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Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate the Hong Kong
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Government are able to make of the total amount collected in the pro-democracy rallies of 1989 ; and whether anyone was charged with the offence of collecting money without a permit.Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Hong Kong Government have not made an estimate of the total amount of money collected at large-scale rallies during 1989 and do not consider it appropriate to do so. In the immediate aftermath of June 4 1989, when public emotions ran high, the law was applied in a flexible manner and no one was charged with collecting money in public without a permit.
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the proposed Bill of Rights for Hong Kong will entail the repeal of the summary offences ordinance or any part of it.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Existing legislation in Hong Kong, including the summary offences ordinance, is being reviewed to ensure that all provisions are in line with the proposed Bill of Rights.
Thailand
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when (a) the naval and air attache , (b) the defence and military attache and (c) the attache (defence) presently attached to the British embassy in Thailand began their tours of duty.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The current naval and air attache at the British embassy in Bangkok began his tour in November 1989 ; the defence and military attache arrived in October 1988. There is no one at present filling the post of attache (defence).
Conservation Convention
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support a conservation convention ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I shall write to the hon. and learned Member.
Immigration
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the waiting times for different queues for interviews in relation to entry clearance for the United Kingdom at Islamabad.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : As at 31 May, the estimated waiting times in months are :
|Q1|Q2|Q3|Q4
-------------------------
Islamabad |3 |5 |9 |19
Settlement queues are
organised as follows:
Q1 Persons with a claim
to the right of abode,
dependant relatives over
70 years, special
compassionate cases.
Q2 All spouses, and all
children under 18 years.
Q3 Fiance(e)s and others
applying for the first
time for settlement.
Q4 Re-applicants.
Visitors
Due to seasonal high
demand, applicants for
visit visas in Islamabad
requiring a full
interview can expect to
wait up to five days.
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Political Advisers
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the political advisers and public relations advisers currently employed to advise Ministers in his Department, including those persons paid by other organisations and seconded to the Government, giving in every case the source of payment, rate of salary and expenses.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There are two special advisers, Mr. Lidington and Mr. Fraser. Their role is to consider the presentational and domestic political aspects of policy issues and to advise the Secretary of State and Ministers.
It is not our practice to reveal the salaries of individual advisers. They are individually negotiated in relation to previous outside earnings.
Sri Lanka
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Sri Lanka to grant direct entry for humanitarian aid agencies and to allow Commonwealth or United Nations mediators to negotiate a peaceful end to the civil war.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : No. We are not aware that the Sri Lankan Government have restricted access for aid agencies. A number are already at work there, and the international committee of the Red Cross is currently supervising convoys of relief supplies to the north. President Premadasa has already spoken of involving the international community in any future talks with the LTTE.
Nuclear Power
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the United Kingdom representation will be constituted at the 34 annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna in September.
Mr. Waldegrave : In addition to members of the United Kingdom's permanent mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is intended that two officials from the Department of Energy and one from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will attend the 34th annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna in September.
Whales and Dolphins
Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea concerning the deaths of whales and dolphins in the south Pacific due to fine-mesh drift nets used by fishing fleets from those countries.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Government of Japan and the Republic of South Korea are well aware of our concern about the use of large-scale drift nets in the south Pacific. We and our EC partners supported the United Nations resolution calling for its cessation by the end of June 1991 and welcomed the endorsement of this resolution by the 42nd annual meeting of the International Whaling
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Commission. We also welcomed the recent decision of the Japanese Government to suspend drift net fishing in the south Pacific one year in advance of the deadline stipulated in the United Nations resolution. We do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and have no Government-to-Government dealings with the authorities there.Overseas Civil Service (Pensions)
Mr. Stanbrook : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to bring the way in which the pensions of expatriate members of the overseas civil service in Hong Kong are paid into line with that prevailing in the other territories of the British empire.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 19 July] : There are no plans to change the present arrangements for paying pensions to members of Her Majesty's overseas civil service who have served in Hong Kong.
Aid and Trade Provision
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all aid and trade provision projects from 1979 to date where his Department nominated lead companies, naming the companies and if they are a subsidiary, also listing the name of the parent company ; what are the sums of money involved including the export value and the ATP element ; and whether there was any other United Kingdom Government support for these projects including any assistance from the Export Credits Guarantee Department.
Mr. Sainsbury : I have been asked to reply.
