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Pensions (EC)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a comparative table of standard basic pensions paid in the EEC countries to those who
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worked for national average wage, converted into European currency units by employing the puchasing power standard.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The details of how each EC member state calculates its principal state pension benefits are contained in the Department's annual publication, "Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the European Communities", the 1989 issue of which is available in the Library.
Most member states do not have a standard basic pension. Pensions are usually related to individual earnings ; no EC average annual earnings figures are available from which it would be possible to provide the information requested.
Civil Service Dispersal
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to implement the joint Department of Health/Department of Social Security review of the potential for relocating headquarters' work away from London.
Mr. Newton : I have accepted the findings of the review that a substantial amount of my Department's work in London should be relocated. Having carefully considered the review team's report, a copy of which is being placed in the Library, I have concluded that 650 posts, mostly relating to the work of the new benefits agency, which is planned to come into existence in April 1991, should be located in Leeds. The office of the chief adjudication officer, with its 150 posts currently located in Southampton, will also move to Leeds. I expect these moves to take place from late 1991 into 1992. I welcome the parallel announcement by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health that some 1,000 posts from his Department's headquarters will also be moving to Leeds.
Lone Parents
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his statement of 25 October, Official Report, column 843, he will provide a breakdown of the 95,000 lone parents who will benefit from (a) the increase in the lone parents premium for housing benefit/community charge benefit and (b) the increase in the earnings disregard for lone parents claiming housing/community charge benefit.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The number of gainers of housing benefit and community charge benefit from the increase in the lone parent premium announced for April 1990 is around 80,000. The majority of these also gain from the increase in the earnings disregard which will take effect in October 1990. In addition, we estimate that a further 15,000 lone parents will float on to benefit as a result of the increase in the earnings disregard.
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish for the last 10 years the number of (a) unmarried and (b) separated mothers on social security, the numbers of children for which they are responsible and the numbers of mothers with maintenance payments in operation against the fathers of the children.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer Wednesday 8 November 1989] : The information requested is set out in the table.
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Unmarried, separated and divorced mothers receiving Supplementary
Benefit/Income Support; numbers of children and numbers with
maintenance payments.
|Unmarried mothers|Separated mothers|Divorced mothers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979
Claimants |89,000 |101,000 |100,000
Children |116,000 |194,000 |194,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |29,000 |59,000 |71,000
1980
Claimants |99,000 |99,000 |106,000
Children |130,000 |187,000 |199,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |33,000 |52,000 |71,000
1981
Claimants |144,000 |120,000 |120,000
Children |147,000 |226,000 |220,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |33,000 |62,000 |80,000
1982
Claimants |134,000 |134,000 |127,000
Children |177,000 |249,000 |234,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |34,000 |61,000 |79,000
1983
Claimants |144,000 |145,000 |140,000
Children |186,000 |271,000 |248,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |32,000 |61,000 |76,000
1984
Claimants |168,000 |157,000 |141,000
Children |228,000 |291,000 |247,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |35,000 |56,000 |69,000
1986
Claimants |211,000 |176,000 |163,000
Children |282,000 |330,000 |287,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |37,000 |56,000 |74,000
1987
Claimants |247,000 |176,000 |178,000
Children |334,000 |338,000 |311,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |38,000 |52,000 |73,000
1988
Claimants |286,000 |191,000 |185,000
Children |400,000 |384,000 |335,000
Claimants with
maintenance
payments |35,000 |49,000 |73,000
Notes:
1. Figures are for mothers with children on Supplementary Benefit or Income Support. The
table only includes mothers with children under age 16. It does not include the small
number of families whose only dependent children were age 16 or over. This is because (
until the passage of the Social Security Act 1989) liability of absent parents to
maintain their children for Social Security purposes ended at age 16.
2. Divorced mothers are included for completeness.
3. The figures for claimants with maintenance payments include any case where there is a
Court Order or voluntary payment whether for
mother or child.
4. Source: Annual Statistical Enquiries for the relevant years. There was no Enquiry in
1985.
THE ARTS
Drama in Wales
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will publish in the Official Report for (a) 1987-88 and (b) 1988-89 the percentage of Welsh Arts Council grants to drama in Wales which was allocated to (i) South Glamorgan and (ii) West Glamorgan.
