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Mr. Wakeham : It is not our practice to publish forecasts of future energy prices.
Coal Policy
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consideration he has given to the effects on the balance of trade when deciding on policy for the coal industry.
Mr. Wakeham : This Government do not believe that it is in the long- term interests of either the coal industry or the country to restrict competition in coal supplies. To protect British Coal from competition would lead to British industry paying too much for its electricity, thereby reducing its international competitiveness ; this would have serious long- term consequences for our balance of trade and employment in our manufacturing industries. The Government will therefore encourage British Coal in its efforts to become a fully competitive supplier.
Industrial Customer Scheme
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with the European Commission about the qualifying industrial customer scheme.
BNFL
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the new nuclear company's commitments to British Nuclear Fuels plc.
Mr. Wakeham : National Power has been in negotiation with BNF plc on revised contract arrangements for nuclear fuel services. The new company will be taking these discussions forward.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what estimate he has made of the consequences for the British Nuclear Fuels plc plant at Sellafield of the decisions on the nuclear power programme which he announced on Thursday 9 November ;
(2) what is his estimate of the impact on Sellafield and Windscale of the reduction of the immediate pressurised water reactor programme to one power station.
Mr. Wakeham : My statement on 9 November should have no impact on BNFL's operations at Sellafield.
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Power Station Boilers
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the total spending in 1979-80 and each succeeding year by his Department and the industries for which it is responsible on improving the efficiency of the combustion of coal in power station boilers.
Mr. Wakeham : The efficiency of combustion of coal in power station boilers has been consistently in the region of 99 per cent. over the last 10 years.
Nuclear Electricity Company
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what will be the insurance arrangements of the new nuclear electricity company.
Mr. Wakeham : The insurance arrangements under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 will apply to the new nuclear company after vesting.
CEGB
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to lay before Parliament the Central Electricity Generating Board's annual report and accounts for 1988-89 ; and if he will seek an explanation from the Central Electricity Generating Board for their late publication.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Preparation and publication of the annual report and accounts are a matter for the board of the CEGB. I am assured that the accounts will be published as soon as is possible.
Energy Council
Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the meeting of the Energy Council of the European Community Ministers on 30 October.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The council made progress towards adoption of a new programme for demonstration and dissemination of new energy technologies known as Thermie. However the European Parliament has not yet given its opinion on it and the Commission has not formally put forward an overall budget for the programme.
The Council held a first discussion about four proposals from the Commission intended as steps towards establishing a single energy market and covering transparency of gas and electricity prices, right of transit on electricity networks and for gas networks and notification of investment projects. In the light of comments from member states the proposals have been remitted to officials for detailed examination. The proposals also await consideration by the European Parliament.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Incomes
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the answer on incomes to the hon. Member for Birkenhead of 11 July, Official Report, column 442-43 to include data for 1986-87.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 14 November 1989.
Means-tested Benefits
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will break down the extra number of people who will become dependent on means-tested benefits due to the freeze in child benefit into (a) income support recipients, (b) family credit recipients and (c) housing benefits recipients.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 November to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) at column 812.
Sick Pay
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish his latest estimates of the numbers of employees who will cease to qualify for the higher rate of statutory sick pay as a result of the recently announced changes to the scheme ; and if he will show a breakdown of the figures for male and female employees.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : About 1.9 million employees with earnings between £90 and £125 per week will no longer be eligible for the higher rate of statutory sick pay (SSP) if they fall sick on or after 6 April 1990. But the number of spells of sickness where the amount of SSP entitlement will be reduced will, of course, be much smaller ; it is estimated to be about 290,000 out of an annual total of 5.8 million.
It is estimated that about three quarters of those affected will be women. For the majority of employees occupational sick pay will make up any difference in SSP entitlement. All employees already receiving the higher rate of SSP at 6 April 1990 will continue to receive that rate until their current period of entitlement ends, regardless of their earnings.
