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Supplementary Benefit and Income Support
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children under 16 (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of all children were living in households dependent on supplementary benefit and income support for each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The latest available figures are :
|c|Number of children under 16 in Great Britain|c|
|Total |Dependent on |Percentage
|supplementary benefit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 1977 |13,059,400 |1,122,000 |8.59
November 1978 |12,798,000 |1,048,000 |8.19
November 1979 |12,575,100 |923,000 |7.34
December 1980 |12,343,700 |1,088,000 |8.82
December 1981 |12,098,600 |1,493,000 |12.34
December 1982 |11,856,700 |1,721,000 |14.52
December 1983 |11,637,400 |1,790,000 |15.38
December 1984 |11,462,300 |1,949,000 |17.00
1985 No figures available
February 1986 |11,250,700 |2,123,000 |18.87
May 1987 |11,148,800 |2,111,000 |18.94
Funeral Expenses
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many relations have claimed funeral expenses for the latest available period ; and what studies he has commissioned in the use of these funds.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : A social fund funeral payment may be claimed by anyone responsible for the costs of a funeral. No statistics therefore exist to indicate the number of claims made by relatives. In the period April to November 1988, 28,950 payments were made. We have commissioned no studies into the use made of these payments which are made to cover the cost of simple funerals.
Cold Weather Payment
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the total cost of a week's cold weather payment to all those who were eligible if the capital limit was (a) raised to £6,000 and (b) abolished.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : If the capital limit were to be increased to £6, 000 or abolished and all those eligible received a payment, the cost of one week's cold weather payments would be £13 million. No one with capital of more than £6,000 can qualify for income support and since this benefit acts as a passport to cold weather payments, to abolish the capital limit would admit no more people to the scheme than would raising the limit to £6,000.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will take steps to ensure that information relating to applications for housing benefit transitional protection will be made available, broken down by local authority area.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Yes. The computer system at the transitional payments unit has been designed to produce information in the form requested. However, it is currently working at maximum capacity to handle the payments that are being made and to deal with the process of renewing awards of transitional payments. We expect computer time to become available to produce the information requested later this year.
Sick Pay
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of people in receipt of statutory sick pay since 1983.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of recorded payments of SSP in each year since its introduction is as follows :
|Number of SSP payments
Tax year |(million)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1983-84 |5
1984-85 |5.7
1985-86 |5.9
1986-87 |5.7
1987-88 |5.8
Note:These figures relate to employments not people. Where a person
has had spells of SSP with more than one employer in a tax year, the
spells with each employer will be recorded in the table. Thus the
number of people receiving SSP will be less than the figures shown
above.
Benefit Changes
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the occasions on which benefits have been increased in any year since 1979 by more than the rise in prices.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 22 March 1989] : In November 1979, November 1980 and November 1982, when the forecast method of uprating was used, benefits were increased by more than the actual rise in the retail prices index.
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table listing each change in social security benefits in 1988-89 and those planned for 1989-90 and the expenditure and savings resulting from each change.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 22 March 1989] : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 17 March at columns 394-96 . In addition, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced to the House on 14 March at columns 307-08 that we propose to abolish the pensioners' earnings rule with effect from 1 October 1989. This will give more choice and flexibility for older people who want to carry on working. The estimated benefit cost will be about £190 million in 1989-90 and about £375 million in 1990-91. Additional revenue from income tax and national insurance contributions will reduce the net Exchequer cost which will be met from the reserve.
Benefits
Mr. John Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, following his answer to the hon. Member for Leeds, West on 22 February, Official Report, column 679, he will break down the real increases or decreases in expenditure for each benefit showing what amount and proportion is attributable to (a) a rise or fall in the real level of benefit, (b) a rise or fall in the numbers claiming benefit and (c) other factors.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 16 March 1989] : An analysis of family support distinguishing between the effects of changes in the average amount of benefit paid and changes in numbers of beneficiaries between 1978-79 and 1988-89 is set out in the table.
Column 791
|c|Family Support 1978-79 to 1988-89|c|
(£ million)
|Changes in average |Changes in expenditure|Total change
|amounts paid |caused by numbers of
|beneficiaries
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Child Benefit |1,067 |-417 |650
One Parent Benefit |62 |64 |126
FIS/Family Credit |256 |114 |370
Maternity Grant/Maternity Allowance |-42 |-195 |-237
Supplementary Allowance/Income Support and Housing Benefit<1> |83 |1,525 |1,608
Social Fund |- |- |49
Child tax allowances |- |- |-1,000
Additional personal tax allowance (lone parent) |- |50 |50
Statutory Maternity Pay |- |- |240
|--- |--- |---
Total |- |- |1,856
<1>Supplementary Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit (includes rate rebates) paid to one parent families and to people looking after elderly
persons.
