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Deposited Paper HINF 2003/2818

Letter dated 11.12.2003 Ivor Caplin MP to Iris Robinson MP regarding the number of UDR and RIR widows that had been created as a direct result of terrorist result activity since 1973 and the amount of money paid to them by the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. Incl. tables showing the...

Deposited by

Ministry of Defence

Type

Deposited papers

Date

19 December 2003

Reference

HINF 2003/2818

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what priorities he has set in relation to increasing direct payment of benefits and pensions. - Inc figures.

Asked by

Helen Clark (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

143208; 415 c1087W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether those customers invited to transfer to direct payment who (a) do not reply and (b) reply and decline a direct payment option will be automatically transferred to the exceptions service; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

143087; 415 c1087W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evaluation he has made of the social benefits to (a) individuals and (b) local communities of direct payment of benefits and pensions through (i) Post Office accounts and (ii) bank accounts; what assessment he has made of the relative...

Asked by

Helen Clark (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

4 December 2003

For answer on

18 December 2003

Answered on

18 December 2003

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what evaluation he has made of the social benefits to (a) individuals and (b) local communities of direct payment of benefits and pensions through (i) Post Office accounts and (ii) bank accounts; [143203] (2) what assessment he has made of the relative (a) availability and (b) accessibility of (i) banks and (ii) post offices in relation to the payment of benefits and pensions; [143204] (3) what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) urban and (b) rural regeneration of the policy on direct payment of benefits and pensions. [143205] Mr. Pond: The move to Direct Payment and the introduction of universal banking services has resulted in a number of benefits for individuals and the communities in which they live, particularly in terms of increasing customer choice, helping to address financial exclusion and improving access to banking for all. The new arrangements ensure a more modern, efficient and reliable service that increases customer choice, provides better value for the taxpayer, cuts fraud, and boosts financial inclusion. More customers are now paid into an account than by order book or girocheque. Customers have more choice about where and when they collect their money and there are a range of accounts that people can access at Post Office branches. There are a number of advantages to having a bank or building society account and over 85 per cent. of DWP customers already have access to a suitable account with the figure rising to 90 per cent. for pensioners. But this currently leaves around 3.5 million adults in the UK without access to a bank account and not able to take advantage of, for example, the savings to utility bills that come through making payments by Direct Debit from an account. Direct Payment will help spread financial inclusion by increasing the number of people who have bank accounts and giving them opportunities to benefit--this includes the new easy to operate basic bank accounts. New banking services, including the introduction of the Post Office card account, are central to the Post Office management's strategy for the network. For example, 20 million bank customers can now access their current accounts electronically in Post Office branches. Banking at Post Offices has enabled banking to return to many rural areas where the last bank branch was closed many years ago. It has also introduced banking services into many deprived urban areas for the first time. The Government are providing significant investment for the Post Office network--some £2 billion in total during the five year period from April 2003, including £450 million to support the rural network until 2006. In addition the Government have instructed the Post Office to prevent avoidable closures in the rural Post Office network.

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

415 c1088-9W; 143203;143204;143205

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate the Government has made of the (a) proportion and (b) number of people who are entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension from their contracted-out final salary pension schemes who will not receive their full entitlement due to the...

