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Transport Modelling (South-East)

The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Dr. Stephen Ladyman): I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses a report on modelling work commissioned by the Department for Transport to look at the impact of projected levels of development and population and economic growth on the transport networks in the wider south-east at a strategic level in 2016. The report "Wider South-East Regional Research Study" can also be obtained from the Department's website.

M6 Capacity

The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Dr Stephen Ladyman): On the 6 July last year the Secretary of State announced a consultation on the issue of building a new expressway to run parallel with the M6 between Birmingham and Manchester as an alternative to the widening proposal announced to the House in December 2002.

The consultation, which sought views on whether the Highways Agency should carry out more detailed development work and a feasibility study, closed on 21 October 2004. Approximately 9,500 responses from a range of stakeholders were analysed. A breakdown of the responses has been placed in the Library of the House.

The M6 is an important transport artery linking the midlands and the north-west. An investment of £7.6 billion has been made to upgrade the west coast main line, part of which runs through this artery. However, the Government have accepted the need for more road capacity, as shown by the midlands to Manchester multi-modal study. The issue is how best that capacity can be provided taking full account of the impact of construction—through a widening scheme, or via an expressway running broadly parallel to the existing route.

Providing additional capacity to the M6 between Birmingham and Manchester, whether in the form of widening the existing motorway or a tolled expressway, will require a huge investment. It is vital that we examine the options carefully and choose the right way to provide the capacity needed.

The Secretary of State has considered the views expressed in the consultation. While it is clear that there is no consensus in favour of the expressway proposition, the option is no more than an outline at this stage. More evidence on the widening and expressway propositions is needed before a decision on a preferred option can be taken.

I have therefore asked the Highways Agency to carry out detailed development work on the expressway and a feasibility study to compare the impacts of the costs and benefits of the expressway with those of widening. Both expressway and widening options will be worked up in parallel. The next stage is a decision on which option to take to public inquiry, following further consultation on the options. I have asked the Highways Agency to provide further advice with a view to taking that decision next year. Whichever option is chosen, the financial, economic and environmental appraisal work to be carried out over the coming year will be required
 
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before we can publish draft orders setting out our proposals. The Highways Agency will consult and work with local stakeholders and the statutory environmental agencies during the detailed development work.

The work on widening will examine the technological and physical practicalities of locking in the benefits of that additional capacity. This will involve considering a number of measures, which could be used individually or in combination, such as access management; segregated lanes for priority traffic; speed controls; and pricing on the new capacity.

The expressway would take around a year longer to bring to public inquiry than the widening proposal, because of the need to appoint a concessionaire. However, this additional time would be made up during construction, because the expressway would be built alongside the existing motorway. In contrast, widening the existing motorway would involve extensive traffic management during construction, which would lengthen the construction timescales by about a year. Our current best estimate is that work on the widening scheme could start on the ground in 2011 with the scheme opening to traffic in 2016; and that work on the expressway could start on the ground in 2012 with the scheme opening to traffic in 2016. This is in line with the estimated delivery date of the widening as reported by the midlands to Manchester multi-modal study.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Fraud Inspections Council

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on Cherwell district council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2003–04 Cherwell district council administered some £22 million in housing benefits, about 36 per cent. of its gross revenue expenditure. The council takes a strong stance against benefit fraud. The benefits investigation team is committed to delivering a professional, high-quality service and is well supported by Members and senior managers.

The good practices identified in the report include:

However, the council did not fully comply with the Department's security against fraud and error scheme nor follow the Department's guidance in some interviews under caution. The report also notes that:


 
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My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on Doncaster metropolitan borough council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2003–04 Doncaster metropolitan borough council administered some £68 million in housing benefits, about 12 per cent. of its gross revenue expenditure. The council gives a high priority to combating benefit fraud and complies with all significant aspects of the security against fraud and error scheme. The council's investigations team is well supported by members and managers. BFI found a number of good practices, including:

The council is providing a high standard counter-fraud service which performs well. For example, from April to December 2004 eight cases were successfully prosecuted and 30 formal cautions and 48 administrative penalties were raised. BFI is concerned, however, that the council do more to gather sufficient evidence in every case leading to an interview under caution. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on Wrexham county borough council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2004–05 Wrexham county borough council administered some £27 million in housing benefits, about 11 per cent. of its gross revenue expenditure. The council's anti-fraud section was committed to detecting and preventing benefit fraud. A number of good practices were identified, including:


 
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However, senior management must ensure that all staff are aware of and fully understand the policies and procedures relating to their area of work. The report notes that there is a lack of understanding as to how the council's sanctions policy should be applied, and this has resulted in some sanctions being applied that did not comply with the policy or the Department's guidance.

The lack of a systematic checking regime means that the council can only have limited assurance on the quality of its counter-fraud activities. Improvements are also required in the quality and quantity of management information collected and analysed.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on East Staffordshire borough council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2003–04 East Staffordshire borough council administered some £16 million in housing benefits, about 40 per cent. of its gross revenue expenditure. Although the council was not at standard for any of the seven functional areas of performance standards it was providing a fair towards good service in housing benefit and council tax benefit administration and counter-fraud activities.

