Pension Credit

HC Deb 10 May 2004 vol 421 cc139-40W

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on advertising the Pick it Up, It's Yours campaign in(a) national newspapers and (b) the regional and local press; and what the basis was for the decision on which publications would carry the advertisements. [170590]

Malcolm Wicks

The total cost of publicity for the Pick It Up It's Yours campaign in 2003–04 was £15,580,000. The cost for press advertising media was £6,086,146 which is broken down as follows:

	£
National press	4,752,598
Regional press	1,308,352
Other press	25,196

The Department uses the Government's publicity agency COI Communications to buy media. Media are selected on the basis of the most cost effective method of reaching the target audience.

Mr. O'Hara

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of(a) single men, (b) single women and (c) couples are expected to be entitled to pension credit in October; and how many of these will be entitled to (i) guarantee credit alone, (ii) savings credit alone and (iii) both guarantee and savings credit. [170642]

Malcolm Wicks

Estimates of the numbers of people eligible for pension credit, based on data from the Family Resources Survey for 2002–03, will be available later this month. The information will be placed in the Library.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department advertises pension credit in any language other than English. [172004]

Malcolm Wicks

Pension credit advertising has appeared in the following languages other than EnglishTV—Welsh Radio—Gujarati, Punjabi, Cantonese and Hindi Press—Welsh, Bengali. Cantonese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu.