| Previous Section | Home Page |
Grants and Loans
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing in 1988-89 and 1989-90 the number of applications for (i) community care grants, (ii) budgeting loans and (iii) crisis loans that were refused, broken down by reason for refusal.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is set out in the tables. The figures relate to the number of occasions on which the particular reason for refusal was used. It is possible for an individual application to be refused for more than one reason.
Reasons for refusal 1989-90 :
|Community|Budgeting|Crisis
|Care |Loans |Loans
|Grants
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings over £500
sufficient to meet cost |3,510 |880 |30
Not in receipt of IS |n/a |38,720 |n/a
Not in receipt of IS for
26 weeks |n/a |116,630 |n/a
Not in receipt of IS and
unlikely to become
entitled |30,100 |n/a |n/a
Excluded items |11,850 |24,820 |1,280
Excluded persons |19,790 |1,300 |390
Amount less than £30
(not travelling
expenses) |4,520 |12,460 |n/a
Total debt of £1,000 |n/a |420 |40
Previous application and
SFO decision for this
item |13,480 |25,540 |1,500
No serious risk or
damage to health or
safety |n/a |n/a |24,540
Inability to repay |n/a |19,010 |3,270
Help available from
another source |2,440 |2,330 |3,940
Insufficient priority |50,340 |137,720 |1,300
Other agencies not
providing back up |20 |n/a |n/a
Suitable alternative
available |1,360 |2,080 |1,490
Loan refused-CCG
awarded |n/a |34,890 |350
Direction 4 not satisfied<1> |58,210 |n/a |n/a
Enough money available
to meet crisis |n/a |n/a |520
Other<2> |97,400 |21,210 |6,990
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
<1>Figures relate to the period November 1989 to March 1990 only.
<2>Includes decisions prior to November 1989 where Direction 4 was
not satisfied.
n/a-not applicable.
|Community |Budgeting |Crisis loans
|care grants |loans
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings over £500
sufficient to meet cost |2,510 |880 |60
Not in receipt of IS |n/a |35,780 |n/a
Not in receipt of IS for
26 weeks |n/a |100,380 |n/a
Not in receipt of IS and
unlikely to become entitled |15,890 |n/a |n/a
Excluded items |9,610 |29,370 |1,620
Excluded persons |13,790 |770 |320
Amount less than £30
(not travelling
expenses) |3,230 |11,950 |n/a
Total debt of £1,000 |n/a |180 |20
Previous application and
SFO decision for this
item |5,080 |13,180 |1,490
No serious risk or
damage to health or
safety |n/a |n/a |24,430
Inability to repay |n/a |11,730 |3,290
Help available from
another source |2,140 |2,460 |5,890
Insufficient priority |13,450 |83,430 |810
Other agencies not
providing back up |90 |n/a |n/a
Suitable alternative
available |1,180 |2,140 |1,860
Loan refused-CCG
awarded |n/a |14,580 |150
Other |83,220 |18,770 |6,590
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
n/a--not applicable.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing in 1988-89 and 1989-90 the number of (i) community care grants, (ii) budgeting loans and (iii) crisis loans which were refused on the grounds of "excluded items", breaking down "excluded items" into its component parts.
Mr. Scott : The numbers of applications refused on the grounds that the application was for an item excluded by the Secretary of State's directions are as follows. Details of the individual excluded items applied for are not recorded.
