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Wheelchairs (Children)
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the demand for, and availability of, electronic and hi-tech wheelchairs for disabled children.
Mr. Freeman : The Disablement Services Authority is the special health authority responsible for the provision of artificial limbs and wheelchairs. My hon. Friend should address his question to the DSA.
Child Abuse
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will create a specific section dealing with the problem of child abuse.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There is a policy section specifically concerned with the problem of child abuse within the Department of Health. The section draws on professional advice from within and outside the Department, and, through the interdepartmental group on child abuse, works with other Government Departments to provide a co-ordinated approach to child protection.
Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will initiate a research project to discover how many clinics there are currently which have been set up to help child abusers overcome their problem.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department is aware of a number of clinics and other facilities and projects working with child abusers in a variety of settings. A definitive count of such clinics is not available, since some offer a specialist service while others help child abusers as part of a wider programme.
Health Authority Boundaries
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations are taking place on health authority boundary changes in London ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Consultation is taking place on the proposed transfer of north east Westminster from Bloomsbury health authority (North East Thames regional health authority) to Parkside health authority (North West Thames regional health authority). A consultation document has been issued, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
A further consultation exercise will take place later this year on a proposal by North East Thames regional health authority to merge the remaining part of Bloomsbury health authority with Islington health authority (also in North East Thames).
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Erythropoietin
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Minister of State's reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 23 October about the prescribing of erythropoietin for patients with kidney failure, if he has now assessed the information received from health authorities about the likely need for the drug and its expenditure implications ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have nothing to add to the reply that my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) gave to the right hon. Member and my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 23 October at columns 316-17.
Medical Education and Research
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in view of the proposed Health Service arrangements, if he will establish a mechanism for evaluating the impact of the changes in medical education and research.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : As was made clear in the White Paper "Working for Patients", the Government are firmly committed to maintaining the quality of medical education and research and we recognise the complexity and special needs of these areas. The steering group on undergraduate medical and dental education, the standing committee on postgraduate medical education, and the Chief Medical Officer's expert advisory group are considering the impact that the proposed changes may have on medical education.
Beverley Lewis
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement about the Beverley Lewis case ;
(2) whether he has any plans to review the Mental Health Act in the light of the Beverley Lewis case.
Mr. Freeman : The death of Beverley Lewis is a very tragic case. We have asked for reports on it from the health and social services authorities concerned. These reports and the inquest findings will be examined very carefully to see what needs to be done to close any gaps in legislation or in guidance to the authorities.
Mr. Jeremy Harrison (Correspondence)
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from Mr. Jeremy Harrison, a chiropodist of 433 Aigburth road, Liverpool 17.
Mr. Freeman : I met Mr. Harrison in the presence of the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 25 September 1989 to discuss a number of issues concerning the practice of chiropody by state-registered and non-state-registered practitioners. The issues are very complex and I will be giving a considered reply to the questions raised by Mr. Harrison at this meeting as soon as possible.
Blood Products
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the anticipated levels of supply of factor VIII from the blood products laboratory, Elstree, over the last 12 months in monthly figures ;
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(2) what are the anticipated levels of supply of plasma to the blood products laboratory in Elstree over the next 12 months' in monthly figures ;(3) what were the quantities of plasma held in stockpile at the blood products laboratory, Elstree, over the last 12 months, in monthly figures ;
(4) what were the quantities of plasma received at the blood products laboratory, Elstree, over the last 12 months, in monthly figures.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is given in the tables.
Table 1
Levels of supply of Factor VIII
from BPL over the last 12 months
and projections for the next 12
months
millions of international units
|1988 |<1>1989
----------------------------------
November |6.6 |6.0
December |6.2 |6.0
|1989 |1990
January |5.6 |6.0
February |5.6 |6.0
March |5.7 |6.0
April |5.4 |7.3
May |5.4 |7.3
June |5.9 |7.3
July |4.6 |7.3
August |6.0 |7.3
September |5.0 |7.3
October |5.4 |7.3
<1> Projections.
