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15 Jan 2007 : Column 905W—continued


The estimates shown do not include any other reforms proposed in the Pensions Bill. For example, costs of uprating the basic state pension by earnings, or of the other reforms to improve the coverage of basic state pension, are not included.

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many years of national insurance contributions would be required to receive a full basic state pension in each tax year from 2007-08 such that by 2013 the accumulated costs from 2007-08 onwards equal those which would have been accumulated as a result of measures in the Pensions Bill 2006-07 to give entitlement to a full basic state pension with 30 years’ contributions from 2010. [115546]

James Purnell: The information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the (a) merits and (b) costs of measures to smooth the change planned for 6 April 2010 to the number of years of national insurance contributions required for eligibility for a full basic state pension; [115644]

(2) what the net cost to the public purse would be of changing the number of years of national insurance contributions required to receive a full basic state pension for men to (a) 42 up to April 2010, (b) 38 up to April 2011, (c) 34 up to April 2012 and (d) 30 thereafter; [115645]

(3) what the net cost to the public purse would be of reducing the number of years of national insurance contributions required to receive a full basic state pension for women by three up to April 2007 and by one in each subsequent year until April 2013. [115646]


15 Jan 2007 : Column 906W

James Purnell: A key part of the Government’s package of proposed reforms is to make the state pension fairer and available to more people as soon as is practicable. This means addressing women’s lower state pension outcomes as soon as possible and is why we are planning to introduce the reduction in qualifying years for all those reaching state pension age from 2010. The effect of this is to ensure around three quarters of women reaching state pension age in 2010 would achieve a full basic state pension, compared to just 30 per cent. today.

This approach does however mean that two people with similar contribution histories reaching state pension age either side of 6 April 2010 will have their state pension entitlement calculated differently and this could produce different outcomes.

Changes could be made more gradually to avoid this situation, for example, by phasing in the reduction in years needed for a full basic state pension and we have explored different way to do this.

Smoothing the reduction of qualifying years from 2010 would delay the substantial improvement in women’s basic state pension outcomes for some years beyond 2010. Phasing the reduction in qualifying years before 2010 would give some women the advantage of both a lower state pension age of 60 and the benefit of these reforms. However the reforms are introduced there will be some people who reach state pension age on the wrong side of the chosen date or the series of dates chosen to phase in the reduction of qualifying years.

It is a difficult balance. Our intention in opting for a 2010 introduction is to improve the pension position of as many women and carers as possible and as quickly as possible while keeping the reforms within the fiscal envelope.

We are unable to provide the information in respect of the particular phasing options you have set out in the time available.

Workless Households

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which 50 wards have (a) the highest proportion of children living in workless households and (b) the highest proportion of workless households. [105214]

Mr. Jim Murphy: A workless household is a household containing someone claiming either income support, jobseeker’s allowance, incapacity benefit/severe disability allowance, or pension credit.

The 50 wards that have the highest proportion of children living in workless households are listed as follows:


15 Jan 2007 : Column 907W

Information about the 50 wards that have the highest proportion of workless households is not available. This is because this is measured using data from the Household Labour Force Survey but this is only available at Government office region level.


15 Jan 2007 : Column 908W

Health

Accident and Emergency Departments

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer by the Prime Minister of 13 December 2006, Official Report, column 866, on engagements, if she will list the accident and emergency departments which are undergoing consultation on change. [113018]

Andy Burnham: This information is not held centrally. However, there may be a number of service reviews, where proposals are either subject to ongoing consultation or subject to consultation in the future, and these may involve some changes to accident and emergency (A and E) facilities.

The national health service has told us that there are no plans to consult on changes to A and E in 12 of the NHS trusts from the list of 29 that the hon. Member claimed were under threat of closure or downgrading in his letter of 30 November to the NHS chief executive, David Nicholson.

The Government will support the NHS on service reconfigurations where clear and compelling cases for change are made. Professor Sir George Alberti’s report “Emergency Access”, published on 5 December 2006, set out that how emergency care is delivered needs to change to ensure that patients get the best care in the right place. The report is available in the Library and can be found at www.dh.gov.uk/publications

No substantial changes to A and E facilities will take place without full and proper consultation with patients and the public locally.

Advertising

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has spent on (a) television and (b) radio advertising in each year since 1997-98 in (i) real and (ii) nominal terms. [109667]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The following tables set out how much the Department has spent on television and radio advertising in each year since 2000-05 in real and nominal terms.

Financial information on television and radio advertising is only available for the last five years. Figures pre-2001 are no longer accessible due to the switch-over to a new financial management system.

TV advertising spend
£ million
Nominal Real

2001-02

8.7

8.3

2002-03

9.05

8.60

2003-04

18.75

18.36

2004-05

17.77

17.59

2005-06

13.82

13.82



15 Jan 2007 : Column 909W
Radio advertising spend
£ million
Nominal Real

2001-02

2.10

2.42

2002-03

2.03

2.22

2003-04

2.12

2.26

2004-05

3.74

3.78

2005-06

3.90

3.90


Bank Nurses

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hours of work were covered by bank nurses in the NHS in each year between 2000-01 and 2005-06. [113014]

Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Birthing Units

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the reasons for variations in the cost of deliveries referred to in the answer of 10 October 2006, Official Report, column 679W in the last Session, on birthing units. [113512]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: A combination of local unavoidable costs affecting the cost of providing activity, such as staff, land and building costs, and the relative efficiencies of the organisations providing the activity lead to variations in the cost of the deliveries referred to. The information used to produce these average costs, national health service reference costs, is collected at an aggregate level so currently no further assessment can be made as to what parts of providing these services are contributing what costs.

Breast Screening

Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on extending the NHS breast screening programme to women aged 65 to 70 years; and if she will make a statement. [113791]

Ms Rosie Winterton: All local national health service breast screening programmes are now inviting women aged 65 to 70, and an estimated over 600,000 more women have accepted their invitation and been screened since the extension began in April 2001.

Cataract Operations

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cataract operations were carried out at (a) Good Hope Hospital and (b) Sir Robert Peel Hospital in each of the last 10 years. [112820]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information for the Sir Robert Peel Hospital is not collected centrally. However, data relating to the Good Hope Hospital National Health Service Trust have been set out in the table.


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