Mr. Luce : The information requested is as follows :
|South Glamorgan|West Glamorgan
|Per cent. |Per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |33.5 |2.0
1988-89 |33.4 |2.4
Historically, the majority of Welsh drama companies has been based in South Glamorgan ; the Welsh Arts Council's allocations reflect that. However, six of the 11 organisations based in South Glamorgan tour extensively outside the county. The percentages relate to grants to companies and take no account of smaller specific grants such as new writing commissions and touring assistance.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many (a) oral and (b) written questions were asked of his Office in 1988-89.
Mr. Luce : To date, the figures for this Session are as follows :
---------------------------------
Oral |255
Priority written |109
Ordinary written |94
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many written parliamentary questions he refused to answer in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many written parliamentary questions to him in Session 1988-89 received answers that the information (a) was not available, (b) was not separately recorded, (c) was not centrally recorded, (d) was not recorded in Government statistics or (e) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Luce : This information is a matter of public record in the columns of the Official Report.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what was the cost to his office of answering parliamentary (a) oral and (b) written questions in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.
Mr. Luce : Based on the estimated average cost of answering oral and written questions, which currently stands at £90 per oral and £54 per written, the cost to date has been (a) £22,590 and (b) £10, 530.
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Statistics
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether his office has discontinued (a) the collection or (b) the publication of any statistics since 1979.
Mr. Luce : The Office of Arts and Libraries regularly collects statistics ; some of these are available to the public.
SCOTLAND
Inside Intelligence (Costs)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 18 October, Official Report, column 131-2, when he now expects to announce the full costs of the proceedings relating to "Inside Intelligence."
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Neither the Secretary of State for Scotland nor the Lord Advocate knows when the accounts of expenses of other parties to the legal action The Lord Advocate v The Scotsman Publications and Others relating to the book "Inside Intelligence" will be taxed by the appropriate authorities.
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had with the chairman of the South of Scotland Electricity Board regarding the management and ownership of the nuclear power stations in Scotland after vesting day under the terms of the Electricity Act.
Mr. Lang : I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House of 9 November at col. 1184 by my right hon. and learned Friend.
Salmon Licensing
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland from which bodies and individuals he has received representations on the draft proposals for a salmon dealers' licensing scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : Representations have been sent or copied to this Department by the following :
Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland)
Association of Scottish District Salmon Fishery Boards
Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust Ltd.
Atlantic Salmon Trust
British Field Sports Society
British Retailers Association
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Fishmongers' Company of City of London
Garnock Valley Angling Protection Association
Highlands and Islands Development Board
Highland Regional Council
Institute of Fisheries Management (Scottish Branch)
National Farmers' Union of Scotland
Nith District Salmon Fishery Board
Nith Fishings Improvement Association
Ross and Cromarty District Council
Salmon and Trout Association
Salmon and Trout Association (Scottish Council)
Salmon Net Fishing Association of Scotland
Scottish Anglers National Association
Scottish Fishermen's Federation
Scottish Landowners' Federation
Scottish Salmon Farmers' Marketing Board Ltd.
Scottish Salmon Growers Association Ltd.
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Scottish Sports CouncilShetland Fish Processors' Association
Shetland Salmon Farmers' Association
Shetland Smokehouse Ltd.
Sutherland District Council
Western Isles Islands Council
Some other bodies have indicated an intention to submit comments which have not been received to date.
All the representations we receive, and any relevant comments on the scheme proposed for England and Wales (which is designed to be compatible with the scheme proposed for Scotland) are being given full consideration. Final decisions on the schemes will be announced in due course.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) oral and (b) written questions were asked of his Department in 1988-89.
Mr. Rifkind : (a) 608 and (b) 2,646.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many written parliamentary questions he refused to answer in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.
(2) how many written Parliamentary questions to him in Session 1988-89 received answers that the information (a) was not available, (b) was not separately recorded, (c) was not centrally recorded, (d) was not recorded in Government statistics or (e) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Rifkind : A total of 322, of which 297 were in the categories listed by the hon. Member ; 92 where the information (a) was not available, 29 (b) not separately recorded, 144 (c) not centrally recorded, 13 (d) not recorded in Government statistics, and 19 (e) could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost to his Department of answering parliamentary (a) oral and (b) written questions in the parliamentary Session 1988-89.
Mr. Rifkind : Such costs cannot be separated from the total administrative costs of my Department.
Statistics
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has discontinued (a) the collection or (b) the publication of any statistics since 1979.
