| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Oct 2006 : Column 32W—continued
| ‘Other’ Social Fund applications for Devon customers (Crisis Loans, Community Care Grants, Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants) | |
| Number | |
| Note: The processing of other (Crisis Loans, Community Care Grants, Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants) Social Fund payments transferred to Bristol on 5 June 2006. Bulk transfer of cases took place in August 2006 so no data available by county after the end of July as it is not possible to differentiate how many of these cases originated from Devon. | |
Gloucestershire
| Number of Social Fund applications processed for Gloucestershire customers since August 2005 | |
| Number | |
| Note: The processing of social fund applications for Gloucestershire customers transferred to Bristol from the end of January 2006. Bulk transfer of cases took place in August 2006 so no data available by county after the end of July as it is not possible to differentiate how many of these cases originated from Gloucestershire. | |
Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire (including Swindon)
Social Fund applications for people living in Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire (including Swindon) have yet to be transferred to Bristol (exact dates are yet to be finalised). The numbers of claims processed in the last six months are as follows:
| Somerset | Dorset | Swindon and Wiltshire | |
West of England (Bristol and South Gloucestershire)
| Work centralised in Bristol South office at the end of March 2006 | |
| Number | |
| Note: From August 2006—figure shown also includes all work from Cornwall, Devon and the remainder of Gloucestershire. | |
Stakeholder Pensions
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the number of people purchasing stakeholder pensions. [89250]
James Purnell: As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 901W, we will continue to provide public information in order to help individuals make informed choices about saving for a pension, including information about stakeholder pensions. Stakeholder pensions are sold and marketed by the financial services industry. The suitability of a stakeholder pension for any individual will depend on their particular circumstances. Figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) show that around 2,880,000 stakeholder pension policies have been sold since their introduction in April 2001.
Volunteering
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many claims for lunch expenses incurred during volunteering were (a) granted and (b) denied to those on benefits in 2005; [90334]
(2) how many of those receiving benefits claimed expenses incurred whilst volunteering in each of the last five years; and what total amount of expenses was paid. [90335]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Welfare Modernisation Fund
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funds were allocated to the Welfare Modernisation Fund in each year since 2001-02; what draw-downs were made in each year; how much has been allocated for 2006-07; and if he will make statement. [90572]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 11 September 2006]: Funds allocated to the Welfare Modernisation Fund (WMF) and draw-downs made by the Department are detailed in the following table:
| £ million | ||
| Funding | Draw-down | |
| (1) Draw-down in excess of funding made with Treasury approval in order to support in-year spending plans. | ||
The Welfare Modernisation Fund ceased to exist at the end of 2005-06, at which point all available funds had been drawn down. There are, therefore, no allocations relating to the WMF for 2006-07.
Although specific WMF funding has been exhausted, the Department’s modernisation programme continues, funded from other available departmental budgets.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding remains in the Welfare Modernisation Fund; and if he will make statement. [90573]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 11 September 2006]: The Welfare Modernisation Fund ceased to exist at the end of 2005-06 at which time all available funding had been drawn down by the Department. However, the Department’s modernisation programme continues, being funded from other available departmental budgets.
Welfare Reform
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people who have suicidal tendencies will automatically be part of the support group under the Welfare Reform proposals; and when final details of the support group will be available. [91170]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 18 September 2006]: We are still developing criteria for entry into the support group. We anticipate that details will be available for the Commons Committee stage of the Welfare Reform Bill.
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what discussions have taken place between the Welfare Reform Bill team and the Social Security Advisory Committee regarding the drafting of the regulations provided for by the Bill; [90715]
(2) whether all the regulations provided for in the Welfare Reform Bill will fall within the remit of the Social Security Advisory Committee and receive its scrutiny. [90716]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answers 11 September 2006]: With Ministers’ agreement, officials have met the Committee on a number of occasions throughout the development of the social security policy in relation to parts 1, 2 and 3 of the Welfare Reform Bill. Our intention is to liaise informally with the Committee about the content of the key regulations under powers in the Welfare Reform Bill, where the Committee may have a future interest in those legislative areas.
Under section 173 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 there is no requirement to refer regulations to the Social Security Advisory
Committee when regulations are made within six months of the coming into force of an enactment. Any initial regulations associated with the Welfare Reform Bill that are not made within six months of the coming into force of their relevant provisions, and that fall within the Committee’s functions, will be subject to referral.
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what regulation-making powers are contained under Part 1 clauses and schedules of the Welfare Reform Bill; [90741]
(2) how many regulation-making powers are contained in the Welfare Reform Bill. [90742]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 11 September 2006]: We calculate that there are 180 regulation- making powers in the Welfare Reform Bill.
Part 1 of the Bill and its associated schedules contain proposed regulation-making powers in the clauses shown in the following tables.
| Regulation-making powers contained under Part 1 clauses of the Welfare Reform Bill | |||||
| Clause | Clause | Clause | Clause | Clause | Clause |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |