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Rural Development (Uplands)

Mrs. Organ: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about grants for rural development and conservation in the uplands of England. [33229]

Mr. Morley: The future of the rural economy and future protection of the uplands countryside are closely linked, and we need to continue to develop our grant schemes to help to strengthen that relationship.

I am therefore issuing new proposals for an experimental scheme, under which an integrated package of Objective 5b rural development grants and Countryside Stewardship grants could be put together to meet local employment and conservation needs. This experiment will apply in two areas of England. Secondly, I am proposing to extend the range of grants for the conservation of the uplands under the Countryside Stewardship scheme.

I am issuing today a consultation paper setting out these proposals in detail. We will welcome comments by the end of May.

Copies of the consultation paper are being placed in the Library of the House.

Herbal Medicines

Mr. Tredinnick: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what action the Government are taking to implement Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity regarding the conservation of traditional herbal medicines; [31506]

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Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

The Government are playing an active part in international efforts to implement Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, including by participating in the workshop held in Madrid last November under the auspices of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. We are now coordinating EU preparations for further consideration of the issue at the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in May in Bratislava. Traditional herbal medicines represent a significant area of indigenous and local knowledge, and we are keen to see them receive their due attention in implementation of the Convention. Domestically, the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan identifies plant species in need of urgent conservation action, for which action plans are being drawn up to conserve and enhance their populations, but this selection is made irrespective of a species' significance to herbal medicine.

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SOCIAL SECURITY

Sustainable Development

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what mechanisms she has put in place to ensure the Government's objective of promoting sustainable development is reflected in the outcome of the comprehensive spending reviews for his Department. [25906]

Mr. Field: Social Security policy has little direct input on development issues and we do not expect that the Department's Comprehensive Spending Review will conflict with the promotion of sustainable development.

War Pensions

Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) for what reasons disability living allowance assessment forms were sent out to war pensioners in receipt of (a) the War Pensions Agency mobility supplement and (b) the war pensions constant allowance; [29387]

Mr. Denham: The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with further details.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Prior, dated 3 March 1998:



    Over the next two or so years, as part of the Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) specially trained staff will make enquiries by postal questionnaire or home visit in over 400,000 cases to establish whether DLA is being paid correctly. Enquiries are directed to those people receiving the higher rate of the mobility component combined with the highest rate of the care component--who are visited, and those receiving the higher rate of the mobility component combined with the middle rate of the care component--who are sent a questionnaire by post.


    Under the War Pensions Scheme, where the need for care or where mobility problems are due to the war pensioned disablement, the more preferential Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA) and/or Mobility Supplement (WPMS) may be awarded. A war pensioner may however be entitled to DLA where the need for care or mobility problems are not a result of the war pensioned disablement. War Pensioners who are in receipt of DLA at the rates mentioned above will receive either a questionnaire or visit.


    It is a basic principle of the Social Security system that only one benefit at a time can be paid to a person for the same need. If someone in receipt of CAA or WPMS claims DLA, the DLA entitlement will be assessed in the usual way. However as CAA and/or WPMS overlap with DLA, payment of the latter will be affected. A War Pensioner in receipt of CAA or WPMS who is also entitled to DLA will retain underlying entitlement to the appropriate component of DLA.

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    The number of War Pensioners in receipt of WPMS and/or CAA who have been contacted as part of the Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) is contained in the following table.

BenefitPostalVisitRenewal
War Pensions Mobility Supplement531911
CAA WP Service Pension Instrument1261
Totals652512
Grand Total 102



    Figures are provisional and subject to change.
    Customers in receipt of only one component of DLA should not be contacted by the BIP. I apologise for any errors that have occurred and investigations will be undertaken to establish the circumstances as to why these War Pensioners have been contacted under BIP to avoid any recurrence.
    I hope you find this reply helpful.

Benefit Integrity Project

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to her answer of 9 July 1997, Official Report, columns 516-17, concerning the face-to-face interviews being conducted as part of the Benefit Integrity Project, what further estimate her Department has made of the cost of (a) the face-to-face interview and (b) postal questionnaire aspects of the project. [32800]

Mr. Denham: The administration of the Benefit Integrity Project is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 3 March 1998:



    The cost of a face to face interview is variable and depends on the distance travelled and the length of the interview. The most recent estimate suggests that the average cost is £73. The cost of dealing with a postal questionnaire is included in the whole BIP process and it is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of this particular activity. However, it is expected to cost significantly less obtaining a completed questionnaire by post than by obtaining one on a visit.


    I hope you find this reply helpful.

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps have been taken to measure the number of people who no longer receive benefit as a result of the change from invalidity benefit to incapacity benefit. [32384]

Mr. Denham: The information is not available.

Detailed information on the numbers leaving Incapacity Benefit and the reason for cessation of benefit is provided in Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance Quarterly Summary of Statistics. Actual and forecast numbers on benefit are provided at Table 6 in the Social Security Departmental Report, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1997-98 to 1999-2000". However, it

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is not possible to isolate the effects of the change from Invalidity Benefit to Incapacity Benefit from other factors which influence numbers on the benefit.

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