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Investment
49. Mr. Wood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the number of inward investment announcements in Scotland over the past year ; what has been the level of investment secured ; and if he will give the number of jobs associated with these projects.
Mr. Lang : In 1987-88, the latest complete year for which figures are available, there were 88 decisions to locate in Scotland. These projects were associated with total planned investment of £337 million and 11,852 jobs.
Scottish Independence
50. Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many written representations he has received since June 1987 advocating an independent Scotland.
NHS (Competitive Tendering)
52. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of resources for direct patient care he expects to be released through competitive tendering in the National Health Service.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : Contracts awarded so far will release £15.6 million over the next three years for reinvestment in direct patient care. This is equivalent to the cost of around 2,600 bypass operations or 5,300 hip replacement operations or could buy around 1, 500 renal dialysis machines.
Local Services (Payment)
53. Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning alternative means of paying for local services.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations over the years suggesting alternatives to the unfair and discredited domestic rating system.
Public Housing (Springburn)
54. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision he is making to improve public housing for families in Springburn.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : As the statutory housing authority, Glasgow district council is responsible for determining its own policies and programmes for dealing with improvements to its housing stock. This year the council received a gross capital allocation of £89.3 million for investment in its own housing stock. The council also has additional resources available through a covenant scheme providing £140 million over a five-year period.
The Housing Corporation has made £4.4 million available in the current year to the Springburn and Possilpark housing association programme, of which £3.8 million will go towards family housing and owner- occupation. The association has five rehabilitation schemes on site, at a total cost of £5.5 million, which will provide 165 housing units, 104 of which will be for general needs.
The association is also progressing a new build scheme for shared ownership which will provide 49 units at a cost of £1.6 million, towards which the corporation has committed a subsidy of 15 per cent.
The Scottish special housing association is landlord of 848 properties in Springburn and has recently completed a new build development of 26 amenity flats in the area.
Council House Sales Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of applications for the purchase of council housing in Scotland ; what is the proportion of houses in Scotland now under owner-occupation ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : During 1988 a monthly average of over 4,100 council house purchase applications were received. Over 44 per cent. of Scottish houses are now in owner-occupation. The sustained high level of
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applications from public sector tenants seeking to exercise the right to buy is clear evidence of the continuing success of the Government's right-to-buy policy.62. Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the total of tenants to have purchased a property under the right to buy to reach 150,000.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : From information available to date, the number of local authority and new town tenants who have purchased houses under the right to buy legislation between October 1980 and December 1988 is over 108,000. Since April 1979 total sales of public sector stock to sitting tenants in Scotland are over 144,000. This figure may reach 150,000 within the next few months.
Japanese and Korean Investment
56. Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what action he has taken to encourage Japanese and Korean investment in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : Through Locate in Scotland, the Government continue successfully to encourage companies from the far east to establish themselves in Scotland. To further increase the effectiveness of Locate in Scotland operations in the Japanese and other far eastern markets, two new posts have been established in Tokyo within the past 12 months. An additional far east post was also created at Locate in Scotland headquarters in Glasgow last year.
Elderly People (Housing Management)
57. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will introduce legislation to allow residents of private housing developments for older people to change their management agency following a ballot.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No.
Education Expenditure
58. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent (a) on teachers' salaries and (b) books and learning materials in the past year and five, 10, 15 and 20 years ago in real terms ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information in the tables is taken from local authority financial returns ; details for 1967-68 are no longer held.
$ |c|Table 1|c| |c|Expenditure on teachers' salaries|c| £000 at 1987-88 prices Year |Expenditure ------------------------------------ 1972-73 |580,115 1977-78 |688,345 1982-83 |731,209 1987-88 |791,410
¨
|c|Table 2|c|
|c|Expenditure on supplies and services|c|
£000 at 1987-88 prices
Year |Text and library books |Equipment and materials|Provisions |Other supplies and |Total supplies and
|services |services
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1972-73 |19,726 |24,069 |212 |3,845 |47,852
1977-78 |9,956 |- |604 |29,838 |40,398
1982-83 |9,406 |19,475 |344 |7,299 |36,524
1987-88 |8,396 |20,585 |266 |4,552 |33,799
Note : In 1977-78 expenditure on equipment and materials was not separately identified in local authority financial returns.
