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Single European Market
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs will be lost in the initial phase of the single European market ; and which sectors will be most affected.
Mr. Eggar : Neither the Department of Employment nor the Department of Trade and Industry has produced any forecasts of the employment effects of 1992. However, the Cecchini report, published last year by the European Commission, contains estimates of the Communitywide effects of the completion of the single market. The Cecchini report estimates that 525,000 jobs will be lost over the Community as a whole in the first year after completion. However, in the second year employment is forecast to grow strongly, reducing the net loss of jobs to only 35,000. In the medium term- -about six years--completion of the single market is expected to result in a net gain of about 1.8 million jobs. However, the report does not describe the employment effects of 1992 on individual industries. All these estimates are subject to a large degree of uncertainty. The actual employment effects in the United Kingdom depend crucially on the reactions of British industry to the new opportunities offered by the single market.
Health and Safety
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has recently received on health and safety at work.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has not received any specific representations recently on this wide-ranging subject.
Availability for Work
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what research has been commissioned to study the effect on claimants of the new availability for work tests.
Mr. Eggar : Unemployed claimants have always had to be available for work. Under the Social Security Act 1989
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they also have to seek employment actively in each week for which they claim. We shall be monitoring the effects of this change. At this stage no research has been commissioned.Equal Pay
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his policy on (a) maintaining and (b) strengthening the laws relating to equal pay for work of equal value.
Mr. Nicholls : The Government fully support and intend to uphold the principle of equal pay including the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.
We monitor closely the working of the Equal Pay Act to ensure that it is operating fairly and effectively, and in accordance with European Community law. In addition, the Equal Opportunities Commission has a statutory duty to review the legislation. The commission is currently carrying out a review and any proposals for change which may emerge from this will be carefully considered, as will proposals received at any time from other interested parties.
Domestic Service (Foreign Workers)
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is available to non-British nationals arriving in the United Kingdom to work in domestic service ; and if his Department will issue a pamphlet outlining the rights and protection available to foreign workers.
Mr. Eggar : Foreign workers coming to work as employees in the United Kingdom enjoy the same employment rights and protection as British workers. My Department publishes a comprehensive range of booklets covering these rights and they are available from jobcentres, unemployment benefit offices and citizen advice bureaux.
Aquaculture
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will make it his policy to include aquaculture in the Government loans guarantee scheme until a new credit scheme to include agriculture and horticulture can be established to replace the scheme ended by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in March ; (2) when he expects to announce a replacement for the agriculture credit schemes which ended in March ; and whether he will seek to include aquaculture in the Government loans guarantee scheme in the meantime.
Mr. Eggar : My Department is actively considering the feasibility of including agriculture and horticulture in the loan guarantee scheme and I expect to announce a decision shortly.
Training
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by region and for Great Britain as a whole, how many employment training trainees are in continuation training with employers for each month since August ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Nicholls : Information about the number of people in employment training is not available broken down into continuation training and other categories of trainees. Continuation training is a valuable feature of employment training because it enables trainees to take up offers of jobs and still complete their training.
Tourism
Mr. Batiste : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any progress to report on the implementation of his review of tourism policy.
Mr. Bevan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the review of tourism.
Mr. Fowler : I have now approved detailed proposals for implementing the results of the review on tourism that I announced on 6 July. The proposals have also been approved by the English tourist board (ETB) and the British Tourist Authority (BTA). The ETB and BTA will streamline their central operations releasing an additional £4 million to be spent directly by the regional tourist boards in England, under a form of contract to the ETB, and the the BTA's offices overseas.
The changes will take effect from 1 April 1990. Both ETB and BTA in conjunction with my Department will be considering further steps to involve industry and regional tourist boards more closely in their work ; to ensure maximum flexibility of response to market conditions ; further to increase efficiency ; and to focus Government funding more clearly and in a way which is consistent with general policy. I would wish to emphasise the importance of tourism to this country. The tourism industry makes a major contribution to the United Kingdom economy. Its total annual turnover is about £19 billion. About 1.5 million people are employed in the industry, and this number is growing rapidly. 1988 was a record year for overseas visitors to the United Kingdom, with nearly 16 million visits, and the performance in 1989 so far is even better.
