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18 Jun 2009 : Column 447W—continued
Hillsborough Disaster
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made in identifying files and documents it holds relating to the Hillsborough disaster that can be released. [279539]
Mr. Bradshaw: My Department, in partnership with other Departments, is currently developing a Government- wide approach in close liaison with local agencies in South Yorkshire and beyond.
Sports: Greater Manchester
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery funding was awarded to sport-related groups in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport in each of the last five years. [279766]
Mr. Simon: The tables show the value of lottery awards made in each of the last five years to organisations that are providing community sport opportunities in the Tameside and Stockport metropolitan boroughs.
| Tameside | |
| Financial year | Total value of awards (£) |
| Stockport | |
| Financial year | Total value of awards (£) |
Work and Pensions
Christmas Bonus
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons Mr. John Coombe of Brixham did not receive a £10 Christmas bonus payment and subsequent additional £60 bonus payment under the Real Help for Pensioners Christmas bonus payment scheme; and if she will make a statement. [278463]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 8 June 2009]: The acting chief executive of the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service has responded to the hon. Member separately on 3 June 2009 with the information requested relating to his constituent Mr. John Coombe of Brixham.
Departmental Manpower
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) directors, (b) senior managers, (c) specialist and delivery managers and (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each Pension Service office in each of the last five years. [279288]
Angela Eagle: The information available detailing the numbers of staff deployed overall in the former Pension Service at the end of each of the last five financial years is in the table.
| As at March each year | |||||
| 2005( 1) | 2006( 1) | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| (1) March 2005 and 2006 inc. Pensions Client Group. (2) Difference of one due to roundings. Notes: 1. Bands A/AA through to Band B/AO—administration staff of which 6,268 (99 per cent.) are deployed on benefit delivery with just 80 (1 per cent.) deployed in Central Services (Administration). 2. Band C/EO through to Band D/HEO—junior management of which 2,639 (82 per cent.) are deployed on benefit delivery and 562 (18 per cent.) deployed in Central Services (Executive Support). 3. Band E/SEO through to Band G/G6—middle management of which 171 (45 per cent.) are deployed on benefit deliver and 211 (55 per cent.) deployed in Central Services (Specialist and Delivery Managers). 4. SCS—all Directors and senior management of which four (22 per cent.) are deployed on benefit delivery and 14 (78 per cent.) in Central Services (Directors). Source: DWP Corporate Workforce Planning and DWP Data view as at 31 March 2009 | |||||
Grading and staffing numbers in Pension Service offices over the last five years have fluctuated according to business needs. Historic data are not available to the level of detail asked for, but the summary table shows the numbers employed in each grade at the end of the last five financial years. Additionally, the number of, and location of, Pension Service offices has also changed.
In April 2008 the merger of the Pension Service and Disability and Carer Service took place and Pension, Disability and Carers Service was formed. There are currently 9,949 staff exclusively deployed on former Pension Service business.
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receiving fuel assistance as a result of being disabled or long-term ill-health are also eligible for fuel assistance due to their age. [279105]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 11 June 2009]: The information requested is not available.
Pension Credit
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her policy is on issuing reminders to people who are due to become eligible for pension credit; and if she will make a statement. [278011]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 12 June 2009]: The Government are committed to ensuring pensioners receive the support they are entitled to. The Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) contacts all pensioner households to tell them about pension credit, to ensure everyone who is likely to be entitled to pension credit knows what they need to do to take up their entitlement.
A person approaching state pension age will receive a booklet (BR33) telling them how to claim state pension and other benefits and services they are entitled to, including pension credit.
In addition to this, PDCS undertakes regular pension credit campaign activity through multiple channels in order to ensure additional focus on those pensioners who may be eligible.
It is not policy to issue reminders to people about possible entitlement except as part of the targeted campaigns described above.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those eligible for pension credit have not claimed pension credit in each of the last five years. [278137]
Angela Eagle: The latest estimates of the take-up rates, value of unclaimed benefit and the number of those entitled to but not receiving means-tested benefits in Great Britain, covering income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker’s allowance (income based) are published in the report “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07”.
Pension Credit: Greater Manchester
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport received pension credit in each year since its inception. [279761]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
Households in receipt and individual beneficiaries of pension credit in Tameside and Stockport November 2003 to November 2008
| Tameside | Stockport | |||
| As at November each year | Household recipients | Individual beneficiaries | Household recipients | Individual beneficiaries |
| Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 3. The number of individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners, some of whom may be under 60 years of age. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data | ||||
Pension Protection Fund
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Government plan to stand behind the Pension Protection Fund in circumstances in which its assets and contributions are not sufficient to meet claims made on it. [278389]
Angela Eagle: There is no need for the Government to guarantee the Pension Protection Fund. The PPF is designed to work over the long term. With around £3 billion in assets, and a monthly compensation bill of around £4 million, the PPF is able to fund compensation for a long time to come.
Winter Fuel Payments: Overseas Residence
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the number of British pensioners living abroad who are in receipt of the basic state pension but do not qualify for the winter fuel payment; and if she will make a statement. [279734]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available.
Prime Minister
BBC External Services
Mr. Hands: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to reply to the e-petition which closed on 9 April 2009, relating to the BBC World Service, on the Downing Street website. [278153]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the reply issued on the No. 10 website:
A copy of this webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.
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