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Pupil Expenditure
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the spending per pupil for each local education authority in England and Wales for the latest available financial year.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The latest information for local education authorities in England is for 1987-88 and is given in the table. Figures for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Net institutional expenditure<1> per pupil<2> Cash Terms -------------------------------------------------- Barking |1,155 |1,745 Barnet |1,195 |1,7675 Bexley |1,030 |1,530 Brent |1,305 |2,195 Bromley |1,070 |1,645 Croydon |1,040 |1,825 Ealing |n/a |n/a Enfield |1,005 |1,580 Harrow |1,070 |1,775 Havering |1,005 |1,670 Hillingdon |1,075 |1,675 Hounslow |1,175 |1,675 Kingston-upon-Thames |1,055 |1,720 Merton |1,020 |1,470 Newham |1,205 |1,880 Redbridge |990 |1,600 Richmond-upon-Thames |1,075 |1,475 Sutton |980 |1,420 Waltham Forest |1,235 |2,345 ILEA |1,585 |2,610 Birmingham |940 |1,490 Coventry |990 |1,705 Dudley |915 |1,570 Sandwell |1,055 |1,630 Solihull |925 |1,450 Walsall |1,080 |1,645 Wolverhampton |1,070 |1,575 Knowsley |1,050 |1,735 Liverpool |1,105 |1,730 St. Helens |965 |1,505 Sefton |930 |1,460 Wirral |920 |1,480 Bolton |890 |1,425 Bury |1,045 |1,615 Manchester |1,095 |1,785 Oldham |1,005 |1,395 Rochdale |940 |1,650 Salford |985 |1,625 Stockport |935 |1,500 Tameside |995 |1,525 Trafford |965 |1,525 Wigan |955 |1,675 Barnsley |985 |1,470 Doncaster |1,045 |1,500 Rotherham |1,050 |1,440 Sheffield |n/a |n/a Bradford |1,060 |1,410 Calderdale |950 |1,440 Kirklees |985 |1,415 Leeds |1,030 |1,370 Wakefield |1,070 |1,495 Gateshead |1,080 |1,560 Newcastle-upon-Tyne |1,140 |1,725 North Tyneside |1,090 |1,660 South Tyneside |1,060 |1,585 Sunderland |925 |1,505 Isles of Scilly |1,540 |2,355 Avon |975 |1,435 Bedfordshire |1,030 |1,455 Berkshire |N/A<3> |N/A<3> Buckinghamshire |970 |1,505 Cambridgeshire |910 |1,315 Cheshire |900 |1,390 Cleveland |970 |1,545 Cornwall |900 |1,345 Cumbria |1,060 |1,510 Derbyshire |990 |1,530 Devon |905 |1,380 Dorset |950 |1,320 Durham |1,050 |1,405 East Sussex |930 |1,385 Essex |920 |1,420 Gloucestershire |935 |1,385 Hampshire |950 |1,405 Hereford and Worcester |930 |1,330 Hertfordshire |975 |1,490 Humberside |995 |1,460 Isle of Wight |935 |1,350 Kent |855 |1,290 Lancashire |890 |1,450 Leicestershire |960 |1,565 Lincolnshire |900 |1,280 Norfolk |955 |1,385 North Yorkshire |915 |1,375 Northamptonshire |885 |1,375 Northumberland |945 |1,390 Nottinghamshire |1,020 |1,540 Oxfordshire |1,035 |1,560 Salop |945 |1,470 Somerset |900 |1,355 Staffordshire |980 |1,420 Suffolk |910 |1,305 Surrey |905 |1,415 Warwickshire |940 |1,400 West Sussex |890 |1,360 Wiltshire |940 |1,350 Notes: <1>Net Institutional Expenditure includes the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay. <2>The figures are based on LEA expenditure returns to DOE and pupil number returns to DES. <3>N/A denotes that an expenditure return has not been received from 4 LEAs.
