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29 Oct 2007 : Column 757W—continued

Housing: Carbon Monoxide

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government have taken to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in private student accommodation. [160204]

Mrs. McGuire: The Government last week gave full support to “CO Awareness week” that was designed to raise public appreciation of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

A ministerial group on gas safety this month received details from the gas and allied industries about plans this winter to publicise widely the dangers of CO poisoning. The role of the ministerial group was announced in June this year.

Looking ahead, the Government have announced a major reform of the gas installer registration scheme, to include a new requirement on the appointed provider to promote new initiatives on raising public awareness of gas safety risks, including in student rented accommodation.

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adults of working age were claiming incapacity benefits in (a) each Welsh unitary authority, (b) each English region, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) Northern Ireland (i) in 1997, (ii) in 2001, (iii) in 2005 and (iv) at the latest date for which figures are available. [160234]

Mrs. McGuire: Information about Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The available information is in the table.

29 Oct 2007 : Column 758W

Working age claimants of incapacity benefits by Welsh local authority
	February
	1997	2001	2005	2007
Isle of Anglesey	4,400	4,400	4,190	3,870
Gwynedd	6,800	6,410	6,060	5,860
Conwy	6,500	6,690	6,490	6,250
Denbighshire	6,500	6,180	6,080	5,850
Flintshire	8,300	8,040	7,410	7,010
Wrexham	10,200	8,600	8,070	7,740
Powys	6,500	6,080	5,910	5,630
Ceredigion	3,900	4,280	4,130	3,850
Pembrokeshire	8,200	7,380	7,140	6,640
Carmarthenshire	15,900	15,400	14,280	13,300
Swansea	20,800	18,330	17,280	16,090
Neath Port Talbot	16,800	15,060	13,950	12,940
Bridgend	12,500	11,640	10,950	10,620
The Vale of Glamorgan	6,500	6,240	6,160	5,910
Cardiff	18,500	18,700	18,390	17,870
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	25,600	25,750	23,360	22,000
Merthyr Tydfil	8,800	7,480	6,660	6,070
Caerphilly	19,400	17,560	16,640	15,680
Blaenau Gwent	9,800	8,110	7,750	7,250
Torfaen	8,700	7,480	6,870	6,560
Monmouthshire	3,700	3,800	3,750	3,590
Newport	9,400	9,090	8,670	8,340
Notes: 1. Five per cent. figures have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. totals. 2. 100 per cent. caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Five per cent. caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 4. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 6. Incapacity benefits are incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and 5 per cent. sample.

Working age claimants of incapacity benefits by Government office region
	February
	1997	2001	2005	2007
North East	179,500	185,920	177,460	164,300
North West	448,100	446,960	431,120	408,240
Yorkshire and the Humber	237,800	247,210	249,020	236,850
East Midlands	160,200	181,870	182,420	178,630
West Midlands	228,800	247,920	249,180	240,030
East of England	153,200	167,190	177,480	176,660
London	270,800	298,190	315,570	310,580
South East	208,200	224,160	238,360	237,260
South West	160,500	182,310	191,950	194,520
Wales	217,900	222,730	210,170	198,950
Scotland	326,400	335,030	322,740	304,080
Notes: 1. Five per cent. figures for 1997 have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. totals. 2. Claimants include credits only cases. 3. Figures refer to working age claimants of IB/SDA. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample, 1997. DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data 2001, 2005, 2007.

Incapacity Benefit: Eastern Region

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) East of England and (b) Suffolk had been claiming incapacity benefit for more than five years in each year since 1997. [161184]

29 Oct 2007 : Column 759W

Mrs. McGuire: The available information is in the following table.

Number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants with a duration of five years or more
Quarter ending February:	East of England	Suffolk
2001	74,530	9,310
2002	80,240	9,990
2003	85,490	10,550
2004	88,960	10,830
2005	91,550	11,160
2006	93,720	11,230
2007	95,320	11,370
Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures for claimants with a duration of claim of five years or over are not available prior to April 2000 as incapacity benefit was not introduced until April 1995. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Maintenance: Children

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many absent parents in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency are being dealt with by the Child Support Agency under the old rules; [158434]

(2) how many absent parents in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency have been transferred from the old to the new system of assessment by the Child Support Agency in each year since its introduction; and how many of these transfers were triggered by a new case involving the individual; [158435]

(3) what estimate his Department has made of the number of cases being dealt with by the Child Support Agency in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency under the old system will be current when the new organisation's rules are introduced. [158436]

Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 October 2007:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many absent parents in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency are being dealt with by the Child Support Agency under the old rules. [158434] and

How many absent parents in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency have been transferred from the old to the new system of assessment by the Child Support Agency in each year since its introduction; and how many of these transfers were triggered by a new case involving the individual. [158435] and

What estimate his Department has made of the number of cases being dealt with by the Child Support Agency in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency under the old system will be current when the new organisation's rules are introduced. [158436]

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