To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints in respect of delays in the payment of death benefits to bereaved relatives of NHS staff who die in service were made against the NHS Business Services Authority in the most recent period for which figures are available. (104459)

The NHS Business Services Authority pensions division does not collect data on complaints as its systems do not specifically identify all complaints received as a result of the late payment of death in service benefits. I understand that there have been five complaints about late payment of death in service benefit addressed to the pensions division managing director or referred by an hon. Member from January to November 2006.