Pensioners
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for York (Mr. Gregory) of 26 January, Official Report, columns 709-10, if he will re-calculate the figures to show the effects of increased rents and rates on the growth of real disposable incomes defined as net incomes less housing costs between 1979 and 1986, distinguishing between (a) all pensioners and (b) pensioners mainly dependent on state benefits.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 2 March 1989] : The increases are (a) 22 per cent. and (b) 14 per cent. respectively.
Note : "Mainly dependent on state benefits" are those pensioners dependent on state benefits for three-quarters or more of gross income.
Household Incomes
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will publish a table showing the rise in real household income between 1979 and 1985 for all decile groups broken down by family status in the manner of his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South, 29 July 1988, Official Report, columns 819-20 ;
(2) what was the percentage rise in real household income for the average, broken down by family type, between 1979 and 1985, shown in the manner of his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South, 29 July 1988, Official Report, columns 819-20.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : A table providing this information has been put in the Library. It should, however, be noted that the principal objective of the "Households Below Average Income" statistics is to measure improvements in living standards in different parts of the income-distribution for the population as a whole. The tables are not designed to measure the living standards of individual family types within each decile of the population. Although compositional figures by family type are included in the main "Households Below Average Income" statistics, the hon. Member is advised that the information on real income increases for individual family types within each decile provided in reply to this question does not provide a meaningful guide to improved living standards.
Column 792
Housing Benefit
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people would gain and what would be the average gain as a result of raising the level of savings under which housing benefit is payable to £10,000 on the assumption that (a) the rules for other benefits are unaltered, (b) the interest actually received on savings and not an arbitrarily assumed return is used in assessing benefit and (c) no change is made to the rule that those with savings of under £3,000 receive benefit in full ;
(2) what would be the cost of raising the level of savings under which housing benefit is payable to £10,000 (a) in 1989-90 and (b) in a full year on the assumption that (i) the rules for other benefits are unaltered, (ii) the interest actually received on savings and not an arbitrarily assumed return is used in assessing benefit and (iii) no change is made to the rule that those with savings of under £3,000 receive benefit in full.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [pursuant to his reply, 28 February 1989] : We estimate that increasing the housing benefit capital limit from £8, 000 to £10,000 would cost roughly £25 million. Generally speaking, current recipients with capital holdings between £3,000 and £6,000 would lose more as a result ; those with savings between about £6,000 and £10,000 would gain. An additional, 45,000 people who do not currently qualify would become entitled to benefit of, on average, £10 a week.
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. Peter Lloyd [pursuant to the reply 1 March 1989, columns 243- 244] : I regret that the reply given has been found to contain an error. The amended figures are as follows :
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 is given in the following table :
Column 793
Female staff <1>Ethnic minorities
staff
|Total staff|Numbers |Per cent. |Numbers |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grades 1 to 7 |1,773 |320 |18.0 |62 |3.5
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 |2,752 |676 |24.6 |75 |2.7
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |96,404 |62,955 |65.3 |3,486 |3.6
<1>Ethnic minorities figures are based on questionnaires voluntarily completed by
staff. (75 per cent. response rate to date).
EMPLOYMENT
Holidays (ABTA)
Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to what percentage of 1988 holidays booked in the United Kingdom were booked through official ABTA travel agents.
Mr. Lee : The information requested is not available.
Inflation
Mr. Gould : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each quarter since the first quarter of 1979 Britain's inflation rate as a percentage of the G7 average.
