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Mr. Eggar : The "Guide to Planning" requires training and enterprise councils (TECs) to undertake a thorough market assessment of their area. The outcome of this assessment will form the basis of the proposals contained in a TEC's corporation plan an business plan.Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline the guideline given to training and enterprise councils covering the consultations required with (a) local government and (b) education authorities, (c) chambers of commerce, (d) the Engineering Employers Federation and (e) trade councils.
Mr. Eggar : The "Guide to Planning" emphasises the need for training and enterprise councils (TECs) to actively consult and involve all organisations in their area with an interest in education and training and small business support.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will place a copy of the TEC operations guideline in the Library.
Mr. Eggar : I will place a copy of the TEC operating manual in the Library when it is available.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the operational budgets included in the TEC contracts contain premiums for an increased employer contribution to youth training ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : It is in employers' interests that they should increasingly contribute towards the costs of youth training to ensure its relevance to the needs of industry and commerce. The funding levels which TECs will receive for youth training in 1990-91 therefore assume a rise in the level of employer contributions.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the date for the launch of the first training and enterprise council.
Mr. Eggar : I expect contracts to be signed with the first training and enterprise councils (TECs) in early April.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the employment training and youth training expenditure is to be used for performance and incentive bonus payments paid to TECs.
Mr. Eggar : A system of performance-related funding is being established to give an incentive for good and progressively better performance by TECs in achieving objectives. A bonus fund equal to 2 per cent. of overall programme funds will be allocated to TECs achieving specified levels of performance in particular areas of activity.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what provision for employers' contributions to ET are in the operational budgets, included in the TEC contracts ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : It is in employers' interests that they should increasingly contribute towards the cost of employment training, as many employers already do. Employment training funding levels for TECs assume continuing employer contributions.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations have been received
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from training and enterprise council board members about the level of expenditure being approved for programmes ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Eggar : I have received a number of representations from training and enterprise council board members on funding issues. TECs will receive agreed resources to implement their plans and my officials are currently negotiating with individual TECs about the resources that will be made available.
Labour Statistics
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will give the total number of employees in (a) manufacturing, (b) services and (c) all industries and services in Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (i) June 1979 and (ii) June 1989 ; and what was the figure between the two years in (1) numbers and (2) percentage ;
(2) what was the number of employees in employment in Great Britain in each of the standard regions in (a) June 1979 and (b) June 1989 ; and what is the difference between the two years in (i) numbers and (ii) percentage ;
(3) what was the number of people in employment excluding Her Majesty's forces in Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (a) June 1989 and (b) June 1979 ; and what was the change in (i) numbers and (ii) as a percentage ;
(4) what was the total number of (a) male and (b) female employees in employment, self-employment, Her Majesty's forces and work-related Government training in Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (i) June 1979 and (ii) June 1989 ; (or work related training June 1983) ; and what are the differences between the two years in (1) numbers and (2) percentage ;
(5) what was the total number of part-time and full-time employees in employment and self-employment in Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (a) June 1979 and (b) June 1989 ; and what was the difference between the two years in (i) numbers and (ii) percentage ;
(6) what was the total number of people in work-related Government training in Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (a) June 1983 and (b) June 1989 ; and what were the differences between the two years in (i) numbers and (ii) percentage ;
(7) what was the total number of self-employed in Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (a) June 1979 and (b) June 1989 ; and what was the difference between the two years in (i) numbers and (ii) percentage ;
(8) what was the total work force in employment in (a) June 1979 and (b) June 1989 ; and what is the change between the two years in (i) numbers and (ii) percentage ;
(9) what is his estimate of the numbers of self-employed in (a) manufacturing industries, (b) services and (c) all industries and services for Great Britain and each standard region in (i) June 1979 and (ii) June 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : The hon. Member has asked a number of related questions. As the answers involve a considerable number of statistical tables, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total number of YTS trainees or youth equivalent included in the employees in employment in Great Britain and for each standard region
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in (a) June 1979 and (b) June 1989 ; and what is the change between the years in (i) numbers and (ii) percentage.Mr. Nicholls : The employees in employment figures include only those trainees who have contracts of employment. The table gives the number of such trainees on YTS in each region in June 1989. None of the trainees on the youth opportunities programme in 1979 had contracts of employment, and therefore comparisons between 1979 and 1989 either in real terms or percentage terms is not possible.
