Written Statement of 21 April 2004

DEFENCE

  Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles
  The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram)
  I am pleased to be able to announce that we will be buying 64 Tomahawk land attack missiles from the United States under the terms of a foreign military sales case. These are conventionally armed land attack missiles. These new missiles will be to higher—Block IV—specification than our existing Block III missiles. As such, they will provide the ability to retarget or abort a mission in flight and will also provide battle damage indication. They will be capable of being fired from our current Trafalgar Class submarines as well as from our new Astute Class submarines when they enter service.

  This decision shows our continued commitment to enabling precision attack at long range against selected targets.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Discretionary Social Fund
  The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Spellar)
  I am pleased to announce that the Northern Ireland discretionary social fund budget for 2004–05 will be £58.25 million; £12.64 million will be allocated to grants, £45.51 million to loans and £0.1 million will be held as a contingency reserve. The new allocations represent an increase of £1.65 million over the initial gross budget set at April 2004. This increase will be funded through higher loan recoveries, plus an increase in net treasury finding of £0.94 million for this year. This £0.94 million is the second of three annual increases from a £8.2 million boost for the discretionary social fund announced in the autumn 2002 pre-Budget report.

  The community care grant budget has been increased by £0.94 million to £12.64 million. This will provide more help to customers, in particular families with children and the disabled.

  The loans budget has been increased to £45.51 million, an increase of £0.71 million on the initial 2003–04 loans budget. To improve the fairness of the scheme, budgets will be allocated in a way that will over time achieve greater consistency of outcome for customers wherever they live.

  Details of the budget allocations, together with a note explaining the basis on which they have been made, have been placed in the House of Commons Library today.
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  Youth Justice Agency
  The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Spellar)
  I have placed copies of the Youth Justice Agency's Corporate Plan for 2004–07 and Business Plan for 2004–05 in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Business Plan contains eight key performance targets I have set for the Service for 2004–05. These are:
  Contribute towards the development and publication of an NIO Public Service Agreement target to reduce the reconviction rate for all offenders (compared to a predicted rate for Northern Ireland).
  During term-time, 95 per cent. of children in the Juvenile Justice center will receive 20 hours a week of education and training.
  No escapes from the Juvenile Justice center.
  Over the year no more than 3 per cent. of the total new admissions to the Juvenile Justice center should be non-accidentally injured.
  Over the year no more than 2 per cent. of the total members of staff should be non-accidentally injured while engaged in the work of the Agency.
  No members of the public should be non-accidentally injured on Agency premises.
  Deliver at least 70 per cent. of the planned training days specified in the Corporate Training Priorities Plan for 2004–05.
  Expenditure is within budget allocated.

CABINET OFFICE

  Election Guidance
  The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)
  The Government have today issued guidance to civil servants on the principles which they should observe in relation to the conduct of Government business in the period before the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament, Greater London Authority and to local authorities in England and Wales.

  The guidance stresses that civil servants should conduct themselves in accordance with the civil service code and is based on the need to maintain the political impartiality of the civil service and the need to ensure that public resources are not used for party political purposes.

  The guidance will come into force on Thursday 20 May 2004, ahead of the elections on Thursday 10 June 2004.

  Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Sustainable Development
  The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Margaret Beckett)
  I am delighted to announce that the consultation "Taking it on: Developing UK Sustainable Development Strategy" was launched today.

  The UK Government, together with the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland are consulting to develop new

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  sustainable strategy for the UK. The consultation will include local and regional events and an online consultation facility, and will provide a strong basis for renewed action to deliver sustainable development.

  The consultation will close on 31 July. We aim to publish the new UK strategic framework, and the UK Government's strategy, in spring 2005.

  The consultation document will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and is also available on the UK Government's sustainable development website.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Child Support
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)
  The new arrangements for child support came into operation for new cases and some linked old scheme cases from 3 March 2003. Progress has been slower than anticipated, chiefly due to problems with the new computer and telephony systems. However, over the course of the first year of operation of the new scheme, progress in performance has grown steadily. For example, more than a third of all maintenance

  Summary of Agency Performance to March 2004

  Agency Performance

  Quarter 1 Mar-Jun 2003

  Quarter 2 Jul-Sep 2003

  Quarter 3 Oct-Dec 2003

  Quarter 4 Jan-Mar 2004

  Scheme to Mar 2004

  Applications received

  73,582

  78,982

  85,306

  83,652

  321,522

  Applications cleared of which:

  12,648

  38,583

  49,453

  151,876

  1152,560

  Maintenance Calculations

  6,671

  23,857

  29,672

  131,229

  191,429

  Closures2

  5,977

  14,726

  19,781

  120,647

  161,131

  First payments made through the Agency

  461

  5,164

  11,473

  14,017

  31,115

  First Child Maintenance Premium payments made

  77

  3,314

  6,173

  7,484

  17,048

  Agency Performance (March 2003 to June 2003)

  March 2003

  April 2003

  May 2003

  June 2003

  Total in Quarter

  Applications Received

  3,444

  25,228

  19,951

  24,959

  73,582

  Applications Cleared of which:

  43

  1,616

  3,441

  7,548

  12,648

  Maintenance Calculations

  10

  721

  1,810

  4,130

  6,671

  Closures2

  33

  895

  1,631

  3,418

  5,977

  First payments made through the Agency

  136 for 1st 3 months3

  325

  461

  First Child Maintenance Premium payments made

  17 for 1st 3 months3

  60

  77

  Agency Performance (July 2003 to September 2003)

  July 2003

  August 2003

  September 2003

  Total in Quarter

  Scheme to September 2003

  Applications Received

  28,897

  23,761

  26,324

  78,982

  152,564

  Applications Cleared of which

  10,526

  11,923

  16,134

  38,583

  51,231

  Maintenance Calculations

  6,922

  7,199

  9,736

  23,857

  30,528

  Closures2

  3,604

  4.724

  6,398

  14,726

  20,703

  First Payment made through the Agency

  1,032

  1,752

  2,380

  5,164

  5,625

  First Child Maintenance Premium payments made

  267

  1,596

  1,451

  3,314

  3,391

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  calculations and over 45 per cent. of all first payments were made in the latest quarter. Further improvement is expected.

  The number of cases cleared in the final quarter rose above 50,000 taking the total number of clearances (calculations and closures) to over 150,000. The ratio of cases reaching calculation compared to those that closed continued to be 6:4 to the year's end, comparing favourably with the ratio of 4:6 under the old scheme.

  Technical issues continue to preclude reliable figures on compliance and throughput for the latest quarter. The Department continues to retain around 15–20 per cent. of each monthly payment due to EDS, the service provider, due to the continuing problems with the computer and telephony systems. A special exercise is being undertaken to test accuracy to the year-end.

  Average weekly child support maintenance payments to parents with care are shown below. Figures are for March 2004 only and are calculated as the total amount received and allocated divided by the number of cases.

  1 Qualifying Child

  2 Qualifying Child

  3 Qualifying Child

  Average Weekly Payment

  £34.25

  £48.84

  £53.91

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  Agency Performance (October 2003 to December 2003)

  October 2003

  November 2003

  December 2003

  Total in Quarter

  Scheme to December 2003

  Applications Received

  35,724

  28,841

  20,741

  85,306

  237,870

  Applications Cleared of which:

  19,832

  16,011

  13,610

  49,453

  100,684

  Maintenance Calculations

  11,807

  9,975

  7,890

  29,672

  60,200

  Closures2

  8,025

  6,036

  5,720

  19,781

  40,484

  First Payments made through the Agency

  3,978

  3,503

  3,992

  11,473

  17,098

  First Child Maintenance Premium payments made

  2,108

  1,915

  2,150

  6,173

  9,564

  Agency Performance (January 2004 to March 2004)

  January 2004

  February 2004

  March 2004

  Total in Quarter

  Scheme to March 2004

  Applications Received

  27,950

  24,680

  31,022

  83,652

  321,522

  Applications Cleared of which:

  16,418

  16,316

  18,318

  151,876

  1152,560

  Maintenance Calculations

  9,803

  9,780

  10,931

  131,229

  191,429

  Closures2

  6,615

  6,536

  7,387

  120,647

  161,131

  First Payments made through the Agency

  4,193

  4,284

  5,540

  14,017

  31,115

  First Child Maintenance Premium payments made

  2,283

  2,220

  2,981

  7,484

  17,048

  Notes:

  1 Quarter 4 totals and Scheme to March 2004 figures include clerical cases (new scheme cases unable to be progressed on the new system) which are not included in the month by-month figures. Figures for these are as follows:

  Applications cleared

  824

  Maintenance Calculations

  715

  Closures

  109

  2 Closures: Applications close for a variety of reasons. The main reasons are that the parent with care withdraws the application, perhaps due to reconciliation, or having agreed private arrangements with the non-resident parent.

  3 Figures marked with * are not available on a monthly basis for this period.

  A proportion of cases that have a maintenance calculation in place may already be receiving payment directly, but will not be reflected in the figures shown above.

