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12 Jun 2007 : Column 922W—continued
Work and Pensions
Council Tax Benefit: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Warrington are in receipt of council tax benefit, broken down by ward of resident; and what the average award made was in 2006-07. [142483]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. Information for council tax benefit is not available at ward level.
As at November 2006, the most recent available information, there were 13,770 households in receipt of council tax benefit in the Warrington borough council area; the average weekly amount of council tax benefit was £12.71.
Council Tax Benefits: Reform
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Government's timetable is for reform of council tax benefit further to the recommendations of Sir Michael Lyons. [142263]
Mr. Plaskitt: There is a great deal for the Government to consider, arising from Sir Michael Lyons report, much of it identified as being for the longer term.
We already have in place more accessible council tax benefit arrangements for pension credit customers, and we are considering whether these can be further improved.
In the longer term, we want to ensure that council tax benefit is delivered as accessibly, simply and securely as possible. We intend to carry out more research into the feasibility of using data held across Government Departments in order to build up profiles of people likely to be entitled. We also intend to develop the concept of a “single point of contact” for pensioners for access to their benefits, coupled with alignment of application processes. This would produce a better public service as well as greater efficiency.
We will consider, in our research, the impact on fraud and error and issues of practicality and affordability, alongside priorities for the tax and benefits system as a whole. We will also consider the relative merits of piloting any changes and rolling them out nationally.
Council Tax Benefits: Scotland
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the provision of council tax benefit in Scotland. [142356]
Mr. Plaskitt: Council tax benefit is a national benefit and we have no plans to change this.
Departments: Advertising
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which (a) advertising agencies and (b) other organisations supplied consultancy services for advertising campaigns for (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these services was. [139449]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department buys advertising through the Central Office of Information (COI). Under the terms of COI framework agreements, advertising agencies are contracted to supply advertising services only. Advertising agencies on COI’s roster do not supply broader consultancy services. On occasion wider ranging consultancy projects may inform campaign work, but the costs would not be attributed to the campaign.
Where consultancy is provided by other organisations it usually results in a range of communication activities which may or may not include advertising; it is not possible to distinguish the cost of providing consultancy for advertising from that for other forms of communication.
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much revenue his Department received from advertisements on his Department's (a) public information leaflets and (b) public websites in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [140668]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has not received any revenue, over the last 10 years, from either (a) public information leaflets or (b) public websites.
Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisors
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's special advisers were on (a) paid and (b) unpaid leave in order to assist with party political matters under section 22 (iii) of the code of conduct for special advisers on 16 May 2007; and how many days' leave each adviser was granted. [140135]
Mrs. McGuire:
Special advisers' involvement in party political matters is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the code of conduct for special advisers, including section 22(iii), and the guidance
issued by the Cabinet Secretary in December 2006 and May 2007, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
Flexible Working
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department has made in extending the right to request flexible working arrangements to cover care of older children further to the consultation strategy published in February 2005. [141265]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
The responses to the Work and Families consultation in February 2005 showed that carers should be the priority group in any extension of the right to request flexible working. As a result we extended the right to 2.65 million carers of adults in April. We are currently keeping the law under review.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on housing benefit in each year since 1997; and what percentage of the non-pension welfare budget was spent on housing benefit in each year. [140585]
Mr. Plaskitt: For details of housing benefit expenditure, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 21 May 2007, Official Report, column 1160W. Information on the proportion of the non-pension welfare budget spent on housing benefit is in the following table.
| Proportion of the non-pension welfare budget spent on housing benefit: Great Britain | |
| Percentage | |
| Note: These figures are not comparable over time due to changes in the benefit system. For example, the transfer of child elements from benefits to tax credits. Source: DWP expenditure tables | |
Housing Benefit: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for housing benefit were dealt with by Warrington borough council in each of the last five years; and what the average award was in the most recent period for which figures are available. [141013]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
| Housing benefit (HB) claims in Warrington borough council | |
| Number of HB claims | |
| n/a = Not available Notes: 1. Figures are for financial years. 2. For 2006-07 the data are from April to December 2006. As at November 2006, the average weekly amount of housing benefit in Warrington borough council was £58.21. | |
Performance management information returned by local authorities to the Department is published on the Housing Benefit Operational Database (HoBOD). HoBOD can be accessed using the following link:
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken by Warrington borough council to process a claim for housing benefit was in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the average time was in comparable local authorities. [141014]
Mr. Plaskitt: The average time taken by Warrington Borough Council to process a claim for housing benefit up to 31 December 2006 is 25 days. For the same period the national average time for local authorities to process a housing benefit claim is 34 days.
Performance management information returned by local authorities to the Department is published on the Housing Benefit Operational Database (HoBOD). HoBOD can be accessed using the following link:
Income Support: Lone Parents
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents (a) claiming income support and (b) who had been claiming income support for longer than five years had children aged (i) under three years, (ii) under five years, (iii) between five and 11 years, (iv) between three and 11 years and (v) over 11 years in each month since January 1992. [138726]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 23 May 2007]: The information is not available in the format requested. Because of changes in methodology comparable figures are not available prior to 1999. The available information is in the following tables.
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