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Windsor Castle

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many individuals were employed at Windsor Castle in 2005–06. [67064]

Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides grant in aid funding for the maintenance of the occupied royal palaces in England. The grant in aid employed 40 staff at Windsor Castle in 2005–06. There are other staff who are employed by other funding sources, for which the Department is not responsible, and on which it therefore has no information.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pension Supplement

Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when a supplement to the basic pension for reaching the age of 80 years was first paid; and what its value would be if it had been increased in line with the retail price index. [67926]

Mr. Timms: The 25p a week addition to the State pension for recipients aged 80 or over was introduced in September 1971. It would now be worth £2.23 a week had it been uprated in line with the retail price index.

Since winter 2003–04 eligible households with a person aged 80 or over are entitled to an additional annual winter fuel payment of £100.

Benefits

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how long a national from another EU member state needs to have been resident in the UK before being eligible to receive (a) housing benefit and (b) income support; and how long the residency periods will be after Directive 2004/38/EC comes into force; [66123]

(2) what effect Directive 2004/38/EC will have on the requirements that EU nationals need to meet in order to be considered habitually resident in the UK; and if he will make a statement; [66136]

(3) pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2006, Official Report, column 1371W, on the Free Movement of Persons Directive, when the Government will issue regulations to ensure that Directive 2004/38/EC will not result in any significant additional costs for the UK social security system; and what these regulations will do. [66156]

Mr. Plaskitt: Current housing benefit and income support regulations require that a person must have a right to reside and be habitually resident in the United Kingdom, The Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland (generally known as the Common Travel Area). If a person does not have a right to reside then they are not habitually resident and are not entitled to those benefits. A person who has a right to reside must also show that they are habitually resident in the Common Travel Area unless they fall into an exemption
 
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category such as EU workers. There is no set time limit for being habitually resident and each case is considered on its own merits and the claimant's individual circumstances.

From 30 April 2006 persons who claim an income-related benefit including income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, state pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit will still be required to have a right to reside as well as being habitually resident in the Common Travel Area.

The Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Regulations 2006 which come into force on that date will amend the 'right to reside' aspect of the test. This is to ensure economically inactive EU nationals who only have a right to reside under Directive 2004/38/EC for the first three months of their stay in the Common Travel Area, will not be entitled to those benefits. EU work seekers will have a right to reside and once they are habitually resident will be entitled to claim income-based jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit but they will not be able to claim income support or state pension credit. EU workers will have a right to reside and will continue to be exempt from the habitual residence test.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of council tax benefit was in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 1997–98; and what the estimated costs are for (i) 2005–06 and (ii) 2006–07. [66247]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the tables.
Council tax benefit expenditure, £ millions, nominal terms

	England	Wales
1997–98 (outturn)	2,014	94
1998–99 (outturn)	2,046	103
1999–2000 (outturn)	2,096	108
2000–01 (outturn)	2,146	119
2001–02 (outturn)	2,246	124
2002–03 (outturn)	2,381	131
2003–04 (outturn)	2,744	145
2004–05 (estimated outturn)	3,037	160
2005–06 (estimated outturn)	3,247	172
2006–07 (plans)	3,386	184

Council tax benefit expenditure, £ millions, real terms (2006–07 prices)

	England	Wales
1997–98 (outturn)	2,416	113
1998–99 (outturn)	2,393	121
1999–2000 (outturn)	2,404	124
2000–01 (outturn)	2,429	135
2001–02 (outturn)	2,482	137
2002–03 (outturn)	2,550	140
2003–04 (outturn)	2,863	151
2004–05 (estimated outturn)	3,100	163
2005–06 (estimated outturn)	3,247	172
2006–07 (plans)	3,386	184

Source:
DWP expenditure tables (table 8), consistent with Budget Report 2006.

The DWP expenditure tables can be viewed on the DWP website at the following address:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp
 
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Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the take-up rate of council tax benefit was amongst pensioners in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [66248]

Mr. Plaskitt: The latest available information is in Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take Up in 2003–04", a copy of which is in the Library.

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will amend housing benefit policy so as to make it possible for a non-dependent sibling of a landlord to claim housing benefit in circumstances where there is a genuine tenancy and rental income is required; and if he will make a statement; [65321]

(2) if he will take steps to make it possible for housing benefit to be paid to those living in a home with relatives in certain circumstances. [65527]

Mr. Plaskitt: There are no plans to amend the provisions for people who live with close relatives. Where a person lives with their landlord who is a close relative, such as a brother and sister, they are treated as not liable to make rental payments because there is usually no intention to create a legally enforceable liability in such circumstances. The tenant is typically making a contribution towards the general costs of the household of which they form a part without a genuine rental liability.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what improvements he is making in the administration of housing benefit. [67338]

Mr. Plaskitt: In 2002, we put in place a comprehensive strategy for reform of housing benefit, with the first priority being to improve administration across the board. We have already made significant progress with the average time taken by local authorities to process new claims having improved by over two weeks.

We have introduced a number of simplification measures to reduce complexity in the housing benefit rules, and provided investment, to help authorities make improvements in the administration of housing benefit. We are also piloting the new local housing allowance in 18 local authorities and the green paper, A New Deal For Welfare: Empowering People to Work", sets out our intention to extend the scheme across the private rented sector.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what response his Department makes to an individual's claim that levels of household debt is a reason for lack of co-operation with the Child Support Agency. [65786]

Mr. Plaskitt: There are provisions which may allow the Agency to take account of debts which were incurred during a relationship when making a maintenance assessment. However, levels of household debt are not a reason for lack of co-operation with the Child Support Agency. The Government are of the view that parents' prime financial responsibility is to maintain their children.
 
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