§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the instances in which his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2000–01. [32028]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe Department aims to pay all invoices within 30 days of receipt where no other contract exists. During 2000–01 in the former Department of Social Security of the 228,186 invoices paid there were 12,772 invoices not paid according to the prescribed timescales—this means 94.4 per cent. were within target. Details for departmental agencies and bodies are listed below.
§ Malcolm WicksTackling fuel poverty is one of this Government's key priorities. A number of measures have been put in place to ensure that by 2010, no vulnerable household will have to struggle to heat their home when it is cold. These measures include the £200 winter fuel payment for households that qualify, cold weather payments, a cut in the level of VAT on fuel and radical improvements to the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme.
The fuel direct scheme provides valuable, last-resort protection against the threat of disconnection for people in receipt of income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance who are in arrears with their utility bills. Fuel companies generally make customers who have fallen into arrears aware of the scheme.
Information on the value of deductions from benefit under the fuel direct scheme is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Information on the numbers of people benefiting from the scheme is in the table.
761W
Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance recipients with deductions for fuel direct, Great Britain, 1997–98 to 2000–01 Year Number of people 1997–98 147,500 1998–99 103,500 1999–2000 75,000 2000–01 61,400 Notes:
1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of all Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance recipients and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
2. The figures are an average, using quarterly data for each of the last 4 years, of the number of people with deductions.
Source:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to February 2001.
Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 to February 2001