House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 10 Jun 2002 (pt 38)

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what plans he has to amend regulations to provide benefits to survivors of domestic violence subject to the one year immigration rule; [58595]

Malcolm Wicks: Provisions already exist to allow victims of domestic violence to claim social security benefits. Provided that the Home Office is satisfied that a

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marriage has broken down due to domestic violence, it can apply a concession to the one year immigration rule, giving the victim indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, and therefore access to the benefits system.

We have no plans to introduce regulations to give people who are subject to the one year immigration rule access to benefits before the Home Office has considered the particular circumstances of a case and has proof of domestic violence. To do so would undermine the general principle that those who are subject to immigration control have no access to the benefits system.

Verification Framework

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 23 April 2002, Official Report, column 202W, on the verification framework, if he will place a copy of 'The Cost of the Verification Framework', DSS Operational Research, Analytical Services Division 2A, published in April 2001, in the Library. [59320]

Malcolm Wicks: A copy of the survey report has been placed in the Library.

Automated Credit Transfer

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has in place to educate benefits claimants regarding the use of automated credit transfer when it is introduced for payments in 2003. [59191]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is currently planning an information campaign to give customers the information they need about the move to paying directly into bank/building society accounts.

Child Poverty

Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families with children in Glasgow, Cathcart constituency have moved out of poverty since 1 May 1997. [58876]

Malcolm Wicks: Poverty is a complex multi- dimensional issue, affecting many aspects of children's lives—including income, health, housing, the quality of their environment and opportunities to learn. There is therefore no single measure of the number of families with children that have moved out of poverty in the Glasgow, Cathcart constituency.

Departmental Sponsors

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which hon. Members have been appointed as sponsors to his Department since 7 June 2001; and when each of them were appointed. [59971]

Mr. McCartney: Ministers in this Department have made no such appointments.

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Parliamentary Questions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer the questions regarding SchlumbergerSema and his plans to publish the Department's report on medical services' performance against quality targets tabled on 1 May. [59294]

Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 24 May 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to him on 23 May 2002, Official Report, column 541W.

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the question from the hon. member for Northavon, of 17 April, ref, 50989. [60519]

Mr. McCartney: I have answered the question today.

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Public Consultations

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the public consultations undertaken by his Department since June 2001, stating in each case the (a) number of respondents and (b) percentage of those specifically consulted who responded. [60147]

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security and parts of the Department for Education and Employment. The data requested are included in the table. Consultation documents are issued directly to interested parties which the Department recognises have a special interest in the issue. In accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice they are also published on the departmental and UK online websites.

Title of consultation Number of respondents Percentage of those specifically consulted who responded

Amending the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 13 15

Occupational Pension Scheme Winding up Notices and Reports (etc.) Regulations 2001 29 51.7

Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Amendment Regulations 2001 17 30

Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Contracting-out)—draft miscellaneous amending regulations 75 47

Changes to Invalid Care Allowance 133 30

The Minimum Funding Requirement: The next stage of reform. Consultation on the draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Minimum Funding Requirement and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2001 140 19

Private Pensions Simplification 119 53

Bulk transfer of accrued pensions rights without member consent 19 43

Revised code of practice for gathering of information as required in Social Security Fraud Act 2001 1 1

Consultation exercise on Pension Scheme Trustees, Independent Custodians and Encouraging Shareholder Activism 102 ⁽³⁷⁾20 ⁽³⁸⁾32 ⁽³⁹⁾1

Member nominated trustees and directors 22 30

Title of consultation	Number of respondents	Percentage of those specifically consulted who responded
Amending the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979	13	15
Occupational Pension Scheme Winding up Notices and Reports (etc.) Regulations 2001	29	51.7
Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Amendment Regulations 2001	17	30
Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Contracting-out)—draft miscellaneous amending regulations	75	47
Changes to Invalid Care Allowance	133	30
The Minimum Funding Requirement: The next stage of reform. Consultation on the draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Minimum Funding Requirement and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2001	140	19
Private Pensions Simplification	119	53
Bulk transfer of accrued pensions rights without member consent	19	43
Revised code of practice for gathering of information as required in Social Security Fraud Act 2001	1	1
Consultation exercise on Pension Scheme Trustees, Independent Custodians and Encouraging Shareholder Activism	102	⁽³⁷⁾20 ⁽³⁸⁾32 ⁽³⁹⁾1
Member nominated trustees and directors	22	30

⁽³⁷⁾ Overall

⁽³⁸⁾ GB

⁽³⁹⁾ Northern Ireland

Retirement Age

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list for each NDPB and agency sponsored by his Department (a) the maximum retirement age adopted for most employees and (b) their practice on not considering applications for employment by persons over a particular age. [59297]

Mr. McCartney: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) sponsors 10 Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), as follows:

Non Departmental Public Bodies Sponsored By DWP

Executive Bodies

Disability Rights Commission (DRC)

Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra)

Pensions Compensation Board (PCB)

Remploy Ltd

Advisory Bodies

Disability Employment Advisory Committee (DEAC)

Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board (DLAAB)

Industrial Injury Advisory Council (IIAC)

National Employment Panel (NEP)

Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC)

Tribunal Bodies

Pensions Ombudsman (PO).

Of these, only the Executive Bodies actually employ staff.

Disability Rights Commission (DRC)

DRC employ staff directly and have no restriction on the age at which employees retire. In addition they have no upper age limit for applicants.

Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra)

Opra directly employ staff and also have a number of DWP staff (civil servants) on loan:

For those staff directly employed by Opra there is no maximum retirement age. However, these staff are part of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme and as such will be governed by the pension scheme rules. The rules for DWP staff on loan are the same as for the rest of the department, namely that they can choose when they retire between ages 60 and 65.

There is no maximum age restriction for new staff recruited by Opra (as DWP staff on loan to Opra leave, they are replaced by Opra employees).

Pensions Ombudsman (PO)

The staff employed by PO are actually civil servants and are therefore covered by the PCSPS rules, ie the normal retirement age being 60, but with staff having the option of staying on up to 65.

Remploy

Remploy directly employs staff and the maximum retirement age for most employees is 65. They have no restrictions on the age of people recruited.

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Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department enforces a maximum retirement age for most staff; and whether it has a policy of not considering applications for employment by persons over a particular age. [59296]

Mr. McCartney: Civil Service equal opportunities policy provides that all eligible people must have equality of opportunity for employment and advancement on the basis of their suitability for the work. There must be no unfair discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, or (in Northern Ireland) community background.

All L/C in DWP, below the Senior Civil Service, are able to choose to remain in employment beyond the age of 60 for any period of time up to the age of 65. Staff over age 60 are subject to the same terms and conditions as staff under age 60. No special reviews of performance are applied.

The Department's flexible approach to age retirement allows staff to continue to work in their current grade and, subject to business need, to seek promotion to a higher grade or voluntarily to downgrade. Subject to business need staff may also choose to work full or part time.

In line with the Civil Service equal opportunities policy, applications for employment or reinstatement are considered from individuals up to the retirement age of 65.

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