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Variable Import Levy (Wheat)
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the EEC variable import levy for wheat is more than 100 per cent. in excess of the gap between EEC and world prices ; and if he will make it his policy to seek a substantial reduction in the forthcoming common agricultural policy price negotiations.
Mr. Curry : The variable import levy for wheat is calculated by the Commission of the European Communities by deducting from the threshold price the lowest known world price, adjusted to take account of quality and the cost of delivery to Rotterdam. The import levy is therefore always greater than the difference between the threshold price and quoted world prices, except in the case of the lowest known world price.
In considering the Commission's proposals for the 1990 CAP price negotiations, I will take account of the possibility of reducing the wheat threshold price.
Cereal Imports
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the EEC threshold price for cereal imports has not been reduced in line with the cereal intervention price.
Mr. Curry : Over the last three market years, the start-of-season Community intervention prices for common wheat and barley have been reduced by 3 per cent. as a result of the operation of the stabiliser. Over the same period, the threshold price has been reduced by 5.8 per cent. for common wheat and 6.1 per cent. for barley as a result of the operation of the stabiliser and, in addition, a fall in the transport costs used in calculating threshold price levels.
Whaling
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations he has received from hon. and right hon. Members and members of the public calling for a total ban on whaling ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Curry : I have received a great many representations on whaling. We work hard to ensure the conservation of whales. The United Kingdom played a leading role in securing the present moratorium on commercial whaling under the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and has been very active in working to ensure that it is not undermined. We have had much success with this policy--for example, Korea and now Iceland are no longer conducting scientific whaling research programmes.
Animal Feed (Colouring Matter)
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy for colouring used solely in animal feed to become subject to the Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1973.
Mr. Maclean : The use of colourings in animal feed is controlled by directive 70/524/EEC as amended. The directive sets out the permitted list of colourants, prescribed maximum levels in feedingstuffs and labelling requirements for feedingstuffs containing them. In the UK all these provisions are implemented in the Feeding Stuffs Regulations 1988 as amended. The Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1973 as amended deal with colours in human food and I have already announced that I will be circulating proposals to revise the regulations for public comment shortly.
Common Fisheries Policy
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the main changes in the present common fisheries policy since its introduction in January 1983.
Mr. Curry : The present structure and foundation of the common fisheries policy was laid down in 1983. Changes since then have essentially been adjustments and improvements such as annual TACs and quotas ; additions to and improvements on technical conservation measures ; and revisions to the market support arrangements ; enforcement ;and arrangements made to take account of the accession of Spain and Portugal. The principles on which the common fisheries policy was founded have not been changed.
White Fish
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the national fixed percentage share of the seven main edible white fish species in fishing area VII in (a) 1983, (b) 1986, (c) 1989 and for 1990 for each European Community country ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The percentage shares of total allowable catches between member states were set as part of the 1983 common fisheries policy settlement and are shown in the table :
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Member state percentage shares of main white fish stocks in area VII
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Cod VII excluding VIIa |4.5 |76.4 |10.2 |0.6 |8.3
Cod VIIa |2.7 |7.3 |46.7 |0.7 |42.7
Haddock VII |1.1 |66.7 |22.2 |- |10.0
Saithe VII |0.3 |56.3 |28.1 |- |15.4
Whiting VIIa<1> |0.6 |6.9 |39.6 |0.1 |52.8
|(0.5) |(6.4) |(43.8)|(0.1) |(49.2)
Whiting VII excluding VIIa |1.0 |60.0 |27.8 |- |10.7
Plaice VIIa |5.1 |2.2 |40.0 |1.6 |51.1
Plaice VIId, e |16.4 |54.5 |- |- |29.1
Plaice VIIf, g |24.8 |44.8 |6.9 |- |23.5
Plaice VIIh, j, k<2> |6.1 |12.6 |43.5 |25.3 |12.5
Sole VIIa |49.4 |0.6 |12.2 |15.6 |22.2
Sole VIId |26.9 |53.8 |- |- |19.2
Sole VIIe |3.5 |37.7 |- |- |58.8
Sole VIIf, g |62.5 |6.3 |3.1 |- |28.1
Sole VIIh, j, k |8.3 |16.7 |45.1 |13.2 |16.7
Hake Vb, VI, VII, VIII<2> |0.6 |80.0 |4.9 |- |14.5
<1> For 1990 Hague Preference invoked. Member states' allocation
adjusted accordingly. Figures in brackets show resulting percentage
share-out for 1990 only.
<2> Allocation key first established in 1984 when TAC first set for
this stock.
The percentage shares, which safeguard relative stability, apply each year except when stocks fall to a level when the Hague Preference is involved. This happened for the first time in area VII for the 1990 whiting quota for Ireland.