Table 3
Quantities of plasma
held in stockpile at
BPL over last 12 months
|Tonnes
------------------------
November |307
December |304
January |289
February |278
March |261
April |263
May |253
June |248
July |237
August |232
September |219
October |213
Table 3
Quantities of plasma
held in stockpile at
BPL over last 12 months
|Tonnes
------------------------
November |307
December |304
January |289
February |278
March |261
April |263
May |253
June |248
July |237
August |232
September |219
October |213
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Table 4
Quantities of plasma
received at BPL over
the last 12 months
|Tonnes
------------------------
November |33
December |28
January |33
February |35
March |35
April |35
May |31
June |44
July |34
August |34
September |39
October |35
North West RHA
Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken of inflation in the financial allocations to the North West regional health authority in connection with the reimbursement of costs for caring for the former residents of large mental institutions ; and what allowance was made to that authority for the years 1987-88, 1988- 89 and 1989-90.
Mr. Freeman : In general, allocations to regional health authorities do not make separate provision for individual clinical services or client groups. It is for authorities to determine how the resources available to them should be spent in line with national policy guidelines and their assessment of local needs and priorities.
Listeriosis
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Health(1) if he will give details of any information he has received about outbreaks of listeriosis in Mexico, Canada and California ;
(2) if he will give the numbers of reported cases of listeriosis for each year since 1978 ;
(3) when he first became aware of any research programmes into listeriosis carried out in the United States of America, Austria and West Germany ;
(4) when he first received the World Health Organisation report entitled "Foodborne Listeriosis";
(5) whether he has received advice from bodies representing informed medical opinion as to whether the public should be made aware of the risks of listeriosis.
Mr. Freeman : The number of reported cases of listeriosis for each year since 1978 is as follows :
|Number
----------------------
1978 |<1>87
1979 |<1>70
1980 |<1>75
1981 |<1>86
1982 |<1>77
1983 |115
1984 |115
1985 |149
1986 |137
1987 |259
1988 |291
1989<2> |231
<1>These figures
cannot be compared
with later figures
which reflect a
change in reporting
systems.
<2>Figures are from
January to September
only and are
provisional.
Information on listeriosis in California and Canada is available in evidence given to the Social Services Committee in its examination of food poisoning, listeria and listeriosis earlier this year. Of particular interest was
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the following table. Mexican-style soft cheese was implicated in the Los Angeles (California) outbreak in 1985. The Department has no information on any outbreak of listeriosis in Mexico.Column 453
Examples of outbreaks of food-borne listeriosis
Numbers of cases (deaths)
Ref. Place Years Total Maternal/foetal/neonatal Non-pregnant adult and Food implicated
juvenile
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Boston, United States of America |1979 |20 |(5) |0 |20 |(5) |? raw vegetables|4b
2. Halifax, Canada |1981 |41 |(18) |34 |(16) |7 |(2) |coleslaw |4b
3. Boston, United States of America |1983 |49 |(14) |7 |(2) |42 |(12) |? milk |4b
4. Los Angeles, United States of America |1985 |142 |(48) |93 |(30) |49 |(18) |soft cheese |4b
5. Vaud, Switzerland |1983-7 |122 |(33) |61 |(nk) |61 |(nk) |soft cheese |4b
nk = Not known.
1. Ho et al. Arch Intern Med 1986; 146: 520-4.
2. Schlech et al New Engl J Med 1983; 308: 203-6.
3. Fleming et al New Engl J Med 1985; 312: 404-7.
4. Linnan et al New Engl J Med 1988; 319: 823-8.
5. Bille & Glauser. Bulletin des Bundesamtes fur Gesundheitswesen 1988; 28: 28-9.
The report of the WHO informal working group on foodborne listeriosis was published in May 1988.
The government have been working with all interests, including the medical profession, since the end of 1987 to assess and decide how best to deal with potential hazards from listeria monocytogenes as evidence of cases of listeriosis linked to food emerged in Europe. The Government have kept in close touch with relevant research worldwide.
Mentally Ill patients
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the experiment in release of long-stay mentally ill patients known as the "Daily Living Programme".