Capital Allocations
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table giving the amounts for England of capital allocations for (a) county and voluntary controlled schools, (b) voluntary aided schools and (c) the total of (a) and (b) for each financial year from and including 1978-79 to 1990-91, expressed in (i) current prices, (ii) constant prices and (iii) an index of (ii) where 1978-79=100.
Mr. MacGregor : I shall reply to the hon. Member after the allocations for 1990-91 have been announced in the usual way.
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table listing (a) the amounts of capital allocations for county and voluntary controlled schools for 1990-91 for which each local education authority in England has bid and (b) the amounts of capital grant for voluntary aided schools in their area which each local authority has asked of his Departments.
Mr. MacGregor : The information requested is set out in the table.
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|Total plans |Total plans
for county |for VA
and VC |schools
schools |1990-91
1990-91
(£000s-cash) |(£000s-cash)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Barking |1,365 |1,940
Barnet |2,690 |835
Bexley |4,512 |1,760
Brent |5,553 |822
Bromley |6,555 |175
Croydon |17,153 |1,086
Ealing |13,275 |178
Enfield |27,207 |1,652
Haringey |4,777 |2,760
Harrow |2,708 |208
Havering |8,275 |357
Hillingdon |6,840 |845
Hounslow |6,690 |299
Kingston |3,929 |317
Newham |16,363 |213
Redbridge |5,619 |401
Richmond |5,547 |1,545
Sutton |13,785 |372
Waltham |11,301 |340
City |0 |0
Camden |3,981 |2,688
Westminster |5,112 |291
Greenwich |7,263 |324
Hackney |5,197 |521
Hammersmith |2,136 |549
Islington |6,991 |123
Kensington |7,663 |4,918
Lambeth |3,155 |563
Lewisham |6,991 |412
Southwark |6,408 |1,830
Wandsworth |13,508 |101
Tower Hamlets |23,870 |771
Birmingham |15,068 |1,287
Coventry |12,179 |1,129
Dudley |4,492 |2,700
Sandwell |7,422 |652
Solihull |5,498 |1,456
Walsall |3,521 |193
Wolverhampton |2,669 |0
Knowsley |6,049 |1,943
Liverpool |13,461 |5,548
St. Helens |3,567 |1,251
Sefton |5,941 |2,323
Wirral |6,329 |1,799
Bolton |3,213 |1,098
Bury |1,140 |1,013
Manchester |18,944 |1,529
Oldham |6,912 |1,143
Rochdale |11,104 |1,372
Salford |6,134 |552
Stockport |2,934 |575
Tameside |2,248 |103
Trafford |10,902 |456
Wigan |6,645 |1,524
Barnsley |1,980 |0
Doncaster |1,156 |345
Rotherham |3,077 |170
Sheffield |4,161 |510
Bradford |26,989 |1,237
Calderdale |2,285 |276
Kirklees |5,100 |183
Leeds |14,157 |9,332
Wakefield |5,900 |425
Gateshead |6,591 |455
Newcastle |7,199 |941
North Tyneside |4,978 |1,017
South Tyneside |8,150 |146
Sunderland |8,581 |230
Isle of Scilly |300 |0
Avon |13,270 |2,527
Bedfordshire |11,824 |0
Berkshire |14,099 |1,046
Buckinghamshire |12,978 |2,782
Cambridge |26,194 |2,285
Cheshire |13,499 |5,714
Cleveland |6,963 |634
Cornwall |16,401 |1,336
Cumbria |10,052 |745
Derbyshire |20,121 |2,442
Devon |26,667 |1,007
Dorset |8,776 |6,620
Durham |14,826 |752
East Sussex |19,227 |1,860
Essex |36,837 |1,395
Gloucester |17,094 |5,374
Hampshire |21,937 |4,025
Hereford and Worcester |11,658 |1,653
Hertford |12,564 |648
Humberside |15,436 |1,058
Isle of Wight |5,458 |126
Kent |29,396 |3,786
32,079 |6,066
Leicester |15,863 |685
Lincoln |21,251 |830
Norfolk |8,374 |1,192
North Yorkshire |6,119 |774
Northampton |8,836 |85
Northumberland |5,516 |431
Nottinghamshire |10,977 |2,084
Oxfordshire |12,300 |4,223
Shropshire |8,964 |486
Somerset |11,300 |1,685
Staffordshire |14,935 |1,373
Suffolk |13,872 |447
Surrey |7,919 |1,534
Warwickshire |3,958 |1,936
West Sussex |10,432 |2,988
Wiltshire |17,088 |1,026
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to announce his allocations to local education authorities in respect of their capital expenditure on schools.