|c|Number of trainees with contracts of
employment|c|
Region |Number
------------------------------------------
Scotland |8,000
Northern |5,000
North West |15,000
Yorkshire and Humberside |12,000
Midlands |10,000
Wales |4,000
South West |7,000
South East |15,000
London |7,000
East Midlands and Eastern |13,000
|-------
Great Britain Total |96,000
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of those with a second job as an employee in Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (a) June 1979 and (b) June 1989 ; and what is the difference between the two years in (i) numbers and (ii) percentage.
Mr. Nicholls : Estimates of persons with a second job are available only from labour force surveys, conducted in the spring of each year.
Estimates from the 1979 and 1989 labour force surveys, as requested, are shown in the table :
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|c|All persons in employment<1> with a second job as employee, by region spring estimates,
thousands and per cent.|c|
Estimated Change
|1979 |<2>1989 |1979 |<2>1989
Region |Thousands |Thousands |Thousands |<3>Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Britain |289 |708 |419 |144.8
Northern |12 |38 |26 |205.8
Yorkshire and Humberside |25 |57 |32 |128.8
East Midlands |28 |53 |26 |92.6
East Anglia |12 |30 |18 |147.0
South East |90 |222 |132 |146.7
of which
-Greater London |37 |68 |32 |86.5
South West |25 |70 |44 |174.6
West Midlands |23 |75 |52 |224.7
North West |36 |76 |39 |109.1
Wales |11 |31 |20 |171.1
Scotland |26 |56 |30 |115.9
<1> Includes employees, the self-employed and persons in government employment and
training programmes. In 1979 it was not possible to separately identify persons on
government programmes and only those who stated they were in employment in the week
before interview are included in the above totals.
<2> Preliminary estimates (1989 only)
<3> Calculated using unrounded estimates.
Source: labour force surveys.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total numbers of jobs which would be discounted if all full-time equivalence factors used by the European Community were applied to part- time jobs in (a) June 1979 and (b) June 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : We do not believe in discounting part-time jobs. Furthermore, the apparent method of calculating full-time equivalents set out in the European Commission report "Employment in Europe" is an inappropriate measure of labour input.
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Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the unemployment rate by highest qualification and sex for Great Britain and each standard region for (a) spring 1979 and (b) spring 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : Final estimates from the 1979 labour force survey and preliminary estimates from the 1989 labour force survey are shown in the following table.
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|c|Unemployment rates by highest qualifications held<2> for people of working age, by sex and region: spring 1979 and 1989|c|
Persons aged 16-59/64<3> Per cent.