Mr. Freeman : The pattern of care and treatment used in the daily living programme has been used very successfully for some years both in parts of the United States of America and in Australia. The present research programme is to assess the value of this pattern of care in an urban environment in England. The daily living programme is designed to give people with early and acute mental illness the treatment that they need without unnecessary use of in-patient care. The patients in the daily living programme can be admitted or readmitted to hospital whenever it is considered necessary by their clinical team and preliminary results show that over 80 per cent. of patients in the programme have been admitted to hospital during their time on the programme. Patients in the programme can stay in hospital for as long as is judged necessary. The daily living programme is not concerned with the rehabilitation of long-stay patients. The programme is a research project, which has been partly funded by the Department of Health for three years until September 1990. A full evaluation is due at the end of 1990.
Health Authorities (Internal Markets)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities that are to be tested in the development of internal markets ; what services are to be tested ; and when he hopes to report on the results of the scheme.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : All health authorities are engaged upon development work to get ready for the first
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contracts for health services. Subject to the passage of the necessary legislation these should be operative from April 1991. We are however funding certain authorities whose development work is more advanced. The purpose of this funding is to enable them both to progress faster and to document their experience for the benefit of those authorities who are at a less advanced stage.The projects are for :
(a) the development of contracts for services between three DHAs and hospitals within their own boundaries, hospitals in other districts and with the private sector. The DHAs are Cambridge, Peterborough and Huntingdon. The project will produce regular reports of its work, the next being due in March 1990.
(b) the development of management contracts between four DHAs and hospitals they directly manage. The DHAs are West Norfolk and Wisbech, West Suffolk, East Suffolk, and Great Yarmouth and Waveney. The project will produce regular reports of its work, the next being due in March 1990.
(c) The development of service contracts between authorities in respect of flows of patients across district boundaries. The project involves all DHAs within the South Western region. The project will produce regular reports, the next being due early in 1990. The Department is in addition funding some other projects concerned with related aspects of the "Working for Patients" proposals.
Mental Health Act Commission
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has yet received the option appraisal on the future location of the Mental Health Act Commission ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : Yes. We welcome the commission's decision to centralise its administration and, in the light of the information contained in the commission's report of its review, and in the option appraisal, have decided that the office should be located in Nottingham.
Hyperactivity
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is being undertaken into allergies leading to hyperactivity ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : I have been asked to reply.
The Medical Research Council, which receives a grant-in-aid from this Department, is the main agency through which the Government support medical research. The council is not currently supporting research into
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allergies leading to hyperactivity, though it is supporting other work on hyperactivity. The council is always willing to consider soundly-based proposals for new research programmes in competition with other proposals.Cytomegalovirus
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department funds into the foetal disease cytomegalovirus.
Mr. Jackson : I have been asked to reply.
The Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from this Department, is the main agency through which the Government support medical research. I understand that the council is supporting the following projects concerning cytomegalovirus :
Dr. J. D. Oram, Molecular Genetic Laboratory, Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton.
Project Title :
Expression of a human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein genes in cultures of escherichia coli.
Dr. G. H. Farrar, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton.
Project Title :
Isolation and characterisation of human cytomegalovirus glycoproteins.
Professor C. A. Mims, Department of Microbiology, United Medical School Guy's and St. Thomas's London.
Project Title :
Studies of the interaction of murine cytomegalovirus with the immune system.
Dr. P. D. Griffiths, Department of Microbiology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London.
Project Title :
Studies on the protein composition of cytomegalovirus found in the body fluids.
Professor Catherine Peckham, Department of Paediatric Epidemiology, Institute of Child Health, London.
Project Title :
Long-term follow-up of children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection.
Dr. Minson, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge. Project Title :
The indentification and characterisation of the glycoproteins in human cytomegalovirus.
Dr. V. C. Emery, Department of Virology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London.
Project Title :
Quantification of cytomegalovirus in clinical samples.
Additionally, research on cytomegalovirus may be being pursued by university departments and medical schools with support from UFC block grants and by health authorities ; but information on this is not collected centrally.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Mobility Allowance
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the total cost to the Exchequer of extending mobility allowance at (a) current levels of payment and (b) proposed updated levels of payment to people aged over 75 years of age.
