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Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department and his policies in helping small businesses over the last 12 months compared with the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 24 July 1989] : The Government's priorities in helping small businesses are to create a climate in which they can flourish and to provide measures that support and stimulate their development. An improved climate has been achieved primarily through the Government's measures to control inflation and to reduce both the rates of taxation and the level of unnecessary burdens placed on small firms.
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Measures operated by my Department to assist small businesses include :The Small Firms Service which provides information and business counselling to new and established businesses. In the last financial year, the service answered over 281,000 enquiries (an increase of 6 per cent. on 1987-88), handled over 30,000 new counselling cases (an increase of 12 per cent. on 1987-88), and conducted over 43,000 counselling sessions (an increase of 10 per cent. on 1987-88) ; The loan guarantee scheme. Over the past 12 months usage of the scheme has greatly increased. Applications are currently averaging 240 a month compared with last year's average of 164 per month. This increase has been due in part to the introduction of simplified procedures for loans up to £15,000 and a re-launch of the scheme in April 1989 when it was extended and enhanced following a major evaluation exercise. Changes made included increasing the maximum loan size fom £75,000 to £100,000 ;
The enterprise training element of employment training and the business enterprise programme. These help people set up in business through the provision of targeted training in all the basic aspects of business. The combined number of entrants to these programmes increased by 22 per cent. from 43,489 in 1987-88 to 53,003 in 1988-89. In addition, the graduate enterprise programme helps graduates take the first steps to setting up businesses on their own. The number of entrants to this programme rose from 155 in 1987-88 to 1,150 in 1988-89. Business growth training has now been introduced to provide help to established firms to develop their business and management skills.
My Department also provides financial assistance through the enterprise allowance scheme and makes substantial grants available to "Business in the Community", local enterprise agencies and the Prince's youth business trust, among others.
The Department monitors it's schemes with a view to assessing additionality, job creation, displacement and other relevant factors. Evaluation reports on particular schemes are published. Overall the success of these measures has been reflected in substantial and accelerating growth of the small business sector.
Over the period 1980 to 1986 the net increase in the number of VAT- registered businesses averaged nearly 500 per week. The average figure increased to nearly 900 a week in 1987 and indications are that the rate of increase in 1988 has been even faster, perhaps as much as 1,200 per week. Between 1979 and 1989 the number of self employed people increased by 61 per cent. to approximately 3.1 million.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Social Fund Refusals
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Doncaster and (b) Mexborough areas of South Yorkshire, who were refused loans by social fund officers during the period April 1988 to the end of June 1989, on the basis that they had insufficient income to repay these loans, were advised to apply for community care grants ; and, of this total, how many were granted.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The guidance in the "Social Fund Manual" (a copy of which is in the Library), makes it clear to social fund officers that on receipt of an application for a loan, they should bear in mind the possibility that a community care grant may be appropriate. It is not necessary for the applicant to be advised to apply separately for a grant and therefore the information requested is not collected. However, statistical information is available which shows that between April 1988 and the end of June 1989, on 122 occasions in the Doncaster area covered by the Doncaster, East and Doncaster, West local offices, and on 66 occasions in the Mexborough area covered by the Wath on Dearne local office, a grant was awarded instead of a loan for which an application was made.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Doncaster and (b) Mexborough areas of South Yorkshire have been refused loans by social fund officers for the period April 1988 to the end of June 1989 on the basis that they have insufficient income to repay these loans.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Information is not collected on the number of people refused loans or grants. The figures collected are based on applications. Between April 1988 and the end of June 1989, on 148 occasions in the Doncaster area covered by the Doncaster, East and Doncaster, West ILOs, and on 18 occasions in the Mexborough area, covered by the Wath on Dearne ILO, the social fund officer refused a loan application giving as a reason the applicants' inability to repay.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Greenock and (b) Port Glasgow who were refused loans by social fund officers during the period April 1988 to the end of June 1989, on the basis that they had insufficient income to repay these loans, were advised to apply for community care grants ; and, of this total, how many were granted.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The guidance in the "Social Fund Manual" (a copy of which is in the Library), makes it clear to social fund officers that on receipt of an application for a loan, they should bear in mind the possibility that a community care grant may be appropriate. It is not necessary for the applicant to be advised to apply separately for a grant and therefore the information requested is not collected. However, statistical information is available which shows that between April 1988 and the end of June 1989, on 18 occasions in the Greenock area, and on 78 occasions in the Port Glasgow area, a grant was awarded instead of a loan for which an application was made.