Region of residence Spring 1979 Spring 1989<4>
Level of highest qualification |All Persons |Males |Females |All Persons |Males |Females
held<5>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Britain
All<6> |5.6 |4.9 |6.7 |7.4 |7.5 |7.2
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.9 |2.4 |4.3 |4.6 |4.3 |5.1
Other qualification |5.1 |4.4 |5.6 |7.2 |7.1 |7.3
No formal qualification |7.0 |6.9 |7.2 |11.6 |13.7 |9.1
Northern
All<6> |8.7 |9.0 |8.3 |11.5 |13.1 |9.4
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |4.7 |4.8 |<1> |6.9 |7.9 |<1>
Other qualification |7.1 |<1> |7.5 |12.2 |13.7 |10.9
No formal qualification |11.3 |13.6 |8.6 |16.7 |22.0 |11.5
Yorkshire and Humberside
All<6> |6.0 |5.1 |7.6 |8.7 |9.4 |7.7
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.8 |2.6 |<1> |4.6 |4.5 |4.9
Other qualification |5.1 |<1> |6.0 |8.8 |9.1 |8.5
No formal qualifications |7.4 |6.9 |8.0 |14.1 |18.7 |9.0
East Anglia
All<6> |4.8 |3.8 |6.4 |6.8 |6.8 |6.9
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.5 |<1> |<1> |4.1 |3.3 |6.2
Other qualification |5.4 |<1> |6.3 |6.6 |6.5 |6.6
No formal qualification |5.3 |4.8 |6.0 |10.4 |13.0 |7.6
South East
All<6> |4.5 |3.5 |6.1 |4.2 |3.5 |5.2
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |<1> |<1> |<1> |2.6 |<1> |<1>
Other qualification |5.9 |<1> |<1> |3.7 |<1> |<1>
No formal qualification |4.7 |<1> |<1> |7.0 |7.3 |<1>
-Greater London
All<6> |4.1 |3.0 |5.8 |4.0 |3.5 |4.8
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.3 |1.5 |4.8 |2.5 |1.9 |3.7
Other qualification |3.8 |2.9 |4.6 |4.5 |3.7 |5.2
No formal qualification |4.6 |3.6 |5.8 |6.1 |6.8 |5.4
-South East (exc. Greater London)
All<6> |4.1 |3.3 |5.3 |5.3 |5.0 |5.7
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.3 |1.8 |3.7 |3.4 |3.0 |4.3
Other qualification |3.8 |3.1 |4.5 |5.3 |4.6 |5.8
No formal qualification |4.9 |4.2 |5.8 |8.6 |9.6 |7.3
South West
All<6> |4.1 |3.7 |4.7 |7.3 |7.4 |7.1
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.3 |2.3 |<1> |4.9 |4.8 |5.1
Other qualification |3.9 |3.4 |4.3 |6.6 |6.3 |6.8
No formal qualification |5.3 |4.9 |5.7 |12.5 |13.7 |10.8
West Midlands
All<6> |5.3 |4.7 |6.2 |5.3 |5.3 |5.4
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.7 |2.1 |<1> |3.7 |3.3 |4.7
Other qualification |5.0 |5.7 |4.4 |5.4 |4.5 |6.1
No formal qualification |6.1 |5.7 |6.7 |7.7 |10.0 |5.0
North West
All<6> |5.2 |4.7 |5.9 |7.7 |7.1 |8.5
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |2.2 |<1> |<1> |4.5 |3.6 |6.6
Other qualification |4.6 |<1> |5.0 |8.1 |7.9 |8.3
No formal qualification |6.1 |6.0 |6.2 |10.7 |11.2 |10.1
Wales
All<6> |6.9 |6.3 |7.7 |9.9 |10.5 |9.1
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |3.1 |2.8 |<1> |6.0 |6.1 |5.9
Other qualification |5.4 |4.7 |6.0 |9.7 |10.7 |8.9
No formal qualification |8.9 |9.8 |8.0 |15.6 |18.5 |12.3
Scotland
All<6> |7.1 |6.1 |8.8 |9.8 |10.1 |9.3
GCE A level or equivalent
or higher |3.6 |<1> |<1> |6.9 |7.2 |6.2
Other qualification |6.2 |<1> |7.6 |8.0 |7.5 |8.4
No formal qualification |9.4 |8.9 |10.0 |14.8 |16.2 |12.9
Source: LFS estimates.
<1> Less than 10,000 in cell: estimates not shown.
<2> Based on the Great Britain labour force definition of unemployment (which broadly uses a one-week job search period). The unemployment rate for each qualification level/sex/region category is calculated as the numbers unemployed in the category
as a proportion of all economically active persons in the category.
<3> The upper age limit is 64 for males and 59 for females.
<4> Preliminary estimates (1989 only).
