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Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give (a) the number of people in Wales who receive water from supplies granted relaxations to the nitrite standard under the Water Act 1989, (b) the location of each supply, by county, and (c) the number of people served by each of those supplies.
Mr. Grist : Under section 20(5)(b) of the Water Act 1989, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has accepted an undertaking from Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig relating to the nitrite parameter in respect of the following treatment works :
WTW |Estimated |Location
|population
|served
--------------------------------------------
Trecastell |1,500 |Clwyd
Note:-The population figure has been
derived by Dwr Cymru from the average daily
output of the works when in use and
therefore represents the potential number
of customers.
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Schools
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each Welsh local education authority the number of primary schools which have been closed or amalgamated in each of the past 15 years which had (a) under 10 pupils, (b) 11 to 20 pupils, (c) 21 to 30
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pupils, (d) 31 to 40 pupils, (e) 41 to 50 pupils, (f) 51 to 60 pupils, (g) 61 to 100 pupils, (h) 101 to 150 pupils, and (i) 151 to 200 pupils.Mr. Wyn Roberts : Information in the form requested is not available. The table shows the net changes in the number of primary schools by local education authority for the period 1974-89. Many closures occur as part of wider schemes of reorganisation or amalgamation which can incorporate the establishment of new schools.
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Local Education Authority -------------------------------------------- 1974-75 |-1 |-2 |-1 |-2 |- |+1 |- |+1 1975-76 |+6 |-1 |+3 |-1 |-1 |-3 |+2 |- 1976-77 |-2 |-5 |-6 |-1 |- |-1 |+2 |- 1977-78 |+4 |-3 |-3 |-3 |+1 |-1 |-1 |-2 1978-79 |- |-1 |-5 |-2 |- |-4 |+2 |-2 1979-80 |-2 |+1 |-7 |- |+2 |- |+4 |-3 1980-81 |-1 |-2 |-3 |- |-4 |-2 |-3 |-2 1981-82 |-3 |-6 |-10|-1 |-2 |-4 |-4 |-5 1982-83 |-2 |-5 |-1 |-1 |+2 |-3 |-7 |-12 1983-84 |-5 |-4 |-3 |- |-3 |-1 |-3 |-4 1984-85 |-1 |-3 |-8 |- |-5 |-2 |-3 |-3 1985-86 |-1 |-6 |-14|- |+3 |-2 |-2 |- 1986-87 |- |-6 |-1 |- |- |-2 |- |-3 1987-88 |+1 |- |-6 |-2 |- |-1 |- |-1 1988-89 |- |-2 |-4 |-2 |- |- |- |-1
Pembroke Bypass
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for a bypass for Pembroke ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : This is a matter for Dyfed county council as the local highway authority.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Irish Citizens
Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the privileges enjoyed by Irish citizens resident in the United Kingdom which are not enjoyed by citizens of other European Economic Community countries.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are no benefits provided by the Department which are available to Irish citizens resident in the United Kingdom which are not available to citizens of other EC member states also resident in this country.
Winter Heating Premium
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for a winter heating premium for pensioners payable during the winter months without a means test.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The provision of cold weather payments from the social fund, at times of very cold weather, provides help to those in greatest need. To extend this provision to all pensioners would not represent the best use of available resources.
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Retirement Pensions
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to raise the basic level for the retirement pension to half of average earnings for a couple and a third of average earnings for a single pensioner.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We have no plans to do so. The key factor in improving pensioners' incomes is their total income. Between 1979 and 1986 pensioners' average total net income increased by 23 per cent. in real terms, compared with a 3 per cent. increase between 1974 and 1979.
Source : Family Expenditure Survey.
Family Incomes
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest average length of time taken to process applications for family credit, income support and housing benefit.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : During October 1989, family credit claims were cleared on average in 17.6 working days, of which only 4.3 days were for work within the family credit unit. The remaining 13.3 days were taken up awaiting replies to inquiries mainly from employers. During September 1989, income support claims were dealt with on average in 5.2 working days. For housing benefit, which is processed by local authorities, information is not collected in the form requested. Information for the financial year 1988 89 is not yet complete, but the figures available indicate that three out of four claims were processed in 14 days.
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest figure for the administrative cost of (a) child benefit and (b) family credit, in cash terms and as a proportion of overall expenditure on each benefit.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest child benefit figures available--for the year to April 1988--are estimated as :Administrative expenditure £103 million
Proportion of total benefit expenditure 2.2%
No figures are yet available for family credit which was introduced only from April 1988 but the figures for its preceding benefit--family income supplement--for 1987-88 are :
Administrative expenditure £8 million
Proportion of total benefit expenditure 4.4%
Figures for the year ending April 1989 will be available shortly.
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Attendance Allowance
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the attendance allowance board will reconsider the claim of Mrs. Lilian Margaret Redfern, following the Social Security Commissioner's decision in her favour dated 29 June.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The attendance allowance board is reviewing Mrs. Redfern's case in the light of the Social Security Commissioner's decision that the determination made by its delegate was erroneous in point of law, and it has asked for an up-to-date report of her disabilities and attendance needs.
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