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14 Nov 2005 : Column 1009W—continued

Pensions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of (a) newly retired women, (b) retired women, (c) newly retired men and (d) retired men are eligible for a full state pension in their own right. [18635]

Mr. Timms: The available information is in the table.

Great Britain-financial year 2005–06	Percentage entitled to a full basic state pension in their own right
Newly retired women	30
Retired women	47
Newly retired men	85
Retired men	87

Notes:
1. Percentages are rounded and relate to the pensioner population.
2. Full basic state pension" equals 100 per cent. entitlement and includes those who are entitled to a full basic state pension based fully or partly on their late or former spouse's contribution records. It also includes those who are entitled to a full basic state pension but choose to defer it.
3. Newly retired" means those reaching state pension age in 2005–06.
4. Retired" means all those over state pension age including those who are newly retired".
Source:
Government Actuary's Department





 
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Remploy

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the total work force of Remploy are not disabled. [21712]

Mrs. McGuire: 17 per cent. of total Remploy workforce (including the interwork business) are not disabled.

Source:

Remploy

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of turnover is represented by management costs in Remploy. [21714]

Mrs. McGuire: In 2004–05, management costs represented 16.4 per cent. of the company's business turnover.

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many shop floor workers have proceeded to management grades in Remploy since 1997. [21715]

Mrs. McGuire: Since April 1997, 129 Remploy shop floor workers have moved into management grades within the company businesses (excluding Remploy Interwork).

Sema/Atos Origin

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assets were transferred to Sema/Atos Origin in the 1998 Benefits Agency Medical Services Contract; whether (a) offices and (b) other premises were transferred assets in that contract; and what assets were transferred to Atos Origin in the 2005 Benefits Agency Medical Services Contract. [24943]

Mrs. McGuire: Under the terms of the 1998 outsourcing contract all assets previously owned and used by Benefits Agency to deliver the medical services were offered to Sema (now Atos Origin) as the successful bidder for purchase.

Sema purchased assets that included all office furniture, IT hardware and office and medical equipment located in Medical Services Centres and Medical Service Examinations Centres located throughout the country.

A contractual provision was made for Sema to use existing DWP and other Government Department
 
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premises to deliver the medical services. Sema/ Atos Origin occupy these premises under a formal lease arrangement.

In 2005 there was no transfer of assets from the Department to Atos Origin under the Medical Services Agreement.

Unum Provident

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has entered into a contract with Unum Provident. [25926]

Mrs. McGuire: DWP has not entered into a contract with Unum Provident.
 
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Winter Fuel Payments

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received winter fuel payments in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [22152]

Mr. Timms: Information relating to the 1997–98 and 1998–99 winters is not available. The information from winter 1999–2000 onwards is in the table. These figures are also available in the Library. Information on payments made in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Constituency/region	Payments made
	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
Tamworth	12,515	14,475	14,845	15,225	15,710	15,940
Staffordshire	138,255	157,750	161,340	165,620	169,930	170,975
West Midlands	935,060	1,033,555	1,043,580	1,059,210	1,073,350	1,065,460
Great Britain	10,084,130	11,105,745	11,201,895	11,348,040	11,468,235	11,401,170

Notes:
1. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
3. Local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
Source:
Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Agenda for Change

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which costs of the implementation of Agenda for Change" will fall to local health and personal social service trusts; what additional resources the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety plans to provide to those trusts for that purpose; and if he will make a statement. [26755]

Mr. Woodward: The total costs to HPSS organisations of the implementation of Agenda for Change" in 2005–06 is estimated at some £69 million, although the full effect will vary depending on the details of each trust's circumstances. The Department has made £58.583 million available to health and social services boards, trusts and agencies for the implementation of Agenda for Change" in the current year 2005–06. Additional funding of £70 million in 2006–07 and £80 million in 2007–08 has been proposed within the draft Budget as published recently.

Antisocial Behaviour

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued to individuals from each district council area in the Province. [24865]

Mr. Hanson: I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave on 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1220W to her question concerning the number of antisocial behaviour orders issued in each constituency in Northern Ireland. Information is not held centrally on the addresses of individuals.

Arlene Arkinson

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Attorney-General on the case of Arlene Arkinson. [25376]

Mr. Hain: I have written recently conveying my condolences to the Arkinson family and in response to their request for a public inquiry into the handling of Robert Howard's cases by the criminal justice system. The Police Ombudsman and the Lord Chief Justice have both indicated that they are addressing the serious issues affecting their respective areas of responsibility. I have undertaken to consider carefully the different aspects of these cases, including any conclusions the Ombudsman and the Lord Chief Justice may reach. I shall also engage with the Attorney-General before taking a final decision on the request.

Artefacts (Irish Parliament)

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether works of art, furniture, books, records and other artefacts are known to be located in (a) the Stormont Parliament buildings and (b) other locations for which he has ministerial responsibility that were originally (i) located or owned by the United Kingdom Parliament at Westminster and (ii) owned or displayed in the Parliament of Ireland, Dublin, prior to the Act of Union 1801; and if he will make a statement. [22149]

Angela E. Smith: None of the items listed is known to be located in either Parliament buildings, Stormont or other buildings owned or maintained by the Northern Ireland Office or the 11 Departments of the NI Administration.
 
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