Self-employed People
59. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next meet representatives of the National Federation of Self-Employed ; and what matters he intends to discuss.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present to meet the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses Limited. I met representatives of the federation in July of last year and I will continue to correspond with the federation on issues of mutual concern.
Wood Products
63. Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the level of demand for wood products has been over the past year.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The apparent consumption of wood and wood products in the United Kingdom in 1987, the latest year for which figures are available, was 49.4 million cu m of wood raw material equivalent. This does not include recycled waste paper and residues of United Kingdom origin.
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European Regional Development Fund
64. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much Scotland has received from the European regional development fund since 1979.
Mr. Lang : Awards totalled £738 million between 1979 and 1988.
NHS Staff
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was (a) the number of ancillary staffs employed in the National Health Service in Scotland as at 30 September 1988, excluding nurse auxiliaries, (b) the number of whole-time equivalents in Scotland, (c) the average hours of ancillary staffs, whole-time, by grade together with average pay by grade and (d) the average hours of part-time ancillary staffs by grade and average pay ; broken down by male and female for of each of categories (b) , (c) and (d) .
Mr. Michael Forsyth : There are 30,439 ancillary staff employed by the National Health Service in Scotland at 30 September 1988, a contracted whole-time equivalent of 22,068 of whom 6,176 were males and 15,892 females. Average hours and average weekly pay are shown in the tables.
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|c|Ancillary staff: Estimated average hours worked and average weekly pay<1>|c|
Males Females
Whole-time Part-time Whole-time Part-time
Grade<2> |Pay scale|Hours |Pay |Hours |Pay |Hours |Pay |Hours |Pay
|£ |£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-supervisors and chargehands |A |46 |130 |30 |78 |42 |114 |23 |60
|B |45 |132 |25 |68 |42 |114 |26 |71
|C |46 |156 |26 |85 |42 |134 |26 |79
|D |50 |172 |- |- |44 |157 |30 |102
Supervisors |I |46 |137 |- |- |43 |140 |27 |84
|II |47 |168 |- |- |41 |135 |28 |88
|III |47 |167 |- |- |41 |129 |- |-
|IV |47 |169 |- |- |42 |150 |- |-
<1>Pay is based on 1987-88 rates.
<2>Grades with fewer than 20 staff are omitted.
Resource Management
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current status of the resource management initiative at Inverclyde royal infirmary and Bangour general hospital ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Pilot projects are being undertaken at both Inverclyde royal hospital (Argyll and Clyde health board) and Bangour general hospital (Lothian health board) and valuable experience on the introduction of resource management has already been gained from the work at these sites. Initially work
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concentrated on the development and introduction of suitable information systems with a computerised patient administration system at the core and various related "feeder" systems, some clerical and some computerised. However, there is still a need for futher work at both sites before the resource management objectives can be met. In particular, there is a requirement for a clinical information system to provide consultants with the detailed information they require. Further work is also required on the development of treatment costings.Argyll and Clyde health board has recently proposed an extension of the project at Inverclyde following the installation of a clinical information system which will give
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clinicians a lead role in the exercise. These plans include an increase in the administrative support necessary to operate resource management. The Scottish Home and Health Department and the directorate of health service information systems (DHSIS) of the Common Services Agency will be sharing the costs of this project with the board, initially on a 50-50 basis, and contracts are about to be signed.Lothian health board is also looking at ways of extending the Bangour project. An essential corollary of any resource management initiative is the provision of clinically informative data and in Lothian there are established clinical auditing systems which can be built upon. These will be taken account of in the board's proposals which are currently being prepared and the Department and DHSIS will consider the extent of further financial support which should be provided for this project from central funds.
Solicitors (Interim Payment)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will introduce arrangements for interim payment to a solicitor for work done under a section 1 certificate.
Lord James Douglas-Hamiliton : The Scottish Home and Health Department is currently discussing such a possibility with the Law Society of Scotland.
Legal Aid
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give consideration to relaxation of the criteria governing determination of hardship provisions under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 Amendment Regulations 1988 where (a) a pursuer, and (b) a defender to a small claims process has been in receipt of advice and assistance cover in respect of such small claims and where property has been recovered or preserved by such pursuer or defender.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I see no need to do so. The regulations provide that in cases where the recovery provision might, in the opinion of the solicitor, cause grave hardship or distress to the client or could be effected only with reasonable difficulty because of the nature of the property, the solicitor may apply to the board for authority not to enforce payment of his fees or outlays out of any property recovered or preserved.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recommendations his Department has received from the Scottish Legal Aid Board on the need for additional resources to enable it to discharge its statutory functions ; and what response has been made.