These new arrangements will provide positive opportunities for the ETB, the BTA and the regional tourist boards to increase the effectiveness of their work, in partnership with the private sector. The Government remain committed to the success and growth of the tourism industry.
Film, Record and Publishing Industries
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of employment in (a) the film industry, (b) the record industry and (c) the publishing industry.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 27 November 1989] : The available information, taken from the 1987 census of employment, and relating to industry classifications particularly associated with filming, recording and publishing, is as follows :
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Employees in employment in the United Kingdom, September 1987, by industry groups of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 1980 Groups of SIC 1980 Numbers(thousands)
971 Film Production, Distribution and Exhibition 29.8
974 Radio and Television, Services, Theatres, etc. 77.1 475 Printing and Publishing 341.4
The full results of the 1987 census of employment for the United Kingdom were published in the October 1989 issue of the "Employment Gazette" (pp 540-558) a copy of
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which is in the Library. A copy of the standard industrial classification (SIC) (detailing the industries which make up groups of the SIC) can also be found in the Library.Labour Statistics
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many men were in employment in each standard planning region of the United Kingdom in June 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available ;
(2) how many women were in full-time and part-time employment on the latest date for which figures are available in each standard planning region of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 27 November 1989] : The information is as follows :
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Civilian workforce in employment in regions of the United Kingdom-Unadjusted
Thousands
Males Females of which Total
|Full-time|Part-time
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 1979
South East |4,839 |3,285 |2,006 |1,279 |8,124
East Anglia |481 |300 |178 |122 |781
South West |1,032 |712 |417 |295 |1,744
West Midlands |1,462 |920 |550 |370 |2,382
East Midlands |1,013 |658 |393 |265 |1,671
Yorks and Humberside |1,302 |842 |480 |362 |2,145
North West |1,700 |1,190 |719 |471 |2,890
North |802 |522 |314 |208 |1,325
Wales |716 |441 |276 |165 |1,157
Scotland |1,333 |929 |597 |332 |2,262
Northern Ireland |359 |239 |n/a |n/a |598
June 1989
South East |4,972 |3,899 |2,490 |1,409 |8,871
East Anglia |520 |398 |232 |166 |918
South West |1,137 |915 |528 |386 |2,051
West Midlands |1,334 |1,003 |590 |412 |2,337
East Midlands |1,016 |778 |442 |336 |1,794
Yorks and Humberside |1,172 |928 |499 |429 |2,100
North West |1,540 |1,233 |718 |515 |2,773
North |706 |548 |302 |246 |1,255
Wales |649 |502 |294 |208 |1,151
Scotland |1,230 |976 |590 |386 |2,206
Northern Ireland |327 |257 |n/a |n/a |584
n/a=Breakdown not available.
SOCIAL SECURITY
War Widows (Pensions)
Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated number of widows of service men killed in action currently in receipt of war widows' pensions.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : War widows' pensions are paid to all where the death of the husband was due to service in the armed forces. No distinction is made between deaths in action or from other causes. The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Fraud Investigation
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many officers were involved in social security fraud investigation work at the latest date for which figures are available ; what the total estimated cost in respect of
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such investigation amounts to, and what the total actual savings amounted to as a result of fraud investigation work.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Precise figures are not available, but it is possible to estimate the number of full-time equivalent posts on the basis of records of staff time expended by this Department on social security benefit fraud-related work. The number of full-time equivalent posts is 3,335. Estimated salary costs are now some £43 million in a full year. There are in addition some costs for travel and subsistence. The estimated savings achieved as a result of the Department's anti-fraud efforts in 1988 -89 totalled £262 million.
Disabled People
Mr. Harris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the change in the level of spending on the disabled over the past 10 years.