Of those currently eligible only for the lower rate of SSP, the majority are women in low paid or part-time employment. Such employees are generally less likely to be covered by occupational sick pay schemes, and will thus gain from the real increase which is being made to the lower rate as part of the overall SSP re-structuring. As my right hon. Friend said in his uprating statement, since the flat rate element of statutory maternity pay is the same as this rate of SSP, there will also be a modest gain for up to 230,000 women in this respect.
War Widows
Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of war widows currently receiving benefit whose husbands were killed in the second world war or the Korean war ; and what is the amount of benefit available to them.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : At 30 September this year, 52,217 widows whose husbands died as a result of the second world war, subsequent conflicts and attributable service were receiving a war widows pension under the war pensions scheme administered by the Department. Information about the numbers of those whose husbands were killed in the second world war and the Korean war is not readily available. The standard war widows pension is currently £56.65 a week. In addition, age allowances of
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£6.10 at 65, £12.20 at 70 and £13.50 at 80 are paid. A widow receiving a war widows pension may also receive any national insurance benefit earned by her own contributions and some non-contributory benefits.Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to increase the benefits paid to war widows of two world wars to make them more comparable with the incomes of widows of service men who died after 1973.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to him on 8 November at column 673-74. War widows receiving a war widows pension are eligible in addition for national insurance benefits earned by their own contributions and some non-contributory benefits. As my right hon. Friend reminded the House in his uprating statement on 25 October, from April 1990 we will raise the amount of the war pension or the war widows pension which is disregarded in calculating entitlement to income-related benefits from £5 to £10.
Mobility Allowance
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the eligibility criteria for mobility allowance to include people who are visually or mentally handicapped.
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 13 November at column 51.
Social Fund
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of applications for grants from the social fund are rejected and the percentage won on appeal within the Seaham and Peterlee areas.
Mr. Scott : I will write to the hon. Member.
National Insurance (Fraud)
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the amount of employees' national insurance contributions collected by employers and subsequently not paid in to the Treasury in 1988, with a regional breakdown ; what was the number of cases of national insurance evasion or fraud by employers where his Department took civil proceedings against the employer and the amount of national insurance contributions recovered by his Department as a result of those proceedings ; what was the annual cost of crediting national insurance contributions to employees whose original contributions were defrauded by the employer ; and what steps are being taken or may be proposed by his Department to counter such fraud by employers.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Inland Revenue is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the majority of national insurance contributions from employers. Although precise figures are not available the Inland Revenue estimates that the total amount of employers' and employees' national insurance contributions not paid over at the end of the accounts year ended 31 October 1988 was about £193 million, of which approximately £93 million relates to employees' contributions. A regional breakdown of these figures is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
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During 1988-89 the Department of Social Security approved the institution of civil proceedings against employers in 1,522 cases, involving about £4.2 million of national insurance contributions. Because some of these proceedings are not yet complete a final recovery figure is not available. Court action, however, usually results in recovery of 75 per cent. of the debt.All contributions shown in an employer's annual returns to the Inland Revenue will be credited to the individual employees' records irrespective of whether the employer has remitted the contributions collected. There is, howeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish figures showing the numbers and percentages of families with children (a) entitled to and (b) receiving family credit, in April 1988 and 1989, together with projections for April 1990.
Mr. Needham : The number of families receiving family credit between April 1988 and 1989 increased by 1,383 from 13,525 to 14,908.
Reliable estimates of the number of families who were eligible for family credit in Northern Ireland in April 1988 and April 1989 or who might be eligible in April 1990 are not available.