Lord James Douglas-Hamiliton : Following representations from the Scottish Legal Aid Board, additional funds have been made available for legal aid adminstration increasing this year's provision from £4.96 million to £5.09 million. In addition, the planned expenditure on the Scottish legal aid fund has been increased--subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate--from £52 million to £54 million to meet increased demand.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to amend the Legal Aid
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(Scotland) Act 1986 to remove the disentitlement to payment of solicitors for work necessarily and reasonably done.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Act contains no such provision.
Prisons (Staff Inspections)
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to reintroduce staff inspection to Scottish prisons ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish prison service operational manpower unit will begin a staff inspection on the residential and operations functional areas of Edinburgh prison on 6 March. Similar staff inspections at Perth, Glonochil and Shotts prisons are planned during the coming year. The programme of inspections was suspended during the introduction of the fresh start restructuring exercise.
Penal Institutions (Visiting Committees)
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many penal institutions in Scotland have visiting committees ; and if he will list the numbers serving in each such committee.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Every penal institution in Scotland is served by a visiting committee. The table lists the numbers serving on each :
|c|Young offenders institution visiting committees|c| Establishment |Number of members ------------------------------------------------------ Castle Huntly |10 Cornton Vale |10 Dumfries |11 Glenochil |12 Greenock |9 Polmont |7
|c|Young offenders institution visiting committees|c| Establishment |Number of members ------------------------------------------------------ Castle Huntly |10 Cornton Vale |10 Dumfries |11 Glenochil |12 Greenock |9 Polmont |7
Friarton prison is served by a sub-group of Perth prison visiting committee. Longriggend remand institution is served by a sub-group of Barlinnie prison visiting committee.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends to take to encourage attendance at meetings of visiting committees of penal institutions in Scotland.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I am anxious to encourage members of visiting committees to play an effective role in the work of their committees. In January 1989, the Scottish Home and Health Department organised a conference at which every visiting committee was given the opportunity to be represented. Delegates to the conference discussed the duties of visiting committee members and the issue of training. A comprehensive manual of guidance for all visiting committee members has been prepared by the Scottish Home and Health Department and will be issued shortly. This emphasises the need for regular attendance by members at penal establishments. Moreover the Scottish Home and Health Department gave support to the establishment, in September 1988, of an Association of Visiting Committees for Scotland, with the aim of encouraging and supporting visiting committee members in their duties.
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Penal Institutions (Workshops)
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prison officers are employed in supervising workshops ; and in which penal institutions.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Industrial workshops in prisons are supervised by civilian industrial managers and assistant managers. There are 18 such staff. Under their supervision 176 uniformed prison officers are employed as instructors in the workshops. In addition 50 prison officers work as relief instructors to cover annual leave and sick leave of instructional staff.
Penal Institutions
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the staffing establishment of each penal institution in Scotland together with staff vacancies in each case.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The table sets out the current position.
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Establishment |Complement at 1 April |Staff currently in post|Difference plus/minus
|1988 |or training<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Aberdeen |104.0 |110 |+6.0
2. Barlinnie |485.0 |497 |+12.0
3. BSU |16.0 |15 |-1.0
4. Castle Huntly |67.0 |64 |-3.0
5. Cornton Vale |179.5 |184 |+4.5
6. Dumfries |112.5 |121 |+8.5
7. Dungavel |67.0 |63 |-4.0
8. Edinburgh |360.0 |383 |+23.0
9. Friarton |48.0 |51 |+3.0
10. Glenochil |387.5 |380 |-7.5
11. Greenock |146.5 |155 |+8.5
12. Inverness |86.5 |97 |+10.5
13. Longriggend |149.5 |155 |+5.5
14. Low Moss |121.0 |124 |+3.0
15. Noranside |63.0 |64 |+1.0
16. Penninghame |33.5 |31 |-2.5
17. Perth |319.0 |329 |+10.0
18. Peterhead |260.5 |270 |+9.5
19. Polmont |232.5 |252 |+19.5
20. Shotts |325.5 |331 |+5.5
21. SPSC |29.0 |28 |-1.0
|--- |--- |---
Total |3,593.0 |3,704 |+111.0
<1>Staff in post or in training exceed the complement because of the need to anticipate the reduction of prison
officers' contracted hours by 2 hours per officer per week from 1 April 1989.
