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28 Oct 2005 : Column 599W—continued
Transport Projects
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what transport projects his Department is planning for (a) the Hartlepool constituency, (b) the Tees Valley sub-region and (c) the North East region. [21829]
Ms Buck: The Secretary of State for Transport plans and funds through his Department and its agencies a variety of capital and revenue projects. He also funds projects which are planned by others, particularly local authorities, through the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process and Revenue Support Grant allocations.
The LTP system provides capital funding to local authorities to cover expenditure on major schemes (those costing more than £5 million) and minor improvement works and maintenance by way of block allocations.
In terms of the block allocations, the guideline figures for the five years from 2006–07 are in the order of:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| (a) The Hartlepool constituency | (8)11 |
| (b) The Tees Valley sub-region | (8)70 |
| (c) The North East region | (8)410 |
(8)Exact figures are confirmed annually and relate to the assessments of progress in delivering the LTPs.
In terms of local authority and Highways Agency capital transport infrastructure improvement projects costing more than £5 million, it should be noted that, in July 2005, regions were provided with indicative annual capital allocations to 2015–16 for transport in order that they could prioritise schemes and provide advice to the Secretary of State in January 2006. Highways Agency trunk road projects in the North East included in this process are all bar those on the A1 in the region to its junction with the A19 from the south.
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In addition to a number of major schemes currently under construction in the region, the Department is involved with its regional partners in the planning of the following major projects. Progress and timing for these schemes will be subject to regional advice, the future availability of finance and individual projects representing value for money:
(a) The Hartlepool constituency
(b) The Tees Valley sub-region
In addition to the above, there are schemes that are emerging through Local Transport Plans and on-going development of the trunk road network which will be considered in due course.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Bank Accounts
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what safeguards are in place for people on benefits to protect the confidential nature of their personal bank accounts. [22781]
Mr. Plaskitt: As with all personal information supplied to this Department, bank account information is treated as confidential and its protection is taken very seriously. The Department's policy is that we will only disclose personal data to third parties if the law permits us to do so. We may, for example, disclose if ordered to do so by a court; if it is necessary for the prevention or detection of crime; or if the customer has consented to the disclosure.
Information is stored on departmental computer systems which comply with strict security requirements. Access to the information is restricted and subject to checks, and staff are fully trained in maintaining system security and are provided with guidance on the protection of customers' personal information. Unauthorised disclosure of customers' personal information is a criminal offence under the Social Security Administration Act 1992.
28 Oct 2005 : Column 601W
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what performance targets have been set in relation to benefit fraud investigations being undertaken in a prompt and efficient manner. [20935]
Mr. Plaskitt: The overriding requirement for all benefit fraud investigations is that there should be no undue delay throughout the investigation process.
For investigations carried out by DWP investigators, agreed standards are in place that require all fraud referrals to be risk assessed within 10 working days of receipt, and if appropriate an investigation should commence within 10 days of risk assessment.
In respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit, a new set of performance standards issued in April 2005 sets out the standards that all local authorities should attain in relation to the reduction of fraud and error in the system. The relevant standard is that all fraud referrals should be risk assessed within 10 days of receipt. The fraud investigation, if appropriate, must then be commenced within 10 days of the risk assessment.
Council Tax Rebate (Pensioners)
Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what basis it was decided that the £200 council tax rebate to pensioner households announced in the budget was not to be paid to female pensioners between the ages of 60 and 64 years. [19425]
Mr. Timms: To avoid discrimination we are required to have the same qualifying age for men and women. The £200 payment will be to households with someone aged 65 or over because most people will have retired by this age.
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 1198W, on disability living allowance, what proportion of people awarded disability living allowance on the basis of behavioural disorder including enuresis and hyperactivity were children. [22298]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 27 October 2005]: The requested information is in the table.
(9)Figures are given for 12 month periods ending on 31 May of each year because they are the latest available; those for the 12 months ending on 31 May 2005 were published on 27 October 2005. The figures given in the written answer of 20 October mentioned in the question were for 12 month periods ending on 28 February of each year because, at that date, the latest available figures were those for the 12 months ending on 28 February 2005.
(10)Figures for awards are to people whose main disabling condition is recorded as behavioural disorder-including enuresis and hyperactivity".
Notes:
1.First awards are those made on initial claims, reviews or appeals to people not previously in receipt of benefit. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2.In cases where more than one disability is present, only the main disabling condition is recorded.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study for total number of awards and 5 per cent. samples for the proportion made to children under 16.
28 Oct 2005 : Column 602W
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of disability living allowance claimants were in work in February, broken down by receipt of the (a) higher rate mobility component only, (b) lower rate mobility component only, (c) higher rate care component only, (d) middle rate care component only and (e) lower rate care component only [22421]
(2) what proportion of disability living allowance claimants were in work in February, broken down by receipt of both (a) higher rate care and higher rate mobility components, (b) higher rate care and lower rate mobility component, (c) middle rate care and higher rate mobility components, (d) middle rate care and lower rate mobility components, (e) lower rate care and higher rate mobility components and (f) lower rate care and lower rate mobility components. [22422]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 27 October 2005]: Figures are not kept for the numbers of people receiving disability living allowance who are in work because a person's employment status is not relevant to their entitlement to the benefit; hence, information is not available in the form requested. The information that is available is in the table.
Source:
Family Resources Survey 2003–04. Adult recipients of DLA are those aged 16 or over.
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