|Community |Budgeting |Crisis loans
|care grants |loans
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |9,610 |29,370 |1,620
1989-90 |11,850 |24,820 |1,280
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of (a) budgeting loans (b) crisis loans and (c) community care grants were awarded to each of the 15 client groups defined by his Department in (a) Great Britain as a whole (b) the north-east region and (c) each of the offices serving the Tyne and Wear area for 1989-90.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is in the table :
Column 561
|c|Analysis of awards 1989-90|c|
Client Group Code |00 |01 |02 |03 |04 |05 |06 |07 |08 |09 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budgeting Loans
National |0.2 |0.4 |0.6 |3.5 |0.4 |1.6 |4.2 |48.7 |0.4 |1.8 |15.7 |18.3 |1.1 |3.0 |0.0 |n/a
North East Region |0.1 |0.3 |0.6 |3.4 |0.3 |1.5 |3.6 |46.2 |0.5 |1.9 |19.7 |18.2 |1.0 |2.5 |0 .1 |n/a
Gateshead |0.0 |0.2 |0.5 |3.9 |0.2 |1.7 |3.7 |45.1 |0.2 |2.3 |21.6 |17.8 |0.9 |1.8 |1.0 |n/a
North Shields |0.0 |0.5 |0.6 |3.9 |0.3 |1.5 |4.8 |48.5 |0.8 |1.7 |16.6 |17.1 |0.8 |2.8 |0.0 |n/a
Wallsend |0.0 |0.7 |0.5 |3.3 |0.4 |1.7 |3.6 |46.2 |0.2 |1.3 |21.0 |18.2 |0.9 |1.8 |0.0 |n/a
Sunderland South |0.1 |0.2 |0.6 |3.6 |0.3 |1.4 |3.0 |42.6 |0.5 |2.6 |19.8 |21.5 |0.9 |2.9 |0.0 |n/a
South Shields |0.3 |0.1 |1.1 |4.2 |0.2 |0.8 |4.0 |47.5 |0.7 |1.7 |16.3 |19.7 |0.6 |2.2 |0.0 |n/a
Sunderland North |0.1 |0.1 |0.4 |3.1 |0.3 |1.1 |2.8 |44.6 |0.7 |1.7 |21.0 |20.6 |0.8 |2.6 |0.0 |n/a
Newcastle St James |0.3 |0.5 |0.5 |3.7 |0.2 |0.6 |4.4 |42.6 |0.2 |2.5 |17.4 |23.3 |1.0 |2.9 |0.0 |n/a
Jarrow |0.2 |0.1 |0.6 |4.4 |0.3 |0.7 |4.4 |47.0 |0.5 |2.0 |16.8 |18.1 |1.4 |2.6 |0.0 |n/a
Newcastle West |0.1 |0.7 |1.1 |4.9 |0.4 |1.0 |4.9 |56.9 |0.6 |0.7 |22.1 |3.6 |0.5 |2.3 |0.0 |n/a
Houghton le Spring |0.0 |0.7 |0.7 |3.6 |0.4 |0.9 |2.2 |47.9 |0.3 |0.9 |23.0 |15.5 |1.6 |2.0 |0.0 |n/a
Newcastle East |0.1 |0.1 |0.6 |1.8 |0.5 |1.5 |3.3 |47.4 |0.2 |2.4 |15.9 |23.3 |1.0 |1.8 |0.0 |n/a
Crisis loans
National |0.1 |0.1 |0.1 |0.8 |0.1 |0.4 |1.7 |21.7 |0.1 |0.2 |14.8 |44.0 |1.1 |4.4 |0.0 |10.4
North East Region |0.1 |0.1 |0.1 |0.8 |0.1 |0.5 |1.5 |25.2 |0.1 |0.3 |17.3 |39.9 |1.0 |2.9 |0.1 |10.3
Gateshead |0.1 |0.2 |0.5 |1.1 |0.0 |0.7 |1.9 |28.1 |0.0 |0.3 |18.7 |35.0 |0.9 |2.5 |0.0 |10.0
North Shields |0.0 |0.1 |0.0 |1.3 |0.1 |0.1 |1.5 |28.6 |0.0 |0.1 |21.2 |38.3 |1.3 |2.8 |0.0 |4.4
Wallsend |0.0 |0.3 |0.0 |1.0 |0.5 |0.7 |2.2 |23.1 |0.0 |0.2 |17.2 |38.0 |0.7 |3.1 |0.0 |12.9
Sunderland South |0.1 |0.1 |0.3 |1.0 |0.4 |0.9 |1.1 |26.7 |0.0 |0.1 |14.9 |43.5 |0.4 |3.0 |0.0 |7.6
South Shields |0.0 |0.1 |0.1 |0.6 |0.2 |0.4 |1.9 |22.0 |0.1 |0.2 |12.6 |48.7 |0.6 |3.7 |0.1 |8.8
Sunderland North |0.0 |0.2 |0.3 |0.8 |0.3 |0.7 |2.0 |31.1 |0.1 |0.3 |18.3 |32.4 |0.6 |1.9 |0.0 |11.1
Newcastle St James |0.4 |0.2 |0.0 |0.9 |0.0 |0.7 |1.8 |27.0 |0.0 |0.4 |16.7 |35.6 |1.0 |3.9 |0.0 |11.4