Prison Industries
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he proposes to take to increase the turnover in prison industries ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : So far as is consistent with the needs of security and providing balanced regimes for inmates, I will continue policies to maximise manufacturing efficiency. Measures are being taken to ensure that working hours reflect, as closely as possible, those of private sector industry, that staff and inmates are properly trained and that contracts are completed on time and to the required quality standards.
The Scottish prison service is planning to increase the value of industrial production by £275,000 in 1989-90.
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Schools (Assisted Places)
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the cost to his Department of the assisted places scheme in each school in Scotland which benefited in the latest year for which figures are available and the number of pupils involved in each school.
Mr. Rifkind : The information is as follows :
School |Total expenditure in|Number of pupils
|1987-88 school year
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Albyn School for Girls, Aberdeen |26,852 |15
Belmont House School, Newton
Mearns |30,926 |17
Craigholme School for Girls,
Glasgow |42,158 |30
Daniel Stewarts & Melville}
College, Edinburgh}
Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh} |1,054,034 |560
George Watsons College,}
Edinburgh}
Dollar Academy |99,923 |57
Edinburgh Academy |94,858 |38
Fernhill School, Glasgow |64,669 |42
Fettes College, Edinburgh |93,060 |26
Fort Augustus Abbey School |110,700 |43
George Heriot's School,
Edinburgh |397,293 |221
Glasgow Academy |79,471 |42
Glenalmond College, Perthshire |124,965 |35
Gordonstoun School, Morayshire |82,209 |22
The High School of Dundee |309,400 |170
The High School of Glasgow |100,843 |58
Hutchesons' Grammar School,
Glasgow |<1>205,125 |148
Keil School, Dumbarton |117,456 |57
Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow |102,809 |54
Kilgraston (Convent of the Sacred
Heart) |98,374 |51
Kilquhanity House School, Castle
Douglas |34,354 |17
Laurel Bank School, Glasgow |128,202 |60
Lomond School, Helensburgh |88,898 |43
Loretto School, Musselburgh |81,711 |23
Merchiston Castle School,
Edinburgh |167,206 |49
Morrison's Academy, Crieff |<1>267,297 |156
The Park School, Glasgow |116,530 |54
Rannoch School, Perthshire |68,081 |25
Robert Gordon's College,
Aberdeen |<1>81,119 |54
Rudolf Steiner School of
Edinburgh |98,283 |58
St. Aloysius' College, Glasgow |231,765 |137
St. Columba's Kilmacolm,
Renfrewshire |97,841 |47
St. Denis & Cranley School,
Edinburgh |41,471 |20
St. George's School for Girls,
Edinburgh |31,512 |16
St. Leonard's School, St. Andrews |53,692 |22
St. Margaret's School for Girls,
Aberdeen |23,404 |13
St. Margaret's School for Girls,
Edinburgh |107,711 |54
Strathallan School, Forgandenny,
Perthshire |122,736 |34
Wellington School, Ayr |<1>74,600 |41
Westbourne School for Girls,
Glasgow |151,647 |71
|------- |-------
Total |5,303,185 |2,680
<1> Provisional figures.
Sunday Trading
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to seek to change the law on Sunday trading in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : With one small exception relating to hairdressers and barbers, the restrictions on Sunday trading in the Shops Act 1950 do not apply in Scotland. I have no present plans to change the existing law.
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the law on Sunday trading in Scotland from (a) the Keep
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Sunday Special campaign and (b) the Shopping Hours Reform Council ; what analysis of the economic consequences of implementing these representations he has made ; and if he will make a statement.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has received the proposals of both the Keep Sunday Special campaign and the Shopping Hours Reform Council. He has no plans to implement the proposals of the Keep Sunday Special campaign which would impose new restrictions on Sunday trading in Scotland. The proposals of the Shopping Hours Reform Council on Sunday trading are not intended to extend to Scotland. He has, therefore, made no analysis of the economic consequences of implementing the proposals.