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Mr. Scott : Expenditure on benefits for long -term sick and disabled people has increased, in cash terms, from £1.8 billion in 1978-79 to £8.3 billion in 1989-90. In real terms, this is an increase of £4 billion in 1989-90 prices.Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he intends to introduce a specific benefit to cover the additional day-to-day costs incurred by people with disabilities.
Mr. Scott : There are already a number of social security benefits which provide help with the additional day-to-day costs incurred by people with disabilities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced on 25 October a range of significant measures to extend the availability of such help. We shall announce within the next few months further proposals to improve the balance and structure of disability benefits.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library a copy of the form used by his Department's local offices to communicate names and addresses of certain claimants to the relevant local authority community charge registration officer.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have placed a copy of form NHB10(CC) in the Library together with a copy of the instructions for the completion of the form that have been issued to DSS local offices.
Benefits
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how may low-paid workers he estimates would be better off if they were unemployed and claiming unemployment benefit ; how many of these are full- time or part-time workers ; and how these figures have changed over the last 10 years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : It is estimated that, out of approximately 14 million working heads of tax units, only about 15,000 who currently work full time would be better off out of work. Figures are not availble to show the number of part-time workers who would be better off unemployed or to show the change over the last 10 years.
Income Support
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the number of (a) elderly people, (b) sick and disabled people, (c) unemployed people, (d) one-parent families, (e) others and (f) total in receipt of income support, giving the date to which his estimates apply.
Mr. Scott : The latest available information, which relates to May 1989, is as follows :
|Number of income
|support claimants
|(thousands)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Elderly people<1> |1,557
Sick and disabled people<2> |291
Unemployed people |1,254
One-parent families |741
Others |321
|------
Total in receipt of income support |4,164
<1> Aged 60 or over.
<2> In receipt of a disability premium.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether those under 18 years of age who are entitled to income support and required to be available for work are also required to meet the full demands of the actively seeking work test ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : Irrespective of age, anyone claiming income support because of unemployment, who is required to be available for work, has also to meet the "actively seeking employment" test.
Social Fund
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the percentage refusal rates in each of the last two years for social fund (a) grants and (b) budgeting loans in each local authority area.
Mr. Scott : Details of the number of applications processed and awards made for the period 11 April 1988 to 31 October 1989 listed by local office areas are available in the Library. The information that the hon. Member seeks may be derived from that source. Statistical information about the social fund is not collected by local authority area.
Community Care
Mr. Brian Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, by social security office in Scotland, the number of applications for (a) community care grants and (b) emergency loans at each office since April 1989 and the number in each category which have been approved.
Mr. Scott : Details of the number of applications processed and awards made for community care grants, budget loans and crisis loans listed by region and local office are available in the Library.
Pensioners
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will bring forward changes to the rules by which pensioners cannot obtain arrears of payments of more than 12 months even though they can show good cause why payment orders had not been cashed.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Regulation 7 of the Social Security (Medical Evidence, Claims and Payments) Amendment Regulations 1989, which came into force on 9 October 1989, introduced a relaxation of the absolute 12-month time limit for the encashment of an instrument of payment of benefit. The amendment provides that the 12-month period can be extended by the independent statutory authorities where a continuous period of good cause is established for the non-encashment of the instrument of payment.
Deserted Women (Financial Support)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of women with children where partners have left them are receiving financial support from their former partners ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The only information that the Department collects about maintenance relates to lone parent families receiving income support. Ninety-five per cent. of these families are headed by lone mothers. The most recent figures available are for May 1988 and show that maintenance was paid for 23 per cent. of these families. The Government are naturally concerned that absent parents should meet their responsibilities for their children wherever they can afford to do so, and we are considering how to make our procedures as effective as possible.Source : Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiry
May 1988.
Disability Benefits
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how he intends to take account of the views of disability organisations in developing his proposals for changing social security provision for disabled people ;
(2) who will be invited to give evidence to assist him in reviewing social security benefits for disabled people.
