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Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy on the distribution of expenditure on families with children between lone-parent families and others.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The social security system aims to target help on families in need rather than simply allocate expenditure according to family types. It recognises that need may arise in different kinds of circumstances, some of which may require special help. The distribution of expenditure between one-parent and two-parent families will, therefore, be affected by the numbers who meet the conditions attached to the benefits concerned.
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update, to the most recent year for which figures are available, the answer given to the then hon. Member for Kensington of 1 July 1986, Official Report, column 405, showing expenditure on one-parent benefit, national assistance/supplementary benefit and housing benefit in 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1986 ; and if he will include expenditure on family income supplement/family credit as appropriate.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is set out as follows :
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|c|Great Britain|c|
Benefits paid to lone parents £ million
|1960-61 |1970-71 |1980-81 |1985-86 |1988-89 (estimated
|outturn)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expenditure in cash terms
One parent benefit |- |- |61 |134 |174
Supplementary benefit Income Support<1> |20 |90 |640 |1,240 |1,850
Housing benefit<2> |- |- |50 |400<4> |740
Family Income Supplement/Family Credit |- |- |30 |60 |180
Expenditure at 1988-89 prices<3>
One parent benefit |- |- |96 |152 |174
Supplementary benefit Income Support<1> |170 |430 |1,010 |1,410 |1,850
Housing benefit<2> |- |- |80 |450 |740
Family Income Supplement/Family Credit |- |- |50 |70 |180
<1> National assistance in 1960-61.
<2> Local authority rebates scheme for 1980-81; information for 1970-71 is not available.
<3> Converted to constant prices using the retail prices index.
<4> Revised figure following reinterpretation of data.
Benefit Changes
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) of 26 January, Official Report, columns 710-11, if he will re-calculate the figures to show the cumulative effects on public expenditure of the changes to national insurance benefits since 1981-82.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is not possible to carry out the recalculation requested other than at disproportionate cost. Many artificial assumptions would need to be made, rendering any answer speculative, and much of the underlying data could be obtained only by extensive and costly investigation.
Income Support
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the effects of denying young people income support ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Our arrangements for 16 and 17-year-olds are working well. Over 413,000 young people are now in the youth training scheme where they receive a weekly training allowance of £29.50 in the first year and £35 in the second.
Those who cannot work or go onto the youth training scheme, such as the severely disabled or lone parents, can claim income support. Others who are waiting for a youth training scheme place, but either have no home or cannot live at home, can claim income support for a limited period. Income support for a limited period may also be payable where there would otherwise be unavoidable severe hardship. We have received a number of representations about benefits for young people. Most recently my hon. Friend met my noble Friend Baroness Faithfull and representatives of various organisations involved with young people. I met representatives of the Church of England Children's Society and officials have met with
representatives of the Association of County Councils and the
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Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities. They have also met with representatives of organisations which provide emergency accommodation for young people who are homeless.In addition we have received letters and copies of reports from various organisations representing the interests of young people.
Supplementary Benefit
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of income support, who were claimants of supplementary benefit before April 1988, have lost some or all of their transitional protection as a result of mortgage interest rate increases.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 22 February 1989] : Precise information is not available. The estimated number of claimants who pay mortgage interest and whose transitional protection has ceased or reduced, for any reason, is 140,000.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Scientists
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many scientists he has employed both on a full-time and contract basis for each year since 1979 in (a) ADAS and (b) AFRC ; and what estimates he has for each year until 1994.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The number of permanent staff in scientific grades employed in the agricultural development and advisory service of my Department in the years requested is given in the table. Forecasts of staff in post in these grades for future years are not available. So far as AFRC is concerned the staff are not directly employed by my department but we do spend considerable sums with the AFRC on commissioned research (1987-88 £44.2 million).
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|<1>1979|<1>1980|<1>1981|<1>1982|<1>1983|<1>1984|<1>1985|<1>1986|<1>1987|<1>1988|1989
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Scientific Officer}
Deputy Chief Scientific Officer} |14 |28 |29 |23 |21 |21 |<2>- |- |- |- |-
Senior Principal Scientific Officer}
Grade 7 (Principal Scientific Officer)}
Senior Scientific Officer}
Higher Scientific Officer} |1,226 |1,358 |1,341 |1,326 |1,268 |1,288 |1,292 |1,234 |1,124 |1,169 |1,110
Scientific Officer}
Assistant Scientific Officer}
<1>Figures at 1 April for all years except 1989-1 February.
<2>From 1985 these grades are included in unified Grades 4-6 and cannot be separately identified.
Foxes
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what work has been undertaken by the agricultural development advisory service relating to predation by foxes upon lambs and other farm animals ; whether any such work has been published ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to his similar question on 18 January 1989 at column 24.
Woodlands
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number and related area of woodland grant scheme applications and acceptances, respectively, which have been eligible for storm supplement in the present financial year.
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Mr. Ryder : The information relating to the woodland grant scheme is given in the table :
|Number |Area (hectares)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications received |565 |4,586
Applications approved to date |246 |1,181
In addition, a further 909 hectares of restocking have been approved for the special supplement under other Forestry Commission grant schemes. The closing date for receipt of applications for the supplement is 31 March 1989.
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