Mr. MacGregor : I expect to make an announcement before Christmas.
Natural Environment Research Council
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the annual report of the natural environment research council for 1988-89 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : The annual report of the natural environment research council has been submitted to me under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act 1965, and a copy is being laid before the House today.
The report highlights the council's achievements in a year in which public interest in environmental matters significantly increased. I was particularly interested to note :
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(a) the start of the biological ocean flux study, a major programme involving scientists from both NERC and higher education institutions, contributing to international research on the carbon cycle in oceans ;(b) the collaborative research on the North sea, and progress in developing models to help predict water quality and the future effects of man's activities ;
(c) the advances in research on the contribution of air pollutants to forest decline and the mechanisms involved ; (d) the development of a predictive system of biological monitoring and river quality, now incorporated in a software package and being developed further with support from the water industry ; (e) the start up of the NERC extractive industry partnership scheme.
I congratulate the council on these and its many other achievements and look forward to further progress in next year's report.
WALES
Unemployment
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many travel -to-work areas in Wales had an unemployment rate (a) over 10 per cent., (b) between 5 per cent. and 10 per cent. and (c) below 5 per cent. in October.
Mr. Peter Walker : Of the 34 travel-to-work areas in Wales, two had an unemployment rate of more than 10 per cent. at October 1989, 24 a rate between 5 and 10 per cent. and 8 below 5 per cent.
Water
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he intends to account to Parliament for his responsibility under EC legislation to ensure that individual and private water supplies meet European standards.
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be accountable through the usual parliamentary procedures.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many times the Secretary of State's committee has met since the passing of the Water Act 1989 ; and what matters have been discussed ; (2) if he will list the names of the individuals who comprise the Secretary of State's committee established under the Water Act 1989 ;
(3) what matters he has referred to the Secretary of State's committee for Wales since the passing of the Water Act ; what advice has been offered to him ; and what action he has taken as a result.
Mr. Grist : The committee has yet to be appointed.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list his responsibilities under EC and United Kingdom legislation in respect of water supply quality.
Mr. Grist : The main responsibilities of my right hon. Friend in relation to the quality and sufficiency of water supplies are set out clearly in the Water Act 1989. The EC directives relating to drinking water quality have now been incorporated into subordinate legislation arising from the Act.
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Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) in what way local authorities in Wales will be involved in testing and monitoring water supplies from Dwr Cymru, other suppliers and private supplies following the full implementation of the Water Act 1989 ; (2) what action he intends to take to bring private water supplies in Wales up to EC standards ; and what grants are available to individuals and families who need work undertaken to achieve those standards ;
(3) what mechanism he has established to test private water supplies in Wales and to monitor the results of such tests.
Mr. Grist : Section 56 of the Water Act 1989 continues and reinforces the general duty of local authorities to monitor the wholesomeness and sufficiency of all water supplies in their areas. In this respect, I refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraphs 5-19 of Welsh Office circular 47/89, a copy of which is in the Library. Paragraph 12 of that circular also describes the important role of the drinking water inspectorate soon to be established under section 60 of the Act.