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) and the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 23 October at columns 341-42.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will be establishing a working party to formulate proposals for the review of disability benefits ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 13 November at columns 51-52.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish his proposals for social security benefits for disabled people as a Green Paper.
Mr. Scott : We will make a statement within the next few months announcing proposals to improve the balance and structure of benefits for disabled people. It is too early to say what form that statement will take.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of claimants in receipt of income support transitional protection who are getting child disability premium at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Based on the May 1988 annual statistical inquiry, an estimated 2,000 claimants getting the disabled child premium were in receipt of transitional protection immediately after the April 1989 annual benefit uprating.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of claimants in receipt of income support transitional protection who are getting pensioner premium or higher pensioner premium at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Based on the May 1988 annual statistical inquiry, an estimated 250,000 claimants getting the pensioner premium or the higher pensioner premium were in receipt of transitional protection immediately after the April 1989 annual benefit uprating.
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Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of claimants in receipt of income support transitional protection who are getting disability and/or severe disability premium at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Based on the May 1988 annual statistical inquiry, an estimated 25,000 claimants getting the disability premium, or the disability premium and the severe disability premium were in receipt of transitional protection immediately after the April 1989 annual benefit uprating.
Grants and Loans
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much for all social security offices individually in London north and London south for 1988-89, the budget was for (a) community care grants, and how much of it was paid out to claimants, (b) crisis loans, and how much of it was paid out to claimants, (c) budgeting loans, and how much of it was paid out to claimants and (d) for each of the three categories above, how many applications were made, how many were granted and how many refused.
Mr. Scott : Details by region and local office of the number of applications processed and awards made for community care grants, budget loans and crisis loans for each month, together with details of the budget allocations for 1988-89 are available in the Library. Details of the number of such applications that were refused may be obtained from that information.
Welfare Milk Scheme
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans his Department has to review the operation of the welfare milk scheme.
Mr. Freeman : I have been asked to reply.
We have no plans to change the operation of the welfare milk token scheme as it affects beneficiaries. The Department is currently considering reimbursement prices for welfare milk tokens following negotiations with the liquid welfare milk suppliers.
HEALTH
Abortion
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if foreign mothers presenting for abortion in Britain are required to give the details of medical contact in their country of origin ;
(2) if he requires doctors to present documentation covering the medical details of abortion on foreign mothers undergoing abortion in Britain for presentation to their doctor on return to their country of origin.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This kind of information is already obtained and given as part of good medical practice.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he collects any figures concerning the prevalence of abortion-induced sterility in women following abortions.
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Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the information required of foreign mothers presenting for abortion prior to the abortion being performed.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information required is that normally collected from a patient seeking medical treatment.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement detailing the evidence and reasons on which he based his Department's decision to require the availability of resuscitation equipment at abortions of unborn babies of 20 weeks' gestation.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The decision was reached at a time when measurement of foetal size by ultra-sound was less well developed and not so widely available.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has conducted any studies into the psychological effects on medical staff of performing late abortions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the prevalence of the practice of severing the umbilical cord of an unborn baby several hours before conducting an abortion by dilation and evacuation.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : None. Severing of the umbilical cord is carried out during the first stage of one of the techniques which may be used for performing abortions. The choice of method is entirely a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the prevalence of the practice of anaesthetising unborn babies prior to dismemberment by dilation and evacuation in abortions after 18 weeks.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : None. The decision as to the anaesthetic technique to be employed in any particular case is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor responsible for the patient's care.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what standards he specifies for counselling for mothers undergoing late abortions ; and what checks he conducts to ensure that such standards are maintained.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We require adequate counselling to be provided for all women seeking abortion. Checks on this are made in the course of the Department's inspection visits to approved places and registered pregnancy advice bureaux in the private sector.
Counterfeit Medicines
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether National Health Service patients who receive counterfeit medicines will be entitled to a refund of any prescription charges involved.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Yes. Should this situation arise and not be immediately corrected by the pharmacist it would be open to the family practitioner committee to recommend a refund as part of the complaints procedure.
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