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many farmers, in each district council area of Northern Ireland, are in receipt of hill livestock compensatory allowances ; (2) what is the total amount of hill livestock compensadline
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement outlining the procedures which are followed in ascertaining whether, for purposes of financial assistance, a young person is genuinely estranged from his or her parents ; what evidence is considered in such cases ; by whom the decision is made ; and what right of appeal exists against any decision.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : All staff dealing with young people have been fully trained, especially on the need for tact and sensitivity when dealing with this vulnerable group. All claims for income support from 16 to 17-year-old claimants are referred to an adjudication officer. Guidance on the treatment of such claims is contained in the adjudication officer's guide. Advance guidance has been given to adjudication officers in AOG (Memo vol. 3/13), a copy of which is in the Library. In addition, the Secretary of State has the power to direct eligibility if the payment of benefit is the only way to prevent severe hardship. A direction takes into account all the individual's circumstances including, if appropriate, estrangement from parents. Once such a direction is made the adjudication officer will consider entitlement in the normal way. All decisions of an adjudication officer carry the right of appeal to an independent appeal tribunal.
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases since the revised regulations became effective benefits have been paid to young people aged 16 and 17 years because they were deemed to be genuinely estranged from their parents.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest available information is that, over the period to the end of September, some 3,100 claims from 16 and 17- years-olds resulted in the award of income support at the higher 18 to 24- year-old
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rate because of the changes introduced in July. This includes young people who were estranged from their parents but separate figures are not available for this group.Severe Disablement Allowance
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of United Kingdom residents who have been refused payment of the severe disablement allowance on the grounds that they have lived abroad for 10 of the previous 20 years ; and what account is taken of whether while abroad, they were treated for tax and national insurance purposes as though they were domiciled in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Nicholas Scott : We estimate that about 1,000 people are unable to qualify for severe disablement allowance, in any year, because they have not been resident in Great Britain for 10 of the preceding 20 years. Those who have paid the required national insurance contributions may be able to qualify for sickness benefit or invalidity benefit and will not therefore be claiming severe disablement allowance.
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Family Credit
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families with children have net incomes, defined as for family credit purposes, within (a) £50 and (b) £100 a week of their family credit ceilings.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The numbers of families with children whose net earnings and other relevant income are above the level at which family credit entitlement runs out are as follows :
Numbers of families with children<1>
|(millions)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) within £50 of run out point |0.93
(b) within £100 of run out point (including (a)) |2.20
<1> This excludes any families whose capital is more than £6,000.
Note: Estimates are based on 1985 and 1986 Family Expenditure Survey
updated to 1989-90.
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the estimated numbers and percentages of families with children (a) entitled to and (b) receiving family credit, in April 1988 and 1989, together with projections for April 1990.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The available information is as follows :
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|Number of families |Percentage of all |Number of families
|eligible for family |families with children |receiving family credit
|credit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 1988 |<1>500,000 |7.4 |<2>253,000
|employees (self employed |employees
|not available) |<2>277,000 |4.10
|including self employed
April 1989 |Not known until 1989 FES |- |286,000<3>
|data become available
April 1990 (projected) |Not known until 1990 FES |- |Up to date projection<4> not
|data become available |available
<1> From Family Expenditure Survey (FES) data for April to December 1988.
<2> Average for April to December 1988.
<3> As at end of April 1989.
<4> Latest actual caseload figure 320,000 for July 1989 (4.73 per cent. of all families).
A further advertising campaign started in the week commencing 6 November.
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the family credit ceilings are arrived at ; and what criteria are used to establish (a) need and (b) the need for uprating.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Under the Social Security Act 1986 entitlement to family credit is determined by reference to the maximum family credit in the particular case, which is made up of age-related child credits for each child and an adult credit which is the same for both lone parents and two parent families, and to the family credit applicable amount or threshold. If the family's income to be taken into account is no more than the threshold then the maximum family credit for that family is payable in full. If the income is more than the threshold then 70 per cent. of the excess is deducted from the maximum family credit and the amount remaining, if 50p or more, is payable.
The family credit ceiling represented by the highest amount of net earnings and other relevant income a family can have and still qualify for family credit is therefore the level of such earnings and income which, on the above basis, produces an entitlement of 50p per week.
