Alistair Darling: The creation of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) brings together former Department of Social Security spending plans, less that relating to War Pensions, with those for the employment functions of the former Department for Employment and Education (DfEE) (including the whole of the Employment Service). Work is continuing to quantify precise funding, particularly in relation to...
Alistair Darling: The Government are establishing a new business for people of working age, Jobcentre Plus, and a new service for pensions and pensioners, the Pension Service. Jobcentre Plus will bring together the Employment Service with the working age part of the Benefits Agency to deliver a single, integrated service to people of working age and employers. The Pension Service will provide a unified, better...
Alistair Darling: The new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will bring together the Government's drive to help people get into work as well as to provide a better service for pensions and pensioners. The new Department will have two core operations to enable it to do this: Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service. The Pension Service will offer a local service working in partnership with local authorities...
Alistair Darling: holding answer 9 and 10 July 2001 The Government are committed to ensuring there is full employment and opportunity for all. This means we must extend the necessary help and support to all people of working age who are out of the labour market. In the past, many people were moved onto Incapacity Benefit with limited help to make sure that they got the right level of support. There was no...
Alistair Darling: Today I have published Households Below Average Income for 1994–95 to 1999–2000. Copies have been placed in the Library. The report shows the position during the financial year 1999–2000. Consequently, it does not reflect the full impact of all policies or the changes introduced since—for instance the significant increases made to Working Families Tax Credit and Income Support child...
Alistair Darling: Tuesday 10 July 2001.
Alistair Darling: I have received the fifth report of the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA). I have laid copies of the report before both Houses today.
Alistair Darling: I have today placed in the Library copies of the UK National Action Plan on Social Inclusion for 2001–03, which sets out the Government's policies for implementing the objectives in the fight against social exclusion and the eradication of poverty, agreed at the European Council held in Nice in December 2000. The plan contains information on policies and programmes that are tackling...
Alistair Darling: I have today placed in both Houses copies of research into employer awareness of stakeholder pensions. The research illustrates that awareness of stakeholder pensions is very high with 94 per cent. of respondents saying that they are aware of these pensions.
Alistair Darling: I have today laid before the House the Employment Service's annual report and accounts for 2000–2001 which gives full details of the Agency's performance and expenditure for that year.
Alistair Darling: The 2000–2001 annual reports and accounts for the Benefits Agency (HC153), Child Support Agency (HC87), The Appeals Service (HC156) and War Pensions Agency (HC57) have been laid before Parliament today.
Alistair Darling: In our 1999 paper "Safeguarding Social Security" we estimated that £2 billion was lost annually due to confirmable benefit fraud. We have set firm targets to halve the amount of fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance by 2006. We have already met our first milestone, of a 10 per cent. reduction, 18 months ahead of schedule.
Alistair Darling: A report on the results of the evaluation of the March burst of the Targeting Fraud Advertising Campaign has been placed in the Library.
Alistair Darling: The Government are committed to sustaining a national network of post offices. One of the initiatives that is being put in place to deliver this is Universal Banking Services. I am co-ordinating the work to modernise the payment of pensions, benefits and Tax Credits along with the introduction of banking services through post offices.
Alistair Darling: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which the Prime Minister gave on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 823W.
Alistair Darling: Records are not kept of individual occasions on which powers under the royal prerogative are exercised nor could it be practicable to do so.
Alistair Darling: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Pond) earlier today, at column 556.
Alistair Darling: Universal Banking Services are scheduled to be available when we begin to migrate our customers to payment by automated credit transfer in 2003.
Alistair Darling: We received 106 named day parliamentary questions for answer between 15 October and 5 November and we issued holding replies in respect of 18 (17 per cent.). Substantive replies were subsequently issued to one question within three parliamentary days, 10 questions within seven parliamentary days, three questions within 10 parliamentary day and two questions over 15 parliamentary days. One...
Alistair Darling: The information is in the table. Rates (Weekly rates unless otherwise shown) 2001 2002 Attendance Allowance higher rate 55.30 56.25 lower rate 37.00 37.65 Child Benefit —only, elder or eldest for whom child benefit is payable (couple) 15.50 15.75 —only, elder or eldest for whom child benefit is payable (loneparent) 17.55 17.55 —each...