Mr. Lee : The table shows the inflation rate for the United Kingdom and the G7 average since the first quarter of 1979 :
|c|Annual Rate of Inflation|c|
Percentage
|United Kingdom|OECD G7
------------------------------------------------------------
1979
Q1 |9.6 |7.9
Q2 |10.6 |8.7
Q3 |16.0 |9.7
Q4 |17.3 |10.8
1980
Q1 |19.1 |12.5
Q2 |21.5 |12.9
Q3 |16.4 |12.0
Q4 |15.3 |11.7
1981
Q1 |12.7 |10.6
Q2 |11.7 |9.7
Q3 |11.2 |10.2
Q4 |11.9 |9.7
1982
Q1 |11.1 |8.4
Q2 |9.4 |7.5
Q3 |8.0 |6.7
Q4 |6.2 |5.6
1983
Q1 |4.9 |4.9
Q2 |3.8 |4.6
Q3 |4.6 |4.0
Q4 |5.0 |4.3
1984
Q1 |5.2 |4.9
Q2 |5.2 |4.6
Q3 |4.7 |4.3
Q4 |4.8 |4.2
1985
Q1 |5.5 |3.9
Q2 |7.0 |4.2
Q3 |6.3 |3.8
Q4 |5.5 |3.6
1986
Q1 |4.9 |3.0
Q2 |2.8 |1.7
Q3 |2.6 |1.6
Q4 |3.4 |1.3
1987
Q1 |3.9 |1.8
Q2 |4.2 |2.9
Q3 |4.3 |3.1
Q4 |4.1 |3.4
1988
Q1 |3.4 |3.0
Q2 |4.2 |3.0
Q3 |5.5 |3.2
Q4 |6.6 |3.5
Training
Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what Government spending has been per head of the labour force on training in the north-west in each of the last three years ; and what was the national average in each of those years.
Mr. Cope : The information is shown in the Training Commission (formerly Manpower Services Commission) annual report in the House of Commons Library.
The figures are available only for the financial years 1986-87 and 1987-88. The figures for 1986-87 include expenditure by the employment and enterprise group, most of which was transferred to the Department of Employment on 26 October 1988 and now forms part of the employment service.
The expenditure per head of the labour force was as follows :
|North-West|National
--------------------------------------------
|£ |£
1986-87 |131 |107
1987-88 |126 |102.5
Labour Statistics
Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the level of youth unemployment in the north-west in each of the last three years.
Mr. Lee : The table shows the number of unemployed claimants aged 16 to 24 years in the north-west for each January from 1987 to 1989 together with the percentage
Column 795
change in each year. The figures are affected by the change in the compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over recording and by the change in coverage from September 1988 due to the introduction of new benefit regulations affecting those aged under 18.
|c|Unemployed claimants aged 16-24-North West|c|
|Total |Percentage change over 12
|months
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 1987 |157,837 |-10.0
January 1988 |128,998 |-18.3
January 1989 |92,951 |-27.9
Dock Workers
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered dock workers have been recruited in the last 12 months by each of the dock labour scheme ports in Britain.
Mr. Nicholls : A total of 76 registered dock workers were directly recruited by scheme ports during the whole of 1988, the latest period for which figures are available.
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers were employed by each of the dock labour scheme ports in 1979 ; and how many are currently employed in these ports.
Mr. Nicholls : The number of registered dock workers employed by each of the dock labour scheme ports in December 1979 and March 1989 according to National Dock Labour Board lists are as follows :
1979 Port/Area |December 1979
-------------------------------------------------------
Newcastle |62
Dunston |-
North Shields |73
South Shields |66
Blyth |41
Sunderland |56
Seaham |16
Middlesbrough |737
Hartlepool |102
Hull |1,515
Goole |275
Grimsby and Immingham 777
Boston |124
Wisbech |21
King's Lynn |83
Yarmouth |82
Lowestoft |26
Ipswich |131
London |5,197
Medway and Swale |631
Southampton |1,719
Poole |83
Weymouth |38
Plymouth |59
Cornwall |138
Bristol |1,059
Sharpness |91
Gloucester |9
Newport |265
Cardiff |296
Barry |128
Port Talbot |60
Swansea |202
Liverpool and Birkenhead |4,385
Bromborough |26
Garston |149
Salford |510
Partington |13
Ellesmere Port |118
Runcorn |118
Western Point |71
Preston |127
Fleetwood |87
Cumbria |45
Ayrshire |62
Greenock |144
Glasgow |350
Aberdeen |116
Dundee |107
Fife |51
Grangemouth |312
Leith |191
|-------
Total |21,144
1989 Port/Area |March 1989
-------------------------------------------------------
Newcastle |10
North Shields |53
South Shields |53
Blyth |52
Sunderland |31
Seaham |16
Middlesbrough |488
Hartlepool |73
Hull |680
Goole |165
Immingham/Grimsby |720
Boston |87
Wisbech |12
King's Lynn |53
Yarmouth |100
Lowestoft |30
Ipswich |120
London:
Surrey |75
Tilbury and Northfleet |1,429
Royal |88
India and Millwall |11
Lighterage |142
Rochester |184
Sittingbourne |29
Sheerness |372
Southampton |679
Poole |97
Weymouth |11
Plymouth |30
Fowey |44
Par |28
Charlestown |2
Falmouth |7
Penzance |8
Bristol |484
Sharpness |47
Newport |204
Cardiff |167
Barry |65
Port Talbot |44
Swansea |98
Liverpool and Birkenhead 1,297
Garston |110
Salford |21
Ellesmere Port |91
Runcorn |33
Weston Point |17
Fleetwood |44
Whitehaven |16
Workington |16
Silloth |3
Barrow |8
Ayr |16
Ardrossan |15
Hunterston |18
Greenock |49
Glasgow |60
Aberdeen |175
Dundee |96
Methil and Kirkcaldy |23
Burntisland |9
Grangemouth |131
Leith |102
|-------
Total |9,438
Note: National Dock Labour Board lists for 1979 and
1989 use different grouping of dock areas.
