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27 Mar 2007 : Column 1502W—continued
Social Security Benefits: Carers
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of benefits provided to carers working more than 35 hours per week who receive (a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) the carer's allowance; what the basis is for the differences in the amounts paid via the different channels; and if he will make a statement. [128477]
Mrs. McGuire: These benefits are designed to help carers in very different circumstances. Income support and the income-based element of jobseekers allowance, both of which include extra help for carers, are intended to ensure that people of working age and their families can meet all their normal daily living needs when they are out of work. Carer's allowance provides a measure of income-maintenance to those carers who provide at least 35 hours of care each week for a severely disabled person, but who are not entitled to additional means-tested support from the benefit system.
We have introduced improvements for carers in all these benefits, in addition to the normal annual uprating. We also review the adequacy of these benefits at regular intervals.
Social Security Benefits: Disabled
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of increasing the earning disregard for (a) incapacity benefit, (b) income support for incapacity and (c) carer's allowance. [127819]
Mrs. McGuire: Part-time work while on incapacity benefit is covered by the permitted work rules and while on carer’s allowance by an earnings limit, rather than the earnings disregards.
DWP has no reliable estimate of the cost of changing the earnings disregard limit in income support for sick and disabled people. The cost varies widely according to the nature of the change being proposed.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what projects his Department has undertaken with the Staffordshire Police Authority to combat fraudulent activities in relation to benefits in the last 12 months. [128330]
Mr. Plaskitt: Investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions collaborates with officers from Staffordshire police authority on cases where they have a common interest and where the Department requires police assistance.
An example of current joint working with Staffordshire police authority is Operation Oblique. This was set up to investigate a number of girocheques which were reported as missing but were subsequently discovered to have been cashed. The investigation is continuing and at least one person has so far been arrested.
As well as investigations relating to benefit fraud, DWP also works with Staffordshire police on investigations which relate to the integrity of the national insurance number system.
State Retirement Pensions
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methodology the Government use to decide what annual pension increase to award. [129619]
James Purnell: The level of the uprating for state pensions is calculated using the increase in the retail prices index for the 12 months ending in the preceding September. This enables us to complete the action necessary to ensure that the new rates for over 11 million pensioners are put into payment in April.
Treasury
Breast Cancer: Greater London
Lynne Featherstone:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many women (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from breast cancer in each of the last five
years; and what the figures were for each London borough. [130241]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 27 March 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many women (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from breast cancer in each of the last five years; and what the figures were for each London borough. [130241]
The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases (incidence) of malignant neoplasm of breast are for the years 2004. Figures for 2000-2004 for England and the London boroughs are given in Table 1 below.
The latest available figures for deaths are for the year 2005. Figures for 2001-2005 for England and the London boroughs are given in Table 2 below.
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