fixed for the inquiry to re-open, but that this is unlikely to be until late summer. I will ensure that my hon. Friend is notified once a date has been settled.
Traffic Wardens
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the present position is concerning the new code of conduct for traffic wardens; at what intervals he plans to revise the code; what provisions are in place to allow members of the public to make representations concerning the code; if he will re-publish the code each time it is revised; and if he will make a statement. [218966]
Charlotte Atkins [holding answer 2 March 2005]: We are working on the statutory guidance for local authorities, in connection with their enforcement of traffic contraventions, as authorised by the Traffic Management Act 2004. This will include public consultation on the provisions of the guidance.
Trip Survey
John Thurso:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) number and (b) distance of trips as calculated by the National Travel Survey was by (i) car driver, (ii) car passenger,
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(iii) bus, (iv) walking and (v) other modes of transport broken down by (A) commuting, (B) business, (C) education, (D) escort education, (E) shopping and (F) other reasons, broken down by (1) sex and (2) those (v) under 17-years, (w) 17 to 29 years, (x) 30 to 49 years, (y) 50 to 59 years and (z) over 60-years in the latest three-year period for which survey results are available. [218209]
Charlotte Atkins: The information for 2002–03 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The two year aggregate for 2002–03 provides a larger sample size than the previous three year aggregates because of an increase in sample size from 2002.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Child Poverty
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in each London borough have been reported to be living in poverty in each year since 1995. [212378]
Mr. Pond: Our first step towards eradicating child poverty as set out in our current Public Service Agreement target is to reduce the number of children in low-income households by a quarter by 2004–05. This is measured using the proportion of children in relative low income households. Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2002–03". Data are not available below the regional level and are only available as proportions at the regional level. It should be noted that the reporting of year-on-year changes in the regional low-income rates are not reliable. 'Measuring child poverty', published in December 2003, outlines the Government's measure of UK child poverty for the long term. The measure will consist of three tiers; absolute low income, relative low income and material deprivation and low income combined. The Government will set a target as part of the 2006 SR06 Spending Review to halve by 2010–11 the numbers of children suffering a combination of material deprivation and relative low income. Data will not be available below the regional level.
Households below average income 1997–98 to 2002–03" and Measuring Child Poverty" are available in the Library.
Child Support Agency
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provision is available to support a claimant whilst a re-evaluation of Child Support Agency payments is taking place. [218606]
Mr. Pond: Within the Child Support legislation, there is no provision available to a claimant while a re-evaluation of Child Support payments is being made.
Non-resident parents are responsible for continuing regular payments while their liability is being re-calculated. If the non resident parent does not pay whilst their liability is being re-calculated, any moneys not paid will be added to the arrears balance.
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Council Tax Benefit
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) people, (b) pensioners and (c) people aged 65 years or over in England receive 100 per cent. council tax benefit. [219880]
Mr. Pond: The available information is in the table.
| (25)Council tax benefit beneficiaries | |
|---|---|
| All | 3,629,000 |
| 60 and over | 1,623,000 |
| 65 and over | 1,319,000 |
(25) Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Notes:
The figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation.
2. Beneficiaries are all claimants and partners in the relevant category.
3. Council tax benefit cases exclude any second adult rebate cases.
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003.
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Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much of his Department's annual expenditure was spent on (a) pensioners, (b) the sick and disabled, (c) the unemployed, (d) lone parents and (e) other types of claimants in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available; [219396]
(2) what percentage of total benefit expenditure went to those whose primary income was from (a) pensions, (b) sick and disabled persons' benefits, (c) unemployment benefits, (d) lone parent benefits and (e) benefits in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available. [219534]
Mr. Pond [holding answer 4 March 2005]: The available information is in the table. It is not possible to allocate expenditure according to whether the benefit income represented the recipient's primary source of income, so expenditure has been assigned according to the principal benefits received.
(26) All figures have been rounded to the nearest £ million.
Notes:
1. Figures may not sum due to rounding
2. Expenditure figures quoted for 1997–98 are outturn and those quoted for 2003–04 are estimated outturn.
3. The following benefits are split between more than one client group:
Bereavement benefits; incapacity benefit; severe disablement allowance; income support; housing benefit; council tax benefit; family credit.
4. Pensioner benefits include retirement pension (contributory and non contributory), bereavement benefits, Christmas bonus (contributory), incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, winter fuel payment, over 70s payment, over 80s payment, over 75 TV licence, pensions compensation board, income support, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
5. Sick and disabled benefits include attendance allowance, disability living allowance, industrial injuries benefits, invalid care allowance/carer's allowance, motability/specialised vehicles fund, vaccine damage payments, war disablement pensions, incapacity benefit, statutory sick pay, severe disablement allowance, disability working allowance, income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
6. Unemployment benefits include unemployment benefit/jobseeker's allowance (contributory and income based), housing benefit and council tax benefit.
7. Lone parent benefits include family credit, income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
8. All others benefits include child benefit, guardian's allowance, child's special allowance, bereavement benefits, maternity allowance, statutory maternity pay, non contributory Christmas bonus, new deal allowances and credits, job grant, war widows pensions, earnings top up, social fund, family credit, income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
9. Comparisons between years are affected by transfers of responsibilities between Departments, in particular family credit being replaced by working families tax credit in 1999, war pensions transferring to the Veterans Agency in 2002 and child benefit being transferred to the Inland Revenue in 2003.
Source:
DWP expenditure tables (1 and 7) published on the internet at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp. All figures are consistent with the pre-Budget report (2 December 2004).
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