<5> A finer breakdown of qualification levels is not given, as many more of the table entries would then be based on small samples and would not be shown.
<6> Includes persons not stating their highest qualification held, and for 1979 only, all persons in full time education and all males aged 60 to 64 (who were not asked about their highest qualification levels).
Training
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the estimated amount of expenditure on ET and YTS in each of the years 1988-89 and 1989-90.
Mr. Nicholls : The expenditure on YTS and employment training by the employment department group Training Agency (and its predecessor the Training Commission) is as follows :
|YTS |ET
|(£m) |(£m)
-------------------------------------------
1988-89 (actual) |993.8 |425.0
1989-90 (forecast) |983.0 |1,112.0
The YTS figures exclude community industry (included under the heading "Youth Training" in the public expenditure White Paper, evaluation, research and development, and marketing).
Employment training figures exclude the employment rehabilitation service (included under the heading "Training for Unemployed Adults" in the public expenditure White Paper).
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the "Community Action Programme for the Development of Continuing Vocational Training", Com (89) 567 final, of 8 December 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : This European Commission proposal aims to support and complement activities developed by and in member states in the area of continuing vocational training. An explanatory memorandum was submitted to the Commons Select Committee on European Legislation on 31 January 1990. The text is currently being negotiated at official level and the proposal is expected to be considered by the European Community Labour and Social Affairs Council on 29 May 1990.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) of 15 March, Official Report, column 340 , if he will give the regional breakdown of the number of young people over 18 years on YTS with special training needs endorsements ; and if he will make a further statement.
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) of 15 March, Official Report, column 340 , on young people undertaking the youth training scheme with special training needs endorsement, if he will break down the figures given by region.
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Mr. Nicholls : The following table gives the number of young people in training on YTS at 31 December 1989 who were aged 18 and over and had special training needs endorsements.
Region |Number
-----------------------------------------
Scotland |1,600
Northern |1,800
North West |2,900
Yorkshire and Humberside |2,000
West Midlands |1,400
East Midlands and East |1,400
Wales |1,200
South West |800
South East |1,300
London |1,500
|-------
Total |15,900
(All figures rounded to the nearest
hundred).
Action for Jobs Campaign
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much of the total expenditure on the Action for Jobs campaign in 1987-88 was spent on regional campaigns.
Mr. Eggar : Expenditure on Action for Jobs regional campaigns in 1987-88 was £1.4 million.
YTS Allowance
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to introduce an increase in the YTS allowance, age-related for 18-year-olds and over, in line with the principles set in April 1988 for income support claimants when rate liability was introduced.
Mr. Nicholls : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 15 March 1990, Official Report, column 340.
Population Statistics
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of people by highest qualification held, and by sex, for Great Britain and each of the standard regions in (a) spring 1979 and (b) spring 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : Final estimates from the 1979 labour force survey and preliminary estimates from the 1989 labour force survey are shown in the table.
