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Income Support
24. Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes have occurred in the last year in the quality of service to claimants of income support ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There have been significant improvements in the quality of service provided to claimants of income support during the past 12 months. For example, the average time taken to clear income support claims improved by 4 per cent. (to 4.7 days) whilst the error rate fell by 13 per cent. (from 9.1 per cent. to 7.9 per cent.).
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In addition, the service provided in London is being improved by relocating work which does not require face-to-face contact away from 21 London offices to areas where recruitment and retention of staff is easier. There is already substantial evidence that significant improvements in accuracy, clearance times and quality of service are being made.The programme to computerise income support, which was implemented in 95 local offices in 1989-90, and will be extended to all offices by 1991, is bringing major improvements in service to the public enabling staff to process claims more accurately and quickly.
Pensioners' Incomes
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners are receiving income from (a) savings or (b) occupational pensions.
45. Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of those pensioners who have recently retired are receiving income from occupational pensions or savings ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest available figures show that, in 1987 73 per cent. of recently retired pensioners had an occupational pension and 82 per cent. had income from savings. In the same year 83 per cent. of all pensioners and 90 per cent. of those recently retired had income from one or both of these sources.
27. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the average increase in incomes since 1979 for those pensioners who receive all of their income from state benefits.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest available figures show that between 1979 and 1987 pensioners who receive all of their income from state benefits had experienced a real terms increase of over 27 per cent.
30. Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the increase in pensioners' average net income for (a) 1974 to 1979 and (b) 1979 to date.
32. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by how much pensioners' average net incomes have increased since 1979.
46. Mr. Alison : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average annual increase in pensioners' total incomes (a) since 1979 and (b) between 1974 to 1979.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Between 1974 and 1979, pensioners' average total net incomes rose by an average of 0.6 per cent. per year in real terms or 3.0 per cent. over the whole period, whereas between 1979 and 1987 they rose on average by over 3 per cent. each year. In total they rose by over 31 per cent. in real terms in this Government's first eight years of office.
31. Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the most recent figures he has for the increase in pensioners' incomes from savings since 1979.
63. Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of (a) all pensioners and (b) recently retired pensioners is receiving income from savings.
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65. Sir George Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by how much pensioners' incomes from savings changed between (a) 1979 and the latest date and (b) 1974 to 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest available figures show that between 1979 and 1987 pensioners' average income from savings more than doubled in real terms. This compares favourably with the period from 1974 to 1979 when the value of pensioners' savings fell by 16 per cent. In 1987, 73 per cent. of all pensioners and 82 per cent. of recently retired pensioners received income from savings.
67. Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest available figures on the proportion of pensioners whose incomes fall in the lowest fifth of national income distribution.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest available figures show that in 1987 only 24 per cent. of pensioners had incomes in the lowest fifth of national income distribution ; whereas, when we took office in 1979, 38 per cent. of pensioners fell into the lowest fifth.
Low-paid workers
26. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many low-paid workers are entitled to claim means-tested benefits and also liable to pay income tax ; and what was the number in 1985.
53. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many low-paid workers are entitled to claim means-tested benefits and also liable to pay income tax ; and what was the number in 1985.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) earlier today.
Independent Living Fund
34. Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations his Department has received from the Association of Directors of Social Services and the Disablement Income Group concerning the phasing out of the independent living fund.
Mr. Scott : We have received no representations from the Association of Directors of Social Services concerning the future of the independent living fund.
We have consulted the Disablement Income Group and will continue to do so as the plans for the future of the ILF are being evolved.
35. Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from local authorities concerning the phasing out of the independent living fund.
Mr. Scott : We have received representations from some local authority directors of social services concerning the future of the ILF.
As was made clear in our report on disability benefits, "The Way Ahead", we shall be consulting local authorities on the future of the independent living fund in relation to the implementation of the proposals for care in the community to take effect in April 1991.
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Departmental Services
36. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures are being introduced to improve his Department's services to the public ; and if he will make a statement.
47. Sir Geoffrey Finsberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps have been taken to improve his Department's service to the public.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Since the Government reforms were introduced in 1988, the social security system has become simpler for claimants to understand and easier for staff to operate. As a result there have been very real all-round improvements in standards of service to the public. For example, in 1989-90 the average time taken to clear income support claims improved by 25 per cent. (to 4.7 days) compared with 1987-88, the last year before the reforms, and error rates fell by 31 per cent. (to 7.9 per cent.).
There is still room for further improvement, particularly in inner London. This is being tackled by relocating work which requires no face-to-face contact away from 21 London offices to areas where recruitment and retention of staff is easier. There is already substantial evidence that significant improvements in accuracy, clearance times and quality of service are being made.