From 1 April 1990, schedule 9 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, which amends section 604 of the Housing Act 1985, will come into force and this provides mandatory assistance for a property to have an adequate supply of wholesome water, subject to the grant applicant qualifying under the test of resources. On 29 November this year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that there is to be no limit on the amount which local authorities can spend on mandatory home renovation grants which can be used in this regard, next year.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of punishment and what directives can be called into effect in the event of a finding against the Government in the European Court following any prosecution for failing to meet directives on water quality.
Mr. Grist : The treaty establishing the European Economic Community does not convey to the Court of Justice express powers in terms of the enforcement of its judgments against member states but the United Kingdom would be under an obligation to comply.
European Regional Development Fund
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest estimates available to him of the total level of receipts to Welsh eligible bodies in Wales from the European regional development fund in each of the past five years.
Mr. Peter Walker : Total European regional development fund payments to eligible Welsh bodies in each of the past five years are shown in the following table :
|£ million
------------------------------
1984 |28.6
1985 |47.0
1986 |43.1
1987 |43.8
1988 |83.0
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest estimate available to him of the total level
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of commitments to eligible public bodies in Wales of grant aid from the European regional development fund in the current year and 1990.Mr. Grist : The latest estimate for European regional development fund commitments to Wales for 1989 is £31 million. We expect that, following adoption of the Community support frameworks for objective 2 programmes, commitments will be made during the first three months of 1990 in respect of projects whose processing during 1989 has been delayed by the negotiation of the frameworks.
It will not be possible to provide a reliable estimate of commitments for 1990 until discussions with the European Commission on future funding are complete.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest estimate available to him of the total level of commitments to eligible public bodies in Wales of grant aid from the European regional development fund in each of the past five years.
Mr. Peter Walker : Total European regional development fund commitments to eligible Welsh bodies in each of the past five years are shown in the following table :
|£ million
------------------------------
1984 |63.0
1985 |54.9
1986 |49.7
1987 |57.8
1988 |63.3
Natural Heritage
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional funding will be required for the purposes of merging the Nature Conservancy Council and Countryside Commission for Wales.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : This cannot be fully determined at this stage. However, appropriate provision will be included in the Estimates for 1990- 91 to cover anticipated start-up costs for the new Countryside Council for Wales in that year, subject to parliamentary approval.
EMPLOYMENT
Earnings
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table in the same form as that contained in his reply of 15 November, Official Report, column 279, in each case distinguishing between manufacturing and non-manufacturing : and if he will provide corresponding figures for (i) the period 1970 to 1979 or the longest available comparable shorter period and (ii) females over each period.
Mr. Nicholls : The increases in real earnings are provided in the table :
Percentage increase
Manufacturing Non-manufacturing
|1970-79|1979-89|1970-79|1979-89
-----------------------------------------------------------
Manual males
Lowest decile |19 |3 |18 |6
Lower quartile |17 |7 |17 |10
Median |15 |12 |17 |13
Higher quartile |15 |16 |19 |15
Highest decile |16 |20 |21 |16
Average earnings |16 |14 |19 |13
Non-manual males
Lowest decile |17 |21 |15 |19
Lower quartile |15 |25 |15 |27
Median |12 |31 |12 |33
Higher quartile |12 |37 |7 |38
Highest decile |7 |43 |3 |48
Average earnings |9 |36 |7 |39
Manual females
Lowest decile |40 |7 |47 |11
Lower quartile |39 |7 |46 |14
Median |41 |9 |44 |17
Higher quartile |41 |14 |41 |22
Highest decile |39 |23 |32 |28
Average earnings |40 |14 |40 |20
Non-manual females
Lowest decile |42 |17 |41 |21
Lower quartile |39 |22 |34 |27
Median |39 |29 |25 |35
Higher quartile |35 |39 |23 |46
Highest decile |32 |51 |15 |46
Average earnings |35 |38 |23 |39
Notes:
1. The increases shown do not relate to the same
individuals at the different dates.
2. Full-time adult employees in Great Britain.
Source:
3. New Earnings Survey data deflated by the RPI (all
items), April of each year.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table providing corresponding figures to those given in his answer of 15 November, Official Report, column 279, for non-manual workers in all service industries (6-9) electricity (161) office machinery, etc. (33) retail distribution (64-65) railways (71) banking etc. (8) banking and bill discounting (814) business services (83) accountants, auditors and tax experts (836) social security (919) higher education (931) and school education (932) together with their weight in the earnings index in 1979 and 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : Comparable earnings figures for 1979 and 1989 are not readily available for the industries specified because of the change in the standard industrial classification in 1982 and it would involve disproportionate cost to compile the data on a consistent basis. The weights used in the average earnings index in 1979 are not available on a comparable industry basis : those available for 1989 are published on page 609 of the November 1989 issue of Employment Gazette.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table providing corresponding figures to that given in his written answer of 15 November, Official Report, column 279, for the manual workers in mechanical engineering (32) motor vehicles and their engines (351) textiles (43) footwear (451) clothing etc. (453) paper and paper products (471-472) internal combustion engines (3281) retail distribution (64-65) retail distribution of motor
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vehicles (651) business services (83) hospitals etc. (951) and personal services (13.1) together with their weights in the earnings index in 1979 and 1989.Mr. Nicholls : Except for footwear (SIC 451), comparable earnings figures for 1979 and 1989 are not readily available for the industries specified because of the change in the standard industrial classification in 1982 and it would involve disproportionate cost to compile the data on a consistent basis. The weights used in the average earnings index in 1979 are not available on a comparable industry basis : those available for 1989 are published on page 609 of the November 1989 issue of Employment Gazette. The available information for footwear (SIC 451) is given in the table.
Full-time manual adult males in
footwear industries-Great Britain
|Percentage
|increase
---------------------------------------
Lowest decile |1
Lower quartile |5
Median |14
Higher quartile |13
Highest decile |4
Average earnings |7
Note:
1. The increases shown are for April
1979 to April 1989 and do not relate
to the same individuals at the
different dates.
2. Source: New Earnings Survey data
deflated by the RPI (all items).
Health and Safety Executive
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many professionally qualified accountants are employed by the Health and Safety Executive.
Mr. Nicholls : On 1 December 1989, four professionally qualified accountants were employed by the Health and Safety Executive.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff, and of which grades are employed in the Health and Safety Executive's press department.
Mr. Nicholls : The number of staff, and their grades, employed in the Health and Safety Executive's press department as at 1 October 1989 is as follows :
1 Grade 7
3 Senior press officers (SIO grade)
2 Press officers (IO grade)
1 Executive officer
1 Administrative officer
1 Administrative assistant
1 Personal secretary
Factory Inspectors
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 23 November, Official Report, columns 19-20, how many actual training days have been organised, and on what dates, for factory inspectors, on each of these three sets of new regulations in 1989 ; and how many are planned for 1990.
Mr. Nicholls : Forty-three training days on the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations were organised for factory inspectors on the following dates in 1989 : 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26 and
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27 April, 3, 4, 9 and 10 May, 3, 5 and 10 October. None are planned in 1990. Thirty-one training days on the Control of Noise at Work Regulations were organised for factory inspectors on the following dates in 1989 : 8, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29 and 30 November and 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15 December. One training day has been organised on 30 January 1990. No training days on the Electricity at Work Regulations were organised for factory inspectors in 1989. Training days for inspectors are planned for early 1990 but the dates have not yet been arranged.Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the annual revenue budget of the Health and Safety Executive, excluding staff salaries, was spent on training of staff, in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Nicholls : The percentage of the Health and Safety Executive's annual revenue budget (that is, excluding capital expenditure) less expenditure on salaries, spent on training courses and related travel and subsistence costs over the last five years was as follows :
|Per cent.