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Mr. Scott : Mobility allowance must be claimed before age 66 and in respect of disability arising before age 65. Section 8 of the Social Security Act 1989 has already provided for existing recipients of the allowance who reach age 75 to continue to receive it to age 80. The annual cost of this will rise to £8 million in 1991-92. The cost of complete abolition of all age limits would be nearly £1.5 billion a year at current rates and nearly £1.6 billion at the proposed new rates.
Unemployed Claimants
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) in what circumstances an unemployed person in receipt of income support who has their benefit suspended for two weeks for not actually seeking work will (a) continue to receive uninterrupted income support and eligibility for passported benefits such as housing benefit, less the 40 per cent. deduction to their personal allowance and (b) have to claim individually for a hardship payment ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) under what circumstances an unemployed person in receipt only of unemployment benefit who has that benefit suspended for two weeks for not actively seeking work would (a) automatically be paid income support, less the 40 per cent. personal allowance deduction and (b) have to make a separate hardship claim for income support ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Normally payment of benefit will be suspended when a question arises about whether an unemployed claimant has been actively seeking employment. However, there can still be entitlement to income support at a reduced rate (and eligibility for passported benefits including housing benefit) if the adjudication officer decides that the claimant (or member of his/her family) would suffer hardship if benefit was not paid.
The adjudication officer should consider the question of hardship automatically for those already in receipt of income support. Where it is decided that benefit should continue the local office will do its best to ensure payments remain uninterrupted.
Those in receipt only of unemployment benefit when the actively seeking employment question arises need to make a separate claim before the adjudication officer can consider whether a payment of income support can be made.
Allowances
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the information in his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) about child and family allowances of 7 June, Official Report, columns 563-66, expressed in April prices to include the years 1989-90.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information is as follows :
Column 457
Value of child support<1> for each child in standard rate tax-paying families expressed at April 1989<2> prices (£)
Children under age 11 Children aged 11-15 Children aged 16 and
over
Date<3> |1st child |2nd child |3rd child<4>|1st child |2nd child |3rd child<4>|1st child |2nd child |3rd child<4>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 1958 |7.60 |10.01 |10.76 |9.46 |11.96 |12.52 |11.40 |13.82 |14.46
April 1959 |6.96 |9.47 |10.12 |8.63 |11.23 |11.88 |10.39 |12.90 |13.64
April 1960 |6.91 |9.40 |10.13 |8.57 |11.15 |11.79 |10.32 |12.81 |13.54
April 1961 |6.73 |9.15 |9.87 |8.34 |10.85 |11.48 |10.05 |12.47 |13.19
April 1962 |6.37 |8.66 |9.34 |7.89 |10.27 |10.86 |9.51 |11.80 |12.48
April 1963 |7.15 |9.40 |10.06 |8.65 |11.06 |11.56 |10.23 |12.56 |13.14
April 1964 |7.01 |9.21 |9.86 |8.48 |10.84 |11.33 |10.03 |12.31 |12.88
April 1965 |7.03 |9.19 |9.65 |8.57 |10.66 |11.20 |10.12 |12.20 |12.74
April 1966 |6.78 |8.87 |9.32 |8.28 |10.29 |10.81 |9.77 |11.78 |12.30
April 1967 |6.59 |8.61 |9.05 |8.03 |9.99 |10.49 |9.48 |11.44 |11.94
