| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Free School Meals
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research his Department has undertaken on the accuracy of the number of free school meals as a measure of social deprivation in (a) urban areas and (b) rural areas. [132672]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 27 July 2000]: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have to travel overseas on ministerial visits between 28 July and 23 October. [133051]
Mr. Wills: [holding answer 27 July 2000]: I will write as soon as possible to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Student Finances
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the cost to public funds has been of student loans provision in terms of (a) interest rate subsidies and (b) administration costs; and what default rate exists on that debt. [133117]
Mr. Wicks: The data required to answer the question in full are not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible after the data has been obtained.
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the net revenue yields would be for the next 10 financial years if those students taking out student loans in the academic year beginning September were to pay a real interest rate of (a) 1 per cent., (b) 2 per cent., (c) 3 per cent. and (d) 4 per cent. on their debt. [133103]
Mr. Wicks: The following table provides an indication of the net revenue yields over the next ten financial years for four alternative real interest rates. Estimates relate only to the cohort of English and Welsh students expected to enter higher education in September 2000. Most typically these students will take out loans for three years, graduate in summer 2003, and begin repayments in April 2004. These are estimates based on a series of
28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1066W
assumptions such as: the numbers eligible for loans; the number and size of loans taken out; and the cohort's earning profile upon leaving higher education.
| Financial year | Net revenue yields(1) assuming real interest rates of: (a) 1 per cent.(b) 2 per cent.(c) 3 per cent.(d) 4 per cent. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-04 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2004-05 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 2005-06 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 2006-07 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2007-08 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 15 |
| 2008-09 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 22 |
| 2009-10 | 8 | 19 | 29 | 39 |
| 2010-11 | 12 | 23 | 33 | 43 |
(1) Net revenue yields have been calculated as the difference between forecast repayments under current policy (zero per cent. real interest) and forecast repayments given each of the higher rates of interest (a) to (d)
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Westminster Hall
Mr. Fraser: To ask the President of the Council if she will make it her policy not to increase the number of debates that take place in Westminster Hall. [133407]
Mrs. Beckett: The Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons is currently reviewing the Westminster Hall experiment. I do not wish to pre-empt the Committee's recommendations.
Electronic Communications Act 2000
Mr. Cotter: To ask the President of the Council what orders she (a) has made and (b) intends to make using section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000; and if she will make a statement. [133378]
Mrs. Beckett: No orders have yet been made by any department using section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000, which came into force on 25 May. For the Government's intentions, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton) on 24 May 2000, Official Report, columns 532-33W.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Housing Benefit
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 July 2000, Official Report, column 155W, when results for the extended measurement of Housing Benefit fraud will be available for all local authorities. [130177]
Angela Eagle: We plan to commence national measurement of standard Housing Benefit across all local authorities from April 2001. The first year of measurement will run to March 2002, with results expected to be available and published in the autumn of that year.
28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1067W
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish for each Scottish local authority a breakdown for each of the last three years of Housing Benefit overpayments, in terms of (a) the numbers of overpayments and (b) the amounts involved for each category of claimant and fraudulent errors; and if he will express (b) as a percentage of (a). [132873]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested.
Departmental Initiatives
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list each departmental initiative since May 1997 requiring bids for funding together with the total resources available, the number of successful bids and the proportion this represents of total bids received; and what data he collects on the average expenditure of organisations bidding for funding through each initiative. [131085]
Angela Eagle: I will write to my hon. Friend.
Advisory Bodies
Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the (a) task forces, (b) action teams, (c) policy reviews and (d) other temporary advisory bodies with external members currently in existence within his Department; and on what date each body (i) was set up and (ii) is expected to terminate. [131447]
Mr. Rooker: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer from my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 27 July 2000, Official Report, column 799W.
Disregard Allowances
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the total cost was of (a) premium and (b) disregard allowances, including where appropriate their equivalents, in (i) 1970, (ii) 1980, (iii) 1990 and (iv) 1999. [131417]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 19 July 2000]: I will write to the hon. Member.
Cold Weather Payments and
Winter Fuel Allowance
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, by constituency, (a) the number of people who received and (b) the amount of money received in (i) Cold Weather Payments for the years 1995-96 and 1996-97 and (ii) Winter Fuel Allowances in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. [132376]
Angela Eagle: The administration of Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments are matters for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Ms Sally Keeble, dated 28 July 2000:
- The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will list, by constituency, (a) the number of people who received and (b) the amount of money received in (1) cold weather payments for the years 1995-96 and 1996-97 and (2) winter fuel allowances in 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1068W
- The CWP information is collected on the estimated number of qualifying individuals (which includes non pensioner customers) and by weather station area rather than Benefits Agency district or constituency areas. The weather stations cover wide areas, and therefore may encroach on more than one constituency. It is not possible to provide a breakdown by constituency area.
- Winter Fuel Payments were introduced in the winder of 1997-98 and help pensioners with the cost of their winter fuel bills. They are paid in addition to any Cold Weather Payments that may be due.
- The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons library.
- I hope this is helpful.
Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was paid in Cold Weather Payments in the Basildon constituency in each year from 1990 to 1997. [132640]
Angela Eagle: The administration of Cold Weather Payments is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Angela Smith, dated 28 July 2000:
- The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how much was paid in cold weather payments in the Basildon constituency in each year from 1990 to 1997.