Family Incomes
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his reply to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) of 30 March, Official Report, columns 545-8, showing (a) net spending power for a lone mother with two children aged four and eight years when (i) not working, (ii) earning £20 a week for part-time work, (iii) earning £40 a week for part-time work and (iv) working full-time and earning £60 through to £200 a week in steps of £10, (b) net spending power for a single-wage married couple with two children aged four and six years,
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(i) not working, (ii) earning £20 a week part-time, (iii) earning £40 a week part-time and (iv) working full time and earning £60 through to £200 a week in steps of £10.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is set out in the tables. It shoud be noted that the results are hypothetical because the results are based on average local authority housing charges and do not reflect the wide variety of rents and domestic rates that people actually pay.
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Tax and benefit system from April 1989-lone mother with two
children aged 4 and 8
(assuming average local authority rent and rates)
|Not working |Working part-time|Working part-time
|1 year on benefit|£20 earnings |£40 earnings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income Support |49.10 |44.10 |24.10
Gross Earnings |0.00 |20.00 |40.00
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00
National
Insurance |0.00 |0.00 |0.00
Rent |21.50 |21.50 |21.50
Rent Rebate |21.50 |21.50 |21.50
Rates |9.00 |9.00 |9.00
Rates Rebate |7.20 |7.20 |7.20
Child Benefit |19.70 |19.70 |19.70
Free School Meals |2.70 |2.70 |2.70
Free Welfare Milk |1.83 |1.83 |1.83
Net Income |71.53 |86.53 |86.53
After Housing Costs
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Lone mother with two children aged 4 and 8
October 1989
(assuming average local authority rent and rates)
Gross earnings |Tax |National insurance |Take home pay |Family credit |Child benefit |Rent |Rent rebate |Rates |Rates rebate |Total net income |Net income after housing
|costs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
60.00 |0.00 |2.39 |57.61 |46.23 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |123.54 |93.04
70.00 |0.00 |3.29 |66.71 |39.86 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |126.27 |95.77
80.00 |0.00 |4.19 |75.81 |33.49 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |129.00 |98.50
90.00 |1.47 |5.09 |83.44 |28.15 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |131.29 |100.79
100.00 |3.97 |5.99 |90.04 |23.53 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |133.27 |102.77
110.00 |6.47 |6.89 |96.64 |18.91 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |135.25 |104.75
120.00 |8.97 |7.79 |103.24 |14.29 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |137.23 |106.73
130.00 |11.47 |8.69 |109.84 |9.67 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |139.21 |108.71
140.00 |13.97 |9.59 |116.44 |5.05 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |141.19 |110.69
150.00 |16.47 |10.49 |123.04 |0.00 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |142.74 |112.24
160.00 |18.97 |11.39 |129.64 |0.00 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |149.34 |118.84
170.00 |21.47 |12.29 |136.24 |0.00 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |155.94 |125.44
180.00 |23.97 |13.19 |142.84 |0.00 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |162.54 |132.04
190.00 |26.47 |14.09 |149.44 |0.00 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |169.14 |138.64
200.00 |28.97 |14.99 |156.04 |0.00 |19.70 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |175.74 |145.24
Tax and benefit system from April 1989-single wage married
couple with two children aged 4 and 6 (assuming average local
authority rent and rates)
|Not working |Working part-time|Working part-time
|1 year on benefit|£20 earnings |£40 earnings
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income Support |70.30 |55.30 |35.30
Gross Earnings |0.00 |20.00 |40.00
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00
National
Insurance |0.00 |0.00 |0.00
Rent |21.50 |21.50 |21.50
Rent Rebate |21.50 |21.50 |21.50
Rates |9.00 |9.00 |9.00
Rates Rebate |7.20 |7.20 |7.20
Child Benefit |14.50 |14.50 |14.50
Free School Meals |2.70 |2.70 |2.70
Free Welfare Milk |1.83 |1.83 |1.83
Net Income |87.53 |92.53 |92.53
After Housing
Costs
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Single-wage married couple with 2 children aged 4 and 8, October 1989
(assuming average local authority rent and rates)
Gross earnings |Tax |NI |Take home pay |Family credit |Child benefit |Rent |Rent rebate |Rates |Rate rebate |Total net income |Net income after housing
|costs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
60.00 |0.00 |2.39 |57.61 |46.23 |14.50 |21.50 |6.20 |9.00 |2.49 |127.03 |96.53
70.00 |0.00 |3.29 |66.71 |39.86 |14.50 |21.50 |4.42 |9.00 |1.95 |127.44 |96.94
80.00 |0.00 |4.19 |75.81 |33.49 |14.50 |21.50 |2.65 |9.00 |1.40 |127.85 |97.35
90.00 |1.47 |5.09 |83.44 |28.15 |14.50 |21.50 |1.16 |9.00 |0.94 |128.19 |97.69
100.00 |3.97 |5.99 |90.04 |23.53 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.55 |128.62 |98.12
110.00 |6.47 |6.89 |96.64 |18.91 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |130.05 |99.55
120.00 |8.97 |7.79 |103.24 |14.29 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |132.03 |101.56
130.00 |11.47 |8.69 |109.84 |9.67 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |134.01 |103.51
140.00 |13.97 |9.59 |116.44 |5.05 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |135.99 |105.49
150.00 |16.47 |10.49 |123.04 |0.00 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |137.54 |107.04
160.00 |18.97 |11.39 |129.84 |0.00 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |144.14 |113.64
170.00 |21.47 |12.29 |136.24 |0.00 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |150.74 |120.24
180.00 |23.97 |13.19 |142.84 |0.00 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |157.34 |126.84
190.00 |26.47 |14.09 |149.44 |0.00 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |163.94 |133.44
200.00 |28.97 |14.99 |156.04 |0.00 |14.50 |21.50 |0.00 |9.00 |0.00 |170.54 |140.04
Table file CW890726.050 not available
Benefits (South Yorkshire)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Doncaster and (b) Mexborough areas of South Yorkshire are in receipt of (a) retirement pensions, (b) widows' benefits, (c) unemployment benefit, (d) sickness benefit, (e) invalidity benefit, (f) industrial disablement benefits, (g) industrial death benefit, (h) maternity allowance, (i) non-contributory retirement pension, (j) war pension, (k) attendance allowance and (l) invalid allowance.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret that information is not available in the precise form requested. Nor are local figures held of the numbers of people receiving (a) retirement pensions, (b) widows' benefits, (f) industrial disablement benefits, (g) industrial death benefit, (i) non- contributory retirement pension, (j) war pension, (k) attendance allowance and (l) invalid care allowance.
With the exception of unemployment benefit the table shows, as at 30 June 1989, the latest date for which the information is available, the numbers of sickness/invalidity benefit and maternity allowance claimants at the Department's local offices at Doncaster, East, Doncaster, West and Mexborough which serve the Don Valley constituency although their boundaries are not conterminous.
|Doncaster East|Doncaster West|Mexborough
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sickness/Invalidity
Benefit<1> |4,708 |6,099 |2,261
Maternity
Allowance |29 |50 |4
|Unemployed claimants |Doncaster Local Authority
|Area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As at 8 June 1989 |14,158 |1,015
Source:
100 per cent count of cases in action. The figures quoted may include a number of cases not actually in
receipt of benefit. Data are provisional and subject to amendment.
Notes:
<1>The local office count of cases in action does not distinguish between sickness and invalidity
benefit.
<2>Numbers shown are included in the figure for the Doncaster local authority area.
Turkish Asylum-seekers
Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that asylum-seekers from Turkey who have entered the United Kingdom with a limited leave visa are eligible for income support.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : In cases where a Turkish asylum-seeker is given only limited leave to enter this country, income support at a reduced rate may be claimed.
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Residential Homes
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current minimum and maximum difference in (a) Inverclyde and (b) Strathclyde between charges levied by private residential homes and the maximum weekly payment made by his Department ; and how many elderly people have been removed from residential homes in Inverclyde and Strathclyde in each of the last three years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The level of charges in a residential care home is a matter between the residents and the owners of the home. Information on the fees charged by individual homes and the numbers of people removed from homes is not collected centrally.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the maximum weekly payment made by his local offices in (a) Inverclyde and (b) Strathclyde to support elderly people in private residential and private nursing homes.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The maximum weekly payments from income support towards fees in residential care homes and nursing homes respectively are :
|£ |£
-------------------------------------------
For the elderly |140|190
For the very dependent elderly |155|-
For the terminally ill |- |230
Attendance Allowance
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the latest figures for the number of people caring for another person who, because a claim for attendance allowance has not been determined within the 26 weeks allowed, either (a) are required to be available for work as a condition of getting income support, or (b) would not be treated as available for work but are paid reduced income support, with the voluntary unemployment deduction applied on grounds of hardship.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret the information requested is not available.
Family Support
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Sir I. Gilmour), Official Report, 18 July, column 39-40, if he will show the amount of support received in 1978-79 and 1988-89 by the following categories (a) single payments for maternity expenses and any other single payments identifiable as support for families such as beds, safety gates and high chairs : (b) expenditure on welfare foods for pregnant women and under-fives and (c) free school meals.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. The single payments scheme came into existence in November 1980--succeeding exceptional needs payments for which there is no information on maternity expenses. The first data collected were in the December 1981 "Annual Statistical Enquiry". This showed that single payments totalling £2.6 million has been made for maternity expenses. However, as the information relates to payments made in the 12 months preceding the inquiry to claimants in receipt of benefit at the time of the inquiry it does not record all the single payments made in the year.
