HC Deb 28 June 2001 vol 370 cc157-8W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out the basis for his oral statement of 25 June 2001,Official Report, column 372, about the number of pensioners who will benefit from the proposed pension credit; and if that total includes pensioners with no private pension income who receive the minimum income guarantee. [1160]

Mr. McCartney

I refer the hon. Member to "The Pension Credit: A consultation paper" (Nov 2000, Cm 4900).

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much it is expected to cost to establish the Pension Service [370]

Mr. McCartney

The Government's current spending plans (Spending Review 2000: New Public Spending Plans 2001–04 Cm4807) provide funds for extensive improvements to the services this Department offers to its customers. Establishing the new Pension Service will form a key part of this modernisation programme.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have bought a stakeholder pension in each month since they first became available; and what proportion of these were bought on behalf of someone else. [376]

Mr. McCartney

The information requested is not yet available.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service will have their own dedicated websites. [369]

Mr. McCartney

Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service will have their own dedicated websites.

Information about both organisations is already available through either the Department's or the Employment Service's websites.

Mrs. Lait

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who claim minimum income guarantee as a result of the take-up campaign. [919]

Mr. McCartney

The take-up campaign has so far resulted in 110,286 successful claims to the minimum income guarantee. The average additional income is £20 per week.

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how people in long-term residential care who are(a) state-funded and (b) self-funded will benefit from the introduction of the pension credit. [1260]

Mr. McCartney

The pension credit forms a key part of the Government's overall strategy for tackling pensioner poverty.

We are in the process of completing the design of the credit and will publish details of our proposals when the Bill is introduced.