House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Mar 2006 (pt 29)

28 Mar 2006 : Column 943W—continued

Parliamentary Questions

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parliamentary questions tabled in the last 12 months for answer by him on a named day (a) were transferred and (b) received a substantive answer (i) on the day named and (ii) after the day named. [49884]

Mrs. McGuire: For the year 7 February 2005 to 6 February 2006 inclusive, the number of parliamentary questions tabled in the last 12 months for answer by him on a named day (a) which were transferred and (b) which received a substantive answer (i) on the day named and (ii) after the day named were:

Number

(a) Transferred 27

(b)(i) Answered by named day 311

(b)(ii) Answered after named day 266

	Number
(a) Transferred	27
(b)(i) Answered by named day	311
(b)(ii) Answered after named day	266

Post Office Card Account

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pilot schemes for the migration of Post Office card account holders to banking facilities will be operating in the eastern region over the next 12 months. [55028]

Mr. Plaskitt: We have no plans to operate any pilots in the eastern region.

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of each payable benefit was transacted through (a) a Post Office card account and (b) another account at a post office in (i) rural post offices, (ii) urban post offices, (iii) Communities First areas in Wales and (iv) Communities First areas in the South Wales valleys in the latest period for which figures are available. [55452]

28 Mar 2006 : Column 944W

Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 2 March 2006]: The information is not available in the format requested.

Information showing the proportion of DWP benefit and pension payment accounts paid by direct payment into a Post Office card account and a bank/building society account for the local authorities in Wales has been placed in the Library.

Private Pensions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of people living in London who have a private pension; and if he will make a statement. [60553]

Mr. Timms: In 2004–05 the number of people contributing to a private pension in London is estimated to be 1.7 million. This represents 38 per cent. of the working age population in London, compared with 43 per cent. of the UK working age population, contributing to a private pension.

In addition, 0.7 million people in London are estimated to be in receipt of a private pension. This represents 13 per cent. of the adult population in London.

Notes:

1. Figures are estimates relating to those contributing to a private pension and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2004–05 is the latest year for which data are available. The coverage of the survey is the UK.

2. Members who are 'contributing' to a private pension scheme include those who are building up rights within a salary related scheme, those who are currently contributing to a scheme or whose employer makes a contribution on their behalf. Private pension refers to either an occupational, personal or stakeholder pension scheme.

3. Those individuals who contribute to both occupational and personal pension schemes are only counted once in the final figure.

4. Working age includes those aged 20 to state pension age.

28 Mar 2006 : Column 945W

5. Estimates for those who are in receipt of a private pension are taken from the Individual Income Series, calculated as an average across 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. Estimates include payments received from occupational and personal pension schemes, widow's employee pensions, trade union and friendly society pensions, annuity pensions, trusts and covenants. 2003–04 is the latest year for which data are available.

Source:

Family Resources Survey 2004–05.

Replacement Pension Costs

Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the gross annual cost of restoring pensions in full to all those covered by the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report, 'Trusting in the Pensions Promise'; [61797]

(2) what his Department's estimate is of the annual net cost, after deducting payment of tax and reduced payments of means-tested benefits, for the next 40 years of replacing the lost pensions of surviving members of pension schemes which started winding-up between April 1997 and April 2005; [61794]

(3) what estimate he has made of the annual cost for the next 40 years of paying financial assistance scheme benefits to all members of final salary pension schemes which started winding-up without sufficient funds to cover all its pension liabilities between April 1997 and April 2005; [61796]

(4) what the evidential basis was for the figure of £15 billion as the cost to the public purse in the Government's response to the recommendation of the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report, 'Trusting in the Pensions Promise'. [61795]

Mr. Timms: We estimate that the gross average annual cost of restoring pensions in full to all those covered by the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report would be £250 million in cash terms over some 60 years. Annual costs would vary over time peaking at £400 million around the year 2030.

28 Mar 2006 : Column 946W

I will provide estimates shortly of the net annual costs, taking account of any estimated reduction as a consequence of taxation and reduced payments of means-tested benefits.

We estimate that extending the financial assistance scheme to cover all members of final salary pension schemes which started winding-up without sufficient funds to cover all its pension liabilities between April 1997 and April 2005, if the FAS benefit levels were retained, would cost on average £125 million per annum in cash terms over the first 40 years. It is likely that further costs would occur after that period.

The costs of the Ombudsman's proposals have been estimated using data collected for the financial assistance scheme (FAS). The data was obtained from schemes potentially eligible for FAS, the pensions regulator and the pensions industry. The data has been fed into an actuarial model to generate time profiles of costs. Mortality estimates were taken from the continuous mortality investigation.

