§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which areas are piloting the provision in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 to reduce benefit for claimants who breach community service orders; and how many claimants in each area have been sanctioned since the pilots began. [27767]
§ Malcolm WicksThere are four probation service areas piloting the provisions of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 relating to the reduction of benefit for people who breach community sentence orders. The four areas are Derbyshire, Hertfordshire, Teesside and West Midlands (as detailed in SI 2001 No. 2619 (C.86)).
The pilot began on 15 October 2001. As at 1 February 2002, a total of 272 warning letters had been issued to those referred to court for breach proceedings. On 1 February 2002 four claimants had been sanctioned: three were from the Teesside pilot area and one from West Midlands. A slow start was expected because the measures do not apply retrospectively to breaches occurring before that date.