Pesticides
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors have been employed in the Health and Safety Executive for monitoring pesticide usage on farms in each of the last eight years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Executive's agricultural inspectors monitor pesticide usage on farms concurrently with their other inspection duties. Since 1981, the number of inspectors employed in Her Majesty's agricultural inspectorate's field force based in area offices is as follows :
1 April |Numbers ------------------------ 1981 |166 1982 |156 1983 |149 1984 |144 1985 |150 1986 |150 1987 |151 1988 |139 1989<1> |142 <1> At 1 March.
In addition, at 1 March 1989 there were 13 inspectors employed in the agricultural inspectorate headquarters. The executive's objective is to increase numbers in the agricultural inspectorate to 165 inspectors as soon as possible.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many farms have been visited in each of the last eight years by the Health and Safety Executive to monitor pesticide usage ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : The information requested is not separately recorded. However, during the course of their visits to farms, Health and Safety Executive inspectors examine all aspects of health and safety including, where appropriate, pesticide usage.
Wages Councils
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all (a) employer organisations and (b) other organisations which in response to the Government's consultative document issued on 5 December 1988 have indicated (i) that they oppose the abolition of the wages councils, and (ii) that they favour this action.
Mr. Cope : It is not this Department's practice to reveal the content of submissions made by individual organisations. With that exception the information requested is as follows :
Column 798
Organisations responding to consultation document on wages councils--(a) Employer Organisations
Association of British Chambers of Commerce
The Association of British Laundry, Cleaning and Rental Services Ltd.
Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd.
Association of Independent Businesses
The Booksellers Association
The Brewers Society
The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions British Association of Professional Hairdressing Employers British Clothing Industries Association
British Hat Guild
British Headwear Industries Federation
The British Hotels Restaurants and Caterers Association British Independent Grocers Association
British Lace Federation
British Office Systems and Stationery Federation
British Retailers Association
The British Scrap Federation
The British Secondary Metals Association
British Soft Drinks Association Ltd.
British Textile Employers' Association
British Toy and Hobby Manufacturers Association
The British Waste Paper Association
The Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association
Clothing Manufacturers Federation
Confederation of British Industry
Co-operative Laundries Society Limited
Co-operative Union Ltd.
Cordage Manufacturers Institute
Drapers Chamber of Trade
The Employers Association of the Linen and Cotton Handkerchief and Household Goods Wages Council
Federation of Bakers
Federation of Merchant Tailors
Food and Drink Federation
Forum of Private Business
The Guild of Hairdressers
Independent Footwear Retailers Association
Independent Footwear Retailers Association--Midland Region Institute of Directors
Made-Up Textiles Association
Mail Order Traders Association
National Association of Master Bakers, Confectioners and Caterers National Association of Multiple Shoe Repairers
National Chamber of Trade
National Federation of Fish Friers Limited
National Federation of Fishmongers Ltd.
National Federation of Meat Traders
National Federation of Retail Newsagents
National Federation of Self-Employed and Small Businesses Ltd. National Hairdressers' Federation
National Hairdressers' Federation--Devon Branch
National Hairdressers' Federation--East of Scotland
National Hairdressers' Federation--Edinburgh Branch
National Hairdressers' Federation--Fife Branch
National Hairdressers' Federation--Kilmarnock and District Branch National Hairdressers' Federation--Lanarkshire Branch
National Licensed Victuallers Association
Radio, Electrical and Television Retailers Association Ltd. The Reclamation Association
Scottish Association of Master Bakers
Scottish Grocers' Federation
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association
Society of Master Shoe Repairers
Soho Restaurateurs Association
Union of Independent Companies
United Kingdom Jute Goods Association Ltd.
The Wiping Cloth Manufacturers Association
Voluntary Group Association
Working Men's Club and Institute Union Ltd.
(b) Other Organisations
Aberconwy Borough Council
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