HC Deb 24 March 2003 vol 402 cc105-6W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps were taken in the 1970s to publicise the introduction of Home Responsibilities Protection with particular reference to its implications for those women with an election to pay married women's reduced rate national insurance contributions. [92155]

Mr. McCartney

Because it was considered that some married women might wish to revoke their election to pay reduced rate contributions in order to benefit from Home Responsibilities Protection, a special insert was placed in child benefit order books to draw their attention to this. This was in addition to the information in leaflets and other media.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library copies of the literature and materials sent to(a) individual women, (b) employers and ( c) placed in Social Security offices in connection with each of the large-scale publicity campaigns run by his Department in (i) 1977, (ii) 1989 and (iii) 2000 aimed at married women who had a valid election to pay national insurance contributions at the reduced rate; and if he will make a statement on the other methods his Department used to advertise the changes to the system in each of these years. [90623]

Dawn Primarolo

I have been asked to reply.

The literature and material in respect of the pre-2000 publicity were placed in the Library of the House on 25 May 2000 and 20 January 2003 following a series of Parliamentary Questions in respect of this issue—Official Report, volume 350, column 584W and volume 398, column 86W.

I have today placed in the House Library, copies of the mailshot and press release issued in October 2000.

Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many letters were issued to married women who had a valid election to pay national insurance contributions at the reduced rate in each of the large-scale publicity campaigns run by his Department in(a) 1977, (b) 1989 and (c) 2000; and if he will list the criteria that were used to identify those women who were sent a letter. [90624]

Mr. McCartney

In 1977, no letters were issued to married women who had a valid election to pay National Insurance contributions at the reduced rate. Women were targeted via their employers, and flyers were enclosed with their payslips alerting them to the changes.

In 1989, the publicity campaign was aimed at some 400,000 women. They were sent letters to inform them that they could be better off paying standard rate National Insurance contributions because of the proposed change to the National Insurance structure. The criteria used to select these women were that their National Insurance account showed an open reduced rate election, they had paid reduced rate National Insurance contributions in the 1986–87 and/or 1987–88 tax years and that they were generally low earners in which case the standard rate contributions would be less than the reduced rate.

In 2000, nearly 2:53,000 letters were issued. These women were identified by scanning the National Insurance Record System computer. All those who had a valid election to pay the reduced rate were sent a letter.