Jarrow |0.1 |0.1 |0.0 |0.5 |0.3 |0.8 |2.3 |24.7 |0.0 |0.3 |11.8 |40.6 |1.3 |2.9 |0.0 |14.3
Newcastle West |0.0 |0.2 |0.2 |1.3 |0.0 |0.6 |1.3 |18.8 |0.0 |0.3 |13.7 |24.6 |0.8 |2.3 |0.0 |35.7
Houghton le Spring |0.0 |0.0 |0.3 |0.3 |0.2 |0.3 |2.0 |22.5 |0.0 |0.0 |17.6 |32.1 |1.4 |3.0 |0.0 |20.3
Newcastle East |0.0 |0.2 |0.2 |1.4 |0.1 |0.3 |1.0 |26.3 |0.0 |0.4 |12.7 |44.5 |1.0 |2.1 |0.0 |9.9
Community care grants
National |0.4 |5.6 |5.1 |15.1 |0.9 |3.3 |12.6 |25.4 |0.4 |1.1 |8.5 |12.9 |2.1 |5.9 |0.0 |1.0
North East Region |0.2 |4.7 |5.3 |15.1 |0.9 |3.6 |11.9 |25.6 |0.4 |1.2 |10.2 |12.8 |2.1 |5.0 |0.1 |0.9
Gateshead |0.0 |4.1 |7.0 |14.3 |1.1 |2.8 |11.8 |28.8 |0.4 |1.0 |8.2 |14.0 |1.6 |4.1 |0.0 |0.8
North Shields |0.0 |5.0 |5.3 |17.1 |0.4 |4.4 |11.2 |27.7 |0.4 |0.0 |9.0 |14.7 |0.7 |3.3 |0.0 |0.9
Wallsend |0.2 |7.7 |7.7 |19.8 |0.0 |1.8 |10.5 |21.4 |0.2 |1.0 |8.9 |13.9 |1.8 |4.6 |0.0 |0.4
Sunderland South |0.1 |5.1 |4.9 |15.9 |2.0 |4.4 |14.4 |24.3 |0.5 |1.3 |8.4 |10.4 |2.1 |5.4 |0.0 |0.8
South Shields |0.1 |6.0 |4.6 |19.2 |1.3 |2.7 |10.8 |33.6 |1.0 |0.9 |7.6 |6.9 |1.2 |3.1 |0.0 |0.7
Sunderland North |0.2 |3.0 |5.4 |12.4 |1.8 |4.0 |10.7 |26.6 |0.3 |1.8 |10.8 |16.5 |1.4 |4.6 |0.0 |0.5
Newcastle St James |0.4 |4.3 |3.0 |14.3 |0.4 |2.6 |12.3 |26.3 |0.0 |1.1 |7.8 |16.6 |1.6 |8.1 |0.0 |1.1
Jarrow |0.0 |4.8 |8.5 |23.1 |0.4 |4.2 |14.9 |21.8 |0.1 |1.5 |7.2 |4.5 |3.3 |5.1 |0.0 |0.6
Newcastle West |0.4 |7.6 |7.3 |16.3 |0.3 |1.5 |13.6 |24.3 |0.0 |1.4 |10.7 |7.9 |1.5 |6.0 |0.0 |1.1
Houghton le Spring |0.2 |2.5 |2.0 |8.0 |0.7 |2.7 |14.5 |29.4 |0.5 |1.2 |19.7 |10.5 |2.0 |5.2 |0.0 |0.7
Newcastle East |0.2 |10.4 |9.7 |30.5 |1.5 |2.8 |13.6 |10.9 |0.4 |0.8 |3.9 |8.7 |0.7 |5.3 |0.0 |0.6
n/a = not applicable
Key to client group codes:
00 Not assigned
01 Over 80 and in receipt of Higher Pensioner Premium
02 Aged 60-79, disabled and in receipt of Higher Pensioner Premium
03 Aged 60-79, in receipt of Pensioner Premium or over 60 without Pensioner Premium
04 Lone Parent, in receipt of Disability Premium
05 Family, in receipt of Disability Premium
06 Other, in receipt of Disability Premium
07 Lone Parent, not in receipt of Disability Premium
08 Quarterly signer at UBO, in receipt of Family Premium
09 Quarterly signer at UBO, not in receipt of Family Premium
10 Signing as unemployed or with training allowance-in receipt of Family Premium
11 Signing as unemployed or with training allowance-not in receipt of Family Premium
12 Others, in receipt of Family Premium
13 Others, not in receipt of Family Premium
14 Involved in a trade dispute
15 Applicant not in receipt of Income Support
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of (a) budgetary loans and (b) community care grants were awarded to each of the 15 client groups defined by his Department for the midlands region in the financial year 1989-90.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 24 May 1990] : The information requested is set out in the table.