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The child credits, the adult credit and the applicable amount are set so as to create an alignment between the benefits available to those families in work and those out of work which will help to ensure that families will generally be better off in work than when unemployed.As with other income-related benefits, the credits and the applicable amount in family credit are reviewed each year in the light of the movement in the level of retail prices excluding housing costs.
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the family credit ceilings for one and two-parent families of different sizes, with children of different ages, in April 1988, 1989 and 1990, at constant and at current prices, and as percentages of past and projected average male and average female manual earnings, as appropriate.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I will write to my right hon. Friend when the information requested is available.
Job Transfers
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of jobs from his Department that are to be transferred to Scotland.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : After taking account of efficiency savings due to be made after implementation of the operational strategy the latest estimate shows that 470 posts will be relocated into Glasgow social security centre.
Widows' Pensions
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his most recent estimate of the loss to the Exchequer if widows' pensions were to be exempted from the earnings rule.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : None. The payment of widow's pension is not subject to an earnings rule.
Hostels (Young People)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will extend the recent concessions for night shelters for homeless young people to cover hostels.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We have no plans to change the arrangements at present, but will monitor carefully all aspects of the hostel changes.
National Insurance
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has yet completed his review of national insurance contributions for 1990-91.
Mr. Newton : I have completed the annual review under section 120 of the Social Security Act 1975. The proposals will take effect from April 6 1990.
Employers and employees
As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his statement earlier today, I do not propose to change the standard rates of contributions for either employees or employers, which remain at 9 per cent. and 10.45 per cent. respectively.
In line with the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, the lower earnings limit for class 1 contributions is to be raised to £46 a week, which is just below the basic retirement pension rate for a single person, which I announced to the House on 25 October. The upper earnings limit is to be raised to £350 a week, which is almost seven and a half times the new basic pension rate as provided by the Social Security Pensions Act. The new earnings limits will replace the current ones of £43 and £325 respectively.
Under the new structure which came into force on 5 October employees whose earnings reach the lower earnings limit will continue to pay an initial contribution of 2 per cent. of that limit and standard rate contributions of 9 per cent. on that portion of earnings which exceeds the lower but not the upper earnings limit. The reduced contribution rates of 5 per cent. 7 per cent. and 9 per cent. for employers of the lower paid will continue unchanged. However the ceilings for these rates will be extended further ; they will now apply to weekly earnings which fall below the ceilings of £80, £125, and £175 (the previous ceilings were £75, £115 and £165 respectively).
Not contracted-out employees and their employers
Neither the employee nor his employer will have to pay any contributions if earnings are less than £46 a week. Those whose earnings do not exceed £325 (the former upper earnings limit) will pay 21p a week less in contributions than at present. This is because a further £3
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of their weekly earnings will be subject to a 2 per cent. deduction rather than 9 per cent. For those employees with earnings above £325 a week, the maximum possible increase will be £2.04 a week. Employers contributions will generally be unchanged although some employers will gain where employees' earnings which were above the former ceilings fall below the new ceilings. There will be no corresponding increase for employers of the higher paid since there is no upper earnings limit for employers' contributions.Contracted-out employees and their employers
Contracted-out employees will gain in the same way. The contributions due from employees earning less than £325 a week will drop by 15p a week. For employees earning over £325 a week the maximum possible increase will be £1.60 a week. Their employers will generally pay 11 or 12p a week more than at present because they will have to pay not contracted-out contributions on the first £46 of earnings rather than the present lower limit of £43 a week, although there will be gains in respect of lower paid employees whose earnings fall between the old and new ceilings for reduced rate contributions.
Self-employed people
The flat rate class 2 contribution will be raised by 30p to £4.55 a week.
The rate of class 4 contributions, currently 6.3 per cent., will not be increased. The annual limits of profits between which class 4 contributions are paid will be raised to £5,450 and £18,200 from £5, 050 and £16,900 respectively. Self-employed people who pay only class 2 contributions will pay an extra £15.60 a year in 1990-91. For those self-employed people with profits between £5,450 and £16, 900 (the former upper profits limit) class 4 contributions will be reduced by £25.20 per year in 1990-91 assuming an unaltered level of profits. For those self-employed people with profits at or above the proposed upper profits limit of £18,200 in 1990-91, the annual charge for class 4 contributions will be £56.70 higher.
