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6 May 2004 : Column 1783W—continued
Jobcentres
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what degree of flexibility he will give jobcentres over their budgets (a) to improve local skills and (b) to target jobless blackspots. [166681]
Jane Kennedy: Jobcentre Plus has a wide range of employment programmes to support clients improve their employability and help them to move into work. Within the framework of national programme design, District Managers are responsible for ensuring that the provision meets the needs of their local labour market. Programme budget management processes support this local tailoring.
Since 26 April 2004, the District Manager's Discretionary Fund (DMDF) has been made available to all District Managers and will run for two years, with lessons learned being taken forward.
DMDF will allow greater freedom and flexibility to tackle local problems, including local skills gaps, and allow investment in local partnerships.
In addition, since 1 April 2004 we have launched the Working Neighbourhoods pilots in 12 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. The pilots include a flexible, discretionary fund for each neighbourhood to allow personal advisers in cooperation with local strategic partners to tackle the substantial and varied barriers that prevent residents in these neighbourhoods from returning to work.
New Deal for Lone Parents
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents in West Lancashire have gained work through the New Deal programme. [171723]
Jane Kennedy:
650 lone parents in West Lancashire have gained work through the New Deal for Lone Parents since the start of the programme in October 1998. Figures for lone parents who have gained work through other New Deal Programmes are not available.
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Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents in Oldham, West and Royton have gained work through the New Deal programme. [170948]
Jane Kennedy: 480 lone parents in Oldham, West and Royton have gained work through the New Deal for Lone Parents since the start of the programme in October 1998. Figures for lone parents who have gained work through other New Deal programmes are not available.
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women in Oldham, West and Royton have benefited from (a) the New Deal for Lone Parents and (b) the New Deal for Partners since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [170950]
Jane Kennedy: Through the New Deal we have introduced a wide range of initiatives to help individuals improve their employment prospects by giving them the skills, support and confidence they need to move into work. From 12 April we enhanced the New Deal for Partners in order to offer partners taking part in that programme the same level of help and support as our successful New Deal for Lone Parents programme. Also from this April we have started to roll out Work Focused Interviews for Partners, offering greater support to partners of benefit recipients.
720 women have started New Deal for Lone Parents in Oldham, West and Royton since the beginning of the programme in October 1998, of whom, 460 have gained a job. Information on the number of women who have benefited from the New Deal for Partners is not available.
Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have (a) gained work and (b) entered training or education through the New Deal for Lone Parents in Battersea. [169768]
Jane Kennedy: Since the beginning of the programme in October 1998, 400 lone parents have gained work, and 70 have participated in training or education, through the New Deal for Lone Parents in Battersea.
Part-time Employees' Pension Rights
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Government intends to lay regulations before the House amending the Pensions Act 1995 and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Equal Treatment) Regulations to reflect the time limits of the European Court of Justice ruling in the Preston case. [169883]
Malcolm Wicks: Draft regulations were prepared and issued for consultation in July last year. They will be finalised as soon as possible but in the meantime employment tribunals are making decisions in light of the judgments of the courts about access to pension schemes.
Pension Entitlements
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking to calculate the cost of compensating those people who have already lost some or all of their pension entitlement; and if he will make a statement. [170103]
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Malcolm Wicks: We are currently working with trustees to gather data about defined benefit schemes that are winding up under-funded. Using these data we will establish firm estimates of the extent of the problem and the potential scale of losses. The potential cost of any assistance would depend on these estimates and on the nature of any assistance provided.
State Pension
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost, net of savings in means-tested benefits and additional tax revenues, of paying a full basic state pension to each individual (a) regardless of contribution record and (b) on the current system of entitlement at the rate of the guarantee credit, from the age of 80 years; and if he will estimate in each case the cost in each of the following four years on the assumption that the pension was then indexed to earnings. [168860]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. However, such information as is available is in the table.
| (a) Net cost of guarantee level basic state pension paid to those over 80 regardless of contribution record | (b) Net cost of guarantee level basic state pension paid to those over 80 on current system of entitlement | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
| 2006–07 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
| 2007–08 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
| 2008–09 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
Notes:
1. Figures are for Great Britain in 2004–05 price terms, rounded to the nearest £100 million. It is assumed the change comes into effect from April 2005 and basic state pension is up-rated in line with earnings thereafter. It is assumed that part (a) would not apply to those overseas, and so for consistency, part (b) also does not include any changes to the state pensions of those who are overseas.
2. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2004 assumptions and use 2002-based population projections.
3. For part (a) it is assumed that for those over 80 the basic state pension has been increased to the guarantee credit rate, any additional pension is then added to the full basic state pension.
4. In addition, no allowances are made for couples, and individuals aged over 80 have been assumed to receive basic state pension at the single rate of the guarantee credit, including those previously receiving no basic state pension through their own contributions.
5. For part (b) for those over 80, the maximum rate of category A basic state pension is raised to the level of the guarantee credit and those receiving less than the maximum category A basic state pension and other categories of basic state pension will receive an increased pension according to the rules of the current system.
6. Income related benefit offsets are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model and April 2004 benefit rates. It is assumed that the savings credit is left unchanged from the existing system and the current rules apply. Consistent with previous answers it is assumed that the offset for the first year will remain constant for subsequent years.
7. Additional income tax revenue is estimated by the Inland Revenue using 2004 tax rates. The income tax estimates for 2004–05 to 2006–07 are based on the 2001–02 Survey of Personal Incomes and are projected in line with March 2004 Budget assumptions. For illustrative purposes, it is assumed income tax revenue will be a fixed percentage of the gross cost for this option in 2007–08 and 2008–09.
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Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) divorced and (b) widowed people who have made a claim for state retirement pension have yet to receive it; and how long they have been waiting in each case. [167336]
Malcolm Wicks: The number of claims to state pension from divorced and widowed customers who have yet to receive their award, as at 21 April 2004, is broken down as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Divorced | 4,349 |
| Widowed | 1,083 |
| Total | 5,432 |
Information on how long they have been waiting in each case can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
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