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6 Feb 2006 : Column 866W—continued
Crisis Loan Applications
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many crisis loan applications have been received (a) in each of the last five years and (b) in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [46821]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the tables.
| Calendar year | Number received |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,313,000 |
| 2002 | 1,405,000 |
| 2003 | 1,383,300 |
| 2004 | 1,348,000 |
| 2005 | 1,361,100 |
Note:
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.
Child Support Agency
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Child Support Agency has received but not yet passed on to the parent with care. [25235]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 6 February 2006:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Child Support Agency has received but not yet passed on to the parent with care.
The Agency collection service deals with significant sums passing through its bank account (in excess of £600 million in each of the last two years). As a consequence the Agency bank balance is continually turning over with receipts from Non Resident Parents and employers which need to be assigned and be paid out to Parents with Care or the Secretary of State (where the Parent with Care is in receipt of benefit). At 30 November 2005 an amount of £4.2 million had been received, cleared, and was in the process of being passed on to the Parent with Care via their preferred Method of Payment, which is in the main directly into their bank account. At this date there was also an amount of £9.5 million in the bank account awaiting fund clearance and assignment between the Parent with Care and the Secretary of State.
Departmental Expenditure
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency and (iii) other public body for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [39990]
Mr. Timms: Such information that is available is in the table. Planned expenditure for 2005–06 is based on actual costs to November 2005, extrapolated for the full year. Contribution rates were consistent between 2002–03 and 2004–05 but have increased substantially with effect from 1 April 2005, accounting for the acute rise in costs.
For 2005–06, employers' contributions are payable to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) at one of four rates in the ranges 16.2 to 24.6 per cent. of pensionable pay, based on salary bands. The Scheme Actuary reviews employer contributions every four years following a full scheme valuation; last carried out as at 31 March 2003. The contribution rates reflect the cost of benefits as they accrue (net of employee contributions), not the costs as they are actually incurred, and reflect past experience of the scheme.
Departmental Jobs
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's jobs are located in Tamworth constituency. [35675]
Mrs. McGuire: As at 31 October 2005, a total of 40 (full-time equivalent) staff were employed by the Department in the Tamworth constituency.
Departmental Leaflets
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what response his Department is making to the recent National Audit Office Report on its leaflets. [46668]
Mrs. McGuire: In the Using Information to communicate with the public about services and entitlements" report the NAO acknowledges the recent work the Department has already undertaken in this area. The Department has already made progress against a number of the NAO's recommendations and will carefully monitor implementation of the remainder.
Departmental Staff
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what strategy he proposes to adopt to address the conclusion of the departmental working paper number 21, Review of Existing Research on the Extra Costs of Disability, that disability living allowance and attendance allowance are not sufficient to meet costs associated with disability; and if he will make a statement. [38246]
Mrs. McGuire:
Working paper no. 21 reviewed the existing research evidence about the extra costs of disabled people. It concluded that although most studies estimate that disability living allowance and attendance allowance are not sufficient to meet all the extra costs of disability, they have produced no clear and robust evidence on the actual size of those costs in relation to benefit levels. All of the different approaches so far adopted by researchers are methodologically and conceptually difficult and have produced widely differing results. Some have also tended not to take account of the full range of statutory services and benefits available to help meet the needs and costs associated with disability, amongst which disability
6 Feb 2006 : Column 869W
living allowance and attendance allowance make a non-income-related and tax-free contribution of around £12.5 billion a year towards the disability related extra costs of over 4 million disabled people.
Disabled People
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people are seeking employment, as measured by the number of people consulting a disability employment adviser; and how many of these have been seeking employment for (a) six months or more, (b) one year or more and (c) 18 months or more. [30944]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested.
Industrial Injuries Scheme
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits of replacing the industrial injuries scheme with a no-fault compensation scheme fully funded by employers; [40472]
(2) what assessment he has made of the (a) cost and (b) other effects of abolishing the Industrial Injuries
6 Feb 2006 : Column 870W
Disablement Pension and transferring responsibility to employers; and if he will make a statement. [44761]
Margaret Hodge: I have asked officials to carry out a review of our Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Scheme. As the scheme was introduced in 1948, we need to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our modern society. While I expect officials to look at all aspects of the scheme, we have not yet looked in any detail at any particular component and have not made any assessment of the costs and benefits of transferring responsibility for industrial injury compensation to employers. We will, however, be looking at all options for the future.
We intend to publish a discussion document later this year when we will engage fully with stakeholders and other interested parties.
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