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18 Oct 2007 : Column 1258W—continued
Housing Benefit: Fraud
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fraudulent claims for housing benefit there were in each of the last 10 years, broken down by super-output area. [157194]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.
Jobseekers Allowance
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseekers allowance applications have been received from qualified or part-qualified home inspectors in the last 12 months. [157513]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
Maternity Pay: Fraud
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fraudulent applications for maternity pay there were in each of the last 10 years; and how many of the claimants were men. [157195]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Pension Credit: Fraud
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of pension credit fraud were (a) opened and (b) successfully closed in each of the last three years. [157196]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
| Investigations into suspected cases of pension credit fraud | ||
| Number of investigations | Investigations closed with a result( 1) | |
| (1) A result is an investigation closed with an identified overpayment, underpayment, monetary value of adjustment or sanction. Notes: 1. Pension credit came into effect in October 2003 so during 2004-05 the benefit had only been in place for six months which explains the low number of investigations. 2. The number of investigations into pension credit fraud reduced in 2006-07 as many of the cases that were previously investigated by Fraud Investigation Service were instead passed to the newly formed customer compliance team. Information regarding the number of customer compliance cases opened and successfully closed with a result is not available broken down by benefit. Source: Fraud Information by sector computer system | ||
Pensions: Females
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals he intends to bring forward for women who do not have enough National Insurance contributions for a full state pension. [158252]
Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
The Pensions Act 2007 introduced reforms that will ensure that, in 2010, almost 75 per cent. of women will be entitled to a full basic state pension when they reach state pension age. By 2020 around 90 per cent. of women and over 90 per cent. of men reaching state pension age will be entitled to a full basic state pension.
As set out in the 2007 pre-Budget report, during the Pensions Bill debate, proposals were made that individuals with gaps in their contribution record—particularly women and carers—should be able to buy voluntary national insurance contributions for a greater number of missed years than the system currently allows. The Government are continuing to analyse the options in terms of fairness, affordability and simplicity, and are holding informal discussions with stakeholders.
Pensions: Fraud
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of pension or pension credit fraud were investigated where the false claimant was under 60 years old in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by government office region. [157186]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Remploy: Redundancy
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to ensure that no disabled people are subject to compulsory redundancies as a result of changes announced by the management of Remploy; and if he will make a statement. [156654]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 8 October 2007]: We have guaranteed that there will be no compulsory redundancies for disabled people. This was clearly highlighted in my statement to Parliament in July 2006 and reaffirmed by the Secretary of State’s statement on 22 May 2007.
Where Remploy are proposing that a factory will close, disabled employees will be offered a range of options including voluntary redundancy, early retirement or a job with another local employer on their current Remploy terms and conditions, including membership of Remploy’s pension scheme. Some disabled employees will have the opportunity to transfer to another Remploy factory.
A decision on the future of Remploy will be made, once we receive Remploy’s final proposals later this year. Until then, no Government decision will be made concerning Remploy’s factories.
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many charges of benefit fraud were made in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many such charges resulted in a prosecution in each year; and how many such prosecutions were successful in each year. [155933]
Mr. Plaskitt: Information is not available regarding the number of charges for benefit fraud. Information regarding the number of prosecutions and convictions is in the following table.
United Kingdom Advisory Network on Disability Equality
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library the report of the meeting of the United Kingdom Advisory Network on Disability Equality held on 5 October. [158037]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 15 October 2007]: The United Kingdom Advisory Network on Disability Equality, known as Equality 2025 did not have a meeting on the 5 October 2007.
Winter Fuel Payments: Fraud
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fraudulent claims for winter fuel allowance there were in each of the last five years; and of these how many claimants were aged under 60 years. [157191]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Treasury
Global Business Plan
16. Chris McCafferty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Norwegian Prime Minister on the global business plan joint-initiative; and if he will make a statement. [158874]
Kitty Ussher: The UK is strongly committed to achieving the millennium development goals for health. Prime Ministers Brown and Stoltenberg jointly launched the International Health Partnership in September, which aims to improve the effectiveness of global health funding, and the UK strongly supports the Norwegian-led global campaign for the health MDGs. UK officials have worked closely with Norway and other international partners in developing the campaign.
Financial Advice
17. Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to raise the quality of financial advice available to consumers. [158875]
Kitty Ussher: The Financial Services Authority is reviewing the retail distribution of financial products, reporting next year. Adviser qualifications are part of this review.
The Government has asked Otto Thoresen to examine the feasibility of a high-quality national generic financial advice service. He will report in the new year. The Government will respond next spring.
Through its Financial Inclusion Fund, the Government have provided over £50 million to fund free face-to-face money advice for financially excluded people.
Tax Credits
18. Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claimants of tax credits are being pursued for repayment; and what total sum is involved. [158876]
Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on the number of families with an overpayment can be found in child and working tax credits statistics finalised awards supplement on payments on HMRC’s website. Information on the amount to be recovered can be found in Chapter 2 Figure 4 of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s standard report in the HM Revenue and Customs 2006-07 accounts.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who have claimed tax credits in the past and continue to be eligible for them but no longer claim them. [158867]
Jane Kennedy: A family’s tax credit claim is renewed automatically as they finalise their previous year’s award for tax credits if they continue to be eligible. Tax credits take-up is a success. The latest figures show that in 2004-05 take up of the child tax credit was 82 per cent. with over 90 per cent. of the money available being claimed, higher than any previous system of income-related financial support for in-work families.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking in response to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration’s October 2007 report “Tax Credits: Getting it Wrong”. [158872]
Jane Kennedy: I refer to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett).
Council Tax
19. Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact of the spending plans announced in the comprehensive spending review on the level of council tax in the next three years. [158877]
Andy Burnham: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor set out to this House in his pre-Budget report statement we expect the overall council tax rise over the next three years to be substantially below 5 per cent.
Youth Employment
20. Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact of trends in youth employment on the UK economy. [158878]
22. Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact of trends in youth employment on the UK economy. [158880]
Angela Eagle: The number of young people unemployed and claiming benefits has fallen by 163,000 since 1997 and those on benefits for more than a year has been reduced by over 90 per cent.
Structural Deficit
21. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the UK’s structural deficit in comparison to other EU economies; and if he will make a statement. [158879]
Kitty Ussher: Cyclically-adjusted net borrowing in the UK has averaged 1.0 per pent. of GDP over the current economic cycle. Over the same period, the structural balance has averaged 1.9 per cent. in the euro area, 2.1 per cent. in France, 2.3 per cent. in Germany and 2.8 per cent. in Italy.
23. Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the reasons for the difference between the UK’s structural deficit and those of the other major EU economies. [158881]
Kitty Ussher: Cyclically-adjusted net borrowing in the UK has averaged 1.0 per cent. of GDP over the current economic cycle. Over the same period, the structural balance has averaged 1.9 per cent. in the euro area, 2.1 per cent. in France, 2.3 per cent. in Germany and 2.8 per cent. in Italy.
With output close to or at trend throughout the projection period, the profile of cyclically-adjusted borrowing is very similar to that of headline PSNB. Cyclically-adjusted borrowing is slightly higher than the main aggregate in 2007-08 because the economy appears to be slightly above trend in this year.
Hedge Funds
24. Mr. Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on the regulation of hedge funds. [158882]
Kitty Ussher: The Financial Services Authority is responsible for the regulation of hedge fund managers operating in the UK. It has published a number of documents setting out its approach in this area. The Treasury discusses hedge fund regulation regularly with the FSA. The Financial Stability Forum has published five recommendations to improve the existing supervisory and market response to the risks of hedge funds and the Financial Services Authority is working closely with international supervisors to implement these.
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