§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what(a) reviews, (b) task forces and (c) advisory groups have been established by his Department since May 1997; what their membership is; and what reports they (i) have published and (ii) are preparing to publish. [28580]
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§ Mr. McCartneyDepartmental Ministers and officials consider many policy questions and issues on a routine and on-going basis and frequently seek the views of people external to the Department on a more or less
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Total number of members Task forces, ad hoc advisory and policy review groups Date Established Date reported/due to report Date wound up Ministers Civil Servants Wider public servants Voluntary/Charity Other in Private Sector Total Pension provision group September 1997 'We all need pensions— The Prospectus for Pension Provision' June 1998. 'Responses to the Pensions Green Paper' March 1999 'A Commentary on the Pension Credit' March 2001 Proposed March 2002 0 0 1 0 6 7 Pension sharing consultation panel November 1997 No reports. Proposed March 2002 0 0 1 2 14 17 Ad hoc group of external stakeholders: Decision Making and Appeals February 1998 No formal reports produced. April 2001 0 4 0 8 0 12 Activities of managing life working group July 1998 No reports have been published. Minutes of meetings are produced. 0 6 0 7 0 13 Housing benefit simplification and improvement project September 1998 No reports published. Mid 1999 0 18 2 0 0 20 Modern service working group December 1998 No plans to produce a report. — 0 5 0 7 0 12 Statutory money purchase illustrations working party April 1999 'Illustrations of Money Purchase Pensions' September 2000. Consultation paper summer 2001 Proposed March 2002 0 2 1 0 3 6 Member-nominated trustee working group June 1999 Proposals in 'Member-Nominated Trustees and Directors: Consultation document' published October 1999. Proposed March 2002 0 2 0 0 7 9 Stakeholder pensions core group July 1999 No formal reports. December 2000 0 4 1 0 19 24 Pension forecasting advisory group July 1999 'Planning Your Future' published July 2000. March 2001 0 10 0 0 8 18 Best practice guidelines working practice July 1999 No formal report. November 2000 0 4 1 0 7 12 Dual sensory impairment group September 1999 No formal report. November 2000 0 4 0 4 0 8 Benefits agency standards committee November 1999 First annual report published September 2000. Proposed March 2002 0 2 3 1 3 9 Older people—media images working group August 2000 No report planned. March 2001 0 7 0 6 1 14 Partnership against poverty March 2001 No report as such, provides feedback to department after each meeting. — 0 6 5 10 0 21 Jobcentre plus employers forum May 2001 No formal report planned. — 0 2 2 0 8 12 Jobcentre plus stakeholders forum May 2001 No formal report planned. — 0 4 2 18 0 24 The private pensions simplification (pickering) review September 2001 Report due July 2002. — 2 5 0 0 5 12 formal basis. The following table shows the task forces, ad hoc advisory and policy review groups with external members, which have been established since May 1997:
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Total number of members Task forces, ad hoc advisory and policy review groups Date Established Date reported/due to report Date wound up Ministers Civil Servants Wider public servants Volunrary/Charity Other in Private Sector Total The minimum funding requirement consultant panel September 2001 No formal report planned. — 0 8 0 1 12 21 Scottish partnership against poverty November 2001 No formal report planned. — 0 11 0 7 6 24 Ministerial approval
Date
Secretary of State approval
PSL approval