Social fund maternity payments replaced the single payments provision in April 1987. Payments totalling £15 million were made in 1988-89.
Neither the single payments nor social fund data identify payments made as support for families.
Responsibility for expenditure on welfare foods and school meals lies with my hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, respectively.
Income Support
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, West, of 4 July, Official Report , column 137, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table accounting for the differences between the illustrative income support rates in the technical annex to the 1985 White Paper and the rates introduced in April 1988, showing the effect of each of the factors contributing to those differences.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : As made clear in the document, the rates published in the technical annex to the 1985 White paper were purely illustrative. The actual income support rates were set taking account of the circumstances at the time.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what amount of deduction in the calculation of the April 1988 income support rates the adjustments to provide help towards the requirement to make a minimum contribution to domestic rates referred to in the reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, West, of 4 July, Official Report , column 137, was included for the purpose of meeting part of the cost of that help ; and what were the amounts of the adjustments before and after such deductions.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There were no deductions from the adjustments referred to.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what continuing monitoring he is making of the effect of the reform of social security ; and what is his latest estimate of the percentage of claimants on income support who are receiving less than they would have under the previous rules for supplementary benefit uprated for price inflation.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We are continuing to monitor all aspects of the social security reforms.
Estimates of the effects of the reforms on income support beneficiaries were set out in the booklet "Impact Of The Reformed Structure Of Income- Related Benefits" published in October 1987, a copy of which is in the Library.
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Social Fund
Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the annual report of the social fund commissioner.
Mr. Newton : I am pleased to announce that I have today published the social fund commissioner's annual report for 1988-89. I have placed copies in the Library.
The report describes, as required by statute, the standards of review achieved by social fund inspectors. I am grateful to the commissioner for this, for the advice and assistance she has given the social fund inspectors in undertaking their important role of independent review of social fund officers' decisions, and for setting up the organisation in this first and crucial year.
Mr. Allen Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications were made for grants from the social fund in the year 1988-89 in the Paisley, North constituency.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Paisley, North constituency is served by the Department's office at Paisley.
Between 11 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, 1,308 applications for community care grants from the social fund were made to the Paisley office.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Greenock and (b) Port Glasgow have been refused loans by social fund officers for the period April 1988 to the end of June 1989 on the basis that they had insufficient income to repay these loans.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Information is not collected on the number of people refused loans or grants. The figures collected are based on applications. Between April 1988 and the end of June 1989, on 112 occasions in the Greenock area, and on 87 occasions in the Port Glasgow area, the social fund officer refused a loan application giving as a reason the applicant's inability to repay.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what independent research into the social fund he has commissioned.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) on 24 May 1989 at columns 544-45.
Community Care
Mr. Allen Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many community care grants were refused by his Department's office in Paisley to people living in the areas of priority treatment known as Ferguslie, Shortroods and Moorpark, Renfrew ; and if he will list the total number of clients refused in the Paisley, North constituency in 1988-89 ;
(2) how many community care loans were made to constituents of Paisley North and how much was loaned to clients in areas of priority treatment in (a) Ferguslie, (b) Moorpark and (c) Shortroods in 1988-89.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications have been made for
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community care grants at the social security offices in (a) Paisley, (b) Johnstone, (c) Port Glasgow and (d) Greenock.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information for the period 11 April 1988 to 30 June 1989 is contained in the table.
Office |Applications for grants ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (a) Paisley |1,899 (b) Johnstone |1,179 (c) Port Glasgow |1,169 (d) Greenock |1,461
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were refused community care grants at each Renfrewshire social security office.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Department's offices in Renfrewshire are Paisley, Port Glasgow, Greenock, and Johnstone, but the boundaries are not conterminous.
The information requested can be obtained from the data in the Library.
Ministerial Visit (Crosby)
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his official visit to Crosby.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : My right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State visited the Department's local office in Crosby on 30 June 1989. Crosby is one of 23 pilot offices which are rigorously testing three major computer systems in our computerisation programme--the operational strategy --before it is extended to cover the rest of our local office network from October. The purpose of the visit was to meet the staff and to see how the operational strategy was performing in a pilot office. The office was open to the press on the day of the visit so that they could see the systems demonstrated. Despite industrial action by some staff my right hon. Friend was able to meet other members of staff and the visit was both informative and successful.