Milk Quota
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to make an announcement on the distribution of the additional 1 per cent. milk quota ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : We shall make an announcement as soon as we have completed consultations with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and have obtained the EC Commission's agreement to our proposals.
DEFENCE
Overseas Service Allowance
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons a wounded convalescent soldier's overseas service allowance is terminated after 21 days ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member.
Low Frequency Transmitters
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding the progress of the planned trial extremely low frequency transmitter at Glengarry forest, Scotland.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : All site surveys required for the extremely low frequency demonstrator programme should be completed by the end of April 1990. Preparation of the notice of proposed development continues but it is not possible to say precisely when it will be submitted to the Highland regional council. Various interested bodies are
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being consulted in order to take account of their views. Installation and trials of the transmitter will not proceed until planning permission has been granted.Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements exist between the United Kingdom and other Governments regarding the use of extremely low frequency transmitters for the purpose of communicating with submarines.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are no such agreements.
WE177 Free-fall Bomb
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he envisages that the tactical air-to-surface missile, to replace the WE177 free-fall bomb, will have a range of between 500 and 5,500 km.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A number of options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free-fall bomb are under consideration. It is not possible to predict the outcome of these studies at this stage.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his French counterpart regarding the possible joint development of an uprated ASMP, as a replacement for the WE177 free-fall bomb.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My right hon. Friend has discussed possible options for the replacement of the WE177 with M. Chevenement. However, details of these discussions are confidential.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his United States counterpart regarding the possible purchase of SRAM-2, or SRAM-T, as a replacement for the WE177 free-fall bomb.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : None, although this subject was discussed with Mr. Cheney by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) in July 1989.
Trident
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any studies have been undertaken regarding possible substitutes for the Trident programme,
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in the eventuality that development and production of the D5 missile system is cancelled by the United States Government.Laser Weapons
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether bright flashes of light have been used in anti-terrorist operations by Her Majesty's armed forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our practice to comment on the details of anti-terrorist operations.
Defence Staff List
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to write to the hon. Member for Don Valley about defence staff list documents as promised in his reply of 15 November 1989, Official Report, column 296.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I wrote to the hon. Member on 22 November and copies of my letter were placed in the Library of the House. I have now sent a further copy of the letter to the hon. Member.
Biological Weapons
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the 77 research projects being carried out at United Kingdom universities in connection with the manufacture of biological weapons.
Mr. Neubert : No such projects are being undertaken. The United Kingdom has no biological weapons and no plans to acquire any.
Aircraft (Central Records)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to ensure that central records are kept of flights by (a) prior authorised non-Royal Air Force and (b) unauthorised non-Royal Air Force NATO military aircraft over the United Kingdom.
Low-flying Aircraft
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reduction or increase has been made in the number of low-flying military jet sorties in each of the last five years.
Mr. Neubert : Over the last five years for which figures are available, the approximate number of military low-flying sorties in the United Kingdom attributed in central records to specific jet aircraft is as follows :
Year |Number ------------------------ 1984 |92,000 1985 |95,000 1986 |101,000 1987 |96,000 1988 |97,000
Service Men (Murders)
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation has been offered to the families of three service men murdered in Northern Ireland on 18 November 1989 ; and why the overseas pay of the fourth service man, still recovering in hospital in Northern Ireland, was withdrawn.
Mr. Archie Hamilton [holding answer 12 January 1990] : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member.
SCOTLAND
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to announce the outcome of the 1989 hill farming review ; and if any changes are proposed to the hill livestock compensatory allowance system.
Mr. Rifkind : We hope to make an announcement very soon.
Offences Against Children
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many reported cases of (a) rape and (b) sexual offences against children, including incest, there have been in Scotland in each of the last five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The available information on the number of rape cases recorded by the police is set out in the table. Information which separately identifies sexual offences against children is not held centrally.
Number of rape cases
recorded by the
police
(including attempted
rape)
|Number
---------------------
1984 |224
1985 |248
1986 |249
1987 |241
1988 |279
Batteries and Accumulators
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what steps he has taken to promote the marketing of batteries and accumulators containing smaller quantities of dangerous substances or less- polluting substances ;
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that consumers are fully informed about the dangers of uncontrolled disposal of spent batteries and accumulators ;
(3) what steps he is taking to inform consumers of the method of removing batteries and accumulators which are built into appliances ;
(4) what steps he is taking to set up a deposit system for batteries and accumulators ;
(5) what steps his Department has taken to reduce the heavy metal content in batteries and accumulators.
Mr Lang : I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Consumer Affairs on Thursday 18 January, Vol. 165, columns 357-8.
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Uniform Business Rate
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the impact of the uniform business rate in Scotland since its introduction.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Government's intention is to move towards a national non-domestic rate in Scotland at the same level as that in England. Powers were taken in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to enable the Secretary of State to prescribe the non-domestic rate for each Scottish local authority as from 1 April 1990, and on 21 December my right hon. and learned Friend announced the rates to be prescribed for 1990 -91. Rates have been set so as to reduce revenue raised from non-domestic ratepayers next year by £80 million which is equivalent to a reduction in rate poundages of 6.25 per cent. Our intention is to continue to move towards a common rate over the next few years, after which a national rate will be prescribed at the same level as that in England.
National Health Service Reform
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many postcards he received from members of the public expressing opposition to the Government's policy for the National Health Service ; how many replies were sent out by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, the hon. Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth), and what was the cost of the staff time, stationery and postage included in sending those replies.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 18 January 1990] : The campaigns by the Labour party and NALGO resulted in receipt of some 47,000 postcards. In order to correct the misleading suggestions in this material about our proposals for improving the National Health Service, all of these cards received replies from the Scottish Home and Health Department. The total cost involved was some £8,800.
ENERGY
Diesel Oil
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many representations he has received from industry, commerce and the public relating to the notification to the public of changes in diesel oil costs over the last 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Morrison : In the last 12 months the Department of Energy has received around 60 representations from MPs, the public and small businesses about the price of diesel.
Oil product prices are not set by Government. They are a matter for the oil companies, suppliers and retailers and reflect the cost of supply and the level of competition prevailing in the market. The recent rise in the price of diesel reflected an unusual combination of increased seasonal demand in Europe and the United States of America, and reduced supply caused by European delivery problems, United States refinery shutdowns and reduced exports from the USSR.
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European Energy Foundation
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his departmental library receives copies of the European Energy Foundation monthly information bulletin.
SCRAM Energy Journal
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his departmental library receives the SCRAM energy journal.
Electricity Industry (External Financing Limit)
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if there has been any change in the external financing limit for the electricity supply industry in England and Wales for the financial year 1989-90.
Mr. Wakeham : I have agreed a revised external financing limit of £1,780 million for the electricity supply industry in England and Wales for the financial year 1989-90. This revision from the previous limit of £1,300 million has been mainly due to the change in the tax position of the industry.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Benefits
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether, in the last six months, his Department has issued revised guidelines to doctors assessing fitness for work of people in receipt of disability-related benefits.
‡ Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners will receive an increase in their income as a result of the proposals he announced in his statement on benefits for the disabled on 10 January ; and what is the estimated cost (a) gross, (b) net of benefits, (c) net of tax if appropriate and (d) net of benefit and tax if appropriate in each financial year 1990-91 to 1998-99.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 15 January 1990] : It is estimated that about 40,000 pensioners annually will benefit from the extension of attendance allowance to terminally ill people without any waiting period. By 2000-1, it is expected that a further 80,000 pensioners will benefit from the removal of the upper age limit for payment of help with mobility needs. It is also expected that by 2000-1, some 50,000 pensioners will be in receipt of one of the proposed new lower rates of the disability allowance (having claimed before reaching age 65).
Effects on expenditure
|Gross (cost)
|£ million
-----------------------------------------
(a) Cash
1990-91 |9
1991-92 |19
1992-93 |20
1993-94 |21
1989-90 prices
2000-1 |145
(b), (c) and (d). There are no offsetting changes to other benefits from these proposals, and the benefit gains are not taxable.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his statement on benefits for the disabled of 10 January, he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the cost of the new disablement employment credit (a) gross, (b) net of benefit savings, (c) net of tax if appropriate and (d) net of benefit and tax if appropriate in each financial year 1992-93 to 1998-99 giving his estimate of the numbers who will be eligible and the expected take-up rate.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 15 January 1990] : (a), (b) The net effect on expenditure of the disability employment credit is difficult to predict and will depend on whether recipients of the proposed benefit were previously receiving out-of-work benefits. Our initial, tentative, estimate is that gross expenditure on the disability employment credit might be about £80 million a year. Consequential benefit savings--through non- payment of full incapacity benefits--are estimated to be about £90 million a year.