Asked by

Shaun Woodward (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

10 December 2003

For answer on

18 December 2003

Answered on

18 December 2003

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate the Government have made of the (a) proportion and (b) number of people who are entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension from their contracted-out final salary pension schemes who will not receive their full entitlement due to the winding up of their employer's final salary pension scheme; [144077] (2) what estimate the Government have made of the number of people who are entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension from final salary pension schemes that (a) have been wound up and (b) are being wound up by (i) solvent and (ii) insolvent employers. [144081] Malcolm Wicks: It is not possible to provide accurate estimates of the number of people entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension or those who might not receive their full entitlement in these circumstances. In order to produce such estimates, data on individual schemes' funding positions would be required. However, detailed information on this area is not available from existing data sources. Funding position information is particularly hard to obtain, given that it is highly sensitive to investment decisions and conditions in financial markets. The Pensions Schemes Registry (PSR), administered by the Occupational Pension Schemes Regulatory Authority (OPRA), holds information on the number of final salary schemes which are currently in the winding- up process and the number of schemes which have entered and completed winding-up. The registry database is, however, limited in a number of ways as described in the following footnote. Consequently, it does not provide a continuous record of the status of schemes, though it nevertheless remains the most comprehensive source of information available on the aggregate number of pension schemes in the UK. Note: The Pension Schemes Registry (PSR) is not designed or intended to provide a comprehensive or continuous statistical record of the status of schemes. The PSR registers schemes for tracing purposes and collects the levy from pension schemes, including those in the process of winding-up. New scheme data are being reported to the PSR on a continuous basis. Therefore, the figures are subject to continuous revision. When a scheme has changed status, the previous status of the scheme is not recorded on the registry. Schemes have up to 12 months to notify OPRA of any status change.

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

415 c1096-7W; 144077;144081

House

House of Commons

Bach, Lord

What was the total cost, at current prices, of pensions paid to war widows in each of the past seven years. - Inc table. [HL 311].

Asked by

Lord Morris of Manchester (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

HL 311; 655 c176WA

House

House of Lords

EDF ENERGY

That this House congratulates EDF Energy, whose retail arms include SWEB, SEEBOARD and London Energy on launching a new final salary pension scheme at a time when many companies are abandoning final salary schemes; and notes that EDF Energy through working directly with their trade unions have announced that for...

Primary sponsor

Kerry Pollard (Labour)

Type

Early day motions

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

332

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will include in the forthcoming bill on company pensions proposals to assist employees whose pensions are affected by company take-over.

Asked by

Helen Clark (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

144969; 415 c1102W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to re-instate the full guaranteed minimum pension for members of final salary schemes where the assets of the scheme are insufficient to buy the full amount of guaranteed minimum pension when the scheme is wound-up.

Asked by

Shaun Woodward (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

415 c1096W; 144076

House

House of Commons

Gender Recognition Bill (HL) 2003/04

Gender Recognition Bill (HL). Lords second reading debate. Agreed to on question and committed to a Grand Committee.

Lead member

Lord Filkin

Answering member

Baroness Buscombe

Department

Department for Constitutional Affairs

Type

Debates on bills

Date

18 December 2003

Reference

655 c1287-326

House

House of Lords

Deposited Paper HINF 2003/2790

Payment modernisation programme: direct payment statistics: cumulative data up to and including 14.11.2003. 3 p. DWP. 2003.

Deposited by

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Deposited papers

Date

17 December 2003

Reference

HINF 2003/2790

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on mortgage regulation

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on mortgage regulation.

Lead member

Barry Gardiner

Answering member

Ruth Kelly

Department

Treasury

Type

Adjournment debates

Date

17 December 2003

Reference

415 c274-80WH

House

House of Commons

Treasury

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the Government of increasing pensions in line with average wage increases. - Includes table.

Asked by

Andrew Rosindell (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

8 December 2003

For answer on

16 December 2003

Answered on

16 December 2003

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Government of increasing pensions in line with average wage increases. [143546] Ruth Kelly: The costs of uprating retirement pension in line with earnings and these costs as a percentage of GDP are as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Gross Cost (£) Gross Cost as (percentage) 2005-06 1.8 0.15 2010-11 6.3 0.54 2020-21 18.1 1.21 2030-31 38.1 1.99 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. As my right hon. friend the Chancellor said in his pre- Budget statement, UK public finances are sustainable in the long term. The UK is in a strong position relative to other countries to face the challenges ahead. To revert to the pre-1980 position, an earnings link with pensions would--by 2050--raise deficits by 3 per cent. a year just to cover this one item with the long-term sustainability of public finances undermined. The Government will proceed on a sustainable basis. Notes 1. Figures are in 2003-04 price terms. Costs are in billions rounded to the nearest £100 million. Percentages are to the nearest two decimal places. 2. GDP figures are from HM Treasury Economic Assumptions provided 28 November 2003. 3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2003 assumptions. 4. The net costs take into account income related benefit offsets, which are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model.