- Cold Weather Payments (CWP) are paid to people awarded Income Support (IS) or income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA(IB)) with a pensioner or disability premium or if they have a child under 5, when the temperature criterion is met for their postcode. Payment is issued automatically without the need to claim.
- The CWP information is collected on the number of qualifying individuals (which includes non pensioners) and by weather station area rather than Benefits Agency district or constituency areas.
- During the period in question, the weather stations at Stansted and Manston were used to serve the Basildon Constituency. The figures that are available are for the whole weather station areas, which included parts of other constituencies. Therefore the payments for Basildon only cannot be provided. The information available is in the attached table.
- I hope this is helpful.
| Year | Weather station | Number of qualifiers | Total expenditure (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91 | Stansted | (1)-- | (1)-- |
| 1991-92 | Stansted | (1)-- | (1)-- |
| 1992-93 | Stansted | (1)-- | (1)-- |
| 1993-94 | Stansted | (1)-- | (1)-- |
| 1994-95 | Stansted | 85,445 | 0 |
| 1995-96 | Stansted | 89,855 | 3,055,070 |
| 1996-97 | Stansted and Manston | 43,394 and 79,041 | 2,450,244 |
| 1997-98 | Stansted and Manston | 40,720 and 77,876 | 0 |
(1) Not known
Notes:
1. No payment data are held for periods prior to 1995-96
2. Figures for number of qualifiers includes non-pensioners
3. An estimate of the number of pensioners among the qualifiers is not available
4. The weather station at Manston only covered postcodes in the Basildon constituency from 1996-97; from 1996-97 both weather stations were used to cover different parts of the constituency
5. One period of cold weather was triggered at Stansted weather station in 1990-91
6. One period of cold weather was triggered at Stansted weather station in 1991-92
7. One period of cold weather was triggered at Stansted weather station in 1992-93
8. No periods of cold weather were triggered at Stansted weather station in 1993-94 and 1994-95
9. Four periods of cold weather were triggered at Stansted weather station in 1995-96
10. Three periods of cold weather were triggered at Stansted and two at Manston in 1996-97
11. No periods of cold weather were triggered at Manston Stansted in 1997-98
12. All postcode districts and the weather stations which currently serve them are detailed in Schedule 1 of the Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment Regulations 1999
13. Numbers of qualifiers are per period of cold weather
28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1069W
Mr. Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been paid out in winter fuel allowances to people in Barnsley East and Mexborough from 1997-98 to 1999-2000. [133745]
Angela Eagle: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Jeff Ennis, dated 28 July 2000:
- The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how much has been paid out in winter fuel allowances to people in Barnsley East and Mexborough from 1997-98 to 1999-2000.
- Winter Fuel Payments (WFP) were introduced in the winter of 1997/98. For the winters of 1997/98 and 98/99 eligible people receiving Income Support (IS) or income based Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA (IB)) which included a pensioner premium, who were not living in residential care or a nursing home received payments of £50. All other eligible pensioners received £20 or £10 depending on their household circumstances. Where only one eligible pensioner lived in the household they would receive £20, otherwise they would receive £10 each. Last winter, 1999/00 the amount of the payment increased to £100 for all eligible households.
- In 1997/98, WFP expenditure for Barnsley East and Mexborough constituency was £323,800; in 1998/99, it was £291,570; and in 1999/00, it was £1,164,900.
- I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Michael J. Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many over 60s in (a) Worcester and (b) Mid Worcester qualify for the winter fuel allowance. [133768]
Angela Eagle: Last winter (1999-2000) 16,715 clients in the Mid Worcestershire constituency and 15,040 in the Worcester constituency, qualified for Winter Fuel Payment of either £100 or £50, dependant on their circumstances. This figure includes those in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits as well as men from age 60 who qualified through receipt of either Income Support or income-based Jobseekers' Allowance.
My hon. Friend will know that the Winter Fuel Payment scheme has now been extended so that men as well as women will be eligible for a payment from age 60, providing they satisfy the qualifying criteria. The changes apply from the beginning of the scheme in 1997-98 and payments will be made for past winters to customers who are entitled. The majority of the customers who are newly eligible will need to make a claim.
This will mean the figure given above in respect of 1999-2000 could be higher for winter 2000. How much higher will depend on the number of people who decide to make a claim and how many are entitled.
28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1070W
Therefore, it is not possible to give my hon. Friend a precise number of customers who may now qualify for payment in Mid Worcestershire and Worcester until claim forms are returned and processed.
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many over 60s in The Wrekin qualify for the Winter Fuel Allowance. [133197]
Angela Eagle: For winter 1999-2000, 13,617 customers in The Wrekin qualified for a Winter Fuel Payment of either £100 or £50, dependant on their circumstances. This figure includes those in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits as well as men from age 60 who qualified through receipt of either Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
My hon. Friend will know that the Winter Fuel Payment scheme has now been extended so that men as well as women will be eligible for a payment from age 60, providing they satisfy the qualifying criteria. The changes apply from the beginning of the scheme in 1997-98 and payments will be made for past winters to customers who are entitled. The majority of the customers who are newly eligible will need to make a claim.
This will mean the figure given in respect of 1999-2000 could be higher for winter 2000. How much higher will depend on the number of people who decide to make a claim and how many are entitled.
Therefore, it is not possible to give my hon. Friend a precise number of who may now qualify for payment in The Wrekin until claim forms are returned and processed.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |