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13 Sep 2006 : Column 2369W—continued
Pathways Areas
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what average time has been taken to conduct the capability report in pathways areas; and what the average cost has been. [90740]
Mrs. McGuire: Information on the time taken to conduct the capability report is not collected.
It is a requirement of the Medical Services contract that the Capability Report and Personal Capability Assessment are completed during a single examination. Information gathered by the doctor during this examination is used to complete both the Personal Capability Assessment Report and the Capability Report. We estimate that completion of the Capability Report in Pathways areas adds an average six minutes to a standard Personal Capability Assessment.
Cost information is confidential and cannot be disclosed as to do so may prejudice the commercial interests of the Department and/or its suppliers.
Prisoners
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total amount of (a) Social Fund payments, (b) winter fuel payments, (c) attendance allowance, (d) disability living allowance, (e) carer’s allowance, (f) retirement pension, (g) bereavement benefits, (h) maternity allowance, (i) reduced earnings allowance, (j) retirement allowance, (k) income support, (l) jobseeker's allowance, (m) pension credit and (n) statutory sick pay erroneously paid to prisoners due to (i) fraud, (ii) customer error and (iii) official error in each year since 1997. [91060]
Mr. Plaskitt: Information is not available for benefits other than income support, jobseeker’s allowance, and pension credit. For the available information on these three benefits I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answer I gave him on 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 872W.
Return to Work
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what research he has conducted into the impact that reasonable travel and lunch reimbursements have on supporting individuals re-entry into the labour market in a paid or voluntary capacity; and if he will make a statement; [82612]
(2) whether reasonable lunch and travel reimbursements will continue to be excluded from counting as earnings or income for people performing voluntary work; and if he will make a statement. [82613]
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cost to benefit claimants who are volunteering of (a) lunching at home and (b) buying lunch at or near a work place; what assumptions are made of the cost of lunches in benefit calculations; and what assessment he has made of the effect on the availability of claimants to volunteer of the decision to treat expenses paid for lunches as income for benefit purposes. [86387]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 4 July 2006]: The Department for Work and Pensions has not carried out or commissioned specific research into the impact of reimbursing expenses to volunteers.
The Department for Work and Pensions has not undertaken any specific cost comparison of the cost of lunching at home, the work place or elsewhere; there are no plans to do so. However, we have received a number of representations from voluntary or charitable groups who have produced some evidence to suggest that many people on benefits may be discouraged from undertaking voluntary activity, or stop volunteering, if they are not able to claim the consequent additional costs of meals as an expense.
Volunteering plays an important role in helping people move off benefits and back into work. It gives people confidence, the chance to develop skills and to gain invaluable experience after a period out of work.
We do not want to create a situation whereby individuals are put off volunteering or are penalised from helping themselves and others because they cannot afford to buy something to eat.
We have therefore simplified the rules. Meals can now be treated as a reasonable expense which volunteers can claim back so that they are no longer expected to meet the cost of their lunch from their benefit.
State Pension
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Pensions Service accuracy rate has been for dealing with state retirement pension in the last five years; and what the related costs of official error have been. [90672]
James Purnell: The available information is in the following tables. Figures are only available since the Pension Service came into existence in April 2002.
| Percentage | ||
| Accuracy rate achieved | Standard | |
The 2005-06 year to date summary is 96.97 per cent. against standard of 98 per cent.
Estimates of state pension overpayments through official error
In each year the amount overpaid as a result of official error represents around 0.1 per cent. or less as a proportion of state pension expenditure.
| Estimated official error overpayment amount (£ million) | |
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the process is for the audit of state retirement pension claims; and when the next audit exercise is due to take place. [90673]
James Purnell: There are a number of measures used to audit state retirement pension claims.
Internal audit (part of the Department’s risk assurance division) reviews the risks and controls that support the accurate and secure payment of state pension to our customers. The next audit is scheduled for the final quarter of this financial year.
Performance measurement unit (also part of the DWP risk assurance division) measures the degree of error and the quality of decision making for state pension claims. This process is subject to validation by internal audit.
The Department’s external auditors, the National Audit Office, undertake a programme of work to confirm the accuracy of state pension benefit expenditure reported in the DWP accounts.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most recent estimate is of the cost of the Pensions Transformation Programme in the Pension Service. [90674]
James Purnell [holding answer 11 September 2006]: The information requested is in the following table.
| Financial Year | Pension transformation costs (£ million) |
Volunteers
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he will alter the guidance in his Department's booklet, “A guide to volunteering while on benefits” to allow volunteers in receipt of income support or jobseeker's allowance to claim lunch expenses as a legitimate expense. [87389]
Mr. Plaskitt: Volunteering plays an important role in helping people move off benefits and back into work. It gives people confidence and the chance to develop skills and to gain invaluable experience after a period out of work.
