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Dept of Social Security

Answer

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the task forces and advisory groups composed of independent members which have been set up by his Department since 1 May 1997, indicating in each case (a) their remit, (b) their membership, (c) how many members are (i) scientists, (ii) engineers, (iii) small business people or representatives of small businesses, (d) any remuneration members receive for their services and (e) their budget. [53284] Mr. Denham: The information requested is as follows: Pension Provision Group (a) To provide an independent analysis of the current state of pension provision in the United Kingdom and of likely future trends. (b) Membership is drawn from pensions experts from outside the Government who come from a wide range of backgrounds and interests. (c) None (d) None (e) None Pensions Education Working Group (a) To advise on the development of a longer term pensions awareness strategy; to establish and evaluate the telephone helpline experiment; work to develop free-standing initiatives and partnerships to implement their recommendations; to consider how to give consumers basic and comparable information in plain English on pension schemes and products. (b) Representatives from the pensions industry, employer and employee organisations, consumer organisations, regulatory authorities and officials from various Government departments. (c) None (d) None (e) None Pension Sharing Consultation Panel (a) To enable representatives from the key interest groups to work together with the Government to review proposals for the detailed operation of the policy. (b) Representatives of the pensions industry, family lawyers, groups representing divorcing couples and officials from various Government Departments. (c) None (d) None (e) None Disability Benefits Forum (a) To consider possible options for changes in the gateways to benefits for long-term sick and disabled people and carers, and how to ensure that help is directed to those who need it. (b) Representatives from "umbrella" groups representing all areas of the disability lobby and groups representing significant numbers of disabled people. In addition, there are experts from the fields of local government and social policy as well as medical professionals with a range of expertise in the areas of long term illness and disability. (c) None (d) None (e) None.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

317 c473-4W; 53284

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Department of Social Security Finance Government departments Pay Public appointments Task forces Engineers Scientists

Contains statistics

Yes