Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
5 Jun 2007 : Column 354Wcontinued
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many state pension forecasts have been calculated on the forecasting e-service based on the Pensions Service website in each month since the service has been provided. [138056]
James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many requests of information or assistance with regard to state pension forecasts have been received on the pensions service helpdesk telephone number 0845 601 8040. [138043]
James Purnell: The number 0845 601 8040 is the e-service helpdesk telephone number. The total number of telephone calls made to the helpdesk since real time pension forecasting was introduced in October 2004 up to the end of March 2007 was 78,716.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many state pension forecasts have been calculated over the telephone on numbers 0845 3000 168 and 0845 3000 169 in each month since the service has been provided. [138044]
James Purnell: The available information is in the following table.
Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will give examples of where his Department has used cash costs for long-term public expenditure; and whether there are any examples of cash costs being used for expenditure over 30 or more years. [110977]
Mrs. McGuire: Cash costs of long-term public expenditure, up to 2050, have been quoted in figure 1.1 of the regulatory impact assessment accompanying the Pensions Bill.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which key stakeholders the unclaimed scheme assets review team (a) has met and (b) plans to meet. [138031]
James Purnell: The Financial Assistance Scheme Review of Scheme Assets team has already met some key stakeholders including Ros Altmann, trade unions, opposition spokesmen and an additional number of interested MPs. The team will be contacting others shortly to tell them about the review and to invite their contributions.
The team has further plans to meet representatives from financial bodies and institutions as well as the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator. However, this list is not exhaustive and the team intend to meet as many stakeholders as possible in the time available.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria were used in the selection of the team which will review the possibility of using unclaimed assets and other potential funding sources. [138033]
James Purnell: The review will focus on whether better use could be made of the remaining assets within the failed pension schemes that have qualified for FAS. The review will also determine how these and other sources of non-public expenditure funding (not already earmarked or allocated) could be used to increase assistance for affected scheme members. This task presents a number of complex issues across a wide range of subject areas including, but not limited to, legal, investment, actuarial and administration issues.
The make-up of the team reflects the range of expertise required to meet the objectives set out in the terms of reference. In the selection of the individuals to be approached, the Departments internal experts and a number of external industry experts were consulted.
The goal was to ensure the review had direct access to a leading source of that in each key area, and that individuals with status in the industry, an understanding of the issues, and an interest in finding a solution were involved. None of the individuals approached to participate in the review declined.
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the annual cost of uprating state pensions to pensioners over 80 years of age arising from the additional 25p per week allowance alone. [138183]
James Purnell: The 25p age addition is not uprated. The estimated gross annual cost of the additional 25p per week allowance for the over-80s is approximately £35 million in 2007-08.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many holders of UK mariners qualifications registered as unemployed for periods of more than one month in each of the last five years. [140104]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Prime Minister why school visits to Downing Street are to be limited to Fridays. [140088]
The Prime Minister: In the past few years, my Office has increased the programme of events at Downing street in order to give access to as many people as possible.
Mrs. May: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to appoint a permanent chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [139260]
The Prime Minister: I announced on 24 April 2007, Official Report, column 22WS, that Rita Donaghy CBE would become the Interim Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) from 26 April 2007. The Government are currently considering the report of the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) Ethics and Standards: The Regulation of Conduct in Public Life which was published on 29 April 2007 and which covers the work of not only the CSPL, but other ethical regulators. The Government will set out a timetable for the appointment of a permanent Chair in its response to the PASC report.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost was to the public purse of his flight from London to Sedgefield on 10 May. [140003]
The Prime Minister: None. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), on 24 May 2007, Official Report, column 1523W.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost of leasing buildings and office space was for his Office in each of the last five years. [139466]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong) on 4 June 2007, Official Report, column 45W.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what the (a) role and (b) cost has been of each employee from McKinsey hired to work for him in the last 12 months. [140136]
The Prime Minister: There have been no secondments from McKinsey to my Office in the last 12 months.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister what recent estimate has been made of the value of the property occupied by his Office. [139371]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong) on 4 June 2007, Official Report, column 45W.
Next Section | Index | Home Page |