Welfare Modernisation Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funds were allocated to the Welfare Modernisation Fund in each year since 2001-02; what draw-downs were made in each year; how much has been allocated for 2006-07; and if he will make statement. (90572)

[holding answer 11 September 2006]: Funds allocated to the Welfare Modernisation Fund (WMF) and draw-downs made by the Department are detailed in the following table:

*£ million*
	Funding	Draw-down
2001-02	672	636
2002-03	786	822
2003-04¹	900	1,040
2004-05	946	946
2005-06	601	461
Total	3,905	3,905
¹ Draw-down in excess of funding made with Treasury approval in order to support in-year spending plans.

The Welfare Modernisation Fund ceased to exist at the end of 2005-06, at which point all available funds had been drawn down. There are, therefore, no allocations relating to the WMF for 2006-07.

Although specific WMF funding has been exhausted, the Department’s modernisation programme continues, funded from other available departmental budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding remains in the Welfare Modernisation Fund; and if he will make statement. (90573)

[holding answer 11 September 2006]: The Welfare Modernisation Fund ceased to exist at the end of 2005-06 at which time all available funding had been drawn down by the Department. However, the Department’s modernisation programme continues, being funded from other available departmental budgets.

Volume 450: debated on Monday 9 October 2006