|Budgeting |Community
|Loans |Care Grants
Client Group |Per cent. |Per cent.
----------------------------------------------------
0 |0.13 |0.19
1 |0.42 |4.69
2 |0.51 |4.23
3 |3.45 |12.39
4 |0.32 |0.78
5 |1.84 |2.82
6 |2.96 |10.30
7 |50.17 |35.64
8 |0.57 |0.26
9 |1.53 |0.63
10 |20.06 |7.08
11 |14.57 |13.23
12 |1.14 |1.79
13 |2.17 |5.06
14 |0.00 |0.00
15 |n/a |0.93
The figures do not sum because of rounding.
Key to Client Groups
0 Unallocated or unidentified
1 Over 80-with Income Support higher pensioner
priemium.
2 Aged 60-79-disabled with higher pensioner
premium.
3 Aged 60-79-with ordinary pensioner premium or
over 60 without pensioner premium.
4 Lone parent with Income Support disability
premium.
5 Family with disability premium.
6 Other with disability premium.
7 Lone parent without disability premium.
8 Signs at UBO quarterly with Income Support
family premium.
9 Signs at UBO quarterly without family premium.
10 Signing unemployed or with training allowance
with family premium.
11 Signing unemployed or with training allowance
without family premium.
12 Others with family premium.
13 Others without family premium.
14 Involved in trade dispute.
15 Applicant not in receipt of Income Support-Not
applicable for budgeting loans.
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the expenditure on earnings-related unemployment benefit each year since 1975, at current and at 1990 prices ; and what is the estimated saving in public expenditure from the abolition of earnings-related unemployment benefit each year since 1982 and cumulatively, at current and at 1990 prices.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Expenditure on earnings-related unemployment benefit from 1975 to 1982 is shown in the table.
<
£ million
|Original price|1990-91 price
------------------------------------------------------------
1975-76 |73 |247
1976-77 |87 |254
1977-78 |92 |248
1978-79 |90 |214
1979-80 |85 |171
1980-81 |170 |306
1981-82 |176 |292
Information on the expenditure saving from the abolition of earnings- related unemployment benefit each year since 1982 is not available. In 1982 it was estimated that the public expenditure saving in the first full year from the abolition of earnings-related unemployment benefit was around £100 million at 1982-83 prices ; this converts to about £150 million at 1990-91 prices. Following recent research into the work history of the newly unemployed, it is now estimated that if earnings-related unemployment benefit were to be reintroduced the gross cost would be around £200 million in the current financial year. There would be an offsetting saving of about £50 million on income support.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many councils in England and Wales are not taking war pensions into account when assessing housing benefit claims ; and if he will put a list of these in the Library.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 14 December 1989 at columns 758-62.
Attendance Allowance
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was the total number of applications for attendance allowance received in the United Kingdom in each year since 1980 ;
(2) how many applications for attendance allowance were refused in each year since 1980 ;
(3) how many applications for attendance allowance were granted (a) at the higher and (b) at the lower rate in each year since 1980.
