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7 May 2009 : Column 375W—continued
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the effect on the public purse would be of increasing personal allowances for the purposes of calculating council tax benefits to £193 per week for (a) a single person aged 60 to 64 years, (b) a couple, one or both of whom is aged 60 to 65 years, (c) a single person aged under 25 years, (d) a single person aged 25 to 60 years and (e) a couple; and if he will estimate the effect such an increase would have on the number of council tax benefit claimants in each case. [268179]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 31 March 2009]: Estimates of the cost and number of council tax benefit (CTB) beneficiaries; and the saving and number of losers, if the personal allowance in CTB was £193, for the following groups:
Option 1—Single person aged 60 to 64 years;
Option 2—Couple, one or both of whom is aged 60 to 65 years;
Option 3—Single person aged under 25 years;
Option 4—Single person aged 25 to 60 years;
Option 5—Couple;
| Change of personal allowance in council tax benefit for some groups | |||||
| Personal allowance in CTB ( £193 ) | Number of beneficiaries | Cost in annually managed expenditure (£ million per year) | Number of losers | Saving in annually managed expenditure (£ million per year) | Impact on annually managed expenditure (£ million per year) |
| Notes: 1. All figures are for Great Britain. 2. ‘*’ Less than £5 million. 3. Beneficiaries and losers are rounded to the nearest 10,000. Costs and savings are rounded to the nearest £10 million. These estimates include both customers who gain/lose and those who become entitled to, or lose entitlement to the benefit. 4. Each beneficiary represents a benefit unit, which can be a single claimant or a couple. 5. The impact is estimated using the Department’s Policy Simulation Model for2008-09, using data from the 2006-07 Family Resources Survey up-rated to 2008-09 prices, benefit rates and earnings levels, and is calibrated to latest published forecasts and policies. 6. Results are subject to sampling and reporting errors and estimation assumptions, and are therefore indicative only. No behavioural changes are assumed. | |||||
Housing Benefit
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many housing benefit recipients were social housing tenants in each of the last three years; and how many were (a) local authority and (b) registered social landlord tenants; [272217]
(2) what percentage of housing benefit recipients were social housing tenants in each of the last three years; what proportion of those were ( a) local authority and (b) registered social landlord tenants. [272218]
Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the following tables.
| Number of housing benefit recipients who are social housing tenants in Great Britain—2005 to 2007 | ||||
| As at August each year | Total housing benefit | All social housing tenants | Local authority tenants | Registered social landlord tenants |
| Proportion of housing benefit recipients who are social housing tenants in Great Britain—2005 to 2007 | |||
| As at August each year | Percentage of housing benefit recipients who are social housing tenants | Percentage of social housing tenants who are local authority tenants | Percentage of social housing tenants who are registered social landlord tenants |
| Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Housing benefit figures have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 5. From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed HB/CTB data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics. However, until the new data have been fully quality assured to National Statistics standards, the most recent summary statistics available are for August 2007. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2005 to August 2007 | |||
Jobcentre Plus: Standards
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the performance of Jobcentre Plus in each (a) region and (b) Jobcentre Plus district against its employer outcome targets for (i) resolution, (ii) responsiveness and (iii) matching in (A) each year since the target was launched and (B) in each of the last 24 months. [264238]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked the acting chief executive to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Pension Credit
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Financial Statement of 22 April 2009, Official Report, column 249, on what date the capital limit for pension credit will increase; for which other (a) groups and (b) benefits the capital limits will be changed; and on what date these other changes will take effect. [271860]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 29 April 2009]: The capital thresholds for pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit for those who have attained the qualifying age for pension credit will be increased from £6,000 to £10,000 bringing these into line with the threshold for those living permanently in care homes. This change will take effect from paydays in the week commencing 2 November 2009.
The Government recognise the importance of supporting pensioners appropriately through the economic downturn. Increasing the capital threshold from £6,000 to £10,000 represents a generous increase in the thresholds and means that the proportion of pension credit recipients who will see their capital fully disregarded rises to 88 per cent. Half a million pensioners stand to gain from this change, with an average weekly gain of £4.
Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on implementation of provisions relating to drug users in the Welfare Reform Bill. [270910]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 24 April 2009]: DWP Ministers discuss matters of joint interest with the Secretary of State for Health including the provisions in the Welfare Reform Bill.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 264368, on jobseeker's allowance and voluntary drug rehabilitation programmes, tabled by the hon. Member for Rochdale on 13 March 2009 for answer on 18 March. [268845]
Mr. McNulty: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 115W.
Prime Minister
Cabinet: Glasgow
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the Cabinet met in Glasgow; and what the marginal cost of holding the meeting in Glasgow was. [270846]
The Prime Minister: The visit of the Cabinet to Glasgow on 16 April 2009 was one of several ministerial visits across the region; there was a public engagement event with around 230 local people and a formal Cabinet meeting. The cost of the public engagement event and the Cabinet meeting was approximately £54,300, excluding VAT. This figure includes the cost of hiring the venue, catering, associated security and delegate management. There are no separate figures for the Cabinet meeting. In addition, Departments and agencies will have incurred costs in terms of travel, staff time and other support. The cost of any security provided by the police is a matter for the relevant police force.
Canada: Afghanistan
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has had discussions with his Canadian counterpart on the continuing deployment of Canadian troops in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [272727]
The Prime Minister: We have continued to keep in close touch with our Canadian counterparts about our deployments, most recently as part of the NATO summit. I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement I made on 20 April 2009, Official Report, columns 3-4WS.
Chequers
Mr. Maude: To ask the Prime Minister whether he discussed the issue of political websites with Mr. Derek Draper at Chequers on 16 November 2008. [272007]
Mr. Maude: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates (a) Mr. Charlie Whelan, (b) Mr. Andrew Dodgshon and (c) Mr. Derek Draper have attended Chequers as a guest of the Prime Minister since June 2007. [272008]
The Prime Minister: A list of guests entertained at Chequers is published on an annual basis. For information for 2007-08 I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made on 22 July 2008, Official Report, columns 108-10WS. Information for the financial year 2008-09 will be published in the usual manner.
Damian McBride
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to his letter of 13 April to the Cabinet Secretary on the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, from whom he received assurances that no Minister and no political adviser other than Mr. McBride had knowledge of or involvement in the emails sent by Mr. McBride regarding members of Her Majesty's Opposition and their families. [270768]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary of 21 April 2009 to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude), a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many enhanced blast munitions have been fired in Afghanistan in each year since 2007. [271393]
Mr. Hutton: The only enhanced blast weapons used by UK forces in Afghanistan are variants of the AGM-114N Hellfire missile. This was released into service in spring 2008 and so there were none fired prior to May 2008; however, the number of enhanced blast munitions fired on operations in Afghanistan during 2008-09 is provided in the following table.
| Total fired | |
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK civilian contractors are currently stationed in Afghanistan. [273001]
Mr. Quentin Davies: As at 28 April 2009 there were some 300 UK civilian contractors stationed in Afghanistan supporting UK operations.
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