General Practitioners
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will be issuing a document detailing his proposals for changes to general practitioners' terms of service and remuneration system.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I shall shortly be writing to all general practitioners in Scotland with a report setting out the proposed changes to GPs' remuneration and terms of service as they would apply in Scotland.
Child Care (Fife)
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the discharge by Fife regional council of its statutory responsibilities for child care.
Mr. Rifkind : Scottish Office officials have undertaken extensive discussions with officials of Fife regional council concerning the discharge by the authority of certain statutory functions relating to the use of voluntary and compulsory measures of care for children, together with relations between the social work department and the children's panel. In the course of these discussions, clear differences of view have emerged as to whether the practice followed by the social work department is consistent with the best interests of children at risk and with the provision of effective support to the children's hearings system in the region. I have concluded after careful consideration that, with a view to resolving these issues, it would now be right for me to constitute an inquiry under section 99 of the Children Act 1975. The terms of reference are as follows : 1. To inquire into the policies pursued by Fife regional council through its social work department in discharging its functions under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and related legislation in the use of voluntary and compulsory measures of care for children, and
in particular, in the advice given to children's hearings before they decide on or review compulsory measures of care for children referred to them.
2. To assess the extent to which the regional council's current policies relating to these matters and the Department's interpretation and application of them meet the best interests of children at risk.
3. To make recommendations for any modification of the child care policies of Fife regional council and their interpretation and application in the best interests of children.
4. To report to the Secretary of State.
I have invited Sheriff Brian Kearney to undertake the inquiry. Sheriff Kearney will be assisted by Professor Elisabeth Mapstone, OBE, professor of social administration and social work, University of Dundee.
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I hope that it will be possible for the inquiry to be completed within three months.SOCIAL SECURITY
Income-Related Benefits
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update tables 1b, 5b and 7b of the paper entitled "The Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits" published in October 1987 to show the position after October 1989, taking into account benefit upratings and the additional payments for pensioners aged 75 years and over.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the reply can be supplied only at disproportionate cost. There was no prescribed procedure for uprating supplementary benefit, housing
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benefit or family income supplement-- different elements of these schemes were uprated in different ways and by different indices at different times. It is therefore impossible to say what the rates of these benefits would have been in April 1989 if reforms had not been introduced. A simple mechanistic uprating in line with the retail price indices would be unrealistic.Equal Opportunities
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of officers in each grade and overall in his Department are (a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities, respectively.
Mr. Moore : Information in the form required is not available because records are held on a combined basis with the Department of Health. Information for both Departments as at 23 February is given in the table :
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Total stafFemale staff <1>Ethnic minorities
staff
|Numbers |Per cent.|Numbers |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grades 1 to 7 |1,066 |149 |13.9 |12 |1.1
SEO and HEO |6,885 |2,195 |31.8 |63 |0.9
EO |23,245 |13,543 |58.2 |534 |2.3
AO and below |61,749 |46,221 |74.8 |2,752 |4.4
Others<2> |3,280 |812 |24.7 |125 |3.8
|---- |---- |---- |---- |----
Total |96,225 |62,920 |65.3 |3,495 |3.6
<1> Ethnic minorities figures are based on questionnaires voluntarily
completed by staff.
<2> eg Industrial and professional staff.
Benefits
Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was spent by way of benefit on (a) all families with children aged under 16 years for the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Separate information on family support for families with children aged under 16 years is not available. In 1988-89, it is estimated that, excluding unemployment benefit, social security support for all families with children totals almost £8.6 billion. Of this, approximately £3.4 billion is being provided for lone parents.
Social Security Act 1986
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to review the first year's operation of the Social Security Act 1986.
Mr. Scott : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 27 January at columns 802-3.
Disability Benefits
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had with disability organisations concerning proposed criteria for the forthcoming review of disability benefits.
Mr. Scott : Ian Bruce, director-general, Royal National Institute for the Blind, has recently written to me on behalf of his and seven other disability organisations to ask about plans for a review of disability benefits after the publication of all the reports by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on its surveys of disability. My
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response makes it clear that I would welcome the opportunity to meet Mr. Bruce and his colleagues to listen to views and reactions on the OPCS reports already published and their implications. I have sent a copy of my reply to the right hon. Member.Mobility Allowance
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to increase the age limit for mobility allowance ; and how many people reaching the age of 75 years in the current year stand to have their mobility allowance withdrawn from 1 April.
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