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9 July 2008 : Column 1689W—continued
Mr. Timms: The most common and internationally recognised threshold to measure poverty is income below 60 per cent. of median. Specific information regarding low income for the UK is available in “Households Below Average Income 1994/95 to 2006/07”. This annual National Statistics publication includes the number and proportion of individuals, children, working age adults and pensioners with incomes below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median income, and the proportion in persistent poverty. Information covering 40 per cent. of median income is not a sound measure of poverty and is not included in the Households Below Average Income series. This is because households stating the lowest incomes to the Family Resources Survey may not actually have the lowest living standards. Many people who report very low incomes appear to have high spending. Hence, any statistics on numbers in this group may be misleading.
The information is in the following table.
| Number and proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds in households below 40 per cent. of median income | |||||
| Before housing costs | After housing costs | ||||
| Coverage | Number below 40 per cent. of median income (Million) | Proportion below 40 per cent. of median income (Percentage) | Number below 40 per cent. of median income (Million) | Proportion below 40 per cent. of median income (Percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income data. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures is single financial years. 4. The Government’s preferred measure of relative low-income poverty is defined as being in a household with a household income of less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median income. The figures used in this response, based on a threshold of 40 per cent. of contemporary median income are not National Statistics and caution must be applied because those people stating the lowest incomes in the Family Resources Survey may not actually have the lowest living standards. 5. The methodology of the “Households Below Average Income” series uses disposable household income, adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 6. The figures are based on OECD equalisation factors. 7. Figures have been presented on both a before housing cost and after housing cost basis. For before housing cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing cost they are. This means that after housing cost incomes will generally be lower than before housing cost. 8. Numbers of 18 to 24-year-olds have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 individuals, while proportions of 18 to 24-year-olds have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP. | |||||
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in England and Wales have been prosecuted for benefit fraud on (a) more than one occasion and (b) more than two occasions in each of the last five years. [215002]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information on the number of successful convictions is for England, Wales and Scotland, and is in the following table.
| Number of people convicted for benefit fraud on more than one or two occasions in England, Wales and Scotland | ||
| Number of people convicted for benefit fraud on more than one occasion | Number of people convicted for benefit fraud on more than two occasions | |
| Note: Data are incomplete for 2007-08 due to the roll out of FRAIMS (Fraud Referral and Intervention Management System), the new national case management system for fraud work. Action is currently ongoing to resolve extraction of management information from FRAIMS on this specific issue. | ||
State Retirement Pensions
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the annual cost of increasing the basic state pension to £124.05, net of income related benefits and additional tax revenue (a) with and (b) without the winter fuel payment; and if he will make a statement. [216982]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The estimated net annual additional cost of increasing the full rate of basic state pension to £124.05 per week, net of both reductions in income related benefits and additional tax revenue, is around £13 billion in 2008-09.
(b) The estimated net annual additional cost of increasing the full rate of basic state pension to £124.05 per week, net of both reductions in income related benefits and additional tax revenue and taking into account expenditure saved from ceasing the Winter Fuel Payment, is around £10 billion in 2008-09.
1. The estimate is in 2008-09 prices and has been rounded to the nearest £ billion.
2. The estimate refers to the UK and overseas.
3. Reductions in income related benefit expenditure and additional tax revenue have been estimated using the Department's policy simulation model.
4. Estimated expenditure on winter fuel payments for 2008-09 takes into account additional payments announced in the Budget 2008.
Children, Schools and Families
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on alcohol dependency problems in different generations of one family; and what assessment he has made of means of reducing the likelihood of children of alcohol abusers themselves becoming alcohol abusers. [216491]
Beverley Hughes: A cross-Government group commissioned a systematic review of the impact of parental substance misuse which included alcohol from National Collaborating Centre for Drug Prevention (2006). From this evidence we know that parental alcohol misuse can seriously affect parenting capacity and has negative impacts on children's life chances. Not only does it increases health risks to the unborn child during pregnancy it raises risk of poor educational attainment, offending behaviour, substance misuse and emotional problems in later life.
This is why my Department is investing in targeted interventions for families at risk, which will reduce, over the long term, the number of young people at increased risk of—among others—misusing alcohol. These initiatives include intensive support services to reach the most chaotic families through the Family Interventions Project; and Family Pathfinders to develop local systems and services that improve outcomes for families at risk.
These family based interventions will be evaluated to assess if they are improving outcomes and reducing the risks with those affected by alcohol-misusing parents.
Departmental Official Hospitality
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2007, Official Report, column 460W, on departmental official hospitality, when he expects the list of hospitality received in 2007 by members of his Department's management board to be published. [215252]
Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him on 7 May 2008, Official Report, column 885W.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in each of the last 10 years. [215226]
Kevin Brennan: There is no centrally held record of the amount claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in this Department over the last 10 years. To collate this information would therefore incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many reviews of regulation his Department and its agencies have conducted or commenced since July 2007; and in which areas. [210889]
Kevin Brennan: There have been no reviews of regulations in this Department since July 2007. The arrangements for post legislative reviews of Acts of Parliament were set out in the White Paper “Post-legislative Scrutiny”, published in March 2008. We are presently considering all legislation enacted since 2005 which is within scope of the White Paper with a view to initiating discussions about the nature and timing of any reviews with the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee.
Information about regulations more generally including impact assessments, review timetables and reviews is not presently held centrally. However, we are in the process of centralising our records in the light of the increased focus on post implementation reviews following the introduction of the revised impact assessment process in November 2007. This will ensure that reviews are carried out systematically in future.
Morning Star
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008, Official Report, column 780W, on the Morning Star, whether his Department's (a) press office, (b) ministerial offices and (c) library subscribe to the Morning Star. [217446]
Kevin Brennan: The Department's press office, ministerial offices and library do not subscribe to the Morning Star.
Play: Finance
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding allocations his Department will make for children's play to each London local authority in ( a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [216922]
Beverley Hughes: Play and green spaces are an important demand on Government resources and substantial investment has been made in recent years. In the Children's Plan we committed to invest an additional £235 million to fund up to 3,500 public play areas nationally. The £235 million investment will build on existing funding, and provide a real opportunity to transform play areas throughout the country.
Historically, general funding of play has been dependent on local priorities via local area funding. We hope that this additional funding will emphasise our commitment to improving play provision for children and young people and encourage local areas to invest more in play opportunities.
There are currently five play pathfinder local authorities and seven playbuilder local authorities in London. The following tables show the minimum allocations for 2008-09 and indicative allocations for subsequent years for the London pathfinder and playbuilder authorities. Allocations will be finalised in autumn 2008 once we know the additional pathfinder and playbuilder authorities.
On average all pathfinder authorities will receive around £2 million capital funding and £500,000 revenue funding while playbuilder authorities will receive around £1 million capital and £46,000 revenue funding. Pathfinder authorities will deliver up to 28 play areas and a new adventure play area while playbuilder authorities will deliver around 20-25 play areas by 2011.
| Pathfinders | ||||||
| £ | ||||||
| Capital funding | Revenue funding | Total | ||||
| Local authority | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
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