April 1968 |6.31 |7.90 |8.38 |7.69 |9.29 |9.70 |9.08 |10.60 |11.09
April 1969 |5.98 |7.81 |8.27 |7.29 |9.13 |9.59 |8.60 |10.44 |10.83
April 1970 |5.66 |7.40 |7.83 |6.90 |8.64 |9.08 |8.15 |9.89 |10.26
April 1971 |6.59 |8.35 |8.75 |7.61 |9.43 |9.83 |8.69 |10.46 |10.85
April 1972 |6.20 |7.86 |8.23 |7.16 |8.87 |9.25 |8.18 |9.84 |10.21
April 1973 |5.63 |7.05 |7.39 |6.66 |8.03 |8.37 |7.49 |8.86 |9.20
April 1974 |6.46 |7.65 |7.95 |7.44 |8.54 |8.88 |8.24 |9.35 |9.69
April 1975 |5.66 |7.82 |7.82 |6.46 |8.63 |8.63 |7.16 |9.36 |9.36
April 1976 |5.93 |7.78 |7.78 |6.61 |8.46 |8.46 |7.23 |9.05 |9.05
April 1977 |5.70 |6.53 |6.53 |6.28 |7.10 |7.10 |6.78 |7.58 |7.58
April 1978 |6.79 |6.79 |6.79 |7.32 |7.32 |7.32 |7.76 |7.76 |7.76
April 1979 |8.42 |8.42 |8.42 |8.42 |8.42 |8.42 |8.42 |8.42 |8.42
November 1980 |7.81 |7.81 |7.81 |7.81 |7.81 |7.81 |7.81 |7.81 |7.81
November 1981 |7.71 |7.71 |7.71 |7.71 |7.71 |7.71 |7.71 |7.71 |7.71
November 1982 |8.09 |8.09 |8.09 |8.09 |8.09 |8.09 |8.09 |8.09 |8.09
November 1983 |8.57 |8.57 |8.57 |8.57 |8.57 |8.57 |8.57 |8.57 |8.57
November 1984 |8.61 |8.61 |8.61 |8.61 |8.61 |8.61 |8.61 |8.61 |8.61
November 1985 |8.34 |8.34 |8.34 |8.34 |8.34 |8.34 |8.34 |8.34 |8.34
July 1986 |8.32 |8.32 |8.32 |8.32 |8.32 |8.32 |8.32 |8.32 |8.32
April 1987 |8.14 |8.14 |8.14 |8.14 |8.14 |8.14 |8.14 |8.14 |8.14
April 1988 |7.83 |7.83 |7.83 |7.83 |7.83 |7.83 |7.83 |7.83 |7.83
April 1989 |7.25 |7.25 |7.25 |7.25 |7.25 |7.25 |7.25 |7.25 |7.25
<1>The combined value of child tax-allowances after clawback and family allowance/child benefit.
<2>Based on the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices at April 1989.
<3>Child tax allowance ceased after the 1978-79 tax year end and up-rating dates are shown from 1979 onwards.
<4>And subsequent children.
Child Support
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update to April 1990 the information provided in the reply of 28 November 1988 to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) Official Report, columns 93-96, relating to child support.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The figures, updated to April 1989, are set out as follows. The table cannot be updated to April 1990 until the movement in the index of retail prices to that month is known.
Column 457
(a) |(b) |(c) |(d) |(e) |(f) |(g) |(h)
|M/C UB rate |Dep increase |Child Benefit/Family |Total child<1> support |Column (e) as a |Column (e) expressed at |Column (g) as index April
|allowance |percentage of column (b) |April 1989 prices<2> |1989=100
Date |£ |£ |£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5th July 1948 |2.10 |0.375 |0.25 |0.625 |29.8 |9.02 |62.2
30th August 1951 |2.10 |0.625 |0.25 |0.875 |41.7 |10.74 |74.1
24th July 1952 |2.70 |0.65 |0.25 |0.90 |33.3 |10.20 |70.3
19th May 1955 |3.25 |0.75 |0.40 |1.15 |35.4 |12.24 |84.4
6th February 1958 |4.00 |1.10 |0.40 |1.50 |37.5 |14.17 |97.7
6th April 1961 |4.625 |1.35 |0.40 |1.75 |37.8 |15.70 |108.3
7th March 1963 |5.45 |1.60 |0.40 |2.00 |36.7 |16.68 |115.0
28th January 1965 |6.50 |1.85 |0.40 |2.25 |34.6 |17.77 |122.6
28th October 1967 |7.30 |2.10 |0.40 |2.50 |34.2 |18.06 |124.6
11th April 1968 |7.30 |2.05 |0.75 |2.80 |38.4 |19.40 |133.8
10th October 1968 |7.30 |1.90 |0.90 |2.80 |38.4 |19.16 |132.1
6th November 1969 |8.10 |2.20 |0.90 |3.10 |38.3 |20.08 |138.5
23rd September 1971 |9.70 |2.80 |0.90 |3.70 |38.1 |20.58 |141.9
5th October 1972 |10.90 |3.30 |0.90 |4.20 |38.5 |21.53 |148.5
4th October 1973 |11.90 |3.70 |0.90 |4.60 |38.7 |21.46 |148.0
25th July 1974 |13.90 |4.50 |0.90 |5.40 |38.8 |22.20 |153.1
7th April 1975 |15.90 |4.70 |1.50 |6.20 |39.0 |21.66 |149.4
20th November 1975 |18.00 |5.50 |1.50 |7.00 |38.9 |21.89 |151.0
18th November 1976 |20.90 |6.60 |1.50 |8.10 |38.8 |22.03 |151.9
4th April 1977 |20.90 |5.60 |2.50 |8.10 |38.8 |20.26 |139.7