Class 3 (voluntary) contributions
The rate of class 3 contributions will be raised to £4.45 a week. Employment protection allocation
There will be no employment protection allocation for 1990-91. National Health Service allocation
The allocation to the National Health Service, currently 1.05 per cent. from employees and 0.9 per cent. from employers, will not be changed.
The draft order, together with a report by the Government Actuary, will be laid before Parliament shortly.
Guildford Four
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to credit the Guildford Four with class 1 national insurance contributions for the full period of their detention.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are no legislative provisions which would enable credits to be awarded in these cases. However, I should be prepared to examine
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representations from the individuals concerned in respect of their contribution records and to consider whether alternative arrangements might be made.Household Incomes
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will present the data in the answer given to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 11 July, Official Report, columns 442-3, as cumulative totals for the years 1979 to 1985, both for percentage changes in living standards and for money changes in real household incomes ; and if the data for the latter could be presented for two-person housholds, and for two-person households with one, two and four children.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 8 November 1989] : The available information, which is adjusted for household size and composition, is set out in the table. Cumulative percentage changes in real equivalised household incomes by deciles of all individuals are set out in table 1. Tables 2 to 6 show what the figures in table 1 represent in terms of changes in real income for various household compositions.
Table 2
Money change in real household incomes
for
a single person household-1985 prices
by deciles
of the whole population £ per week
Decile |1979-81|1979-83|1979-85
----------------------------------------
Lowest |-0.70 |-0.60 |2.00
2 |-0.20 |0.70 |2.30
3 |-0.70 |0.20 |1.90
4 |-0.80 |-0.30 |2.10
5 |-0.70 |-0.50 |2.80
6 |-0.50 |-0.10 |4.20
7 |-0.60 |-0.10 |5.20
8 |0.60 |0.70 |8.30
9 |3.00 |3.50 |11.40
Highest |18.00 |16.00 |28.40
|-------|-------|-------
Total |1.70 |2.00 |6.90
Notes:
1. Income is defined as income from all
sources less income tax and national
insurance contributions.
2. The incomes of all individuals
within households have been adjusted
for the size and composition of those
households.
3. The equivalence scales used to
adjust for household size and
composition use as their basis the
income for a single person household.
In other words, a single person
household has been attributed an
equivalence scale of one so that the
income of these households is the same
both with and without equivalisation.
Table 2
Money change in real household incomes
for
a single person household-1985 prices
by deciles
of the whole population £ per week
Decile |1979-81|1979-83|1979-85
----------------------------------------
Lowest |-0.70 |-0.60 |2.00
2 |-0.20 |0.70 |2.30
3 |-0.70 |0.20 |1.90
4 |-0.80 |-0.30 |2.10
5 |-0.70 |-0.50 |2.80
6 |-0.50 |-0.10 |4.20
7 |-0.60 |-0.10 |5.20
8 |0.60 |0.70 |8.30
9 |3.00 |3.50 |11.40
Highest |18.00 |16.00 |28.40
|-------|-------|-------
Total |1.70 |2.00 |6.90
Notes:
1. Income is defined as income from all
sources less income tax and national
insurance contributions.
2. The incomes of all individuals
within households have been adjusted
for the size and composition of those
households.
3. The equivalence scales used to
adjust for household size and
composition use as their basis the
income for a single person household.
In other words, a single person
household has been attributed an
equivalence scale of one so that the
income of these households is the same
both with and without equivalisation.