  Figures for child maintenance premium payments include an estimate of the number of parents who receive the premium by way of a disregard to their income support/income-based jobseekers allowance. The disregard has been added from August as data were not available prior to this, and has also been included in the scheme to date figure.

  Pension Credit
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)
  I can now provide latest monthly progress report on the take-up of pension credit, which became payable on 6 October 2003.

  There are now 2.40 million pensioner households (2.91 million individuals) being paid pension credit, including 138,000 pension credit households (176,000 individuals) added in March. This is the greatest monthly increase in the number of pension credit households (so far to date) and a means that we have met our published target for the end of March. As at 31 March, there are 1.74 million households (2.09 million individuals) now receiving more money as a result of the introduction of pension credit. The pension
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  credit application line, at our four sites across the country, has received millions of calls since it became operational on 7 April 2003 and 95 per cent. of calls have been answered within 30 seconds. The average pension credit award is £41.34 per week.

  Our direct mail campaign is continuing, supported by a major advertising campaign on TV and in the press. By the end of this month we will have written to every pensioner household in the country to tell them about pension credit. We are continuing to work with organisations such as Help The Aged, Age Concern and Citizens Advice, among others, both at national and local level, to encourage eligible people to take up their entitlement. In particular, the pension service is focusing on those customers who are less likely to take up their entitlement.

  There is plenty of time for pensioners to apply for pension credit. To ensure that pensioners do not lose out there is a twelve-month backdating provision, as announced in the Budget statement. This will allow applications to be backdated for a year, or to the date entitlement begins if this is later.

  I am placing in the Library a report showing progress so far, including regional breakdowns of the number of pension credit households and numbers of pension credit cards in parliamentary constituencies in Great Britain. Copies of the report are also available for hon. Members in the Vote Office.

  Northern Ireland: Youth Justice Agency
  The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.

  I have placed copies of the Youth Justice Agency's corporate plan for 2004–07 and business plan for 2004–05 in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The business plan contains eight key performance targets I have set for the service for 2004–05. These are:

  1. Contribute towards the development and publication of an NIO public service agreement target to reduce the reconviction rate for all offenders (compared to a predicted rate for Northern Ireland).

  2. During term-time, 95 per cent of children in the Juvenile Justice Centre will receive 20 hours a week of education and training.

  3. No escapes from the Juvenile Justice Centre.

  4. Over the year no more than 3 per cent of the total new admissions to the Juvenile Justice Centre should be non-accidentally injured.

  5. Over the year no more than 2 per cent of the total members of staff should be non-accidentally injured while engaged in the work of the agency.

  6. No members of the public should be non-accidentally injured on agency premises.

  7. Deliver at least 70 per cent of the planned training days specified in the corporate training priorities plan for 2004–05.

  8. Expenditure is within budget allocated.

  Northern Ireland: Discretionary Social Fund
  Baroness Amos
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.

  I am pleased to announce that the Northern Ireland Discretionary Social Fund budget for 2004–05 will be
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  £58.25 million: £12.64 million will be allocated to grants; £45.51 million to loans and £0.1 million will be held as a contingency reserve. The new allocations represent an increase of £1.65 million over the initial gross budget set at April 2004. This increase will he funded through higher loan recoveries, plus an increase in net Treasury funding of £0.94 million for this year. This £0.94 million is the second of three annual increases from a £8.2 million boost for the Discretionary Social Fund announced in the autumn 2002 Pre-Budget Report.

  The Community Care Grant budget has been increased by £0.94 million to £12.64 million. This will provide more help to customers, in particular families with children and the disabled.

  The loans budget has been increased to £45.51 million, an increase of £0.71 million on the initial 2003–04 loans budget. To improve the fairness of the scheme, budgets will be allocated in a way that will over time achieve greater consistency of outcome for customers wherever they live.

  Details of the budget allocations, together with a note explaining the basis on which they have been made, have been placed in the House of Commons Library today.

  Civil Servants: Guidance on Conduct of Government Business before Elections
  Lord Bassam of Brighton
  My right honourable friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr Douglas Alexander) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  The Government have today issued guidance to civil servants on the principles which they should observe in relation to the conduct of government business in the period before the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament, Greater London Authority and to local authorities in England and Wales.

  The guidance stresses that civil servants should conduct themselves in accordance with the Civil Service Code and is based on the need to maintain the political impartiality of the Civil Service and the need to ensure that public resources are not used for party political purposes.

  The guidance will come into force on Thursday 20 May 2004, ahead of the elections on Thursday 10 June 2004.

  Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library.