Column 478
(c), (d) The disability employment credit itself will not be taxable, although any associated earnings will be subject to income tax and national insurance contributions in the normal way. Eligibility for the proposed disability employment credit will depend not only on prior or current receipt of qualifying benefits but also on level of potential earnings and availability of suitable jobs. Existing data do not provide sufficient information about these factors to enable us to produce reliable estimates of the number who will be eligible or of take -up rates. Our tentative estimates suggest some 50,000 people could receive the new benefit.Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his statement on benefits for the disabled on 10 January, he will publish in the Official Report a breakdown of the additional net cost of his proposals broken down by measure for each financial year 1990-91 to 1998-99 ;
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the net cost or savings of the totality of the proposals contained in "The Way Ahead" in each of the financial years from 1990-91 to 2000-01 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 15 January 1990] : It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the cost of each measure for every year, particularly in the longer term, since the costs depend on a large number of factors which cannot be accurately forecast. The table therefore gives estimates for the first four financial years, together with an indication of the likely effects of 2000-01. The figures for 2000-01 are subject to considerable margins of uncertainty.
Column 477
£ million cash
£ million 1989-90 prices
Net change in expenditure |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |2000-01
(+ = cost, - = saving)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Increase in adult's disability premium in Income Support
and Housing Benefit |+ 18 |+ 19 |+ 19 |+ 19 |+ 25
Introduction of £10 carers premium in Income Support
and Housing Benefit |+ 6 |+ 15 |+ 15 |+ 15 |+ 20
Increase in disabled childs premium in Income Support
and Housing Benefit |+ 8 |+ 8 |+ 8 |+ 8 |+ 10
Extension of Attendance Allowance to disabled babies |+ 5 |+ 6 |+ 6 |+ 6 |+ 5
Extension of Attendance Allowance to terminally ill people
without a waiting period |+ 13 |+ 28 |+ 29 |+ 30 |+ 25
Increase in top rate of Invalidity Allowance to £10 |+ 1 |+ 1 |+ 1 |+ 1 |+ 1
Extension of Mobility Allowance to people who are deaf and
blind |+ 4 |+ 5 |<1>- |- |-
Additional funds for the Independent Living Fund<2> |+ 19 |+ 26 |+ 27 |+ 28 |-
Introduce Disability Allowance |- |- |+115 |+230 |+280
Abolish upper age limit for payment of help with mobility
needs |- |- |- |- |+100
Introduce age-related addition in Severe Disablement
Allowance |+ 15 |+ 50 |+ 50 |+ 55 |+ 50
Introduce Disability Employment Credit<3> |- |- |- 10 |- 10 |- 10
End entitlement to Reduced Earnings Allowance in new
rates |- 1 |- 17 |- 41 |- 61 |-130
End accruals of new rights to Invalidity Benefit Additional
Pension |- |0 |- 5 |- 25 |-370
|----- |----- |----- |----- |-----
Totals<4> |+ 88 |+141 |+214 |+296 |+ 6
<1> Additional expenditure on mobility allowance for the deaf-blind is included in the Disability Allowance totals after 1992-93.
<2> Subject to decisions about the future of the Independent Living fund.
<3> The net effect on expenditure of the Disability Employment Credit is difficult to predict and will depend on whether recipients of the proposed benefit were previously receiving out-of-work benefits.
<4> Totals revised upwards since the Autumn Statement to reflect a small downwards adjustment of estimated savings from the change in the Reduced Earnings Allowance. Totals may not equal sum of components because of rounding.
Column 479
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his statement on benefits for the disabled on 10 January, if he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of (a) the number of people who will be eligible for each level of the care component and the mobility component of the new disability allowance, (b) the number of people who would have been eligible for attendance allowance and mobility allowance but will get the lower rate of the care and the mobility component and (c) the cost (i) gross, (ii) net of benefit, (iii) net of tax if appropriate and (iv) net of benefit and tax if appropriate of the disability allowance in each financial year 1992-93 to 1998-99.
e app Mr. Scott [holding answer 15 January 1990] : (a) Current projections of the likely number of recipients of the proposed disability allowance by 1993-94 are :
Self-care |Number of
component | recipients
------------------------------------------
Higher rate |150,000
Middle rate |250,000
Lower rate |140,000
Mobility
component
Higher rate |700,000
Lower rate |150,000
Attendance allowance will remain to provide help with care needs for an estimated 600,000 people aged over 65.
(b) People will qualify for the upper level of the mobility component and the two upper levels of the care component on the basis of assessment criteria similar to those currently employed for mobility allowance and attendance allowance respectively.
(c) (i) and (ii). Details of the cost of introducing the disability allowance are set out in the table :
£ million
|Expenditure |Expenditure |Total
|on disability|on other
|allowance |<1>benefits
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash
1992-93 |+75 |+40 |+115
1993-94 |+160 |+70 |+230
1989-90 prices
2000-01 |<2>+300 |+80 |+380
<1> Income support and housing benefit.
