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5 Dec 2007 : Column 1281W—continued
(iv) the establishment of environmental targets and monitoring programmes, and
(v) the identification and implementation of measures to achieve good environmental status.
The target dates for each of these steps are still being negotiated.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government intends to extend the protected areas of UK seas with marine reserves, as proposed in the draft Marine Bill. [171202]
Jonathan Shaw: The proposed Marine Bill will provide the necessary mechanisms to complete our network of marine protected areas (adding to our European sites), by allowing Marine Conservation Zones to be designated for features of national importance.
Our nature conservation agencies are developing a scientific rationale for selecting sites and the design principles for a network of marine protected areas. We are keen to complete the network as soon as possible and have received a commitment from Natural England to enable a designated network of sites by 2012.
Trapping
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the use of snares. [171221]
Joan Ruddock: The Government consider that where there is a need for wildlife management then the proper use of snares is one of a range of control methods. Used according to best practice, snares can be an effective and practical means of wildlife management and are needed where other forms of pest control are ineffective or impractical.
The Government are committed to working to improve the legal use of snares. In 2005 DEFRA published its ‘Snares Action Plan’ and the ‘Code of Good Practice on the use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control in England’. The DEFRA Code of Good Practice details the legal obligations for people using snares in England and emphasises the importance of weighing the possible risks to the welfare of wildlife against the need to capture pest animals. People choosing to use snares should be aware not only of their responsibilities under the law but also of these guidelines for good practice.
Water
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will rationalise the structure of those bodies responsible for surface water. [169854]
Mr. Woolas: The Government are currently examining approaches to the management of surface water drainage. As part of the upcoming Government Water Strategy, Future Water, due to be published early in 2008, we will review the institutional arrangements for those bodies responsible for surface water. This work will take on board recommendations from Sir Michael Pitt’s interim report on the summer’s flooding due shortly and the 15 pilot projects we are funding to identify improvements to the management of urban drainage.
Work and Pensions
Benefits
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people between the ages of (a) 18 to 25, (b) 25 to 45 and (c) 45 to 65 received incapacity benefit by cheque or benefit book in the latest period for which figures are available; [170528]
(2) how many people between the ages of (a) 18 to 25, (b) 25 to 45 and (c) 45 to 65 received jobseeker's allowance payments by cheque or benefit book in the latest period for which figures are available. [170530]
Mr. Plaskitt: The following table shows the number of people between the ages of (a) 18 to 24 (b) 25 to 44 and (c) 45 to 64 who receive incapacity benefit and jobseeker's allowance payments by cheque.
Benefit books were phased out during 2003 to 2005 under the Payment Modernisation Programme. Direct Payment is now the normal method of payment, and 98 per cent. of our customers are paid this way.
| Recipients paid by cheque | Age 18 to 24 | Age 25 to 44 | Age 45 to 64 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures are taken from the latest available data at 27 October 2007. 3. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment in Great Britain on the specified date. 4. Incapacity benefit recipients include those receiving passported incapacity benefit (PIB). Source: DWP, Information Directorate. | |||
Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: Public Appointments
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs his Department incurred in recruiting the Chair designate of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. [169096]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 25 July 2007, Official Report, column 87WS. The breakdown of recruitment costs for individual posts is commercially confidential.
Child Support
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made in introducing the new child support system; and when the system will apply to all the Child Support Agency's clients. [168919]
Mr. Plaskitt: The first concrete steps in implementing our reforms have been taken, in the appointment of the Chair designate Janet Paraskeva, and in the announcement at the pre-Budget report of increases to the child maintenance disregard to £20 a week by the end of next year, and to £40 a week from April 2010.
We set out the expected timetable for transition to the new system in the child maintenance White Paper “A new system of child maintenance” box 3.1 on page 54.
The transfer of cases into a single system is expected to start in 2010-11 and take around three years. In 2012-13, all clients will be on a single set of rules managed by a single organisation.
Child Support Agency
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many uncleared applications are outstanding under the Child Support Agency’s operational improvement plan. [167259]
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 5 December 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 uncleared applications were outstanding under the Operational Improvement Plan.
The Agency has made significant progress in improving its service to clients and particularly in reducing the number of uncleared applications. In March 2005 there were a total of 319,000 uncleared applications, 226,000 of which were new scheme applications. At the end of September, at the halfway point of the Operational Improvement Plan, the Agency had reduced the number of uncleared applications to 162,000 of which 128,000 were new scheme applications.
Further information can be found in Table 2.1 of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons library or at the following link:
I hope you find this answer helpful
Child Support Agency: Complaints
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the Child Support Agency (CSA) to implement the request by the Independent Case Examiner that the CSA should forward papers relating to the complaint by Mrs. Burton-Mortimer of Ferndown under ICE Ref No. CSA01227/07; and what the reason is for the time taken to respond to this request. [168218]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 26 November 2007]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 5 December 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, when the Child Support Agency (CSA) will implement the request by the Independent Case Examiner that the CSA should forward papers relating to the complaint by Mrs. Burton-Mortimer of Ferndown under ICE Ref No. CSA01227/07; and what the reason is for the time taken to respond to this request. [168218]
As details about individual cases are confidential. I have written to you separately about this case.
Child Support Agency: ICT
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what planned expenditure is for new information technology systems and support for the Child Maintenance and Enforcements Commission in the first year of its operation. [166358]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available as the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission’s expenditure on IT is commercially sensitive.
Children: Maintenance
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who were being dealt with by the Child Support Agency (CSA) but have made voluntary financial agreements and are no longer being dealt with by the CSA in the last five years. [166353]
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 5 December 2007:
In reply to your 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, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who were being dealt with by the Child Support Agency (CSA) but have made voluntary financial agreements and are no longer being dealt with by the CSA in the last five years. [166353]
Information on the number of cases with Maintenance Direct as their preferred method of collection is provided in the attached table. These cases have been initially assessed by the Child Support Agency and both parents have come to an agreement that maintenance payments will be made directly without the further involvement of the Agency. These cases are still recorded by the Agency, and if their arrangement is not successful they may return to the Agency to have money collected via the Agency’s Collection Service.
In addition, some child maintenance applications may have been cancelled or withdrawn as a result of both parents coming to their own arrangements. The reason for a case being cancelled or withdrawn is not held on the Agency’s management information, and therefore we cannot provide figures on the number of these cases which go on to make their own voluntary financial arrangement.
It is also possible for parents with care who are not receiving benefit to come to their own arrangement without informing the Agency, meaning they are not recorded as Maintenance Direct cases. The most recent estimate is that there are currently around 500,000 voluntary arrangements in place that are made without any involvement of the Child Support Agency.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
| Number of cases where maintenance is due and Maintenance Direct is the preferred method of collection | |
| Month | Maintenance Direct Cases |
| Notes:(1)Includes all cases where maintenance is due and preferred method of collection is Maintenance Direct. (2)Figures are rounded to nearest 100. | |
Credit Unions
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which credit unions received funding from the Growth Fund in the last round of such funding. [166011]
Mr. Plaskitt: The following organisations received funding in the latest Growth Fund procurement exercise. Since the Growth Fund began over 100 organisations have been contracted to deliver the Growth Fund affordable lending service.
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