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21 Jun 2007 : Column 2233W—continued
National Insurance
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many temporary national insurance numbers were issued between April 2006 and April 2007. [144080]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 2 October 2006, Official Report, column 2593W.
National Insurance Contributions
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of increasing the upper earnings limit for personal accounts in line with the proposed increase in the upper earnings limit for national insurance contributions on the intended focus of personal accounts on those on median and below median earnings. [137975]
James Purnell: The personal accounts earnings band thresholds will be set at around £5,000 and £33,500 (in 2006-07 terms) uprated thereafter annually in line with average earnings. This will establish the thresholds in their own right and break the link with tax and NICs thresholds and will ensure that personal accounts is targeted at moderate to low earners.
National Insurance Contributions: Rebates
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people (a) aged 44 and over in appropriate personal pensions and (b) aged 48 and over in money purchase schemes for whom contracted-out rebates may not replace foregone state second pension benefits; and if he will make a statement; [141175]
(2) how many UK citizens are in (a) appropriate personal pensions (APPs) and (b) money purchase schemes which are contracted-out; how many of these people are aged (i) over 44 in APPs and (ii) over 48 in money purchase schemes; and if he will make a statement. [141177]
James Purnell: Information on the number of people contracted out on a defined contribution basis for the latest year for which validated data are available, broken down by the scheme types and age groups specified, is in the table.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what action he has taken to inform individuals (a) aged 44 and over in appropriate personal pensions and (b) aged 48 and over in money purchase schemes that their contracted-out rebates may not replace the foregone state second pension benefits; and if he will make a statement; [141176]
(2) whether it is the policy of his Department to encourage people over the age of 40 years to take up opted out defined contribution pension schemes; and if he will make a statement. [141205]
James Purnell: Contracting out on a defined contribution basis when over the “pivotal age” (currently 44 for personal pensions and 48 for occupational schemes) is not usually financially beneficial, particularly where there is no employer pension contribution. However, an individual may have their own reasons for making this choice as contracting out offers flexibility not available under the State pension scheme. It is not the Department’s policy to encourage or discourage people from contracting out. It is for individuals to decide what sort of pension provision is best for them, given their own personal circumstances.
Selling and advising on all personal pension schemes, including appropriate personal pensions, is subject to the Financial Services Authority’s rules on marketing and promotion, provision of suitable advice and provision of information at the point of sale. In addition, in relation to contracting out via an appropriate personal pension scheme, The Financial Services Authority Factsheet “The State Second Pension—should you be contracted out?” says that those in older age groups are likely to be financially worse off by contracting out.
New Deal
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his statement of 4 June 2007, Official Report, column 3, on the new deal, if he will respond to the report by David Freud entitled Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future before the summer recess. [143616]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 20 June 2007]: We will respond to the Freud report in the summer.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on the new deal for disabled people in each year since 2001. [142539]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The available information is in the following table.
| New Deal for Disabled People | |
| Spend (£ million) | |
| Notes: 1. Data are in financial not calendar years. 2. Following agreement with HM Treasury in 2002-03, ring fences were removed from new deal. Administrative costs are excluded as it is no longer possible to identify the costs of administering the costs of each new deal separately from the costs of other labour market activities. Source: DWP Departmental Reports 2004-05, Jobcentre Plus Accounts 2005-06. | |
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what training is compulsory for people who are entering the new deal for disabled people for the (a) first time and (b) second and subsequent times; [143569]
(2) what training is compulsory for people who are entering the New Deal 50 plus for the (a) first time and (b) second and subsequent times; [143571]
(3) what training is compulsory for people who are entering the new deal for lone parents for the (a) first time and (b) second and subsequent times. [143572]
Mr. Jim Murphy: New deal for disabled people, new deal 50 plus and new deal for lone parents are all voluntary programmes and no element of these programmes is compulsory for participants.
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many lone parents participated in the new deal in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north east and (d) Great Britain in each year since its inception; [143274]
(2) how many people over 50 years participated in the new deal in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north east and (d) the UK in each year since its inception; [143275]
(3) how many over 25-year-olds participated in the new deal in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north east and (d) the UK in each year since its inception; [143319]
(4) how many young people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north east and (d) the UK participated in the new deal in each year since its inception; [143320]
(5) how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north east and (d) the UK participated in the new deal in each year since its inception. [143505]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The available information is in the following tables.
| New deal in Jarrow parliamentary constituency | |||||
| People starting | |||||
| New deal for young people | New deal 25 plus | New deal for lone parents | New deal 50 plus | New deal | |
| New deal in South Tyneside local authority | |||||
| People starting | |||||
| New deal for young people | New deal 25 plus | New deal for lone parents | New deal 50 plus | New deal | |
| New deal in north east Jobcentre Plus region | |||||
| People starting | |||||
| New deal for young people | New deal 25 plus | New deal for lone parents | New deal 50 plus | New deal | |
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