We do not want to create a situation whereby individuals are put off volunteering or are penalised from helping themselves and others because they cannot afford to buy something to eat.
We have therefore simplified the rules. Meals can now be treated as a reasonable expense which volunteers can claim back so that they are no longer expected to meet the cost of their lunch from their benefit.
The guidance contained in the Volunteers Handbook will be reviewed to reflect the simplified rules.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria were used in assessing reimbursement for lunch and other meals to volunteers as earnings rather than legitimate expenses; and what impact he expects this to have on those in receipt of benefits who choose to take up voluntary work. [79914]
Mr. Plaskitt: Volunteering plays an important role in helping people move off benefits and back into work. It gives people confidence and the chance to develop skills and to gain invaluable experience after a period out of work.
We do not want to create a situation whereby individuals are put off volunteering or are penalised from helping themselves and others because they cannot afford to buy something to eat.
We have therefore simplified the rules. Meals can now be treated as a reasonable expense which volunteers can claim back so that they are no longer expected to meet the cost of their lunch from their benefit.
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what consultation was undertaken by his Department in advance of the change in guidance from his Department regarding lunch expenses for those on benefits who work as volunteers; and with whom such consultation took place; [86732]
(2) what assessment he has made of the likely impact of new guidance from his Department regarding lunch expenses for those on benefits who work as volunteers on the number of those on benefits who volunteer; [86733]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of people on benefits who do voluntary work. [86734]
Mr. Plaskitt: Volunteering plays an important role in helping people move off benefits and back into work. It gives people confidence and the chance to develop skills and to gain invaluable experience after a period out of work.
We do not want to create a situation whereby individuals are put off volunteering or are penalised from helping themselves and others because they cannot afford to buy something to eat.
We have therefore simplified the rules. Meals can now be treated as a reasonable expense which volunteers can claim back so that they are no longer expected to meet the cost of their lunch from their benefit. We have been working closely with volunteering organisations to implement the simplification quickly and smoothly.
The number of benefit recipients who choose to volunteer is not known as we do not collect this information.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC Charter
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made in the context of Charter Renewal of the impact of the BBC's local television project on the development of local newspapers. [90952]
Mr. Woodward: None. The arrangements set out in the new Charter and Agreement require that a Public Value Test (PVT) be carried out on all proposed new services before they can be approved by the Trust. The Public Value Test includes an assessment by Ofcom of the proposed service's impact on relevant markets. The BBC has committed to carrying out a PVT before any local TV service is rolled out, whether or not the new Charter and Agreement have come into effect.
Casino (Manchester)
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many representations received by the Department in support of a regional casino in East Manchester came from individual Manchester residents. [90618]
Mr. Caborn: The Department has not received any representations from Manchester residents in support of a regional casino in East Manchester. All representations in support of a bid for one of the new casinos permitted under the Gambling Act 2005 have been made to the Casino Advisory Panel.
Details of the proposals made by local authorities to the panel are available on their website at www.culture.gov.uk/cap.
Digital Switchover
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations and individuals have been consulted on the proposed scheme to help vulnerable and elderly people with digital switchover; what the budget for the scheme will be; and when she plans to announce the details of the scheme. [91018]
Mr. Woodward: We have consulted organisations representing older and disabled people through the Digital Television Consumer Expert Group who have produced two reports to Government on the equipment requirements of vulnerable consumers and support for them at and after digital switchover.
We intend to publish further details about the help scheme later this year.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to engage the services of voluntary organisations to deliver (a) part and (b) all of their proposed scheme to help vulnerable and elderly people with digital switchover. [91019]
Mr. Woodward: We are in discussions with the Digital Television Consumer Expert Group, which includes organisations representing older and disabled people, about the role of voluntary organisations in the delivery of the Digital TV Help Scheme.
Football
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what contribution her Department has made to the implementation of proposals contained in the (a) Burns Report and (b) European Sport Review which relate to the regulation of football in England; and if she will make a statement. [91063]
Mr. Caborn: I have held regular discussions with the FA and other football authorities since Lord Burns' report was published in August 2005. I continue to urge the FA to implement the recommendations contained in Lord Burns' report as quickly as possible to ensure it is a national governing body which is fit for purpose.
The Independent European Sport Review was published on 23 May with recommendations falling to member states, EU institutions, domestic Football Associations and UEFA to consider. The UK Government are currently considering their recommendations, in consultation with key stakeholders, and aim to respond to the Review's authors at the end of September.
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