Operation Gangmaster

Dr. Cable
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs have been incurred since the inception of (a) Operation Gangmaster and (b) the Gangmaster Working Group; what funds remain unallocated in each case; and if he will make a statement. [128785]

Mr. Pond
It is not possible to identify separately how much is spent on Operation Gangmaster activity.

Dr. Cable
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been undertaken of Operation Gangmaster; and what plans there are to make an assessment. [128787]

Mr. Pond
A hearing on gangmasters by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee took place before the summer recess. The report was published on 18 September 2003. Operation Gangmaster will be reviewed in the light of the Committee's recommendations.

Mr. Luff
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 554W, on Operation Gangmaster, if he will list the members of the west Midlands forum under the Operation Gangmaster initiative. [129783]

Mr. Pond
When Operation Gangmaster began in 1998, forums were set up at Walsall and Cambridge to cover the west and east Midlands respectively. In---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                           |Information                                                                                                                                                            |
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|Average amount of Basic Pension            |Forecasted Basic Pension at State Pension Age                                                                                                                          |
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|Average amount of payable AdditionalPension|This figure is based on contributions paid and is the actual amount to bepaid, this is unlikely to change unless the self-employed recipient reverts toemployed status.|
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|Average amount of Graduated Retirement     |—                                                                                                                                                                      |
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|Benefit                                    |                                                                                                                                                                       ||
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|Average amount per forecast letter         |1—                                                                                                                                                                     |
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