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Table 3-Money change in real household
incomes for a two person
household-(married couple) 1985 prices
by deciles of the whole
population £ per week
Decile |1979-81|1979-83|1979-85
----------------------------------------
Lowest |-1.20 |-0.90 |3.30
2 |-0.30 |1.10 |3.70
3 |-1.20 |0.30 |3.10
4 |-1.40 |-0.50 |3.50
5 |-1.20 |-0.80 |4.60
6 |-0.80 |-0.20 |6.90
7 |-1.00 |-0.20 |8.60
8 |1.00 |1.20 |13.60
9 |4.80 |5.80 |18.80
Highest |29.50 |26.30 |46.60
|-------|-------|-------
Total |2.80 |3.20 |11.30
Notes:
1. Income is defined as income from all
sources less income tax and national
insurance contributions.
2. The incomes of all individuals
within households have been adjusted
for the size and composition of those
households.
3. The equivalence scales used to
adjust for household size and
composition use as their basis the
income for a household consisting of a
married couple only. In other words, a
married couple household has been
attributed an equivalence scale of one
so that the income of these households
is the same both with and without
equivalisation.
Table 4-Money change in real household
incomes for a household
consisting of a married couple plus one
child-1985 prices by deciles
of the whole population £ per week
Decile |1979-81|1979-83|1979-85
----------------------------------------
Lowest |-1.50 |-1.10 |4.00
2 |-0.40 |1.30 |4.60
3 |-1.40 |0.30 |3.80
4 |-1.70 |-0.60 |4.30
5 |-1.50 |-1.00 |5.70
6 |-1.00 |-0.30 |8.50
7 |-1.20 |-0.20 |10.60
8 |1.30 |1.50 |16.70
9 |6.00 |7.10 |23.10
Highest |36.30 |32.30 |57.30
|-------|-------|-------
Total |3.50 |3.90 |13.83
Table 5-Money change in real household
incomes for a household
consisting of a married couple plus two
children-1985 prices by
deciles of the whole population £ per
week
Decile |1979-81|1979-83|1979-85
----------------------------------------
Lowest |-1.70 |-1.30 |4.80
2 |-0.40 |1.60 |5.40
3 |-1.70 |0.40 |4.50
4 |-2.00 |-0.70 |5.10
5 |-1.80 |-1.20 |6.80
6 |-1.20 |-0.30 |10.10
7 |-1.40 |-0.20 |12.50
8 |1.50 |1.70 |19.80
9 |7.10 |8.40 |27.40
Highest |43.10 |38.30 |68.10
|-------|-------|-------
Total |4.20 |4.70 |16.40
Table 6-Money change in real household
incomes for a household
consisting of a married couple plus
four children-1985 prices by
deciles of the whole population £ per
week
Decile |1979-81|1979-83|1979-85
----------------------------------------
Lowest |-2.30 |-1.80 |6.30
2 |-0.60 |2.10 |7.10
3 |-2.20 |0.50 |5.90
4 |-2.70 |-0.90 |6.60
5 |-2.30 |-1.50 |8.90
6 |-1.60 |-0.40 |13.20
7 |-1.90 |-0.30 |16.50
8 |2.00 |2.30 |26.10
9 |9.30 |11.10 |36.00
Highest |56.70 |50.40 |89.50
|-------|-------|-------
Total |5.50 |6.20 |21.60
Community Charge
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will show the effects of the proposed community charge benefit taper of 15 per cent. with tapers of (a) 12.5 per cent., (b) 10 per cent.and (c) 7.5 per cent., by showing for each of these tapers the cost at 1989-90 prices of paying community charge benefit to each of the following categories of income units, showing for each category how many income units he estimates would be entitled to community charge benefit (i) all income units, (ii) income units consisting of a single person over pensionable age, (iii) income units consisting of a couple both of whom are over pensionable age, (iv) income units consisting of a single person with dependent children, (v) income units consisting of a single person without dependent children, (vi) income units consisting of a married or cohabiting couple without dependent children, (vii) income units consisting of a married or cohabiting couple with dependent children and (viii) any income units not included in the above categories.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 3 November 1989] : I shall write to the hon. Member.
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