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Pensioners Overseas
28. Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his policy towards UK pensioners living overseas. [473]
Mr. McCartney: UK pensions are paid to anyone who satisfies the qualifying conditions, wherever they live.
Annuities
32. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to reform the regulations governing compulsory annuities for pensioners. [477]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) earlier today, Official Report, column 382.
Pensioner Poverty
34. Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress is being made in tackling pensioner poverty. [479]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Sir R. Smith) earlier today, Official Report, column 373.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on pensioner poverty. [459]
Maria Eagle: Tackling pensioner poverty is a priority for this Government and we have already made a significant impact on the lives of our poorest pensioners by ensuring that no pensioner has to live on less than £92.15 a week.
Social Security Fraud
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level was of social security fraud in 2000-01. [468]
Mr. Wicks: We are getting to grips with Social Security fraud, tightening up the system and making sure that from the very first claim, the right benefits are going to the right people.
Between 1998 and 2000 we have already made a 6.7 per cent. reduction in the level of fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance. We have conducted further exercises to measure the level of fraud and error, the results of which will be published later this year.
Employment Assistance
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the measures he proposes to take to assist people receiving benefits to find appropriate employment. [448]
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Mr. Nicholas Brown: Today, there are record numbers of people in work. Labour Market Statistics show that the number of unemployed people is below one million. But we must continue to help those who can work to move off benefit and into productive work.
The creation of the new Department and the Jobcentre Plus, launched later this year, are significant immediate steps. But we are also introducing a Welfare Reform Bill which will extend the scope and flexibility of our welfare to work programmes.
Stakeholder Pensions
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the take-up of stakeholder pensions. [449]
Mr. McCartney: There are now 47 registered providers offering stakeholder pensions. Early indications are that they are attracting considerable interest.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Horse Racing
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when (a) she and (b) the Minister for Sport last attended a horse race meeting in their official capacity. [187]
Mr. Caborn: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend have attended a horse race meeting since our recent appointment.
Pub Licensing
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to bring forward legislation for the deregulation of pub licensing. [188]
Dr. Howells: We remain fully committed to bringing forward legislation to reform the alcohol and public entertainment licensing laws as soon as parliamentary time permits.
Foot and Mouth (Tourism)
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what additional funding for marketing she expects to provide to the English Tourism Council and regional tourist boards in response to the foot and mouth disease crisis. [190]
Dr. Howells: The Government made £3.8 million available for PR and marketing at national and regional level. This timely action did much to kick start the domestic tourism season. I have no plans for further national marketing, but the Government have funded the Regional Development Agencies who are now providing further help to promote tourism. The launch of the Devon marketing plan last week was an example.
Olympic Games
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she will take to promote a London bid to host the Olympic Games. [782]
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Mr. Caborn: The decision on whether or not to launch a UK bid to host the Olympic Games is a matter for the British Olympic Association. The Government will take a view on what steps they might take to promote any bid in the event the BOA decides to make a bid.
National Stadium
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress the Government have made in reviewing the options for a national stadium. [973]
Tessa Jowell: My right hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) explained to the House on 2 May 2001, Official Report, column 852W, that the Government would review options for a National Stadium in the light of the Football Association's announcement on 1 May that it could not deliver its plans for a new National Football and Rugby League Stadium at Wembley. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced on 8 May that the Government had asked Patrick Carter, a non executive member of the Strategy Board for Correctional Services, to analyse the alternative ways forward for the project. This work was delayed because of the general election but is now under way. The terms of reference for Mr. Carter's work are:
- In the light of the FA's announcement on 1 May 2001 about the project to develop a new English National Stadium at Wembley for Football and Rugby League, to examine if the project can be funded and managed at Wembley, or if that proved impractical, at another location in England. The review should report to the Government within eight weeks.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Justices of the Peace
Harry Cohen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made with the pilot project for sight-impaired people acting as Justices of the Peace. [928]
Mr. Wills: I am pleased to announce that the pilot project assessing the feasibility of sight-impaired people acting as magistrates has been completed. It has been a great success. Nine sight-impaired people were recruited as Justices of the Peace to the Commission areas of Leicestershire, Devon, North East London, Wiltshire, Humberside and Manchester. Each was appointed after having met the normal selection criteria and completed the training. The responses from those who have worked with the sight-impaired magistrates have shown that each one of them has made a positive and valuable contribution to the work of their Benches. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is therefore removing, forthwith, the bar to appointment of sight-impaired applicants as Justices of the Peace.
Magistrates Courts (Warrants)
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many warrants have been issued by (a) Sevenoaks Magistrates Court and (b) Dartford
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Magistrates Court in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many are outstanding in each case. [264]
Mr. Wills: Detailed information of this nature is not held centrally, and could be obtained locally only at disproportionate cost.
Independent Appellate Authority
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) asylum cases and (b) other immigration cases are now awaiting consideration by the Independent Appellate Authority. [164]
Ms Rosie Winterton: At the end of May 2001, the Immigration Appellate Authority had 18,145 outstanding asylum cases and 3,230 outstanding other immigration cases awaiting final determination.
TREASURY
2002 Spending Review
Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to repeat cross-departmental reviews as part of the 2002 Spending Review. [1063]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The 2002 Spending Review will roll forward existing spending plans and set budgets and outcome targets for Departments up to 2005-06. The aim of the Review will be to determine how best Departments' programmes can contribute to the Government's priorities of:
- delivery of high quality, efficient and responsive public services;
- raising productivity, in the public sector and outside, through improved skills, research and infrastructure;
- spreading opportunity and prosperity more widely, and tackling child poverty and social exclusion;
- improving the quality of life in both urban and rural areas; and
- securing a modern international role for Britain through co-operation with our European and international partners.
The Review will take a thorough look at all programmes to ensure that the new plans fully reflect the Government's priorities and the scope for greater efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.
The Review will include a number of cross- departmental studies, to look systematically at issues that cut across departmental boundaries. The initial cross cutting reviews will cover:
- (a) children at risk: this review will establish the key outcome targets for children's services, including the effectiveness of the current interventions in reducing the risks of young people turning to crime, and identify the main obstacles to meeting those targets.
- (b) public sector labour market: a study of recruitment and retention across the public services. The review will focus on staff requirements in the light of overall labour market trends, the effectiveness of the initiatives already introduced and implications for future policy.
- (c) improving the public space: this review will build on the Prime Minister's work on "liveability", to improve local quality of life including safety, convenience and attractiveness of local streets and amenities.
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- (d) small business support: a review to assess Government services for small business, including information, advice, financial support, ease of access and delivery of service where small businesses need to interact with Government.
- (e) science and research: a review of funding of the UK science base and the effectiveness of Departments' own science and research programmes to ensure that they deliver maximum long-term benefits to the economy and quality of life.
- (f) health inequalities: this study will analyse the impact on health of poverty, employment, eduction, crime, transport, fuel poverty and related factors, and assess and improve the mechanisms for tackling these problems.
- (g) role of the voluntary sector in public service delivery: a review to analyse the current contribution of the voluntary sector in service delivery, the necessary instruments to improve this contribution, and possibilities for improving the range and quality of services offered by the voluntary sector.
Further cross cutting work on other subjects will be carried out at a later stage in the Review.
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