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16 Jun 2005 : Column 621W—continued

Television Channel Grants

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) how many and (b) which regional development agencies have given grants towards promoting, setting up or sustaining a television channel or channels; and whether he was consulted about such use of public money. [3741]

Alun Michael [holding answer 15 June 2005]: I understand that two of England's regional development agencies have given grants towards promoting or setting up TV channels. The London Development Agency is investing a total of £630,000 in London TV as part of a three-year grant agreement with Visit London. Along with another partner, Yorkshire Forward has invested £2.9 million over three years in a new digital satellite television channel called Propellor to promote the region's film and television talents.

The regional development agencies are required to seek the consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to give financial assistance outside their delegated authority. The LDA's grant to London TV was considered as part of the grant to Visit London and the agency was granted consent. Yorkshire Forward's investment in Propellor was within the agency's delegated authority.

Wassenaar Arrangement

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what policy changes have been made in the past year to the UK's application of the Wassenaar Arrangement; and if he will make a statement. [4875]

Malcolm Wicks: No policy changes have been made in the past year to the UK's application of commitments made within the Wassenaar Arrangement. The Government continues to fully support the export control activities and principles of the Wassenaar Arrangement.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits (Derbyshire)

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in (a) Amber Valley and (b) Derbyshire are in receipt of (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) industrial injury benefit. [4821]

Mrs. McGuire: The information is in the tables.
 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 622W
 

Incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA) claimants in areas shown as at February 2005

	Amber Valley	Derbyshire
IB/SDA	4,600	43,600
IB	4,000	38,600
SDA	500	5,000

Notes:
1.Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and may not sum due to rounding.
2.IB figures include credit-only cases.
3.Derbyshire figures are the total for the 10 parliamentary constituencies within the county of Derbyshire and Derby unitary authority.
Source:
Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample.




Industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB), reduced earnings allowance (REA) and retirement allowance (RA) recipients in areas shown as at 30 September 2004

	Number
Amber Valley	995
Derbyshire	9,720

Notes:
1.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 to ensure anonymity.
2.A recipient may be in receipt of IIDB or REA/RA or both.
3.Derbyshire figures are the total for the 10 parliamentary constituencies within the county of Derbyshire and Derby unitary authority.
Source:
Industrial Injuries Computer System, 100 per cent. count.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contingency plans have been made for the transfer of child support functions to the HM Revenue and Customs. [3575]

Mr. Plaskitt: We have no such plans.

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Stephen Brice, reference 1040238581, will have his payments to the Child Support Agency calculated under the new system. [4783]

Mr. Plaskitt: Information about individual cases is confidential and not disclosed.

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the total number of UK citizens claiming incapacity related benefits for each year since 1978–79; and if he will make a statement. [885]

Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 25 May 2005]: Information is not available in the format requested.

As a result of numerous changes to the benefits system the information on incapacity related benefits requested is not directly comparable over the whole period.

Incapacity related benefits between 1978 and 1983 included sickness benefit and the incapacity benefits of the time: invalidity benefit; non-contributory invalidity pension and housewives non-contributory invalidity pension.
 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 623W
 

In 1983, Statutory Sick Pay, paid by employers, was introduced. This had the effect of removing a large number of claimants from sickness benefit.

Between 1984 and April 1995 incapacity related benefits included sickness benefit and the incapacity benefits of the time: invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance.

Since 13 April 1995, sickness benefit and invalidity benefit were replaced by incapacity benefit. From that date incapacity related benefits have consisted entirely of the incapacity benefits: incapacity benefit itself plus severe disablement allowance.

The available information is in the tables.
Incapacity related benefits claimants in Great Britain on the last day of the Department's statistical year (1978–83)

	Incapacity benefits(19)	Sickness benefit
1978	769,900	471,900
1979	832,100	430,400
1980	852,400	384,000
1981	872,800	352,600
1982	951,800	393,200
1983	1,008,400	338,400

⁽¹⁹⁾Incapacity benefits were invalidity benefit, non-contributory invalidity pension, housewives non-contributory invalidity pension and sickness benefits credits-only cases, until 1983.
Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2.Figures include some people over pension age.
Source:
Information Directorate 1 per cent. Sample




Incapacity related benefits claimants in Great Britain on the last day of the Department's statistical year (1984–95)

	Incapacity benefits(20)	Sickness benefit
1984	1,073,600	190,300
1985	1,146,700	179,700
1986	1,219,500	178,700
1987	1,305,800	109,600
1988	1,421,200	117,500
1989	1,557,900	109,200
1990	1,699,500	103,400
1991	1,862,400	109,600
1992	2,061,300	138,400
1993	2,283,100	147,000
1994	2,451,300	127,400
1995 (April)	2,627,900	127,200

⁽²⁰⁾Incapacity benefits were invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance and sickness benefits credits-only cases, up to April 1995.
Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2.Figures include some people over pension age.
Source:
Information Directorate 1 per cent. Sample




 
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Incapacity related benefits claimants in Great Britainat the quarter shown (1995–2004)

As at November:	Incapacity benefits(21)
1995	2,767,500
1996	2,748,100
1997	2,738,800
1998	2,671,300
1999	2,637,500
2000	2,677,900
2001	2,705,100
2002	2,710,100
2003	2,720,500
2004	2,696,500

⁽²¹⁾Incapacity benefits are incapacity benefit, incapacity benefit credits-only and severe disablement allowance since November 1995.
Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred
2.Figures include some people over pension age.
Source:
Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many recipients of incapacity benefit (a) returned to work, (b) died and (c) passed the state pension age in each quarter since 1997; and what proportion of all incapacity benefit claimants each represent; [1337]

(2) what the proportion of terminations of entitlement to incapacity benefit has been as a result of failing the personal capacity assessment or all work test in each of the last eight years. [1339]

Mrs. McGuire: The numbers leaving incapacity benefits and returning to work are not recorded in this format. An estimate of the proportion of incapacity benefit leavers returning to employment can be obtained from the annual Destination of Benefit Leavers Survey (DWP In-House Research Report no. 132), which is available in the Library. The latest published figures, for 2004 benefit leavers, show that 49 per cent. of incapacity benefit leavers surveyed had returned to work of 16 hours or more per week.

The available information is in the table.
Incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance terminations each quarter by reason and proportion.

	All terminations	Death of claimant	Percentage	Award of RP	Percentage	Failed PCA	Percentage
February 1997	244,000	8,300	3.41	5,600	2.28	35,500	14.54
May 1997	257,000	6,900	2.68	15,200	5.90	38,400	14.95
August 1997	241,800	7,500	3.10	17,800	7.34	35,100	14.51
November 1997	245,200	8,300	3.39	17,400	7.09	36,300	14.82
February 1998	230,400	8,100	3.52	18,700	8.13	37,000	16.04
May 1998	238,500	7,800	3.27	21,200	8.88	34,400	14.44
August 1998	215,800	6,500	3.02	20,700	9.57	35,300	16.37
November 1998	242,400	7,400	3.05	19,200	7.91	n/a	n/a
February 1999	193,700	8,100	4.20	19,400	10.02	31,900	16.46
May 1999	214,400	6,900	3.24	23,300	10.85	30,300	14.13
August 1999	217,400	7,500	3.43	23,500	10.79	28,200	12.96
November 1999	214,400	7,100	3.32	22,000	10.25	28,300	13.18
February 2000	213,300	8,800	4.11	22,900	10.73	27,600	12.92
May 2000	193,400	6,800	3.52	17,000	8.79	24,600	12.74
August 2000	174,800	6,300	3.59	9,200	5.26	22,900	13.10
November 2000	180,400	7,000	3.88	8,400	4.67	20,300	11.23
February 2001	183,400	8,100	4.44	8,900	4.84	18,700	10.20
May 2001	187,300	7,300	3.89	11,300	6.01	20,200	10.78
August 2001	175,200	6,700	3.80	10,200	5.83	21,600	12.34
November 2001	188,400	7,200	3.82	10,000	5.31	26,400	14.01
February 2002	176,200	7,500	4.24	11,200	6.33	23,900	13.56
May 2002	181,100	6,200	3.41	12,100	6.67	25,700	14.21
August 2002	176,400	6,500	3.68	12,500	7.11	22,800	12.92
November 2002	185,900	7,600	4.09	11,100	5.95	27,000	14.51
February 2003	170,600	7,300	4.29	13,400	7.88	22,900	13.45
May 2003	166,200	6,500	3.94	15,500	9.32	24,400	14.71
August 2003	183,200	6,800	3.69	9,200	5.04	24,600	13.44
November 2003	187,200	7,100	3.78	6,000	3.23	24,700	13.22
February 2004	173,200	8,300	4.77	12,500	7.24	23,500	13.55
May 2004	175,600	6,600	3.78	16,300	9.27	27,100	15.41
August 2004	180,600	7,100	3.92	16,700	9.27	25,600	14.16
November 2004	128,900	6,700	5.21	14,200	11.01	30,100	23.36

Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
2.n/a" means not available. This is because of changes to the recording system, terminations due to the Personal Capability Assessment for this quarter are unreliable and are included in an 'Other reasons' category.
3.Figures have been updated to include late notified terminations, including terminations for retirement pension.
4.Figures for the latest quarter do not include any late notifications and are subject to major changes in future quarters. For illustration purposes, total terminations for August 2003 increased by 34 per cent. in the year following their initial release.
Source:
Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples.




 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 625W
 

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of incapacity benefit claims were made from people previously registered as unemployed in each year between 1990–91 and 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [962]

 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 626W
 

Mrs. McGuire: The available information is in the table.
Proportion of incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA) commencements previously receiving jobseeker's allowance (JSA)

Year of commencement to IB/SDA	All IB/SDA commencements	Those who had claimed JSA within previous 90 days	Proportion of IB/SDA commencements who previously claimed JSA (percentage)
1 September 1995–31 August 1996	1,012,100	307,700	30.4
1 September 1996–31 August 1997	997,600	312,100	31.3
1 September 1997–31 August 1998	869,400	247,700	28.5
1 September 1998–31 August 1999	828,900	242,200	29.2
1 September 1999–31 August 2000	799,700	236,100	29.5
1 September 2000–31 August 2001	775,200	227,500	29.3
1 September 2001–31 August 2002	728,200	209,200	28.7
1 September 2002–31 August 2003	715,600	208,300	29.1
1 September 2003–31 August 2004	684,700	189,700	29.2

Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.1 per cent.
2.Commencement figures are not available prior to 1995.
3.Data are not yet available for final commencements post-August 2004.
4.'Claimed JSA within previous 90 days' also includes a small number of IB/SDA claims where the computer system JSA end date was up to seven days after the IB/SDA start date. This category also includes cases who may have claimed another benefit (eg income support) between JSA and IB/SDA.
Source:
Information Directorate, 5 per cent. terminations dataset.

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