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11 Dec 2006 : Column 725W—continued
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total pension liabilities are of his Department and the agencies for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement. [102162]
Mrs. McGuire: Information on the most recent estimate of unfunded liability for the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme is available in the Resource Accounts 2005-06 of Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation, a copy of which is available in the Library for the reference of Members. This contains details of the present value of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme’s liabilities at 31 March 2006 and the discount rate assumption.
Cabinet Office do not think it practicable to break down the schemes liabilities by Department.
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of compensation which would need to be paid to those
identified in the Ombudsman’s report “Trusting in the Pensions Promise” who would experience diminutions in their pensions if Pension Protection Fund compensation rules were applied. [102172]
James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to him on 30 March 2006, Official Report, columns 1204-05W.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for reinstating the earnings link for uprating the basic state pension. [107447]
James Purnell: The White Paper “Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System” states that the earnings link will be restored to the basic state pension. The objective is that this will be done, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, in 2012 but in any event at the latest by the end of the next Parliament. We have said that we will make a statement on the precise date at the beginning of the next Parliament.
This commitment is set out in the Pensions Bill which was published on 29 November.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people saving in the new personal pensions will face withdrawal rates on savings income of (a) over 30 per cent., (b) over 40 per cent. and (c) 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement. [103990]
James Purnell: The projections published in the White Paper “Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pensions System” do not model the effects of personal accounts. We will be publishing a White Paper on personal accounts shortly.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely average annual growth rate in real terms of state pension expenditure for the period 2005-06 to 2020-21; and if he will make a statement. [101292]
James Purnell: It is estimated that the likely average annual growth rate in real terms of state pension expenditure for the period 2005-06 to 2020-21 will be 3.0 per cent.
Notes:
1. State pension expenditure is defined here as expenditure on both basic state pension and additional pension.
2. The figure includes the expected impact of the Pensions Bill published on 29 November.
Poverty Statistics
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which constituency has the (a) highest and (b) lowest number of pensioners living in poverty. [103396]
James Purnell: The information requested is not available.
Winter Fuel Payment
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value of the winter fuel payment was in each year since its introduction, in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms using 2004-05 prices. [103984]
James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
| Value of winter fuel payments | ||
| Cash terms (£) | Real terms using 2004-05 prices (£) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures for 1997-98 to 2005-06 obtained using GDP deflator series from ONS. 2. Figures for 2006-07 obtained using HM Treasury assumptions. 3. For the years 1997-98 and 1998-99 the winter fuel payment was 20 or 50 for people receiving a pensioner premium in the income-related benefits. 4. The extra £100 for people aged 80 or over was introduced in winter 2003-04. | ||
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people (a) between 60 and79 years and (b) aged 80 years or over qualified for(i) the lower rate and (ii) the upper rate of winter fuel payments in each year since its introduction. [103985]
James Purnell: Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available. The information from 1999-2000 is in the following table.
An age breakdown is only available from winter 2002-03. The higher rate winter fuel payment of up to an additional £100 to people aged 80 or over was introduced in winter 2003-04.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of winter fuel payments were made to recipients in (a) November, (b) December, (c) January and (d) February and after in each year since its introduction. [103987]
James Purnell: The vast majority of winter fuel payments are made automatically throughout the month of November. Additional payment runs are made in December, February, March and June for customers who make a successful claim for a winter fuel payment before the cut off date of 31 March.
Information on the proportion of payments made for the years 1997-98 to 2000-01 is not available. Information on the years from 2001-02 is in the following table.
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