§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) which Minister in his Department is responsible for monitoring the risk presented by the modernisation of payments; [70421]
810W(2) at what level in the risk ranking and evaluation of process stage 2 of the DWP Risk Management Framework, the controllability of the risk concerning the modernisation of payments and controlling the potential for escalation is considered to be; [70419]
(3) whether the modernisation of payments is considered a risk managed at strategic level; [70420]
(4) if, in the risk ranking and evaluation of process stage 2 of the DWP Risk Management Framework, the modernisation of payments risk is considered a red, amber or green risk; [70418]
(5) what assessment has been made of the risk presented by the modernisation of payments in process stage 1 of the DWP Risk Management Framework were the assumption to turn out wrong; [70425]
(6) to whom the modernisation of benefits payments is risk-assigned; [70424]
(7) what action is being taken to mitigate the risk presented by the modernisation of benefits payments by his Department; [70422]
(8) at what level the stability of the assumption that universal banking services will be established on time has been identified in process stage 1 of the DWP Risk Management Framework. [70417]
§ Malcolm WicksMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for dealing with all of the Department's Public Service Agreement targets.
All DWP projects, including modernisation of payments, are subjected to a gateway process staged review and approval by the director of project management throughout their lifecycle. They are subjected to structured independent peer reviews and undertake a formal risk assessment using the Department's assumption based risk identification methodology.
Risk identification is carried out at a very senior level and this provides an outward facing strategic approach to risk presence.
A similar approach is being taken with the cross-Government universal banking programme.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of benefit recipients receive payments via bank or building society accounts or girocheque broken down by benefit type. [70414]
§ Malcolm WicksOver 40 per cent. of payments for benefit claimants are already paid directly into their bank or building society. This provides a more modern, secure and efficient way of making payments. The table provides details broken down by benefits as at March 2002.
Girocheques are not a normal method of payment option for any benefit other than JSA. The estimated number of JSA customers paid by girocheque is 77 per cent.
811W
Benefit Percentage paid direct into bank or building society Retirement pension, widows benefit and bereavement benefit 40 Child benefit 45 Incapacity benefit 25 Income support (estimated) 18 Disability living allowance 34 Invalid care allowance 16 War pensions 53 Attendance allowance 21 Industrial injury, death and disability benefit 22 Jobseeker's allowance 23
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2002,Official Report, column 1058W, to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner), on benefits (payment methods), in what order customers of particular benefits will be transferred to payment via automated credit transfer. [70413]
§ Malcolm WicksWe will adopt a phased approach to transfer customers to payment into bank or building society accounts.