International Pension Centre
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of fraud have been identified by (a) the International Pension Centre and (b) International Pension Service officers based in UK embassies and high commissions in each of the last five years. [95351]
29 Feb 2012 : Column 394W
Steve Webb: The information is as follows.
(a) This information is not collated.
(b) International Pension Centre officers in the Indian sub- continent and Yemen perform validation checks at the claims gateway to prevent fraud from entering the system. The number of fraud cases identified is not collated. In Spain we have a Spanish fraud hotline for ex-patriots to report suspected cases of benefit fraud. The hotline is run by the International Pension Centre officers in Spain. From 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2012 this hotline has identified 622 fraud cases.
International Pension Service
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has any plans to review the operation of International Pension Service officers located at UK embassies and high commissions. [95354]
Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions reviewed the operation of International Pension Service officers located overseas in late 2011. This review concluded that there was no unequivocal evidence that these officers protected the Department from fraudulent benefit claims. On that basis we decided that this service had reached a natural break point. We have since been provided with further evidence of risk in relation to the Indian sub-continent area, which was not made available to the original review. We have therefore decided that we should retain a local presence in Pakistan and Bangladesh for the time being. This will allow us to gain further evidence of their effectiveness at combating the risk of fraud. As part of our commitment to continuously improving the effectiveness and value of our services, we will reconsider this position in the future.
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of savings made through early detection of fraudulent or erroneous claims by International Pension Centre staff based overseas in the latest period for which figures are available. [95356]
Steve Webb: In 2009-10 the cost of having the International Pension Centre Officers in the Indian sub- continent, Yemen and Spain was £664,000 and the estimated benefit savings for the Indian sub-continent and Yemen was £2.5 million and savings of £1.2 million for Spain.
New Enterprise Allowance
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of take-up has been of the (a) new enterprise allowance and (b) New Enterprise Allowance Loan in (i) Skipton and Ripon constituency, (ii) North Yorkshire, (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber region and (c) the UK since its introduction. [97312]
Chris Grayling: The Department does not publish new enterprise allowance statistics at the levels requested. Information for Great Britain is published which shows that, for the period January to November 2011, the number of mentor starts was 6,880, of which 1,310 were in the north-east. In the same period in Great Britain, the number of weekly allowance starts was 1,960, of which 300 were in the north-east official statistics are available and can be viewed at:
29 Feb 2012 : Column 395W
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_feb12.pdf
The Department does not publish statistics for new enterprise allowance loans.
Pensions: Fraud
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of fraudulent overseas pensions claims in the latest period for which figures are available. [95352]
Steve Webb: This information is not available.
Public Sector: Redundancy
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people made redundant from a job in the public sector since January 2010 who have subsequently been re-employed. [97243]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2012:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number of people made redundant from a job in the public sector since January 2010 who have subsequently been re-employed. [97243]
The requested information is not available. Official estimates of redundancies are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). However, the details required to identify redundancies in the public sector are not collected. Also, the LFS only identifies people who have become re-employed within three months of the date of redundancy.
Social Security Benefits
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total household income including working tax credit, child tax credit, child benefit and council tax benefit of a couple working 16 hours a week on the minimum wage living in their own home and paying £1,000 in council tax (a) currently, (b) after changes to qualifying requirements for working tax credit on 1 April 2012 and (c) including out-of-work benefits. [95428]
Chris Grayling: On the assumption that this couple has two children:
(a) Prior to April 2012, this household would be entitled to working tax credit and they would have income of around £330 per week. This includes around £19 a week in council tax benefit.
(b) In 2012-13, this household would not be entitled to receive working tax credit and would have income of around £257 per week. This includes around £19 a week in council tax benefit.
(c) If this household was out of work their income would be around £271 per week. This includes around £19 a week in council tax benefit.
The Government are reforming the welfare system through the introduction of universal credit in October 2013. Universal credit is designed to improve financial work incentives. And in this example the couple will be around £95 per week better off working 16 hours a week compared to being out of work.
29 Feb 2012 : Column 396W
Notes:
1. Part (a) is based on the tax/benefit system in 2011-12
2. Parts (b) and (c) are based on the tax/benefit system in 2012-13
3. Universal credit is based on the tax/benefit system in 2014-15
4. Income is defined as net earnings in addition to any benefits or tax credits.
5. Council tax of £1,000 a year has been equated to approximately £19 a week.
6. All numbers have been provided in 2011-12 prices and where necessary deflated by the GDP Deflator. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest £1.
Widowed Parents Allowance
Mr Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that entitlement to widowed parents allowance is not affected by the introduction of income-related criteria for eligibility for child benefit. [96625]
Steve Webb: When child benefit will cease for people who are higher rate taxpayers, we will ensure that, when the change is introduced, entitlement to widowed parents allowance is not affected as a result.
Winter Fuel Payments
Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of higher rate taxpayers who were in receipt of (a) a free television licence and (b) winter fuel allowance in the latest period for which figures are available. [95801]
Steve Webb: The following table provides estimates on the number of TV licence (aged 75 or over) and winter fuel payment recipients that are higher or additional rate taxpayers.
