| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
18 Feb 2008 : Column 255W—continued
The second release of the “My DWP” project, scheduled for June, will introduce the benefit adviser service. The website will then provide a self service channel for
citizens to find the benefits they may be entitled to; help themselves find work and plan for retirement. Better off calculations will form part of this suite of services.
We are currently working with departmental agencies to determine the implementation approach for the release of the better off calculator, including training needs. Because of this we are not yet in a position to state definitively what training will be given to Jobcentre Plus staff. However, the expectation is that the training will be low key.
Social Security Benefits: Arrears
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps are being taken by his Department to pay benefit claimants benefits not paid in 2006-07 due to (a) official and (b) customer error; [178599]
(2) what estimate he has made of the time it will take to pay benefit claimants the benefits underpaid in 2006-07 due to (a) official and (b) customer error; [178600]
(3) what proportion of benefit claimants who were underpaid benefits in 2006-07 due to (a) official and ( b) customer error have now received their full benefit entitlement for that year. [178601]
Mr. Plaskitt: Reducing underpayments or overpayments of benefit is a priority for the Department. To address this, we are implementing our comprehensive and ambitious error reduction strategy, published on 24 January 2007. Copies of our error strategy—Getting Welfare Right: Tackling Error in the benefits system—are available in the Library and can also be viewed online at:
In all cases where underpayments are identified, monies due are paid as soon as possible.
It is not possible to say what proportion of the total number of claimants who were underpaid in 2006-07 have had their benefits corrected.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a winter fuel payment in (a) Houghton and Washington, East constituency and (b) the City of Sunderland in the most recent period for which figures are available. [184900]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In winter 2006-07 we made 16,670 winter fuel payments to people in the Houghton and Washington, East constituency, and 54,090 winter fuel payments to people in the Sunderland local authority. We expect the numbers to be similar for this winter.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
Source:
Information directorate 100 per cent data.
Illegal Immigrants: Security Guards
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the illegal workers employed in the security industry and the subject of the Home Secretary’s oral statement of 13 November 2007, Official Report, columns 531-3, on security industry authority, were issued with (a) temporary national insurance numbers or (b) national insurance numbers after 31 July 2006. [181143]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information on national insurance numbers is not currently available.
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is currently conducting an exercise to determine the right to work status of SIA licence holders. If, following completion of the legal appeals process, an SIA licence is revoked because the holder has failed to demonstrate the right to work in the UK, the SIA will provide DWP with the information they require. This will enable a check to be made upon whether the individuals concerned were issued with a valid national insurance number by DWP and under what circumstances.
The Department for Work and Pensions does not issue temporary national insurance numbers.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 18 February 2008
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Agriculture: Subsidies
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many individuals received £200,000 or more from the single farm payments scheme in each year for which figures are available; and how much was paid to those recipients in each such year. [185263]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 7 February 2008]: The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) 2005 and 2006 payments to individuals who received £200,000 or more are reflected in the following table:
| Individuals | Total amount (£) | |
SPS 2007 payments are still being made and RPA cannot provide equivalent figures at this stage.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers in Ribble Valley constituency have not been paid their entitlement under the Single Payment Scheme; for what reasons; and if he will make a statement. [186281]
Jonathan Shaw: Detailed analysis of the number of claimants that have not been paid their entitlements under the single payment scheme in Ribble Valley constituency is not available. Once the remaining scheme payments have been completed, a decision will be taken on the level of detail that will be published.
Aluminium: Recycling
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his assessment is of the contribution made by UK recycling of aluminium to (a) waste reduction and (b) reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and if he will make a statement. [185578]
Joan Ruddock: The recycling of all metals yields significant greenhouse gas benefits since large amounts of energy are needed to extract and process the raw material. Each tonne of aluminium recycled saves 11 tonnes of CO2. For 2008, we are expecting the recycling of aluminium packaging alone to save over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Metals already achieve a high rate of recycling and the greatest further potential lies with non-ferrous metals, and particularly aluminium. High recycling of
aluminium already occurs in some industries and for some products, but there are areas where more can be achieved. Small increases in recycling tonnages would yield extensive greenhouse gas benefits. This is why the Government have identified aluminium as one of seven priority materials for action in the Waste Strategy 2007.
Animals: Nature Conservation
Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what species he is considering removing from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and what mechanisms he plans to put in place to monitor the effects of removal from the Schedule on wild populations of such species. [185858]
Joan Ruddock: The list of species to be removed from schedule 4 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 has not been finalised and will be subject to further discussions with the Devolved Administrations. I hope the revised schedule will take effect from 1 October 2008.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Statutory Nature Conservation Agencies support a range of bird surveillance and monitoring schemes in the United Kingdom, usually in partnership with specialist non-Government organisations. Surveillance schemes may include annual or periodic assessment of population size and distribution and allow trends in both to be derived; they are tailored to provide comprehensive coverage of common and rare species in both breeding and non-breeding seasons.