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|c|Highest qualification held by people of working age, by sex and region: spring 1979 and 1989|c|
Persons aged 16-59/64<2> Thousands
Spring 1979 Spring 1989<3>
Region of residence
Level of highest qualification held |All persons |Males |Females |All persons |Males |Females
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Britain
All<4> |31,966 |16,619 |15,347 |33,851 |17,657 |16,194
Degree or equivalent |1,687 |1,245 |443 |2,659 |1,728 |931
Higher education below degree |1,540 |530 |1,010 |1,897 |763 |1,134
GCE A level or equivalent |5,601 |4,385 |1,215 |8,137 |5,785 |2,352
GCE O level or equivalent |3,566 |1,309 |2,258 |5,983 |2,299 |3,684
CSE below grade 1 |1,187 |471 |715 |1,616 |712 |904
Other qualification |1,236 |423 |812 |2,433 |1,175 |1,257
No formal qualification |14,019 |6,059 |7,960 |10,827 |5,017 |5,810
Northern
All<4> |1,840 |956 |884 |1,872 |979 |893
Degree or equivalent |69 |53 |16 |91 |61 |30
Higher education below degree |87 |34 |53 |95 |37 |58
GCE A level or equivalent |349 |296 |54 |458 |360 |98
GCE O level or equivalent |155 |55 |100 |305 |107 |199
CSE below grade 1 |73 |29 |45 |117 |51 |66
Other qualification |63 |16 |47 |126 |68 |58
No formal qualification |877 |356 |522 |662 |286 |376
Yorkshire and Humberside
All<4> |2,863 |1,493 |1,370 |2,992 |1,564 |1,429
Degree or equivalent |109 |80 |30 |187 |122 |64
Higher education below degree |120 |41 |79 |171 |75 |96
GCE A level or equivalent |463 |393 |70 |695 |516 |180
GCE O level or equivalent |265 |99 |166 |502 |193 |310
CSE below grade 1 |100 |36 |64 |135 |58 |78
Other qualification |109 |41 |68 |227 |116 |111
No formal qualification |1,429 |617 |811 |1,044 |465 |579
East Midlands
All<4> |2,225 |1,159 |1,067 |2,457 |1,289 |1,168
Degree or equivalent |88 |69 |19 |146 |99 |48
Higher education below degree |109 |35 |74 |136 |63 |73
GCE A level or equivalent |379 |303 |76 |563 |414 |150
GCE O level or equivalent |246 |88 |158 |418 |156 |262
CSE below grade 1 |86 |36 |50 |152 |66 |87
Other qualification |93 |36 |57 |190 |102 |88
No formal qualification |1,021 |452 |569 |831 |377 |453
East Anglia
All<4> |1,091 |580 |511 |1,227 |637 |590
Degree or equivalent |47 |36 |10 |109 |67 |42
Higher education below degree |50 |19 |31 |61 |23 |38
GCE A level or equivalent |181 |145 |35 |275 |201 |74
GCE O level or equivalent |131 |51 |80 |224 |83 |141
CSE below grade 1 |45 |19 |26 |67 |28 |39
Other qualification |56 |23 |33 |99 |50 |50
No formal qualification |485 |216 |270 |376 |178 |198
South East
All<4> |9,965 |5,170 |4,795 |10,629 |5,528 |5,101
Degree or equivalent |713 |514 |199 |1,205 |769 |436
Higher education below degree |506 |166 |340 |601 |234 |367
GCE A level or equivalent |1,717 |1,256 |462 |2,442 |1,667 |775
GCE O level or equivalent |1,249 |474 |775 |2,061 |817 |1,244
CSE below grade 1 |411 |168 |244 |496 |219 |277
Other qualification |415 |147 |268 |825 |377 |447
No formal qualification |3,912 |1,728 |2,184 |2,922 |1,396 |1,526
-Greater London
All<4> |4,096 |2,096 |2,000 |4,158 |2,150 |2,008
Degree or equivalent |337 |230 |107 |616 |378 |238
Higher education below degree |193 |49 |144 |206 |70 |136
GCE A level or equivalent |618 |429 |189 |890 |589 |301
GCE O level or equivalent |499 |193 |306 |739 |297 |443
CSE below grade 1 |148 |63 |85 |151 |62 |89
Other qualification |150 |57 |93 |352 |157 |195
No formal qualification |1,696 |767 |929 |1,176 |580 |595
-South East (excluding Greater London)
All<4> |5,869 |3,074 |2,795 |6,471 |3,378 |3,093
Degree or equivalent |375 |284 |91 |589 |391 |198
Higher education below degree |313 |117 |196 |395 |164 |231
GCE A level or equivalent |1,099 |827 |273 |1,552 |1,078 |474
GCE O level or equivalent |749 |280 |469 |1,321 |520 |801
CSE below grade 1 |263 |105 |159 |345 |156 |188
Other qualification |265 |90 |175 |473 |220 |253
No formal qualification |2,216 |961 |1,255 |1,746 |816 |930
South West
All<4> |2,461 |1,287 |1,175 |2,758 |1,428 |1,329
Degree or equivalent |123 |92 |31 |173 |118 |55
Higher education below degree |118 |40 |78 |179 |75 |104
GCE A level or equivalent |447 |350 |97 |679 |485 |193
GCE O level or equivalent |305 |110 |195 |537 |203 |333
CSE below grade 1 |106 |46 |61 |161 |70 |90
Other qualification |104 |38 |66 |190 |91 |99
No formal qualification |1,003 |429 |574 |821 |376 |445
West Midlands
All<4> |3,081 |1,613 |1,468 |3,206 |1,692 |1,515
Degree or equivalent |109 |83 |26 |175 |119 |56
Higher education below degree |118 |44 |74 |148 |66 |83
GCE A level or equivalent |429 |348 |80 |697 |501 |196
GCE O level or equivalent |304 |111 |193 |514 |205 |309
CSE below grade 1 |125 |53 |72 |190 |83 |107
Other qualification |102 |34 |68 |229 |114 |115
No formal qualification |1,615 |739 |877 |1,215 |585 |630
North West
All<4> |3,797 |1,967 |1,830 |3,858 |2,018 |1,840
Degree or equivalent |193 |148 |45 |253 |170 |82
Higher education below degree |204 |81 |123 |209 |91 |118
GCE A level or equivalent |661 |538 |123 |950 |694 |256
GCE O level or equivalent |420 |152 |268 |664 |246 |418
CSE below grade 1 |142 |52 |90 |194 |88 |107
Other qualification |138 |43 |95 |268 |124 |144
No formal qualification |1,671 |693 |978 |1,282 |584 |698
Wales
All<4> |1,621 |842 |779 |1,721 |899 |822
Degree or equivalent |75 |56 |19 |96 |63 |33
Higher education below degree |85 |26 |59 |97 |32 |65
GCE A level or equivalent |251 |209 |42 |355 |256 |99
GCE O level or equivalent |191 |71 |119 |302 |109 |193
CSE below grade 1 |61 |24 |37 |87 |43 |44
Other qualification |61 |19 |43 |130 |68 |62
No formal qualification |732 |322 |410 |640 |318 |323
Scotland
All<4> |3,021 |1,552 |1,469 |3,132 |1,624 |1,508
Degree or equivalent |161 |113 |48 |225 |140 |85
Higher education below degree |143 |44 |100 |199 |68 |131
GCE A level or equivalent |724 |547 |177 |1,024 |692 |331
GCE O level or equivalent |301 |98 |203 |457 |182 |275
CSE below grade 1 |36 |<1> |27 |18 |<1> |10
Other qualification |95 |27 |68 |148 |66 |82
No formal qualification |1,274 |507 |766 |1,034 |452 |582
Sources: 1979 final and 1989 preliminary LFS estimates.
<1>Less than 10,000 in cell: estimate not shown.
<2>The upper age limit is 64 for males and 59 for females.
<3>Preliminary estimates (1989 only).
<4>Includes persons not stating highest qualification held, and for 1979 only, all persons in full time education and all males aged 60 to 64
(who were not asked about their highest qualification levels).
SOCIAL SECURITY
Mobility Allowance
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what representations he has received from the mobility allowance campaign concerning the criteria for extending the mobility allowance to deaf-blind people ;
(2) what representations he has received from the mobility allowance campaign concerning the eligibility criteria for deaf-blind people for mobility allowance ;
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(3) when his Department last met the mobility allowance campaign ; and when it next intends to do so.Mr. Scott : The campaign has made representations on several occasions, and letters have been sent in recent weeks to the Department and to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Officials will be meeting representatives of the campaign and other organisations on 26 March, and I shall be writing to the campaign following those discussions.
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Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether in drawing up the eligibility criteria for extension of mobility allowance to deaf-blind people, he has consulted the mobility allowance campaign ;(2) which organisations his Department has consulted when formulating the eligibility criteria for deaf-blind people to mobility allowance.
Mr. Scott : We were aware of the views of the campaign about the eligibility criteria for the extension of mobility allowance to deaf-blind people.
Community Charge
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will introduce measures to raise the level of support available to people on income support in respect of community charge liabilities ;
(2) if he will make special one off payments to those people on income support living in areas where the community charge will be over £315.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will increase income support payments to claimants to cover 20 per cent. of the actual national average of the community charge of £350 as against the notional national average of 20 per cent. of £278.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Income support levels were adjusted on a once-for-all basis in April 1989 to include help towards the average 20 per cent. contribution to the community charge. The amounts included now form part of the overall benefit levels, which are of course being uprated next month.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimates his Department has regarding the number of people on income support who will be worse off under the community charge because the local charge is higher than the figure allowed for in the 20 per cent. uprating.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is not available.
Income Support
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of people receiving income support at the present time.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : A total of 4.3 million claimants were receiving income support in August 1989, the latest date for which information is available.
Maintenance Payments
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he has taken to improve the payment of maintenance by absent parents ; and what further action he proposes.
Mr. Newton : From October 1989, we extended the absent parent's liability to maintain to cover dependent children aged 16, 17 and 18. I have also already announced that from next month we are strengthening the basis on which DSS local offices assess absent parents' ability to pay maintenance.
I now propose some further changes in the law, to improve the way in which the present system works and in
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particular to tackle some of the problems which lone parents themselves face in regard to the making and enforcement of maintenance orders.I intend to bring forward an amendment to the present Social Security Bill to give courts the power to make an order for recovery of benefit which can have regard to the income support personal allowance of the mother even where she is divorced or was never married. This will recognise her costs as child carer, and bring social security law more into line with family law.
I also intend to bring forward two further amendments to improve the working of maintenance orders themselves. The first will propose that DSS be given power to transfer to the lone parent an order which it has obtained, if she leaves benefit. This eliminates the need for her to make a fresh application for a maintenance order and means that she can take the maintenance for the child with her, if she wishes to go to work, thus reducing what has often been held to be a discouragement. The second will propose that DSS be given a power to seek enforcement of a claimant's own maintenance order if the absent parent fails to pay. These changes will reduce the need for the lone parent to take court action herself.
Show You Care"
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that all training courses for social security officials include a showing of the National Speak Week video, "Show You Care."
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We are grateful to the right hon. Member for raising this matter. To ensure the National Speak Week video is seen by the widest possible audience of social security officials, we are arranging for copies of the video, and the accompanying notes, to be distributed to every local office. Managers will be encouraged to use the material during the many and varied training sessions which are held in those offices.
War Widows
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many war widows died in December 1989 and in January and February 1990 ; and if he has any information on the number of war widows who have died in March 1990.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The numbers notified as at 21 March are :
|Number
-----------------------
1989
December |416
1990
January |250
February |160
March |5
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 25 October 1989 what is the number of war widows who died in the year 1989.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The number of war widows who died in the year ended 31 December 1989 was 3,169.
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Student Loans
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations his Department has had with organisations representing deaf people and organisations representing disabled students concerning the draft proposals for Social Security Benefits (Student Loans) Amendment Regulations and the definition used for disabled student.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Social Security Benefits (Student Loans) Amendment Regulations have been referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee which is currently consulting a variety of organisations including, we understand, organisations representing the interests of deaf and disabled people.