17th November 1977 |23.80 |6.50 |2.50 |9.00 |37.8 |21.66 |149.4
4th April 1978 |23.80 |4.40 |4.60 |9.00 |37.8 |20.85 |143.8
16th November 1978 |25.50 |3.70 |6.00 |9.70 |38.0 |21.60 |149.0
2nd April 1979 |25.50 |1.70 |8.00 |9.70 |38.0 |20.42 |140.8
15th November 1979 |29.95 |3.40 |8.00 |11.40 |38.1 |21.63 |149.2
24th November 1980 |33.40 |2.50 |9.50 |12.00 |35.9 |19.74 |136.1
23rd November 1981 |36.40 |1.60 |10.50 |12.10 |33.2 |17.78 |122.6
25th November 1982 |40.45 |0.60 |11.70 |12.30 |30.4 |17.01 |117.3
24th November 1983 |43.75 |0.30 |13.00 |13.30 |30.4 |17.54 |121.0
26th November 1984 |46.00 |-<3> |13.70 |13.70 |29.8 |17.22 |118.8
28th November 1985 |49.25 |- |14.00 |14.00 |28.4 |16.68 |115.0
28th July 1986 |49.80 |- |14.20 |14.20 |28.5 |16.64 |114.8
6th April 1987 |50.85 |- |14.50 |14.50 |28.5 |16.28 |112.3
11th April 1988 |52.95 |- |14.50 |14.50 |27.4 |15.66 |108.0
10th April 1989 |56.10 |- |14.50 |14.50 |25.8 |14.50 |100.0
<1> Does not show the effect of child tax allowance to the standard rate taxpayer. In years prior to April 1979 some recipients of Unemployment Benefit would also have derived advantage from child tax allowance because of their
receipt of earnings in the course of the tax year.
<2> Based on the movement in the general Index of Retail Prices between the dates shown and April 1989.
<3> Child dependency addition abolished from 26 November 1984.
Family Credit
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families were or are (a) entitled to and (b) receiving family credit in 1988 and 1989 ; and what is his estimate of the number of families who will be entitled to it in 1990.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : In 1988 the number of families eligible for family credit was about 500,000 amongst employees : information covering the self-employed is not available. Estimates of the eligible population in 1989 and 1990 cannot be made until information from the family expenditure surveys for those years becomes available.
During 1988 the average number of families receiving family credit was 277,000, of which 253,000 were employee cases. The latest information for 1989 is for July when the total family credit caseload was over 320,000.
Correspondence
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report the replies given to the right hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham in his letter dated 28 September.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is set out as follows :
Question : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures giving the disposable incomes, after taking into account means-tested benefits of single wage married couples with two children under five years and mortgages of (a) £20,000, (b) £30,000, (c) £40,000 and (d) £50,000 firstly when out of work and receiving Income Support and secondly when in work earning £100, £150, £200, £250 and £300 a week.
The information requested is set out in the table below :
Column 460
Total net income of a married couple with two children
(aged 3 and 4) who are purchasing their home in April 1989
Total net income:
Unemployed and
claiming Income Support
Capital outstanding on |In receipt of Income |In receipt of Income
mortgage |Support for less than 16|Support for over 16
|weeks |weeks
£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20,000 |115.57 |135.47
30,000 |125.52 |155.48
40,000 |138.79 |181.91
50,000 |152.06 |208.45
Notes:
1. Total net income on income support comprises social security benefits plus help with housing
costs, plus regular benefits in kind. This includes mortgage interest based on a gross interest
rate of 13.8 per cent.
2. Assumes average local authority rates appropriate to family size.
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