The National Wildlife Crime Unit will continue to monitor incidents of illegal persecution, including theft of birds from the wild.
Some species that may be removed from schedule 4 are also subject to sales controls under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Animal Health Agency and the JNCC would be able to monitor levels of trade for these species.
For non-CITES species, Natural England will consider whether stringent sales controls are required. Natural England would consider whether individual licences would be appropriate for species based on threats to their conservation status.
My Department will work with the Devolved Administrations, the JNCC and the Animal Health Agency to investigate the potential of DNA testing for a sample of birds currently registered to check they are of legitimate stock and provide baseline data on any future parenting claims made for the species.
Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account is taken of the conservation status of species at (a) UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales, (e) Northern Ireland and (f) regional level in deciding whether to retain species on Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [185859]
Joan Ruddock:
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) considered the conservation status of species which formed a key part of the consultation
on the “Review of registration under section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in England, Scotland and Wales”.
No decision has yet been taken on which species should remain on Schedule 4. The revised criterion for deciding which species should be listed on Schedule 4 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are:
1. Those species which occur in the wild state in the UK and whose wild population is so small that the taking of a few individuals would have a detrimental impact on the conservation status of the wild population in the UK.
2. Whether the listing on Schedule 4 of the species meeting the criterion above was a proportionate burden for the keepers of these particular species. This takes account of issues such as value of the species, their longevity and any demand for keeping.
Biofuels
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of biofuel production on (a) rainforest deforestation, (b) UK food prices and (c) UK greenhouse gas emissions. [184891]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) gave in response to questions (a) and (b) from the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers) on 28 November 2007, Official Report, column 447W.
The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation will require fuel suppliers to ensure that a specified percentage of their fuel sales are from a renewable source from April this year. The Department for Transport has estimated that biofuels used to meet the obligation will result in net lifecycle savings of around 2.6 to 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum in 2010, when the obligation reaches 5 per cent.
Birds: Conservation
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) criteria and (b) evidential basis are for decisions on species to be removed from Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [184715]
Joan Ruddock: The criteria for deciding which species should be listed on schedule 4 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are:
1. Those species which occur in the wild state in the UK and whose wild population is so small that the taking of a few individuals would have a detrimental impact on the conservation status of the wild population in the UK.
2. Whether the listing on schedule 4 of the species meeting the aforementioned criterion was a proportionate burden for the keepers of these particular species. This takes account of issues such as value of the species, their longevity and any demand for keeping.
My Department has received a wide range of views and evidence on the species to be listed on schedule 4. Conservation evidence was primarily provided by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, while evidence of the impact on keepers has been provided by the Animal Health Agency, keepers’ organisations and other trade bodies.
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with colleagues in the devolved administrations on Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; what contingency plans he has made for circumstances in which no agreement is reached; and how much funding he has allocated for action in such circumstances. [184716]
Joan Ruddock: The species to be listed on schedule 4 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for Scotland and Wales is a matter for the Scottish and Welsh administrations respectively. I have written to my colleagues in the devolved Administrations on a number of occasions to update them on developments in relation to schedule 4 in England.
I am awaiting their responses to my most recent letters advising them that I have decided to retain the bird registration scheme in England.
British Waterways Board: Finance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will conduct a further review of the funding and financing of British Waterways. [186489]
Jonathan Shaw: Following the announcement of the Government’s comprehensive spending review, DEFRA is now going through a business planning process, during which the budget for British Waterways (BW) will be determined for the next three years. As part of this process, we are working with BW to understand the implications of different levels of spending. While we do not anticipate a further review of BW funding at present, BW, with our support, is currently undertaking a review of its status as a public corporation to identify whether or not a different structure might be more beneficial, for example through enabling greater investment in the waterways.
Carbon Emissions: Finance
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations received funding from his Department to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in each of the last five years; how much each received; and what volume of emissions each saved in each year. [182571]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested can be found in the departmental report 2007, which is available on the DEFRA website.
Climate Change
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how he plans, under clauses 48 and 49 of the Climate Change Bill, to involve the devolved administrations in the preparation of reports on the impact of climate change and programmes for adaptation to climate change. [186447]
Mr. Woolas: We are currently in discussion with the devolved Administrations about how we will work together on these, and other clauses of the Bill. The Bill is still under discussion and subject to change.
Departmental Advertising
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of his Department’s expenditure was on advertising in each year since establishment. [182988]
Jonathan Shaw: The core departmental expenditure on advertising for the past four available financial years is set out in the following table.
| Financial year | Departmental expenditure (£000) | Advertising spend (£000) | Percentage |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |