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Child Benefit
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of non-payment of child benefit to children in residential or foster care. [57636]
Angela Eagle:
None.
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Child Benefit is paid to a person responsible for a child as a contribution from the State towards the cost of bringing up that child. When a child's accommodation and maintenance is provided by a local authority, to avoid double provision Child Benefit and any linked entitlement to a child dependency addition cease after the first eight weeks. If the child returns home for at least a week, or for two nights a week or more on a regular basis, entitlement is regained.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost to his Department of welfare payments paid to (a) a single person and (b) a married man with two dependants who has been made redundant in the last years for which figures are available. [57507]
Angela Eagle:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
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| Benefit | Total expenditure | Single | Couple with 2 dependants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobseeker's Allowance (income-based) | 3,377 | 2,213 | 280 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance (contribution based only) | 520 | 319 | 105 |
| Housing Benefit with Jobseeker's Allowance | 11,442 | 855 | 123 |
| Council Tax Benefit with Jobseeker's Allowance | 2,500 | 117 | 32 |
Notes:
1. Expenditure estimates for the individual group are a combination of sample benefit data and DSS expenditure estimates for 1997-98. Estimates of expenditure of Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit for those who are not claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) are not included.
2. We are unable to provide figures on married men with 2 dependants for JSA (C) as dependants' details are not always collected. As such, the figure provided represents all men with partners.
3. It is not possible to identify the sex of a claimant on Housing Benefit/Council Tax and therefore figures provided represent recipients who have a partner and two dependants.
4. We are unable to identify claimants that have been made redundant as this information is not recorded on the source system.
5. Figures are rounded to the nearest million pounds.
6. There is an overlap in the figures provided as most claimants receive both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
7. Council Tax/Housing Benefit figures exclude JSA claimants receiving nil benefit.
Source:
JSA Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, May 1997, August 1997, November 1997 and February 1998--5 per cent. sample.
Housing Benefit Management Information System, May 1997-- annual 1 per cent. sample.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he plans to provide a substantive reply to the question from the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon tabled on 7 October. [57991]
Disabled People
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disabled people will be assisted into work under the pilot projects accepted under the first round of bids under the New Deal for Disabled People. [57707]
Mr. Timms: The New Deal for Disabled People involves two strands of pilots. The Innovative Scheme strand aims to test ways to help people with a disability or long-term illness, and carers, to move into or remain in work. Through different schemes which deal with a range of disabilities and medical conditions we will learn what works effectively and what is less effective. The ten schemes being funded under the first bidding exercise aim to help around 875 people to move into or remain in work. Further contracts will be announced next year.
We will also be piloting a Personal Adviser Service in 12 areas. The first six, run by the Employment Service, began in September. The remainder are being put out to open tender and we expect they will start operating early next year. As participation in this New Deal is voluntary, the Government do not have an estimate for the numbers
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of people who will be assisted through the Personal Adviser Service. However, in the pilot areas, the Personal Adviser Service will be available to nearly a quarter of a million people on incapacity benefits. There will be independent evaluation of the pilots and we expect the results to be available by the end of 1999.
Ministerial Staff
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many ministerial staff in Ministers' offices have been replaced through advance termination of contract since 1 May 1997. [55339]
Mr. Kilfoyle: To the best of my knowledge, there is one case and that is the one referred to in the answers given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 29 January 1998, Official Report, columns 386-89.
Cash Limits
Mr. John Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proposals he has to change the 1998-99 cash limit or running costs limit for the Cabinet Office: Administration and Cabinet Office: Other Services Votes. [58090]
Dr. Jack Cunningham: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates:
- The cash limit for Cabinet Office: administration (Class XVII, Vote 1) will be increased by £34,937,000 from £119,119,000 to £154,056,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £7,840,000 from £55,063,000 to £62,903,000.
- The cash limit for Cabinet Office: other services (Class XVIII, Vote 1) will be increased by £6,825,000 from £42,531,000 to £49,356,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £5,945,000 from £42,694,000 to £48,639,000.
This is to take account of the following:
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End Year Flexibility
As announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 131-36, the Cabinet Office: administration Vote is eligible for a cash limit increase of £24,965,000 and a running costs increase of £13,909,000 in respect of end year flexibility arrangements for capital and running costs. The Cabinet Office: other services Vote is eligible for a cash limit and running costs increase of £1,232,000 under the same scheme, including and amount of £75,000 transferred from the Privy Council Office (Class XVIII, Vote 3) for the Central Drugs Co-ordination Unit.
This Supplementary gives effect to the increases. The cash limit and running costs limit of the Cabinet Office: administration Vote will be increased by £19,600,000 and £8,544,000 respectively. The cash limit and running costs limit of the Cabinet Office: other services Vote will be increased by £1,232,000. The remaining entitlement of £5,365,000 will be surrendered to the Treasury, to partly offset increased provision for the programme to modernise government.
Modernisation of Government
The Cabinet Office has received increased provision of £21,097,000 for the programme to modernise government, which was announced by the Prime Minister in a Written Statement on 28 July 1998, Official Report, columns 132-34. This includes £16,300,000 to the Cabinet Office: administration Vote for combating the millennium bug, a new Centre for Management and Policy Studies, and a relocation project; and
£4,797,000 to the Cabinet Office: other services Vote for strengthening the Prime Minister's Office, work on social exclusion, strategic communications and constitutional reform, and a new Performance and Innovation Unit.
Machinery of Government and Other Changes
The Cabinet Office: other services Vote has taken over responsibility for the Central Drugs Co-ordination Unit from the Privy Council Office (Class XVIII, Vote 3) (increased provision of £553,000, offset by a transfer payment from the Privy Council Office).
Responsibility for the Freedom of Information Unit has been transferred from the Cabinet Office: administration Vote to the Home Office (Class VII, Vote 1) (a transfer payment of £439,000 to the Home Office, offset by reduced provision).
The ownership of certain buildings has been transferred from Cabinet Office: administration Vote to the Department of Health (Class XII, Vote 2) (£20,000) and DETR (Class VI, Vote 3) (£147,000).
Responsibility for the Office of the Minister Without Portfolio has been transferred from the Cabinet Office: other services Vote to the Cabinet Office: administration Vote (a transfer payment of £368,000, offset by increases and reductions to provision).
The Cabinet Office: other services Vote has received a transfer of £796,000 from the Cabinet Office: administration Vote for jointly administered common services.
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