The council had a clear vision and had initiated a major business transformation programme during 2003–04 to radically improve the way it delivered its benefits service. This programme had culminated in the introduction of new IT systems for its benefits and council tax administration and a document image processing system.

As well as implementing new processes and procedures, East Staffordshire Borough Council improved performance. It cut the processing of new claims from an average of 89 days in 2002–03 to an impressive 33 days. A high standard of personal service was being provided to customers by professional, knowledgeable and courteous staff. Readily accessible customer information helped to ensure customer enquiries were dealt with promptly. However, this was let down by very little activity being undertaken to encourage benefit take-up. East Staffordshire borough council had recognised this as an area for improvement and planned to increase customer consultation and take-up initiatives in the future.

However, the council had not made full use of available management information and this and inadequate management checking meant there was limited assurance about the accuracy of claims processed.

Efforts to counter fraud were also improving. The requirements of the verification framework were being met. A number of sanctions, including successful prosecutions and administrative penalties, had been applied. However, more needs to be done to sustain
 
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improvement, including the sifting of referrals and management checks on investigations and the use of a wider range of overpayment recovery methods.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on Maldon district council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2004–05 Maldon district council administered some £11million in housing benefits, about 50 per cent of its gross revenue expenditure. The council is committed to tackling benefit fraud and its counter-fraud work was well supported by members and senior managers. Demanding targets for fraud work were set and achieved. Investigations were subjected to a thorough checking regime and there was a clear process for authorising and applying sanctions. The council had a good working relationship with the Department's counter-fraud investigation service and had successfully undertaken joint investigations leading to sanctions. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 was strictly adhered to and surveillance activity carried out in accordance with legislation. But the council was not fully complying with the security against fraud and error scheme in that a clear admission to the offence was not obtained before the offer of a caution to the customer.

Investigations resulting in administrative penalties and prosecutions were carried out to a high standard, and interviews under caution were conducted in accordance with the relevant legislation.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on Shepway district council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2003–04 Shepway district council administered some £30 million in housing benefits, about 48 per cent. of its gross revenue expenditure. The council is keen to take a strong stance against benefit fraud. The work of the fraud team is well supported by members, the chief executive and senior officers.

Good practices include:

However, BFI found weaknesses in the investigation process and in the management of the fraud team, including:


 
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The council recognises the need to improve practices in those areas and has asked for support from BFI's performance development team.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on North West Leicestershire district council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2004–05 North West Leicestershire district council administered some £13 million in housing benefits, about 28 per cent. of its gross revenue expenditure. There was commitment at all levels within the council to deter and prevent fraud. The work of the council's benefits inquiry unit was well supported by members and managers and BFI found a number of good practices.

BFI was impressed with the commitment shown by the benefits inquiry unit to combat benefit fraud. It had raised a large number of sanctions in relation to the number of staff and its caseload. However, there were delays in informing suspects of the outcome of the investigation, and no formal management checking of cases. Overall, the council was tackling fraud effectively.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on North Norfolk District Council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2003–04, North Norfolk district council administered some £18 million in housing benefits, about 32 per cent of its gross revenue expenditure. Overall, although the council did not meet any of the seven functional areas of performance standards, it was providing a fair standard in housing benefit and council tax benefit administration and counter-fraud activities.

Surveys by the council showed high levels of customer satisfaction in terms of the physical reception facilities, the quality of advice available and improvements in the speed of the service. But the council had been striving to cope with a backlog of work since June 2004 and processing delays meant performance was below the standards required to decide new claims and changes of circumstances.

The council's counter-fraud work was under-resourced. The council operated from December 2003 until September 2004 without any investigators and had not
 
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achieved any successful prosecutions. Overpayments arose because notified changes of circumstances were not dealt with promptly and overpayment recovery was ineffective. Management information necessary to monitor the level and age of housing benefit debt was not collected.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. James Plaskitt): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the BFI inspection report on Berwick-upon-Tweed borough council was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

In 2003–04, Berwick-upon-Tweed borough council administered some £5.6 million in housing benefits, about 30 per cent, of its gross revenue expenditure. The council gives high priority to combating benefit fraud and is committed to complying with all aspects of the security against fraud and error scheme. The counter-fraud investigation team works hard to deliver a professional and high quality service. The team is well supported by the leader of the council, members, the chief executive and senior managers.

The report notes a number of good practices, including:

However, some important weaknesses were identified:

The council demonstrated its commitment to improve performance by revising some procedures during the on-site phase of the inspection, including the management of formal cautions, and by acknowledging that other areas need improvement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the report and may ask the council for its proposals in response to BFI's findings.

Disability Rights Commission

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mrs. Anne McGuire): The Disability Rights Commission's annual report and accounts 2004–05 have been published today and laid before Parliament. The DRC's annual report of its activities in the last accounting year amply demonstrates its continuing success in its important work to eliminate discrimination against disabled people; to promote equal opportunities; to encourage good practice and to keep the working of the Disability Discrimination Act and the DRC Act under review.