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Communities and Local Government

General GLA Grant (2010-11)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Barbara Follett): The General GLA Grant for 2010-11 has been determined by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government at £48,136,000, after consultation with the Mayor of London. The grant is a block grant paid for the purposes of the Greater London Authority and its functional bodies under section 100 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. The grant for 2010-11 is based on the three-year settlement for the grant following the outcome of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

Defence

War Pensions (Uprating)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Kevan Jones): The new rates of war pensions and allowances proposed from April 2010 are set out in the tables below. The annual uprating of war pensions and allowances for 2010 will take place from the week beginning 12 April. To provide additional support to households during the early stages of economic recovery, the 2009 pre-Budget report announced that the Government will bring forward a proportion of the increases expected in April 2011 a year earlier, thereby providing a 1.5 per cent. increase for those benefits normally uprated by RPI.


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War Pensions Rates
(Weekly rates unless otherwise shown)Rates2009Rates2010

War Pensions

Disablement Pension (100% rates)

officer (£ per annum)

7,952.00

8,072.00

other ranks

152.40

154.70

Age allowances payable from age 65

40% -50%

10.25

10.40

over 50% but not over 70%

15.65

15.90

over 70% but not over 90%

22.30

22.65

over 90%

31.30

31.80

Disablement gratuity (one-off payment)

specified minor injury (min.)

970.00

985.00

specified minor injury (max.)

7,247.00

7,356.00

1-5% gratuity

2,423.00

2,459.00

6-14% gratuity

5,387.00

5,468.00

15%-19% gratuity

9,423.00

9,564.00

Supplementary Allowances

Unemployability allowance

Personal

94.20

95.60

adult dependency increase

53.10

53.10

increase for first child

12.35

12.35

increase for subsequent children

14.50

14.50

Invalidity allowance

higher rate

18.65

18.95

middle rate

12.00

12.20

lower rate

6.00

6.10

Constant attendance allowance

exceptional rate

115.00

116.80

intermediate rate

86.25

87.60

full-day rate

57.50

58.40

part-day rate

28.75

29.20

Comforts allowance

higher rate

24.70

25.10

lower rate

12.35

12.55

Mobility supplement

54.85

55.65

Allowance for lowered standard of occupation (maximum)

57.44

58.22

Therapeutic earnings limit (annual rate)

4,784.00

4,836.00

Exceptionally severe disablement allowance

57.50

58.40

Severe disablement occupational allowance

28.75

29.20

Clothing allowance (£ per annum)

196.00

199.00

Education allowance (£ per annum) (max)

120.00

120.00

Widow(er)s'Benefits

Widow(er)s' - other ranks (basic with children)

115.55

117.30

Widow(er) - Officer (basic with children) (£ per annum)

6,147.00

6,239.00

Childless widow(er)s' u-40 (other ranks)

27.68

28.10

Childless widow(er)s' u-40 (Officer highest rate both wars) (£ per annum)

2,135.00

2,167.00

Supplementary Pension

77.32

78.48

Age allowance

(a) age 65 to 69

13.20

13.40

(b) age 70 to 79

25.30

25.70

(c) age 80 and over

37.55

38.10

Children's allowance

Increase for first child

18.15

18.40

Increase for subsequent children

20.30

20.60

Orphan's pension

Increase for first child

20.70

21.00

Increase for subsequent children

22.70

23.05

Unmarried dependant living as spouse (max)

113.20

114.95

Rent allowance (maximum)

43.60

44.25

Adult orphan's pension (maximum)

88.75

90.10


Home Department

Justice and Home Affairs Council

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Meg Hillier): The Justice and Home Affairs Council is due to be held on 25 and 26 February 2010 in Brussels. My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Lord Bach and I, intend to attend on behalf of the United Kingdom. As the provisional agenda stands, the following items will be discussed:

The Council will begin by agreeing the text on the internal security strategy which was discussed at the January Informal Council in Toledo. The Government support the internal security strategy as currently drafted, in particular the reference to an EU organised crime strategy.

The presidency will then update Ministers on plans to establish the Standing Committee on operational co-operation on internal security-COSI-setting out its legal basis and outlining the next steps for the committee. The Government have supported the creation of COSI and look forward to its first meeting.

The Council will have an orientation debate on a proposal for a European pact against drug trafficking designed to co-ordinate member state activity in this
24 Feb 2010 : Column 69WS
field. The pact focuses on three thematic areas; the "cocaine route" from Latin America via West Africa to Europe; the "heroin route" through Turkey and the Western Balkans; and money-laundering. The Government support this proposal which is in line with UK objectives on drug trafficking.

The presidency will update Ministers on EU-US relations following its high level meeting with US officials in January, which focused on data protection, child protection and terrorism.

There will also be a discussion for Interior Ministers on what the next steps should be for the EU-US agreement on the processing and transfer of financial messaging data for the purposes of the terrorist tracking finance programme-the so-called SWIFT agreement-following the European Parliament's decision to reject the Council decision intended to conclude it.

After lunch, the presidency will update the Mixed Committee, with non-EU Schengen states, on the results of the evaluation of the first milestone test of the second-generation Schengen information system-SIS II -which took place at the end of January. The Government support the need for a thorough evaluation of the first milestone test and will seek to ensure that the remaining milestone tests are conducted in a timely fashion.

The Council will then discuss the official Canadian response to the Commission's October 2009 report which criticised the Canadian Government for its decision to re-introduce visas for Czech nationals. The Government have maintained a neutral position so far and will continue to urge a proportionate solution to this issue, either resolved bilaterally or brokered by the Commission.

The presidency will present a draft instrument establishing a European agency for the management of operational co-operation at the external borders of the member states of the European Union-Frontex. The Government will consider the draft regulation carefully as soon as it is published.

Finally, the Mixed Committee will discuss the ongoing issue of illegal migration on the southern border of the European Union. The Government recognise the significance of these flows and support strong, strategic and evidence-based EU collaboration on this issue through co-operation with countries of origin and transit, and practical action at, and beyond, the EU's borders, including a strong focus on returns.

On the second day of the Council meeting, there will be a state-of-play report on the negotiations that have been taking place about a proposed directive on the European protection order. Ministers will then be given the opportunity to comment. This is a member state initiative, presented by the Spanish presidency, and it is designed to assist victims who have obtained a protection order in one member state who subsequently move to another.

The presidency will then provide Justice Ministers with information about the state of play of the negotiations on the proposed directive on interpretation and translation. This proposal was negotiated as a framework decision under the Swedish presidency and reached political agreement at the October JFIA Council. However, it lapsed when the Lisbon treaty came into force, and so has had to be retabled as a directive under the new treaty. The Government support this proposal.


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