Date

16 December 2003

Reference

143546; 415 c802-3W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners have decided not to change over to payment of their pensions into bank accounts or Post Office Card Accounts. - Including figures and fact that key figures on the progress of conversion to direct payment are available...

Asked by

David Drew (Labour; Co-operative Party)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

16 December 2003

Reference

144288; 415 c874W

House

House of Commons

Written Statement on an increase in public service pensions from 12 April 2004

Written Statement on an increase in public service pensions from 12 April 2004. (Inc fig and ref to 11 December 2003 415 c108-18WS).

Member

Lord Boateng (Labour)

Department

Treasury

Type

Written statements

Date

16 December 2003

Reference

415 c133WS;415 c131WS

House

House of Commons

Bach, Lord

Lords statement on what plans they have to pay further ex-gratia compensation for the incorrect deduction of tax from Service attributable pensions. [HL 446].

Asked by

Baroness Turner of Camden (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

16 December 2003

Reference

HL 446; 655 c134-5WA

House

House of Lords

Treasury

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the organisations which responded to the consultation document, Simplifying the taxation of pensions: increasing choice and flexibility for all. - Includes ref to summary responses www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/pensionschemes.

Asked by

Steve Webb (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

16 December 2003

Reference

415 c803W; 144663

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department intends to help lower earners build up their entitlement to the state pension.

Asked by

Jim Cunningham (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 December 2003

For answer on

16 December 2003

Answered on

16 December 2003

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department intends to help lower earners build up their entitlement to the state pension. [143927] Malcolm Wicks: There are already a number of measures in place to help lower earners build up their entitlement to state pension. Employees who earn above the lower earnings limit (LEL) but less than the lower earnings threshold (LET) are treated as having earnings at the LET. Certain carers and people who are disabled or long-term ill who earn less than the LET, including those with no earnings at all, are also treated as having earnings at the LET. Because the LET is set at a higher amount than the LEL, some employees do not have to pay national insurance contributions (NICs) but are treated as if they have paid them. This means that they continue to build up entitlement to contributory benefits such as state pension and incapacity benefit even though they are not paying NICs. In addition, people with earnings below the level at which they are treated as paying NICs or no earnings can have their state pension entitlement protected by home responsibilities protection (HRP). HRP helps to protect the basic state pension position of people whose opportunities to work are limited because of caring responsibilities at home. It is available to eligible people for complete tax years and reduces the number of qualifying years they would otherwise need for a basic state pension. Also, recipients of working tax credit whose earnings are below the level at which they are treated as paying NICs can be credited with contributions for state pension purposes. Further, the state second pension focuses help on those with low to moderate earnings and on qualifying carers and long term-disabled people who have broken work records. 20 million people have started to benefit from the reform of state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS) through the state second pension, introduced in April 2002. Low earners will get at least double what they would have got from SERPS, while carers and disabled people with broken work records will be entitled to an additional state pension for the first time.

Date

16 December 2003

Reference

143927; 415 c874-5W

House

House of Commons

Treasury

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the actuarial liability estimated for the future payment of public sector pensions was in each year from 1997-98 to 2002-03; and what the value was of the funds existing in each year to meet this liability. - Inc ref to 7 January...

Asked by

James Gray (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 December 2003

Reference

143615; 415 c679W;415 c679-80W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Work and Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the evidential basis is for the claim in his Department's internal memorandum from the Project Manager for the Payment Modernisation Programme, that paying pensions through Post Office accounts costs 30 times as much as through bank accounts.

Asked by

Helen Clark (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Work and Pensions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 December 2003

Reference

143202; 415 c685-6W

House

House of Commons

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House

Session

Month

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

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