Mr. Scott : The details requested for Great Britain are in the table.
Year Initial CAwards and Rate Rejections
|Received|Higher |Lower
------------------------------------------------------
1980 |147,367 |38,796 |60,527 |39,613
1981 |166,572 |42,526 |65,493 |40,608
1982 |193,457 |53,981 |81,550 |45,985
1983 |233,480 |61,166 |98,325 |57,816
1984 |257,747 |67,445 |114,325 |58,004
1985 |277,017 |66,218 |118,381 |70,526
1986 |286,889 |61,457 |112,607 |76,497
1987 |319,667 |78,338 |130,355 |91,888
1988 |361,720 |74,058 |133,795 |110,527
1989 |365,219 |83,647 |145,095 |100,973
Some claims are withdrawn before decision and some are decided in a different year from that in which they are made.
Security Screens (Benefit Offices)
Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy on the use of security screens in benefit offices.
Column 566
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Security screens are installed at reception points and in interview rooms of local social security offices where it is considered appropriate.
Students
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total saving to public expenditure expected in respect of the proposed withdrawal of students' entitlement to (i) housing benefit, (ii) unemployment benefit and (iii) income support in this and the next financial year.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Government's proposal is to withdraw housing benefit, unemployment benefit and income support entitlement from full-time students from the start of the 1990-91 academic year. The reduction in public expenditure from these benefit changes in the current financial year is estimated at £29 million. This reduction arises from housing benefit only, since students are not currently eligible for unemployment benefit during term time and the short vacations. Similarly, the vast majority of full-time students are ineligible for income support other than in the long summer vacation. In the next financial year reductions in public expenditure are estimated to be £51 million from housing benefit and £28 million from income support and unemployment benefit. It is not possible to provide a disaggregated figure for unemployment benefit as separate details of claims are not kept.
The reduction in public expenditure arising from these benefits changes will be more than offset by a total of over £200 million which is being made available in the next academic year through the student loans scheme and access funds.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the total numbers of students currently in receipt of (i) housing benefit, (ii) income support during the long vacation and (iii) unemployment benefit during the long vacation.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Provisional quarterly figures for February 1990 indicate that around 90,000 students were in receipt of housing benefit at that time. This figure includes those receiving rate rebate only as well as those receiving rent allowance and rent rebate. The number of students receiving rent allowances or rent rebates can be separately identified only from the annual one in 100 sample of cases. Figures for May 1989 should be available shortly. A special exercise conducted in DSS local offices in the 1989 summer vacation identified 135,000 student claims for income support lasting, on average, six weeks.
I regret that information on the numbers of students receiving unemployment benefit is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information his Department collects on the numbers of students claiming housing benefit, unemployment benefit and income support.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Information on the number of students claiming housing benefit is obtained from a quarterly count of cases by local authorities and from the annual one in 100 sample of case details.
Details of the numbers of students registered as unemployed are collected on a monthly basis and
Column 567
published in the Employment Gazette. It is not, however, possible to differentiate between those claiming unemployment benefit and those claiming income support.A special exercise was mounted in the 1989 summer vacation to provide details of student claims to income support, including numbers claiming, duration of claim and amount of benefit paid.
Incomes (Yorkshire)
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Yorkshire are on less than half the average income ; how many are below average incomes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Government do not publish statistics on living standards disaggregated on a regional basis. However, a recent publication by the Social Services Select Committee contains results of an analysis carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Copies of the publication--"Households and Families Below Average Income : a Regional Analysis"--are available in the Library.
Allowances (Clydebank and Milngavie)
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Clydebank and Milngavie, or in the administrative units approximating to this area for which the information is available, are in receipt of (a) invalid care allowance, (b) attendance allowance and (c) severe disablement allowance.
Mr. Scott : I regret that details of the numbers of people in Clydebank and Milngavie receiving (a) invalid care allowance and (b) attendance allowance are not available.