The estimates are based on Department for Work and Pensions forecasting data combined with information on the tax paid by older people from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Survey of Personal Incomes, and information on the overall numbers of pensioners from the Office for National Statistics population projections.
| 2011-12 | |
| Number of recipients that are higher or additional rate taxpayers (thousand) | |
| Notes: 1. The figures assume that all taxpayers aged 75 or over benefit from a free TV licence, and all taxpayers aged over women's state pension age benefit from a winter fuel payment. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000 individuals. 3. The figures present higher and additional rate taxpayers together due to rounding conventions. | |
In 2011-12 around 2% of all TV licence recipients (aged 75 or over) were higher or additional rate taxpayers. In the same year around 5% of winter fuel payment recipients aged under 80, and 2% of those aged 80 and over, were higher or additional rate taxpayers.
29 Feb 2012 : Column 397W
Work Capability Assessment
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those awarded points under activity 7, Understanding Communication, in work capability assessments undertaken between April and November 2011 did not have hearing loss. [95654]
Chris Grayling: It is not possible to provide a breakdown of individuals who do not have hearing loss but scored against activity 7 as the data cannot be reliably split to that level of detail. However we do publish quarterly stats which provide details of primary condition and details of the percentage of people assigned to the Work Related Activity Group because of scoring 15 points or more at assessment split by type of functional impairment.
These statistics are available at:
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_20120124_tables.xls
Work Capability Assessment: Northern Ireland
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which providers are performing work capability assessments in Northern Ireland. [96540]
Chris Grayling: Matters of social security in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Action for Employment
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract. [97021]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no contracts with A4e.
Online Services
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what public services his Department delivers online only. [96895]
Mr Lidington: The following Foreign and Commonwealth Office public services are available online only:
Search of sanctions and export controls:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/export-controls-sanctions/country-listing/
Searchable travel advice and contact details of UK embassies overseas by country:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/atas/
Search of documents on British policy overseas:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-history/historical-publications/documents-british-policy/
29 Feb 2012 : Column 398W
Search for UK Treaties
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/treaties/search
(treaties can also be found in public legal libraries).
Other services such as passport renewal and replacement, legalisation (e.g. certificates, apostilles etc.), and scholarships are primarily dealt with online but offline options also exist.
Adam Werritty
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 73W, on Adam Werritty, what the (a) subject and (b) purpose was of the meeting on (i) 8 September 2009 and (ii) 16 June 2010; who else was present at each meeting; whether any minute or other record was made of each meeting; and whether there was advance knowledge of each meeting by (A) Ministers, (B) the relevant country desk of his Department and (C) the security services; and if he will make a statement. [96598]
Mr Lidington: It is not normal Government practice to comment on the participation at meetings held by officials or subjects discussed. Information regarding the participants at the meetings on 8 September 2009 and 16 June 2010 is already in the public domain. Relevant Ministers and senior officials were aware of the meetings mentioned.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 73W, on Adam Werritty, who else attended the dinner on 6 February 2011; whether any officials from (a) his Department and (b) the Ministry of Defence were present; what was discussed; whether any minute or other record was made of the discussion; who hosted and paid for the event; and whether official guidance on receipt of hospitality by Ministers and officials was followed. [96599]
Mr Lidington: It is not normal Government practice to comment on the participation at meetings held by officials or subjects discussed. Relevant Ministers and senior officials were aware of the meetings mentioned.
Kosovo: Serbia
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the progress of talks between Kosovo and Serbia on normalising relations between those countries. [97204]
Mr Lidington: The EU-facilitated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo is continuing. A meeting took place from 22-24 February 2012 where agreement was reached on Kosovo's participation in regional fora and a technical protocol concluded on implementation of an agreement on management of the border between Kosovo and Serbia.
Previous meetings under the dialogue have led to a number of agreements between the two parties, including on civil records, cadastral records, freedom of movement,
29 Feb 2012 : Column 399W
customs stamps, university diplomas and integrated border management. Implementation of these agreements is under way.
Energy and telecommunications are two headings under the dialogue on which agreements have yet to be concluded. There are likely to be further areas, yet to be formally added by the parties to the dialogue agenda, where agreement between Serbia and Kosovo will be needed in order to fulfil the objectives of the dialogue. The dialogue aims to improve the lives of citizens in both countries and to move both Serbia and Kosovo further down the path to EU accession.
Western Sahara
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UN special rapporteurs have visited Western Sahara since the renewal of the MINURSO mandate. [97183]
Alistair Burt: UNSCR 1979 on the situation concerning Western Sahara, adopted on 27 April 2011, welcomed the commitment of Morocco to ensure unqualified and unimpeded access to all Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council.
29 Feb 2012 : Column 400W
Farida Shaheed was appointed as UN expert in the field of cultural rights on 1 November 2009. During her mission she met Government officials and civil society representatives, in addition to academics, grass roots leaders, and representatives from different cultural communities and minority groups
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to to ask the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression to visit occupied Western Sahara. [97186]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has no plans to ask the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression to visit Western Sahara. The British Government are committed to the independence of UN Special Rapporteurs and their right to fulfil their mandates as they choose. For this reason, we are not involved in decisions concerning the remit of their work.
Officials from the British embassy visit the territory regularly and speak to a range of interlocutors including officials and human rights organisations.