------------------------------
1984-85 |1.8
1985-86 |2.5
1986-87 |3.1
1987-88 |3.5
1988-89 |3.5
Workplace Child Care
Mr. David Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the level and standards of provision of workplace child care facilities in different member countries of the European Community.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has no comparable data on the extent of workplace child care facilities for all member countries of the European Community.
Such information as my right hon. Friend has is contained in the European Commission April 1988 Consolidated Report "Childcare and Equality of Opportunity". This shows that most countries have some childcare services provided by employers and that services are most common in the public sector.
Workplace facilities are not always the most practical method of child care provision.
Sheltered Placement Scheme
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether detailed recommendations on the future of the sheltered placement scheme will be made in his Department's internal review on employment assistance to disabled adults.
Mr. Eggar : The future of the services provided by my Department for supporting people with severe disabilities in employment are among the matters under consideration within the internal review.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans to expand the sheltered placement scheme which provides job opportunities for severely disabled people ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : We intend to inform sponsors as soon as possible about arrangements for the sheltered placement scheme in 1990-91.
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Disabled People
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment his Department has made of the demographic changes to the work force and the ability of disabled people to fill the associated skills gap in the work force.
Mr. Eggar : The Employment Department makes regular projections of the size and age structure of the labour force. The latest figures, based on 1987 based population projections and preliminary results of the 1988 labour force survey, were published in the Employment Gazette, April 1989, and cover the period up to the year 2000. The annual labour force survey collects information on the qualifications of those with work-limiting health problems and disabilities. It is clear that people with disabilities suffer higher unemployment rates than able bodied people and are under utilised in the labour market. The shortage of young people in the 1990s means that employers will have to make better use of their workers and seek new sources of recruitment, including people with disabilities.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment his Department has made of the need for anti-discrimination legislation to ensure equal employment opportunities for disabled people.
Mr. Nicholls : A consultative document covering the conclusions of the review will be published as soon as possible.
Successive Governments have judged that education and persuasion of employers is the most effective approach to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The role of legislation is one of the matters being considered in the review of services to the disabled currently being undertaken by this Department.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what help he has given to disabled persons to train them in the use of microtechnology.
Mr. Eggar : Many people are given the opportunity to acquire relevant skills and to train in the uses of microtechnology through all the Training Agency's programmes. People with disabilities play a full and growing part in those programmes.
In addition, people who because of their disability are helped by the use of microtechnology-based equipment supplied through the special aids to employment scheme to undertake training or employment are entitled to any necessary introductory training in the use of that equipment.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what programmes he has commissioned aimed at changing employers' attitudes towards the employment of disabled people.
Mr. Eggar : My Department encourages employers to adopt good policies and practices in the employment of people with disabilities mainly through marketing action by the 65 area teams of the Disablement Advisory Service ; promotion of the code of good practice in the employment of disabled people and of a number of supporting publications and videos ; and the fit for work award scheme.
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In addition, disablement resettlement officers and other jobcentre staff help employers to obtain suitable employees with disabilities, and financial help is available to help overcome specific barriers at work. My Department is currently reviewing its services for people with disabilities, and a consultative document will be published shortly.SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefits (Uprating)
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a breakdown of the saving or cost of each measure announced in his uprating statement on 25 October, Official Report, columns 841-54, indicating where and to what extent the cost is due to uprating in line with the retail prices index, or Rossi index where appropriate, to September 1989.
Mr. Newton : As a result of all the increases in social security benefits I announced on 25 October, expenditure on my Department's programme will be some £2.8 billion higher in 1990-91 than if these were to be left unchanged. Increases in rates for contributory and non- contributory benefits generally were with reference to the September 1988 to September 1989 increase in the retail prices index (RPI) and for income- related benefits with reference to the increase in that index less housing costs (the Rossi index).