Single Room Rent Restriction

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Single Room Rent restriction on housing benefit was in each locality in each of the Local Housing Allowance Pathfinder areas in each year between 1996–97 and 2004–05. [57957]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. The precise rate of Single Room Rent applicable in an individual case would be dependent on the location of the property within a locality; as determined by a Rent Officer. The figures in the table are a guideline only.

The Single Room Rent was replaced by the Shared Room Rate from the introduction of the Local Housing Allowance in November 2003. For information on the Shared Room Rate, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 21 March 2006, Official Report, column 236W
Weekly single room rents in Pathfinder local authorities, each October 1996 to 2003

£
Local authority and Locality 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Blackpool Council

Fylde ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 40 45 45 46

Brighton and Hove Council

Brighton and Hove ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 55 58

Conwy County Borough Council

Llandudno ⁽⁴³⁾— 36 36 36 38 40 40 40

Colwyn Bay ⁽⁴³⁾— 35 35 35 36 38 38 38

Northern Rural ⁽⁴³⁾— 34 34 34 35 35 35 35

Menai ⁽⁴³⁾— 35 35 35 35 35 35 35

Coventry City Council

Coventry 35 35 35 36 40 43 45 45

Edinburgh City Council

Edinburgh Central 45 45 47 47 49 50 55 56

Edinburgh East 42 42 42 43 44 45 50 51

Edinburgh South West 45 43 46 46 46 47 51 52

Edinburgh North West 43 43 46 46 46 46 50 51

Leeds City Council

Leeds ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 49 48

London Borough of Lewisham

LSE Central ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 78

LSE Inner ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 93

Northeast Lincolnshire Council

N E Lincs ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 38 38 39 38

Teignbridge District Council

Teignbridge ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 48 52

Exeter 37 43 43 45 43 44 48 55

Tiverton and Crediton ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 43 48

Tiverton 37 43 43 43 42 42 ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾—

Crediton 37 43 43 43 39 42 ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾—

Torbay 38 43 43 45 44 45 48 53

South Devon ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 48 50

Plymouth Environs ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— ⁽⁴³⁾— 45 49

⁽⁴³⁾ Data not available or cannot be provided because of changes to localities.
Notes:
England
1. The data provided from October 1996 to October 1998, inclusive, has been compiled from old records inherited by The Rent Service on its establishment on 1 October 1999; The Rent Service cannot verify the veracity of the data.
2. Following the establishment of The Rent Service, all localities have been fundamentally reviewed and as a result, some localities were changed to better match the operation of the private rented sector market.
Wales
3. The data provided from October 1996 to October 2003, inclusive, has been compiled from old records inherited by Rent Officer Branch—Welsh Assembly Government on its assimilation into the National Assembly for Wales in June 2003.
4. Since June 2003 all localities have been fundamentally reviewed and as a result, some were changed to better match the operation of the private rented sector market.
Source:
Rent Registration Service, Scotland; Rent Officer Service, Wales; The Rent Service, England.

28 Mar 2006 : Column 947W

£
Local authority and Locality	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Blackpool Council
Fylde	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	40	45	45	46

Brighton and Hove Council
Brighton and Hove	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	55	58

Conwy County Borough Council
Llandudno	⁽⁴³⁾—	36	36	36	38	40	40	40
Colwyn Bay	⁽⁴³⁾—	35	35	35	36	38	38	38
Northern Rural	⁽⁴³⁾—	34	34	34	35	35	35	35
Menai	⁽⁴³⁾—	35	35	35	35	35	35	35

Coventry City Council
Coventry	35	35	35	36	40	43	45	45

Edinburgh City Council
Edinburgh Central	45	45	47	47	49	50	55	56
Edinburgh East	42	42	42	43	44	45	50	51
Edinburgh South West	45	43	46	46	46	47	51	52
Edinburgh North West	43	43	46	46	46	46	50	51

Leeds City Council
Leeds	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	49	48
London Borough of Lewisham
LSE Central	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	78
LSE Inner	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	93

Northeast Lincolnshire Council
N E Lincs	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	38	38	39	38

Teignbridge District Council
Teignbridge	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	48	52
Exeter	37	43	43	45	43	44	48	55
Tiverton and Crediton	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	43	48
Tiverton	37	43	43	43	42	42	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—
Crediton	37	43	43	43	39	42	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—
Torbay	38	43	43	45	44	45	48	53
South Devon	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	48	50
Plymouth Environs	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	⁽⁴³⁾—	45	49

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