I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Living Standards
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures to show the estimate of the annual rise in living standards since 1979 of (a) non-pensioner couples with children, (b) non-pensioner couples without children, (c) non-pensioner single people, (d) non-pensioner single people with children, (e) single pensioners and (f) pensioner couples up to the latest available date.
Mr. Scott : This information relates to incomes as calculated for households below average income, published 23 July 1990 ; incomes before housing costs.
Estimate of annual percentage change 1979-87
|Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Non-pensioner couple with children |2.8
Non-pensioner couple without children |2.2
Non-pensioner single people |2.5
Non-pensioner single people with children |1.2
Single pensioners |2.7
Pensioner couples |3.0
The figures are subject to sampling error, particularly in the case of non- pensioner single people with children. In 1987 the sample size for non- pensioner single people with children was 394--4.3 per cent. of the total sample.
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Incomes
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish an estimate of how much the real equivalent incomes of the bottom 5 per cent. and the top 5 per cent. of the population rose between 1978-79 and 1989-90, after payment of housing costs.
Mr. Scott : Because of the limitations of sample size and the variability of incomes at extremes of the income distribution, reliable estimates are not available for the lowest and highest 5 per cent. However, changes in the median incomes of those in the lower half of the income distribution are recorded in "Households Below Average Income, 1981-87", copies of which are available in the Library. When making comparisons with real income changes at the highest extreme of the income distribution, which rose by some 40 per cent. for the 95th percentile between 1979 and 1987, it is important to remember that household types, in terms of the numbers of earners per household, income composition and average tax rates are substantially different at the highest extreme, and are susceptible to greater variability over time. Figures beyond 1987 are not available.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state (a) how many people would gain, (b) what would be the average gain and (c) what would be the cost as a result of raising the level of savings under which housing benefit is payable to £10,000 on the assumption that (i) the rules for other benefits are unaltered, (ii) the interest actually received on savings and not an arbitrarily assumed return is used in assessing benefit and (iii) no change is made to the rule that those with savings under £3,000 receive benefit in full.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The level of savings under which housing benefit remains payable was increased in April to £16,000. On the assumption, therefore, that this £16,000 upper limit is used rather than £10,000 and the income counted in the calculation of housing benefit is the actual interest received rather than the assumed tariff income, it is estimated that 170,000 existing recipients of housing benefit would gain an average of £4.50 per week and 30,000 people would start receiving an average of £7.20 per week. These gains would go to those with higher levels of capital. However, for those with savings not far above the £3,000 lower level there would be an average loss of £1.40 a week : this adverse effect would reduce housing benefit for 110,000 present beneficiaries, and remove entitlement entirely from a further 10,000. The total cost would be around £40 million.
It is not necessarily the case in the current housing benefit scheme that people with savings under £3,000 receive benefit in full. Savings of £3,000 or less do not affect the amount of income counted in the calculation of housing benefit. Where savings are £3,000 or less and total calculated income is equal to or less than the relevant applicable amount, maximum housing benefit is payable. However, many people with no savings or with savings of or below £3, 000 have incomes in excess of the applicable amount, and this excess income reduces their maximum housing benefit by the amount of the taper.
(Source : Modelled using data drawn from the 1985-86-87 family expenditure surveys).
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Benefit Changes
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the changes to (a) national insurance benefits and (b) means- tested benefits since 1987, with (i) numbers affected, (ii) additional expenditure, (iii) additional savings and (iv) net cost of each change.
Mr. Scott : It is not possible to collate simply, and on a common basis in the way requested, the effects of a complex succession of interacting benefit changes. In particular the introduction of income support, family credit and the new housing benefit scheme was a major structural reform and the effect of these changes cannot be simply stated : information about the structural effects was provided by the illustrative figures published in the booklet "Impact of the reformed structure of income-related benefits", a copy of which is in the Library. Other details of these and other major benefit changes are published in the public expenditure White Papers for the relevant years.
Pensioners
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures for the latest year available for Scotland showing the number of (a) single and (b) married retirement pensioners with gross weekly incomes excluding state pension benefits of any category and housing benefit and community charge benefit, at the levels of (i) less than £5, (ii) £5 to £10, (iii) £10 to £15, (iv) £15 to £20, (v) £20 to £30, (vi) £30 to £40, (vii) £40 to £50, (viii) £50 to £60, (ix) £60 to £70, (x) £70 to £80, (xi) £80 to £90, (xii) £90 to £100 and (xiii) over £100.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The percentage of pensioners with incomes excluding supplementary benefit and housing benefit are as follows :
|Per cent.