Residential Homes
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make it his policy, when reviewing the arrangements for determining his Department's rates applying to those living in private residential care, to ensure that those rates are not negotiated by his Department's staff, or local authority staff, who hold direct or indirect financial interests in such private residential homes ;
(2) what rules apply to his Department's staff holding direct or indirect financial interests in private residential or nursing homes ; and whether his Department's staff are required to register such financial interests for public inspection.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Central rules provide that civil servants must not put private interests before their duty to the state or put themselves in a position where duty and private interests conflict or make use of their official position to further those interests. Officers who have occasion to deal in an official capacity with any matter in which they have a private interest, are required to disclose that interest to a senior officer and ask that some other officer deals with the matter.
Additionally, in DSS, staff having significant face-to-face contact with the public are not normally permitted to undertake any private activity within the area covered by their office.
However, provided management is satisfied that it would be proper to do so, permission may exceptionally be given for staff to hold a financial interest in private residential or nursing homes if there are no more than six long-stay residents and the officer undertakes to produce and keep up to date a list of residents' names so that management may ensure that the officer has no official dealings with the home or its residents.
Taper System
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list in the Official Report any revisions he is making in the taper system for income support, family credit, housing benefit and community charge rebate, following the Chancellor's announcement of the increased savings threshold.
Mr. Scott : We believe that the present rules for taking account of capital holdings strikes the right balance between ensuring that state benefits are available to those with the greatest need and that personal thrift is not
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discouraged. We shall monitor carefully the effects of the changes to the upper capital limit to ensure this balance is maintained. The community charge benefit taper, whereby benefit entitlement is reduced by 15p for every £1 of income in excess of the applicable amount, is more generous than with the former rate rebate scheme.Social Fund
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the numbers of applications (a) received and (b) approved for budgeting loans and crisis loans in each of the social security offices in Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Leven and Cowdenbeath for each month in 1989.
Mr. Scott : The information is in the Library.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is (a) the estimated expenditure on social fund budgeting and crisis loans and (b) the actual expenditure for each month between January 1989 and December 1989 inclusive for the Leven, Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy Social Security offices.
Mr. Scott : The information given in the table represents the spending profile set at the start of each financial year for each office requested. The profile is adjusted at the end of each month to take account of actual expenditure and can be adjusted at any time to take account of local circumstances. Information for actual spending is in the Library.
|Community Care Grants|Loans
|per cent. |per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leven
1989
January |7.87 |7.87
February |9.19 |9.19
March |9.40 |9.40
April |7.93 |7.93
May |8.33 |8.33
June |8.33 |8.33
July |8.33 |8.33
August |8.33 |8.33
September |8.02 |8.02
October |8.88 |8.88
November |8.89 |8.89
December |7.75 |7.75
Dunfermline
1989
January |7.87 |7.87
February |9.19 |9.19
March |9.40 |9.40
April |7.93 |7.93
May |8.33 |8.33
June |8.33 |8.33
July |8.33 |8.33
August |8.33 |8.33
September |8.02 |8.02
October |8.88 |8.88
November |8.89 |8.89
December |7.75 |7.75
Cowdenbeath
1989
January |7.78 |7.78
February |9.19 |9.19
March |9.40 |9.40
April |7.93 |7.93
May |8.33 |8.33
June |8.33 |8.33
July |8.33 |8.33
August |8.33 |8.33
September |8.02 |8.02
October |8.88 |8.88
November |8.89 |8.89
December |9.09 |9.09
Kirkcaldy
1989
January |7.89 |7.89
February |9.19 |9.19
March |9.40 |9.40
April |7.93 |7.93
May |8.33 |8.33
June |8.33 |8.33
July |8.33 |8.33
August |8.33 |8.33
September |8.02 |8.02
October |8.88 |8.88
November |8.89 |8.89
December |7.75 |7.75
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of income support recipients are now having deductions made from benefit as a result of paying back social fund loans (a) nationally, (b) regionally and (c) in each local Department of Social Security office area.
Mr. Scott [pursuant to his reply, 23 February 1990, c. 938-45] : The information for those offices in the London North region was found to be incorrect. The corrected information is given in the table.
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