As at 30 April 1990, the latest date for which the information is held, the numbers of people receiving severe disablement allowance from the Department's local social security offices at Clydebank and Glasgow (Maryhill) which serve the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency, although their boundaries are not conterminous, were :
|Numbers
-----------------------------------
Clydebank |334
Glasgow (Maryhill) |277
Source : 100 per cent. count of cases in action. The figures quoted may include a small number of cases not actually in receipt of benefit. Data are provisional and subject to amendment.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of dedicated energy managers in his Department and the number of person-years devoted to energy management in the latest year.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : In the financial year 1989-90 the division of the administration of the Department of Health and Social Security was not complete, and the following information reflects the position for both Departments.
There is one dedicated energy manager and each accommodation manager has a proportion of his time allocated for energy management. As information about the latter is not readily available it is not possible to calculate the total number of person years devoted to energy management.
Column 568
Benefit Payments
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many times, in each of the latest years for which information is available, the provision to make payments to another person on the beneficiary's behalf under regulation 34 of S.I. No. 1968, 1987 has been (a) used and (b) used to pay benefit to the partner of a claimant.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as no record is kept of the number of cases in which regulation 34 of SI 1987/1968 (the Social Security (Claims on Payments) Regulations 1987) is used to make payments to another person on the beneficiary's behalf.
National Insurance
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the end-of-year surplus/deficit on the national insurance fund in each year since 1979 ; and what has been the income and outgoings from the fund in each of these years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information for the years up to and including 1988-89 is in the table. Final figures for 1989-90 are not yet available.
£ billions
Year |Income |Expenditure|Surplus/
|deficit
------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |13.30 |12.76 |+0.54
1980-81 |16.01 |15.60 |+0.41
1981-82 |17.06 |18.05 |-0.99
1982-83 |19.39 |19.42 |-0.03
1983-84 |21.09 |20.51 |+0.58
1984-85 |22.12 |21.74 |+0.38
1985-86 |23.50 |23.18 |+0.32
1986-87 |25.34 |24.93 |+0.41
1987-88 |27.34 |25.76 |+1.58
1988-89 |29.82 |26.74 |+3.08
Child Maintenance
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place a copy in the Library of the new instructions to local offices on (a) assessing absent parents' ability to pay maintenance and (b) interviewing lone parents about the identity of the absent father.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Local office instructions covering the assessment of benefit and the related adjudication guidance from the office of the chief adjudication officer are published. However, it is not our practice to publish local office operational instructions because to do so would risk increased and unnecessary abuse of the benefits system.
Public Appointments
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the full-time and part-time public appointments for which he is responsible, together with the salary and the date when each appointment is due for renewal.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 23 May 1990] : Details of some of the full-time and part-time public
Column 569
appointments for which the Secretary of State for Social Security is responsible can be obtained from the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1989". A copy is in the Library. Details of salaries and fees can be obtained from the same source.The dates on which all these appointments are due for renewal are not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The readily available information is in the table.
Name of Body |Appointment
|Renewal Dates
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attendance Allowance Board |2 due during 1980
|4 due during 1991
|4 due during 1992
Central Advisory Committee on War Pensions |11 due during 1990
|6 due during 1991
|7 due during 1992
|2 due during 1993
Industrial Injuries Advisory Council |8 due during 1990
|1 due during 1991
|8 due during 1992
Social Security Advisory Committee |3 due during 1990
|3 due during 1991
|6 due during 1992
|2 due during 1993
Occupational Pensions Board |6 due during 1990
|2 due during 1991
|5 due during 1992
In addition, the Secretary of State is responsible for the following appointments :
Independent Living Fund. Five appointments, which are due for renewal in 1993. No salaries or fees paid.
Social Fund Commissioner. One appointment, which is due for renewal during 1990. Salary is £15,758.
Pension Age
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received concerning equal state pension age ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We have received a total of 119 representations in the year to 27 April 1990.
National Insurance Contributions
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those categories of workers who pay National Insurance contributions as both employers and employees ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We are not aware of any circumstances in which an individual will be liable for both employer's and employee's contributions in respect of the same occupation.
Medical Appeal Tribunals
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many female chairmen of medical appeal tribunals in Scotland there are.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The administration of medical appeal tribunals is the responsibility of the president of the social security and medical appeal tribunals, His Honour Judge Holden. His office advises that there are no female chairmen of medical tribunals in Scotland.
