House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 Nov 2005 (pt 9)

11 Nov 2005 : Column 792W—continued

Correspondence

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps he is taking to improve the Department's performance in replying to correspondence from members of the public; [21917]

(2) what steps he is taking to improve the Department's performance in replying to hon. Members' correspondence. [21908]

Mrs. McGuire: Every effort is made to handle all correspondence effectively and efficiently. All correspondence from hon. Members and Peers is handled in accordance with the principles set out in 'Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments'. The same principles apply when handling correspondence from members of the public.

Information relating to the performance of departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence is published on an annual basis. The report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns. 137–40WS.

Departmental Consultation

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list formal consultations being sponsored by his Department and its agencies; and what the (a) commencement date and (b) deadline for responses is in each case. [22580]

11 Nov 2005 : Column 793W

Mrs. McGuire: Current formal consultations are listed as follows.

Title of consultation Commencement
date Deadline for responses

Pensions: disclosure of information consultation on draft regulations—the Occupational Pensions Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2006 9 September 2005 2 December 2005

British Coal Staff and Mineworkers' Pensions (The Occupational Pensions Schemes (Transfer values, Pension Credit Benefit and Pension Sharing Valuation) (Amendment) Regulations 2005) 13 October 2005 25 November 2005

The Occupational Pension Schemes (Modification of Subsisting Rights) Regulations 2006 19 October 2005 16 December 2005

The Occupational Pension Schemes (Exemption) Regulations 2006 26 October 2005 16 December 2005

Title of consultation	Commencement date	Deadline for responses
Pensions: disclosure of information consultation on draft regulations—the Occupational Pensions Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2006	9 September 2005	2 December 2005
British Coal Staff and Mineworkers' Pensions (The Occupational Pensions Schemes (Transfer values, Pension Credit Benefit and Pension Sharing Valuation) (Amendment) Regulations 2005)	13 October 2005	25 November 2005
The Occupational Pension Schemes (Modification of Subsisting Rights) Regulations 2006	19 October 2005	16 December 2005
The Occupational Pension Schemes (Exemption) Regulations 2006	26 October 2005	16 December 2005

Disability Living Allowance

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Kettering constituency (a) applied for and (b) received the disability living allowance in each year since 1997. [22604]

Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 28 October 2005]: The administration of disability living allowance and attendance allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Philip Hollobone, dated 11 November 2005:

The Secretary of State has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, to reply to your question concerning how many people in the Kettering constituency have (a) applied for and (b) received the Disability Living Allowance in each year since 1997.

The information requested at part (a) of your question is unavailable. This information is not retained at any geographical level other than for Great Britain and therefore cannot be produced.

The information requested at part (b) of your question is as follows:

Disability living allowance for Kettering Parliamentary Constituency as at May in each year from 1997 to 2005

Cases in Kettering Parliamentary Constituency

May 2005 3.6

May 2004 3.4

May 2003 3.3

May 2002 3.1

May 2001 3.2

May 2000 2.9

May 1999 2.8

May 1998 2.6

May 1997 2.5

Notes:
1. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital or abroad for prolonged periods.
2. Parliamentary Constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory.
3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and are expressed in thousands.
4. "-" Nil or Negligible.
5. "." Not applicable.
6. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study for totals and 5% samples for detail/long time series.

11 Nov 2005 : Column 794W

	Cases in Kettering Parliamentary Constituency
May 2005	3.6
May 2004	3.4
May 2003	3.3
May 2002	3.1
May 2001	3.2
May 2000	2.9
May 1999	2.8
May 1998	2.6
May 1997	2.5

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people under the age of 60 years were receiving (a) the middle rate of the care component, (b) higher rate of the care component and (c) the higher rate of the mobility component of disability living allowance stopped receiving these benefits due to death in each month of the last five years. [24471]

Mrs. McGuire: Information is not available in the form requested. The information that is available is in the table.

Disability living allowance: number of awards in Great Britain which included a higher rate care component, or a middle rate care component, or a higher rate mobility component in which payment was terminated by the death of recipients under 60 years of age at the time of their death in the 12 month periods ending on 31 May in each year from 2001 to 2005.

Number of awards (thousands) terminated by the death of recipients under 60 years of age

Disability living allowance component 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Higher rate care and higher rate mobility 2.9 3.3 2.8 3.7 3.7

Higher rate care and lower rate mobility ⁽¹⁰⁾0.1 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.1 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.1 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.1 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2

Higher rate care only ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.1 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.1 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2

Middle rate care and higher rate mobility ⁽¹⁰⁾0.5 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.4 0.7 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.5 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.5

Middle rate care and lower rate mobility ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.1 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3

Middle rate care only — — — — —

Lower rate care and higher rate mobility ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2

Higher rate mobility only ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.2 ⁽¹⁰⁾0.3

Total 4.7 4.7 4.4 5.3 5.4

'—'denotes nil or negligible.
⁽¹⁰⁾ Less than 500 and subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study for totals and 5 per cent. samples for detail/longtime series.

11 Nov 2005 : Column 795W

	Number of awards (thousands) terminated by the death of recipients under 60 years of age
Disability living allowance component	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Higher rate care and higher rate mobility	2.9	3.3	2.8	3.7	3.7
Higher rate care and lower rate mobility	⁽¹⁰⁾0.1	⁽¹⁰⁾0.1	⁽¹⁰⁾0.1	⁽¹⁰⁾0.1	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2
Higher rate care only	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2	⁽¹⁰⁾0.1	⁽¹⁰⁾0.1	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2
Middle rate care and higher rate mobility	⁽¹⁰⁾0.5	⁽¹⁰⁾0.4	0.7	⁽¹⁰⁾0.5	⁽¹⁰⁾0.5
Middle rate care and lower rate mobility	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3	⁽¹⁰⁾0.1	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3
Middle rate care only	—	—	—	—	—
Lower rate care and higher rate mobility	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2
Higher rate mobility only	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2	⁽¹⁰⁾0.2	⁽¹⁰⁾0.3
Total	4.7	4.7	4.4	5.3	5.4

Document Terminology

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the use of the word spouse in official documents; if he will encourage the use of the term spouse/partner; and if he will make a statement. [24777]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department currently applies the word 'spouse' or 'partner' according to the existing eligibility criteria for the benefit in question. From 5 December 2005, the Civil Partnership Act comes into force and terminology used in documentation will be expanded where appropriate. The existing use of 'spouse' and 'partner' will continue, but the definition of partner will be expanded to include reference to 'civil partner'.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings of the (a) EU Committee of senior labour inspectors, (b) EU Scientific Committee for Occupational Exposure Limits to chemical agents, (c) EU Confidentiality of Statistics Committee and (d) EU Committee on the harmonisation of the compilation of gross national product at market prices are planned for the UK presidency of the EU; who will be presiding over each meeting; what other UK representatives will be present; what provision is in place for representation of the devolved Governments; and if he will make a statement. [16459]

Mrs. McGuire: The Senior Labour Inspectors Committee will be meeting once during the UK presidency of the European Union between 9 and 10 November 2005. A senior official from the European Commission's Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities will be presiding over the meeting. Senior operational officials from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will attend the meeting. Health and safety is a matter for central UK Government and is not a devolved responsibility.

The European Commission's Scientific Committee for Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) has held one meeting during the period 1 July to 31 December 2005, on 21 and 22 September. A second meeting, originally planned for December, has been postponed to late January 2006. The Chair of SCOEL is chosen from among the membership and does not reflect the presidency. The current chair is Professor Vito Foá, who is Italian. SCOEL members act as independent scientific experts, not as representatives of national Governments. HSE currently nominates two members to SCOEL on behalf of the UK Government. The current UK nominees are a senior toxicologist at the Medical Research Council Institute for Environment and Health, and the head of the Health and Safety Executive's Industrial Chemicals Unit. There is no provision for representation of devolved Governments on SCOEL.

The Commission (EUROSTAT) presides over both the Committee on Statistical Confidentiality (CSC) and the Committee on the harmonisation of the compilation of gross national product (GNI). During the term of the UK presidency of the Council of the European Union the CSC plans to meet on 2 December 2005. The GNI met on 5–6 July 2005 and plans to meet again on

11 Nov 2005 : Column 796W

27 October 2005. Meetings will be attended by appropriate UK officials who will consult with Devolved Administrations as appropriate.

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