By 1991 the programme to computerise social security operations will bring major improvements in service to the public to all offices and enable staff to process claims more accurately and quickly.
66. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress is being made in implementing the recommendations contained in his Department's business of service report.
Mr. Newton : I have today placed in the Library the implementation report of the regional organisation scrutiny, the business of service, which I have approved.
In January 1989, my predecessor approved and announced to Parliament an action plan for implementation and the business of service scrutiny of my Department's regional organisation, which was published in June 1988. This major and wide-ranging review addressed a number of improvements which might be made in the regional organisation's performance, and looked forward to improvements in the organisation and management of work to be achieved in the context of a benefits agency. The report's central thrust was towards devolution of authority to local office managers as the best means of improving service to the public. Other recommendations were for a shortening of the line of senior management, improvements in resource allocation and management, development of local service planning, improved training for managers to help them fulfil their new tasks, the development of a corporate image for the service, and the provision of improved management information for managers at all levels. Some important recommendations have already been put into effect ; a start has been made on the relocation of work from certain offices in inner London, and a national statement of good service was published in May last year, associated with targets for improvement by local offices in the delivery of key benefit outputs. A substantial programme of further work lies ahead, and is being carried forward as part of our preparations for setting up the
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benefits agency. I am confident that if this work is carried through successfully, the benefits agency will be well placed to make further improvements in the services we deliver and in the way in which it is perceived by both public and staff.Industrial Injuries
37. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much will be spent by his Department in 1990-91 in the form of benefit to those suffering from industrial diseases or injuries.
Mr. Scott : "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1990-91 to 1992-93", Cm. 1014, copies of which are available in the Library, indicate that an estimated £569 million will be spent on industrial injuries benefits in 1990-91. This includes expenditure of £64 million on industrial death benefit.
Staff Relocation
38. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made in relocating his Department's staff away from the London area.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 14 November 1989 to my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick) at column 170, in which my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State announced that a substantial amount of the Department's work in London was to be relocated to Leeds. A site for the new headquarters building in Leeds has been identified, and we hope that building work will commence by the end of this year. We expect that the relocation of posts from London will begin around the end of 1991 or early 1992.
Community Charge Rebate
39. Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the increase in community charge rebate for a married couple with capital of £6,000 or more if the £3,000 capital disregard applied to each partner.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : If the lower capital limit for a married or unmarried couple were raised to £3,000 for each partner, community charge benefit would increase by up to £1.80 a week. This assumes that the partners share their savings equally.
Disabled People
40. Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average annual real increase in spending on the disabled between (a) 1974-75 and 1978-79 and (b) 1978-79 and 1989-90.
Mr. Scott : The average annual real increase, at 1989-90 prices, was as follows :
|£ million
-------------------------------------------
(a) 1974-75 to 1978-79 |220
(b) 1978-79 to 1989-90 |375
54. Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures have been introduced to assist sick or disabled people ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Scott : We are currently spending £8.3 billion on benefits for long-term sick and disabled people. We announced 10 measures in October 1989 to provide extra help for disabled people and their carers, which include the extension of attendance allowance to disabled children under two and mobility allowance to people who are both deaf and blind ; the increase over and above the normal annual increase, in the adult disability premium in income support and housing benefit, by £1 for a single person and £1.60 for a couple ; and the more than doubling of the disabled child premium in income support and housing benefit from £6.50 to £15.40 per week. "The Way Ahead : Benefits for Disabled People" (Cm. 917), which I laid before Parliament on 10 January, details our major proposals for improving social security help for disabled people. Our proposals include increasing severe disablement allowance for nearly 250,000 disabled people later this year ; a new disability allowance for people of working age and below to improve help with the extra costs of being disabled ; and a new disability employment credit to make it easier for disabled people to take up jobs.
43. Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussion he has had recently with representatives of voluntary organisations for the disabled about benefit levels under the community charge.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We have not recently discussed community charge benefit levels with representatives of the voluntary organisations for disabled people.
National Insurance
41. Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his proposals for improving the collection of national insurance contributions.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We have recently established a new unit within the Department to take responsibility for all the operational aspects of national insurance contributions work.
The unit will place a high priority on compliance, and there will be improved training for national insurance inspectors. Their existing jobs will be reorganised so that they can spend more time visiting employers and investigating national insurance irregularities. By carrying out other contributions work more efficiently, it is intended that staff resources will be released to allow additional inspectors to be deployed.
From April 1991, we propose that the unit should be given full agency status, thus increasing management accountability and encouraging the development of a more professional approach to contributions work.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if people found to be wrongly imprisoned are fully credited for national insurance contributions during their stay in custody.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are no legislative provisions which allow national insurance credits to be awarded in these circumstances.
Personal Pensions
44. Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people he estimates are preparing for their retirement by taking out personal pensions.