Changes going beyond what is statutorily or conventionally undertaken by reference to one of these indices were as follows :
|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional increase in the higher rate of Invalidity
Allowance |+ 1
Additional increase of 50p in the family premiums
for income related benefits |+33
Additional increase of £1 in the Family Credit adult
credit |+16
Additional increase in the Housing Benefit and
Community Charge Benefit lone parent premium |+2
Additional increase in the allowance for personal
expenses for Income Support claimants in hospital |+ 1
Additional increases in war widows age allowances |+ 3
Additional increase in the adult disability premiums
in income-related benefits |+18
More than doubling of the disability premium for
families with disabled children on income-related
benefits |+ 8
Additional increase in the Therapeutic Earnings
Limit |(less than £1 million see below)
In addition I made increases in certain payments and limits for which there is no statutory uprating requirement or established uprating convention :
K
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Increases in Income Support limits for residential
care and nursing homes |+100
£15 increase in the Social Fund Maternity Payment |+ 3
£5 increase in the War Pensioner's disregard in
income-related benefits |+ 4
Increase of £8 in the Invalid Care Allowance |(less than
earnings limit
|see below).
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I also announced various structural changes to help the less-well-off, over and above increases in the benefit rates. The costs of these in the first full year (1991-92) are as follows :
|£ million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New higher limit on the amount lone parents not on
Income Support receiving Housing Benefit or
Community Charge Benefit can earn without
affecting benefit |+11
New higher Social Fund capital rule of £1,000 for
elderly people on Income Support |+2
£10 Carer's premium in the income-related benefits |+15
Extension of Attendance Allowance to the terminally ill
without a six month waiting period with consequent extension of
Invalid Care Allowance |+28
Extension of Attendance Allowance for children
under 2 years old with consequent extensions of
Invalid Care Allowance |+6
Extension of Mobility Allowance to the deaf-blind |+5
Extension of Invalidity Benefit to those on
Employment Rehabilitation Courses |<1>-
Additional funds for the Independent Living Fund
(1990-91) |+19
<1> Estimated at a cost less than £1 million together with the additional increase in
the invalid care allowance earnings limit and the therapeutic earnings limit
mentioned above.
I also took account, in deciding on my proposals, of two major improvements which took effect in October in advance of the uprating but entailing substantially increased social security expenditure in 1990-91. These were :
|1989-90 |1990-91
|£ million|£ million
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Abolition of the pensioners' earnings
rule |+190 |+375
Help for poorer pensioners who are
disabled or over 75 |+85 |+199
I also announced increases in statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay. The lower rates will increase in real terms, as will the statutory sick pay standard rate threshold. There will be a lower increase in the statutory sick pay standard rate. Overall, these changes will increase expenditure by some £70 million to £80 million less than raising both rates and thresholds in line with the RPI. Had I decided to increase child benefit in line with the RPI, this would have cost some £250 million net of savings on other benefits.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families are currently unable to claim either family credit or income support due to the difficulty of deciding when a pattern of working over 24 hours a week is established ; how long on average these families have been awaiting an outstanding claim for either income support or family credit ; and how he proposes to ensure that the risk of failing to qualify for either family credit or income support, in such cases, be minimised.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Available information suggests that only a few hundred families are unable to qualify for either income support or family credit because the claimant or partner is working for 24 hours or more a week at the time of the claim, but cannot be regarded as normally engaged in such work for family credit purposes because it is casual or short-term. Claims from people in this situation have been dealt with, and decisions issued, as
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and when they have arisen. We propose to lay regulations shortly to amend the definition of normally engaged in the family credit legislation so as to enable more such families to qualify for benefit.Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether for the purpose of calculating claimants' entitlement to family credit, depreciation is an allowable business expense of which account should be taken to determine the annual net profit of self-employed persons and their average weekly earnings.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : No. Paragraph 22(5)(b) of the Family Credit (General) Regulations provides that in calculating net profit for family credit purposes no deduction shall be made in respect of the depreciation of any capital asset.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest available figures for the number of families in receipt of family credit in Blyth Valley.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : At the latest available date, the number of families receiving family credit who at the time of their award were living in the area covered by the Blyth local social security office was 700.
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