Column 570
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many female medical practitioner members of medical appeal tribunals in Scotland there are.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The administration of medical appeal tribunals is the responsibility of the president of the social security and medical appeal tribunals, His Honour Judge Holden. His office advises that there are two female medical practitioner members of medical appeal tribunals in Scotland.
HEALTH
Family Doctor Service
14. Mr. Hanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on funding for the family doctor service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We will spend almost £1,800 million this year on the family doctor service, 77 per cent. more in real terms than in 1979-80.
Social Work Training
15. Mr. Orme : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve basic social work training.
19. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve basic social work training.
90. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve basic social work training.
102. Mr Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve basic social work training.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Government have accepted the need to improve training for social workers and other social care staff. We are therefore implementing a balanced programme of improvements to provide a comprehensive, progressive continuum of education, training and qualifications for all social work and care staff in the personal social services.
For social work qualifying training this includes the provision of additional funding for phasing out one-year post-graduate courses in favour of a minimum of two years' training, improvement to the quality and quantity of practice placements and improvements to course curricula. We are also making additional funds available to the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work to introduce a new qualifying course at higher education level, the diploma in social work, which will replace the existing qualifying courses over time. This new award, developed in consultation with educational, employment and professional interests, represents a radically improved approach to qualifying training for social workers which will enable students to acquire the knowledge, skills and values required for competent practice as a social worker.
Community Care
17. Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current time scale for implementation of proposals on community care.
Column 571
20. Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his current timescale for implementation of proposals on community care.Mr Kenneth Clarke : The implementation of the community care proposals is timetabled for 1 April 1991.
77. Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current time scale for implementation of proposals on community care.
108. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current time scale for implementation of proposals on community care.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The implementation of the community care proposals is timetabled for 1 April 1991.
61. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes he is proposing to make in the procedures governing the release into the community of mentally ill and other patients ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : On 14 May I announced that the Government were formally consulting on the introduction of the care programme approach for people with a serious mental illness. We propose that all district health authorities should introduce this approach from next April. It will cover all psychiatric patients discharged from hospital and should help ensure that they receive the community care they need.
45. Mr. Bidwell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on earmarked grants to local authorities for the purpose of community care.
Mr. Battle : To ask Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on earmarked grants to local authorities for the purpose of community care.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave the hon. Members for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) and for Derbyshire, North- East (Mr. Barnes) earlier today.
30. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next expects to meet the Association of Directors of Social Services to discuss community care. 53. Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next expects to meet the Association of Directors of Social Services to discuss community care. Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. O'Brien) earlier today.
National Health Service Funding 18. Mr. John Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next expects to meet the National Association of Health Authorities to discuss its concerns regarding the funding of the National Health Service. 28. Mr. Lambie : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next expects to meet the National Association of Health Authorities to discuss its concerns regarding the funding of the National Health Service. 67. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next expects to meet the National Association of Health Authorities to discuss its concerns regarding the funding of the National Health Service.
Column 572
98. Mr. James Lamond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next expects to meet the National Association of Health Authorities to discuss its concerns regarding the funding of the National Health Service. Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I and ministerial colleagues have fairly frequent contacts with the National Association of Health Authorities. Later this month I shall be attending its annual conference.94. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the TUC general council to discuss National Health Service funding ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The TUC general council has made no request for any meeting with me. I met the health service committee of the TUC on 28 July 1989 and discussed funding and other issues. I plan to meet it again on 19 July for similar discussions.
Eye Tests
21. Mr. Wall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now expects to announce the results of his Department's survey of eye tests.
51. Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now expects to announce the results of his Department's survey of eye tests.
55. Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now expects to announce the results of his Department's survey of eye tests.
65. Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now expects to announce the results of his Department's survey of eye tests.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : A report of the NOP findings on sight tests will be available shortly.
75. Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to remove charges for eyesight checks.
96. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for health if he will bring forward proposals to remove charges for eyesight checks.
107. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to remove charges for eyesight checks.
109. Mr Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to remove charges for eyesight checks.
| Next Section
| Home Page |