Loans (Renfrewshire)
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received loans from each of his Department's offices in Renfrewshire since 1988-89.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Department's offices in Renfrewshire are Paisley, Port Glasgow, Greenock, and Johnstone, but the boundaries are not conterminous.
Details of loan applications processed and awards made for each of the offices are available in the Library.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by each charging authority in Wales the income level at which (a) a single person aged under 25 years, (b) a single person aged over 25 years, (c) a single pensioner, (d) a pensioner couple and (e) a couple with two children, all with no savings, would lose entitlement to a community charge rebate assuming the safety-netted community charge figures for 1989- 90 with the latest safety net arrangements.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the former Parliamentary
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Under-Secretary of State on 15 June at column 531-34 which gave the information requested using the assumption that the full safety net was in operation. The implications for the safety net of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales announcement on 20 July on local government finance in Wales in 1990-91 have yet to be determined.Lone Parents
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much of benefit expenditure on lone parents including lone parent benefit, income support, family credit and housing benefit, is recouped from the absent parents ; and what proportion of total outlay this amount represents.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 19 July 1989] : The Department has power to recoup benefit expenditure on lone parent families only where income support is in payment. Where parents are divorced or unmarried recovery applies only to benefit in respect of the children.
Based on the latest available figures for May 1988, lone parents receive income support of £1,789 million per annum net of £88 million maintenance paid direct to the lone parent. The Department collects a further £43 million from the absent parents. It is also estimated that a possible further £25 million may be saved in cases where DSS takes action on maintenance and the need for benefit is removed altogether.
Benefit expenditure saved therefore amounts to approximately 8 per cent. of what is estimated would have been spent on lone parent families but for the Department's action on maintenance. It is not possible to say how much of the total was recoverable.
Pensioners
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) of 3 July, Official Report, column 43, if he will place in the Library his calculation showing that the living standards of pensioners have risen by 23 per cent. since 1979 in real terms ; if he will break his calculation down by decile and quintile group, with and without housing benefits ; and if he will use equivalised and non-equivalised figures in each case.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 24 July 1989] : In 1979 pensioners average total net income was £72.90 ; by 1986 this had risen to £89.80 (both at 1986 prices and rounded to 10p). This represents a real terms increase of 23 per cent.
The real terms increase in pensioners average total net income by quintile is as follows :
Per cent.
|Non-equivalised|Equivalised
----------------------------------------------------------------
D1 (lowest) |18 |16
D2 |21 |18
D3 |23 |19
D4 |23 |20
D5 |21 |20
D6 |21 |20
D7 |21 |20
D8 |20 |22
D9 |22 |23
D10 (highest) |29 |35
All |23 |23
Source: Family Expenditure survey 1986.
The real terms increase in pensioners average total net income by decile is as follows :
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Per cent.
|Non-equivalised|Equivalised
----------------------------------------------------------------
D1 (lowest) |18 |16
D2 |21 |18
D3 |23 |19
D4 |23 |20
D5 |21 |20
D6 |21 |20
D7 |21 |20
D8 |20 |22
D9 |22 |23
D10 (highest) |29 |35
All |23 |23
Source: Family Expenditure survey 1986.
It is not possible to perform the calculation with and without housing benefits because until 1983 help with housing costs was provided partly through supplementary benefit.
ENVIRONMENT
Private Tenancies
10. Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has made any estimate of the increase in the number of private tenancies as a result of the provisions of the Housing Act 1988.
Mr. Chope : No. The provisions of part I of the Housing Act 1988 deregulating the private rented sector have been in force for only just over six months and it is too soon to evaluate their impact. We shall carry out a detailed evaluation as soon as practicable.
Council House Sales
14. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of council house sales in Lambeth at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Howard : Lambeth sold about 520 dwellings in 1988-89.
48. Mr. Page : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of council house sales in Tower Hamlets at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Chope : Tower Hamlets has reported 1,276 sales under the right to buy, for the financial year 1988-89, this excludes May and June 1988 for which no monthly reports were made.
58. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in England since May 1979.
Mr. Chope : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 28 June 1989 at column 480, by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Mr. Trippier).
Housing Allocation (Leicester)
16. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the housing allocation made to Leicester city council for the years 1989-90.
Mr. Chope : Leicester's basic allocation of £8,955 million was the largest for any local authority of comparable size outside London.
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Local Authorities (Trading Practices)
18. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take action against those local authorities which attempt to evade the provisions of the Local Government Act 1988 by unfair trading practices.
Local Government Finance
19. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of people, in percentage terms, who have complied with the community charge registration process in England and Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : We shall not have information on the total number included in community charges registers until December 1989. It is clear, however, that in most authorities the first stage of the registration process is proceeding well.
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