---------------------------------
Less than £5 |36
£5 to £39.99 |32
£40 and over |32
Source: 1987 Family Expenditure
Survey.
Note: The income bands requested
have been aggregated to provide
figures based on adequate
statistical samples; for the
same reason there is no
disaggregation between single
and married pensioners.
Earnings
Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women (i) in total and (ii) in each region earn above the national insurance upper earnings limit, divided into those on basic rate and the top rate of tax.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : It is estimated that during 1990-91 about 3.3 million employees will earn more than the upper earnings limit for class 1 national insurance contributions and that of these 2.9 million will be men and 400,000 will be women.
Of these, it is estimated that 1.8 million men and 300,000 women will be basic rate taxpayers and 1.1 million men and 100,000 women will pay tax at the higher rate.
It is estimated that about 200,000 self-employed basic rate taxpayers and about 300,000 higher rate taxpayers earn more than the upper profits limit for national insurance contributions. Of these some 10 to 15 per cent. are women.
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The information is not available on a regional basis.Occupational Deafness
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to extend the categories of claimants eligible for industrial disablement benefit on the grounds of occupational deafness.
Mr. Scott : We are awaiting a report from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on measures to improve the administration and operation of disablement benefit provision for occupational deafness. This report will be considered and evaluated before any firm decision is made whether to extend further the list of prescribed occupations.
Pensions
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to calculate future increases in pensions on the basis of a definite weekly sum above the rate of inflation.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Government have honoured their commitment to maintain the value of the state retirement pension in line with prices. What matters most to pensioners is the value of their total income from whatever source. The success of the Government's policies is demonstrated by the 31 per cent. real-terms growth in pensioners' average total net income between 1979 and 1987.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what has been the saving in public expenditure from the break in the earnings link in the uprating of pensions each year since 1979 and cumulatively, at current and 1990 prices ;
(2) further to his answer of 20 March, Official Report, columns 594-95, regarding the gross cost of uprating the basic national insurance pension in line with average earnings each year, if he will now give the figures revalued at 1990-91 prices, including the figure for 1990-91 ; and if he will also give the figures including the gross cost of uprating the invalidity pension and the widow's pension in line with average earnings, also at 1990-91 prices ;
(3) if, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, West of 20 March, Official Report, columns 594-95, regarding the gross cost since 1980 of uprating the retirement pension in line with average earnings, he will now give the figure for 1990-91 ; and if he will give the gross cost cumulatively since 1980 of uprating the invalidity pension and widow's pension, in addition to the basic retirement pension, in line with average earnings.
Mrs Gillian Shephard [holding answers 5 June and 14 June 1990] : The information requested is set out in the tables.
Table 2
Gross additional cost of uprating retirement pension,
widow's pension
and invalidity pension in line with the higher of
prices or earnings
since 1980 (Current Prices).
£ billion
Year |Retirement|Widow's |Invalidity
|pension |pension |pension
-------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |0.05 |<1>- |<1>-
1981-82 |0.26 |0.02 |0.04
1982-83 |0.39 |0.03 |0.05
1983-84 |0.47 |0.03 |0.07
1984-85 |0.96 |0.05 |0.14
1985-86 |1.14 |0.06 |0.16
1986-87 |2.00 |0.10 |0.29
1987-88 |2.83 |0.13 |0.43
1988-89 |3.68 |0.15 |0.60
1989-90 |4.57 |0.18 |0.79
1990-91 |5.56 |0.21 |1.00
|----- |----- |-----
Total |21.91 |0.96 |3.57
<1> less than £0.01 billion.
Table file CW900726.069 not available
Table file CW900726.070 not available
Figures on the additional cost of retirement pensions in table 2 are higher than those in table 1. Table 2 uses the actual rate of benefit paid in November 1979 to calculate the additional costs. This actual rate is higher than the rate that would have been paid had the "earnings or prices" rule been applied. Table 1 uses the lower implied rate of benefit in 1979 and so the costs for all subsequent years are lower.