<2> Includes £100 million additional expenditure on help with mobility
needs due to abolition of upper age limit for payments.
(c) (iii) and (iv). Adjustments net of benefit and tax are not appropriate : the disability allowance will not be taxable.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his statement on benefits for the disabled on 10 January, if he will publish in the Official Report (a) his estimates of the cost of the age-related addition to the severe disablement allowance (i) gross,(ii) net of benefit savings, (iii) net of tax savings if appropriate and (iv) net of benefit and tax savings if appropriate for each financial year 1990-91 to 1998-99, (b) his estimate of the number of people who will be eligible for the new addition and the expected take-up rate, (c) the number and percentage of invalidity allowance and invalidity pension claims which will be replaced by the new
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addition and (d) his estimate of the additional number of people who will gain benefit because of the new addition and those who will lose it.Mr. Scott [holding answer 15 January 1990] : (a) It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the costs of this measure for every year, particularly in the longer term, since the costs depend on a number of factors such as the future claims load which cannot be accurately forecast. The table therefore gives estimates for the first four years after implementation, together with an indication of the effect in 2000-01. Figures for 2000-01 are subject to considerable margins of uncertainty.
Effects on expenditure
£ million (cost)
|(i) |(ii)
Gross |Net of other
| benefit
| changes<1>
------------------------------------------------------
Cash
1990-91 |35 |15
1991-92 |118 |50
1992-93 |115 |50
1993-94 |120 |55
1989-90 Prices
2000-01 |110 |50
<1> Income-related benefits.
(iii) and (iv) : Severe disablement allowance and the proposed age-related addition are not taxable.
(b) It is estimated that about 250,000 people will be eligible for the addition. All of these will receive the addition automatically with their existing severe disablement allowance payments.
(c) Invalidity allowance and invalidity pension claims are not affected by this proposal.
(d) Some 250,000 recipients of the severe disablement allowance will receive the addition. None will lose benefit. The number of severe disablement allowance recipients who will be better off in net terms is about 120,000.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his statement on benefits for the disabled on 10 January, if he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the savings incurred in each financial year 1990-91 to 1998-99 as a result of ending new entitlement to the invalidity pension additional pension (a) gross, (b) net of benefits, (c) net of tax if appropriate and (d) net of benefits and tax if appropriate ; what is his estimate of the number of people who will get (i) a reduced additional pension and (ii) no additional pension in each of the years ; and if there will be a reduction in national insurance contributions as a result of this measure.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 15 January 1990] : It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of savings from this measure for every year, particularly in the longer term, since the level of savings depends crucially on a number of factors such as the future claims load and earnings growth which cannot be accurately forecast. The table therefore gives estimates for the first three years after implementation, together with an indication of the effect by 2000-1. The figures for 2000-1 are subject to considerable margins of uncertainty.
Column 481
Effects on expenditure
£ million (saving)
|(a) |(b)
|Gross |Net of other
| benefit
| changes<1>
------------------------------------------------------
Cash
1990-91 |- |-
1991-92 |<2>Nil |Nil
1992-93 |10 |5
1993-94 |30 |25
1989-90 prices
2000-01 |475 |370
<1> Includes consequential adjustments to invalidity
allowance payments and income-related benefits.
<2> Ending the accrual of new rights to invalidity
benefit additional pension from 1991-92 does not
affect payments of additional pension until the
following financial year.
(c), (d). Invalidity benefit additional pension is not taxable.
Numbers affected
The table gives details of the average number of
recipients in each
year who will receive:
|(i) |(ii)
|A reduced |No additional
|additional |pension<1>
|pension<1>
--------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |- |-
1991-92 |Nil |Nil
1992-93 |95,000 |Negligible
1993-94 |265,000 |Negligible
2000-01 |870,000 |35,000
<1> This table simply shows the numbers with reduced
additional pension (AP) entitlements. For many there
will be consequential adjustments to invalidity
allowance or income-related benefits which will offset
part or all of the reduction in AP entitlement.
The effect on national insurance fund expenditure will be taken into account in determining future levels of contributions.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his statement on benefits for the disabled on 10 January, if he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the savings incurred in each financial year 1990-91 to 1990-99 as a result of ending new entitlement to the industrial injuries reduced earnings allowance (a) gross, (b) net of benefits, (c) net of tax if appropriate and (d) net of benefits and tax if appropriate.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 15 January 1990] : It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the savings from this measure in every year, particularly in the longer term, since the savings depend on a number of factors, including the future claims load, which cannot be accurately forecast. The table therefore gives estimates for the first four financial years, together with an indication of the likely effect by 2000- 1. The figures for 2000-1 are subject to considerable margins of uncertainty.
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