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31 Mar 2008 : Column 543W—continued
Local Housing Allowance
16. Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the implementation of the local housing allowance. [197205]
Mr. Plaskitt: The local housing allowance will roll out nationally from 7 April 2008 to all tenants who make a new claim for housing benefit in the de-regulated private rented sector.
It has already been successfully implemented and evaluated in 18 local authorities. The results of this evaluation have been extremely positive.
We have undertaken to review all aspects of the local housing allowance over the first two years of the scheme.
National Insurance Numbers
17. Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to allocate national insurance numbers to people who are discovered to have been trafficked into the UK. [197206]
Mr. Timms: Trafficked people who have been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK, and have access to work or benefits, will be eligible to apply for a national insurance number.
18. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many migrant workers have been given national insurance numbers in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England in the last three years. [197207]
Mr. Timms: Figures are available only for the last two years. In 2005-06, 8,400 national insurance numbers were issued to adult foreign nationals in Northamptonshire and 578,840 in England. In 2006-07, 8,170 numbers were issued in Northamptonshire and 614,780 in England.
Pensioner Benefits
19. Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to increase take-up of benefit entitlements by pensioners. [197208]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We want every pensioner to claim the benefits they are entitled to which is why we have made claiming more straightforward. From October claims for state pension, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit can be made in one phone call with no forms to fill in and we are always looking at ways to make the application process simpler. As part of our drive to increase take up, I recently launched a communication campaign to target specific areas where take-up of entitlements is low. The campaign will explore partnership opportunities with Help the Aged, Age Concern, Citizens Advice and other partners.
21. John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to enable pensioners to take up their benefit entitlements. [197211]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We want every pensioner to claim the benefits they are entitled to which is why we have made claiming more straightforward. From October claims for state pension, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit can be made in one phone call with no forms to fill in and we are always looking at ways to make the application process simpler.
Child Support Agency
22. Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of the Child Support Agency was in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [197212]
Mr. Plaskitt: The cost of running the Child Support Agency for the 12 months to March 2007 was £520.3 million. In this period the Agency collected and arranged £898.1 million in maintenance payments benefiting almost 642,000 children.
Carers Allowances
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse would be of not offsetting carer's allowance against (a) the basic state pension and (b) other benefits. [195309]
Mr. Plaskitt: After adjusting for offsets in income-related benefits and pension credit, the estimated cost of exempting all pensioners with entitlement to carer's allowance from the overlapping benefits rule would be around £310 million.
This estimate does not take account of carers presently not claiming carer's allowance who might be encouraged to do so by a change in the rules.
The estimated cost of exempting all those of working age with entitlement to carer's allowance from the overlapping benefits rule after adjusting for offsets in income-related benefits would be around £90 million.
Child Support
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2008, Official Report, column 1393W, on child support, how much and what proportion of debt was collected in each year. [197350]
Mr. Plaskitt: 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 31 March 2008:
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, pursuant to the Answer of 20th March 2008, Official Report, column 1393W, on child support, how much and what proportion of debt was collected in each year. [197350]
The information that you have requested is not available. The Agency’s current assessment of collectable and uncollectable debt is based on an annual debt analysis exercise. This exercise examines a sample of cases to determine collectability based on the Agency’s past experience. It is an estimate and therefore subject to change as the Agency improves its debt collection and enforcement activities.
The Agency does not routinely categorise every individual case in this way and is therefore unable to supply the information that you have requested.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Child Support Agency: Correspondence
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the procedures are for the Child Support Agency to make electronic copies of correspondence (a) received and (b) sent by it. [195836]
Mr. Plaskitt: 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 31 March 2008:
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, what the procedures are for the Child Support Agency to make electronic copies of correspondence (a) received and (b) sent by it. [195836]
All written correspondence relating to a complaint, including those from either a client or a Member of Parliament, received by the Child Support Agency is scanned and stored electronically.
In addition, all correspondence relating to Child Support Agency issues addressed to the Chief Executive or to a Minister within the Department for Work and Pensions is scanned and stored electronically, as is any subsequent response.
The Agency does not routinely scan and electronically store correspondence received during the course of assessing an application or maintaining a case, but files this correspondence clerically. The Agency does however keep electronic copies of the letters and standard forms generated by the Agency’s computer system.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Child Support Agency: ICT
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008, Official Report, column 2591 on IT projects, what the (a) start date, (b) original planned completion date, (c) current expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) current estimated cost is for the Child Support Agency Operational Improvement Plan, including IT elements; and if he will make a statement. [194128]
Mr. Plaskitt: 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 31 March 2008:
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, pursuant to the Answer of 5th March 2008, Official Report, column 2591 on IT projects, what is the (a) start date, (b) original planned completion date, (c) current expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) current estimated cost for the Child Support Agency Operational Improvement Plan, including IT elements; and if he will make a statement. [194128].
The Child Support Agency Operational Improvement Plan was announced in February 2006. The plan sets out a business recovery programme for the three years to March 2009. Key commitments to improve the performance of the Agency are supported by a programme to design, develop and implement a process of organisational change. This is underpinned by continuing remediation of existing computer systems and the introduction of further IT enhancements in preparation for the new Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
The Operational Improvement Plan was funded in the main from releasing existing resource agreed as part of the 2004 spending review, supplemented by an additional £120 million new investment from within the Department. The total original planned cost of the Operational Improvement Plan was £320m and our estimated cost remains £320m. The Agency remains on track to meet its Operational Improvement Plan commitments by March 2009.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Departmental Pay
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the 24-hour overnight allowance for his Department’s civil servants based outside London is when working in London. [197343]
Mrs. McGuire: The 24-hour overnight allowances payable to DWP employees is a national rate and therefore the same whether employees are working in London or in any other part of the country.
Applicable rates are as follows:
Actual costs for accommodation and breakfast booked via the hotel booking agent. When not booked via the agent, costs must be supported by a receipt and are limited to £45(1).
In addition, a flat rate amount of £21 is payable to cover the cost of lunch, evening meal and any incidental travel(2). In exceptional circumstances, actual costs for meals and incidental travel is paid if expenses are incurred above the flat rate. Receipts will be required in these circumstances
If the individual chooses to stay with friends or relatives, then a night subsistence allowance of £25 is payable for each day.
Additionally, £5 per night is paid to cover personal incidental expenses such as newspapers or phone calls home.
(1) Hotel accommodation is normally arranged through a booking agent who charge DWP directly. In exceptional circumstances, the individual may arrange their own accommodation but expenses for this are limited to £45 per night.
(2) The rate reduces where individuals remain away from home for over 30 nights without a break of more than two weeks and remain in hotel accommodation. In these circumstances, the individual can claim the actual cost of the evening meal (excluding alcohol) up to £16.50.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what documents his Department, its associated agencies and non departmental bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English. [197587]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions translates a range of documents into other languages, as determined by each of the individual businesses and services. We have a range of policies to guide them, such as the Ethnic Language Standard, Welsh Language Scheme, Welsh Language Standard and our interpretation policy, which are based on legislation and best practice. When requested to do so by our customers, the Department is also required to provide customers with specific and personal communications, such as letters, in their preferred language.
The Department for Work and Pensions and non departmental bodies also produce all publications and services bilingually in English and Welsh, as both languages are treated equally under the Welsh Language Act.
Employment Benefits: Greater London
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of (a) one and (b) more than one work-related benefit in (i) London and (ii) each London borough in each of the last 10 years. [195902]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information about out-of-work benefits has been placed in the Library.
Employment: Sight Impaired
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many registered blind people of working age there are in (a) each region and (b) Bolton, South-East constituency. [195533]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
The following table shows the number of working-age people registered as blind or partially sighted, broken down by region. Figures broken down into constituencies are not held centrally.
The numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.
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