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29 Sep 2008 : Column 2360W—continued
Video Games: Young People
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of retailers selling video games or DVDs to underage customers were recorded in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997; how many (a) cautions and (b) fines were issued to such retailers in each year; and what the average fine imposed was in each year. [223525]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 15 September 2008]: Information on the number of recorded offences of retailers selling video games or DVDs to underage customers is not collected centrally. This is a summary offence and is not included in the police recorded crime statistics.
Statistics on the number of police cautions issued, the number of fines imposed and the average fine have been provided by the Ministry of Justice and are given in the following table for 1997-2006.
| Offenders( 1) cautioned( 2) and fined for supplying video recording of classified work in breach of classification( 3) , England and Wales | |||
| Number of police cautions issued | Number of fines imposed | Average fine amount (£) | |
| (1) Companies, public bodies, etc. (2) These data are on a principal offence basis. (3) Video Recording Act 1984 S.11 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 S.88 (4). Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. | |||
Written Questions
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer Question 162680, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 6 November, on English language requirements. [171146]
Mr. Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 September 2008, Official Report, column 1562W.
Work and Pensions
Car Allowances
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mileage allowance is provided to each category of entitled worker by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [218480]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department ensures that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel and that they are reimbursed only for expenses which they actually and necessarily incur in the course of their official business. All members of staff in the Department for Work and Pensions are entitled to the same rates of mileage allowance, regardless of grade.
The rates differ according to the type of journey and type of vehicle used.
Staff driving their own vehicles are entitled to the following rates:
| Rate per mile (pence) | |
| (1 )Reimbursement of expenses incurred on mileage in excess of 1,000 miles per annum is subject to approval of a satisfactory business case. | |
Staff driving private user scheme vehicles are entitled to the following rates:
| Rate per mile (pence) | |
Child Support Agency: Manpower
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff worked for the Child Support Agency (a) at the latest date for which figures are available and (b) in 1997. [220621]
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.
Children: Maintenance
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals’ postal addresses have been disclosed by the Child Support Agency to their former partners; and if he will make a statement. [213819]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 30 June 2008]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
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 individuals’ postal addresses have been disclosed by the Child Support Agency to their former partners; and if he will make a statement. [213819]
It is not the practice of the Child Support Agency to provide details of an individual’s postal address to former partners. However, on occasion errors do occur and the Agency investigates each incident thoroughly and considers financial redress where appropriate. The Agency does not centrally collate records of these investigations.
The Agency’s records do show however that since January 2007, of the 1.3 million open child maintenance cases, the Information Commissioner’s Office have informed the Agency of just three complaints from our clients alleging unlawful disclosure. These complaints were investigated by the Child Support Agency and, where appropriate, consolatory payments were made by way of an apology for the inconvenience, worry and distress caused.
It is worth noting that there are also occasions where, with the consent of both parents, it may be in the interests of the child for the Agency to pass on contact details to either parent. The Agency is currently looking at how it can facilitate this transfer of information within the framework of the Data Protection Act.
The Agency takes the protection of personal information very seriously. If you have any concerns relating to a particular case, I would be happy to investigate and respond accordingly.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps are taken when child support payments are wrongly awarded because of faults in computer systems; and if he will make a statement; [221194]
(2) how many child support overpayments there have been due to computer errors in (a) England, (b) Wakefield District and (c) Hemsworth constituency; [221214]
(3) what account is taken of the financial situation of the families involved when Child Support Agency overpayments are collected. [221215]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, 29 September 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 steps are taken when child support payments are wrongly awarded because of faults in computer systems; and if he will make a statement [221194]; and
How many child support overpayments there have been due to computer errors in (a) England (b) Wakefield District and (c) Hemsworth constituency [221214]; and
What account is taken of the financial situation of the families involved when Child Support Agency overpayments are collected. [221215]
Section 41B of the Child Support Act 1991 enables the Secretary of State to recover payments of child maintenance from the parent with care, where those payments are not validly made due to a computer fault or any other error, or where the non-resident parent has overpaid. In these circumstances, the Secretary of State will provide the parent with care with a written demand for repayment. In some cases, it may be possible to recover overpayments by temporarily reducing any ongoing maintenance due to the parent with care.
In the event that a parent with care is required to repay any overpaid child maintenance in accordance with Section 41B, the Secretary of State must have first considered the impact on any child affected by the decision. The Secretary of State may decide not to pursue recovery in the event that taking such action would have a seriously adverse impact on any child within the parent with care's household.
Information on the number of child support overpayments made due to computer error is not available.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Commercial Directorate
Chris Grayling:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) organisational charts for the structure of the Commercial Directorate below divisional level, (b) organisational charts showing the relationships between the Commercial Directorate and the Provision Delivery and Performance Division (WWEG—Work, Welfare and Equality Group—Delivery Directorate) and (c) a sample role description of a (i) Field Financial Appraisal and Monitoring (FAM) team member, (ii) Third Party Provision Manager, as
referred to in chapter 2, paragraph 37 of DWP Provider Guidance and (iii) Contract Manager, as referred to in q.206, Flexible New Deal Question and Answer Log. [219495]
Mrs. McGuire: An organisational chart for the structure of the Commercial Directorate has been placed in the Library.
The relationships between the Commercial Directorate and the Provision Delivery and Performance Division (Work, Welfare and Equality Group Delivery Directorate) cannot be explained through an organisational chart. However, the Provision Delivery and Performance Division is the primary link to the Commercial Directorate for the sourcing and management of commercially delivered employment programmes.
The Provision Delivery and Performance Division has responsibility for:
development of the Work, Welfare and Equality Group's commissioning and market strategy for employment programmes;
financial allocations for third party programme provision;
monitoring contracted employment programmes;
Department for Work and Pensions' input to the European Social Fund programme; and
delivering ongoing product support to existing programmes.
Within the Commercial Directorate, the relationship with the Work, Welfare and Equality Group is led by the Commercial Employment Provision team. This has the role of:
providing commercial advice on the development of new welfare to work initiatives that involve commercial delivery;
developing and leading sourcing approaches for individual programmes;
managing performance by suppliers throughout the life of contracts; and
managing the development of the supplier market in line with the Commissioning Strategy, published in February 2008 (Cmnd 7330).
Sample role descriptions for the following posts have been placed in the Library:
Field Financial Appraisal and Monitoring (FAM) team member;
Third Party Provision Manager; and
Contract Manager.
Council Tax Benefit
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was received in council tax benefit on average by claimant families with a child (a) claiming and (b) not claiming disability living allowance in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [216549]
Mr. Plaskitt: As at May 2004, the most recent available information, the average amount of council tax benefit paid to families with one or more children, where disability living allowance was in payment to a member of the family was £15.23. For families with one or more children where nobody in the family received disability living allowance, the average amount of council tax benefit was £13.27.
Notes:
1. Council tax benefit excludes any second adult rebate cases.
2. Average weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny.
3. A family refers to a lone claimant or couple with responsibility for at least one child.
Source:
Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system, annual 1 per cent sample, taken in May 2004.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion and number of council tax benefit recipients receive less than 100 per cent. council tax benefit. [224088]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 16 September 2008]: The available information is in the table.
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