Table 3
Gross additional cost of
uprating retirement pension,
widow's pension
and invalidity pension in line
with the higher of prices or
earnings
since 1980 (April 1990 Prices)
£ billion
Year |RP |WP |IVP
--------------------------------
1980-81 |0.08 |0.01 |0.01
1981-82 |0.42 |0.04 |0.06
1982-83 |0.60 |0.04 |0.08
1983-84 |0.69 |0.05 |0.10
1984-85 |1.32 |0.07 |0.20
1985-86 |1.49 |0.07 |0.21
1986-87 |2.53 |0.12 |0.37
1987-88 |3.44 |0.15 |0.52
1988-89 |4.22 |0.17 |0.69
1989-90 |4.87 |0.19 |0.84
1990-91 |5.56 |0.21 |1.00
|-----|-----|-----
Total |25.22|1.12 |4.08
The additional cost of uprating by this method for the benefits in table 3 would imply an increase in national insurance contributions of £4.63 a week for a person on average earnings.
The Government Actuary in his latest quinquennial review has indicated that national insurance contributions would have to rise even more steeply in the future if benefits were to be uprated in this way.
Column 486
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated reduction in public expenditure as a result of the changes in SERPS provided for in the Social Security Act 1986 for each year up to 2035, at 1990 constant prices.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 6 June 1990] : Estimated reduction in gross public expenditure as a result of the changes in SERPS provided for in the 1986 Social Security Act at 1990 prices is as follows :
Year |£ billions --------------------------------- 1995-96 |<1>- 2001-02 |<1>- 2005-06 |1 2010-11 |2 2015-16 |3 2020-21 |5 2025-26 |8 2035-36 |14 Source: Government Actuary's Department. <1> Indicates negligible savings.
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the cost of reducing the pensionable age for men from 65 to 60 years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest estimate based on 1985-86 benefit rates of the net cost of reducing pensionable age for men to 60 years is £3,000 million.
Disability Allowance
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on implementing a national disability allowance scheme based on attendance allowance, with the top rate based on a higher scale of night and day allowance, and the lower rates based on the level of disability ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : We have received comments on our proposals for disability allowance from more than 70 organisations of and for disabled people and from a large number of individual people with disabilities. We regularly meet the disability organisations, and I met the Disability Benefits Consortium--an umbrella group representing more than 250 disability organisations on 5 April to discuss their views on "The Way Ahead". We shall continue to take into account the views of interested organisations and individuals while work is progressing on the two new benefits, disability allowance and disability employment credit.
Mentally Handicapped People
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps are being taken to ensure people discharged from mental and care institutions into bed and breakfast hotels or temporary accommodation have adequate support.
Mr. Scott : People discharged from mental and care institutions into bed and breakfast hotels or temporary accommodation are eligible for the full range of social security benefits in the usual way. They will also be eligible for support from the health and personal social services which are the responsibility in England of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
Column 487
Rape (Compensation)
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons compensation for rape awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board is subject to deduction from income support ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The vast majority of payments from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board have no effect whatsoever on social security benefits. Under income support, the first £3,000 of capital is disregarded and an income equivalent to £1 a week is assumed for every £250, or part of £250, of capital over £3,000 up to £8,000. However, any income derived from that capital is completely ignored.
Column 488
In addition, compensation payments arising from a personal injury which are placed on trust are wholly disregarded for at least two years. We propose to disregard these trust funds entirely from 1 October, although any actual payments made by the trustees will be treated in the normal way.These rules assist claimants and ensure that long-term provision can be made for those requiring long-term care.
Benefit Claimants (Treatment)
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the instances in which a woman, single, married or cohabiting, is treated differently, for the purpose of claiming and receipt of benefit, than a man would be in the same circumstances.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is in the table.
Column 487
Benefit |Issue |Women |Men
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unemployment Benefit |Maximum age for receipt |Age 65 |Age 70
|Age at which benefit rate changes to|Age 60 |Age 65
|Retirement Pension rate
Sickness Benefit |Maximum age for receipt |Age 65 |Age 70
|Age at which benefit rate changes to|Age 60 |Age 65
|Retirement Pension basis
Invalidity Benefit |Maximum age for receipt |Age 65 |Age 70
|Age at which benefit rate changes to|Age 60 |Age 65
|Retirement Pension rate
Invalidity Allowance and Invalidity |Maximum age for onset of incapac- |Below age 55 |Below age 60
Addition to Retirement Pension |ity for acquiring entitlement to
|lower rate
State Maternity Allowance, |Conditions of Entitlement |Entitlement where statutory |No entitlement in respect of
Statutory Maternity Pay, Social |conditions satisfied |paternity
Fund Payments to meet Maternity
Expenses
Widows Payment, Widowed |Conditions of Entitlement |Entitlement where statutory |No equivalent entitlement for
Mothers Allowance, