Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding Sport England has allocated to areas of health inequalities in each of the last two financial years; and if she will make a statement. [28516]
Mr. Caborn: I am able to provide data from Sport England on awards (committed in the financial years 200304 and 200405) to the Spearhead Group of local authority districts that are in the bottom fifth nationally for three or more of the five indicators of health inequality.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees have been dismissed by her Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [29123]
Mr. Lammy:
The Department dismissed one employee in 200001, one employee in 200304 and two employees in 200405.
16 Nov 2005 : Column 1256W
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will reform the policy whereby widows under retirement age, unable to work because of carer's responsibilities and in receipt of a husband's pension, are not eligible for carers' allowance; and if he will make a statement. [20312]
Mrs. McGuire: It is a fundamental principle of the social security system that only one benefit at a time can be paid for income maintenance. Carer's allowance provides a measure of financial support to those who give up the opportunity of full-time paid employment to care for a severely disabled person. As such it is not an extra-costs" benefit. To pay both benefits in full therefore would duplicate provision for the same need.
Where carer's allowance is overlapped in full, the person maintains an underlying entitlement to the benefit which, in turn, gives them access to the carer premium in the income-related benefits such as income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
There are no plans to change this policy.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what statutory obligations there are on non-resident parents who have been assessed for Child Support Agency maintenance to inform the Agency of any change of (a) address and (b) employment; and if he will make a statement. [28421]
Mr. Plaskitt: There are no statutory obligations on non-resident parents who have been assessed for child support maintenance to inform the CSA of either change of address or employment.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what mechanism those not claiming pension credit will be able to claim the £200 council tax rebate. [28756]
Mr. Plaskitt: In most cases the £200 payment to help with council tax bills will be paid automatically with the winter fuel payment. Payments are being made over a number of weeks from early November until Christmas 2005. Eligible people who do not receive a winter fuel payment will need to claim.
People who need to claim or who have not received an automatic payment by Christmas 2005 should call the office that pays their benefit or the winter fuel payment helpline on 08459 15 15 15. Claims must be received by 30 March 2006.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the aims and purposes of the Child Support Agency. [21432]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Child Support Agency exists to deliver an efficient child support service, which plays its part in ensuring that children whose parents do not live together are financially supported.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on Government plans to reduce the complexity of Child Support Agency maintenance calculations. [21448]
Mr. Plaskitt:
The introduction of the new child support scheme in March 2003 brought in a much simpler way of calculating maintenance. We know that
16 Nov 2005 : Column 1258W
many parents now choose to calculate maintenance themselves by using the on-line calculator on the agency's website.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken in response to the recommendation in the Department for Work and Pensions Research Report No. 243 that all disabled claimants and all care leavers should be made exempt from the single room rent restriction; and if he will make a statement. [28781]
Mr. Plaskitt: We are continuing to consider the issues raised by this report.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations his Department has received on the impact of the single room rent restriction on (a) homelessness and (b) poverty among young people. [28796]
Mr. Plaskitt: We have received representations concerning the single room rent from various bodies including Shelter, Centrepoint, YMCA and Citizens Advice Bureaux.
Next Section | Index | Home Page |