Mr. Rifkind : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Local Government Finance
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department intends to use the actual poll tax figures charged by local authorities in the current year in Scotland in calculating transitional poll tax relief ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No. The intention behind the proposed transitional relief scheme is to compensate personal community charge payers who have experienced significantly large increases in payments as
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against their previous rate bill as a result of the change from domestic rates to the community charge. For this purpose charges estimated to exclude the effects of local authorities' decisions to expand services this year provide a more realistic basis for establishing entitlement to relief.Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial provision he has allocated to cover the administrative cost of implementing the transitional poll tax relief scheme in Scotland including the recalculation of rebates.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has made it clear that local authorities will be reimbursed for the reasonable costs they incur in administering the community charge transitional relief scheme. The costs will clearly depend upon the details of the scheme and we are at present discussing those with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance has been given to local authorities as to the issue of a seven-day notice prior to the issue of a 14-day notice to all those liable for the community charge who have not indicated in writing that they wish to pay by lump sum.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : None. The requirements relating to the issue of seven and 14-day letters are set out in schedule 2 to the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc (Scotland) Act 1987.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps local authorities must take to remind community charge payers of their liability before invoking legal action for arrears or non-payment in the case of those paying by (a) monthly instalments and (b) other than monthly instalments.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Paragraph 7(2) of schedule 2 to the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended lists the requirements which a levying authority has to meet before the sheriff will on application grant a summary warrant authorising recovery of arrears of community charge. These include a requirement for the authority to have given written notice requiring paying of the amount due within a period of 14 days after the date of the giving of the notice. The levying authority can apply for a summary warrant in respect of any amount of community charge arrears. If, however, it wishes to recover the full annual amount from a person who is paying, or should be paying, by monthly instalments, they must first have followed the procedures set out in paragraph 4(9) of schedule 2 to the 1987 Act. This provides that the full amount becomes payable by such a person if they are three monthly payments in arrears, if they have been given written notice that failure to pay their arrears within seven days of the sending of the notice will lead to the full annual amount becoming payable, and if they have failed to pay their arrears within those seven days.
AIDS
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have died from AIDS in Scotland in the last three years.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : The numbers of deaths in Scotland from AIDS reported to the communicable diseases (Scotland) unit in each of the last three years are as follows :
Year |Number ---------------------- 1987 |12 1988 |14 <1>1989 |27 <1>To end October.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of people suffering from AIDS in Scotland at the latest available date.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : According to the latest available returns made to the communicable diseases (Scotland) unit there were 62 AIDS cases in Scotland at 31 October 1989.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the number of people employed in the brewing industry (a) at the latest date and (b) five years ago ;
(2) what was the number of persons employed in the Scotch whisky industry (a) at the latest date and (b) five years ago.
Mr. Lang : The latest available information on employment in these industries in Scotland comes from the 1987 census of employment. The table shows for each industry the total number of employees in employment in September 1984 and September 1987.
Employees in employment in Scotland Industry |September 1984|September 1987 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spirit Distilling and Compounding |16,900 |15,300 Brewing and Malting |4,200 |4,800 Source: 1984 Census of Employment. 1987 Census of Employment.
Tobacco Industry
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of employed persons in the tobacco industry in Scotland (a) at the latest date and (b) five years ago.
Mr. Lang : It is not possible to give information about the employment of the tobacco industry in Scotland without disclosing confidential information relating to individual firms.
Rent Officers
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of guidance given to rent officers regarding their functions.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Government do not issue guidance to rent officers, who are statutorily independent and are therefore guided primarily by statute. In carrying out their functions relating to housing benefit subsidy, they are guided by the provisions of the Rent Officers (Additional Functions) (Scotland) Order 1989 (SI
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1989 No. 578(S65), as amended by SI 1989 No. 1446(S116)). Detailed working arrangements are an internal matter for the rent registration service.Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the number of appeals against determinations by local authorities so far in the current year.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In the period from1 April to 31 October 1989, local authorities in Scotland requested redetermination in 74 cases for which rent officers had made a determination in connection with their functions relating to housing benefit subsidy.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the total numbers of determinations made by rent officers since 10 April.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In the period from1 April to 31 October 1989, rent officers in Scotland made 21,642 determinations in respect of rents referred to them by local authorities in connection with their functions relating to housing benefit subsidy.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of rent officers in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : At 31 October 1989, there were 36 rent officers (including senior rent officers) employed in Scotland, and one vacant post.
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