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51. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate he has as to the number of people who have joined a personal pension scheme.58. Mr. Donald Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the number of people who have taken out appropriate personal pensions.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Just under 3.7 million people have so far taken out appropriate personal pensions.
Carers' Premium
52. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people he estimates will benefit from the introduction of the carers' premium.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We expect the new £10 premium, being introduced in October, to help 30,000 carers through income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit.
Benefit Uprating
59. Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in which years during the 1980s the uprating of supplementary benefit or income support rates provided for an increase in their real value ; and by what percentage.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) earlier today.
Expenditure
61. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure by his Department in (a) 1978-79 and (b) 1989-90.
Mr. Scott : Total expenditure in 1978-79 was £16,437 million in cash terms, or £38,677 million in 1989-90 prices. Estimated total expenditure for 1989-90 is £52,583 million.
Hostel Accommodation
62. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about payments of benefits to people in hostel accommodation.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : People living in hostels are able to claim housing benefit to help towards accommodation charges and income support to help towards other day-to-day living expenses. In my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 16 May at column 421 I announced that direct payments of income support for service charges are to be made available to all hostels from 21 May. This extends the existing arrangements which have hitherto applied only to night shelters.
Residential Homes
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the expenditure in each social security office area in Wales for the most recent available year, on paying for people to live in (a) private residential homes and (b) private nursing homes, respectively.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret the information requested is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to provide housing benefit to those in local authority residential homes.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : People in local authority residential homes are required to contribute to the cost of their care and accommodation according to their means. Those with insufficient resources to pay the statutory minimum contribution may be entitled to income support. Housing benefit is not payable in addition as there is no unmet liability for housing costs. We have no plans to change these provisions following the proposed introduction of the new arrangements for community care from April 1991.
Pension Entitlement
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of giving pension entitlement as of the day after a woman's 60th birthday and a man's 65th birthday.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The estimated cost in 1990-91 is £6 million.
Shelter Report
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will obtain a copy of the report by Shelter, "Our Homes, Our Rights," for his departmental library ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : A copy of the report has already been ordered for the departmental library. Its contents will be considered carefully after it is received.
State Pensions
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now instigate a scheme for the equalisation of state pension provision between sexes, with the provision of a basic state pension from the age of 60 years.
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce legislation to harmonise age-related benefits and concessions at the age of 60 years, for both sexes.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have been asked to reply.
Equalisation of state pension provision for men and women and the effect which it would have on other benefits and concessions is a complex issue requiring careful study. Consideration needs to be given to a number of factors. The Government will not be drawn into making hasty decisions and will bring forward proposals only when all the issues have been fully considered.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Eastern Europe
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement in respect of the notice to his Department's employees as to what
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present potential hazards are to be experienced if they travel to (a) East Germany, (b) Czechoslovakia, (c) Hungary, (d) Poland and (e) Romania.Mr. Maclean : In the public service it has long been the practice to advise staff of the problems that they may encounter when travelling to certain countries, particularly if the staff concerned may have access to classified information. This is for the protection of both Government information and the officers themselves. The guidelines are being reviewed in the light of recent changes in eastern Europe.
Perrier
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement clarifying his Department's concerns about Perrier labelling.
Mr. Maclean : We have asked the European Commission whether the use of the description "naturally carbonated natural mineral water" on the label of Perrier meets the requirements of Council directive 80/777/EEC.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which animal species are currently, or have been, involved in experiments in the transmission of spongiform encephalopathy ; and what have been the results to date.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 16 May, Official Report , column 464.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will cull all calves born of animals infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 17 May 1990] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 17 May 1990, Official Report, column 1009.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been notified in cattle under two years of age ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : BSE has been confirmed in one animal under two years of age ; a cow aged 22 months.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the transmissibility of bovine spongiform encephalopathy between mammals by biting or oral contact or any other non-experimental method, apart from ingestion.
Mr. Maclean : There is no evidence of any natural means of transmission of BSE other than ingestion.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy have been reported to him to date in cattle first identified as bovine spongiform encephalopathy-suspect by veterinary inspection at (a) fatstock markets and (b) slaughterhouses.
Mr. Maclean : The information up to 31 March 1990 is as follows :
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|Numbers
-------------------------------------
(a) Markets
Suspects reported |133
Cases confirmed |92
(b)Slaughterhouses
Suspects reported |203
Cases confirmed |149
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the (a) total cost and (b) cost per suspect head of testing cattle suspected as suffering from BSE.
Mr. Maclean : The full economic cost of conducting a
histopathological examination on a brain for BSE diagnosis is £166. Since 21 June 1988, when BSE became notifiable, the veterinary investigation service has examined 14,253 brains at a total cost of £2,365,998.
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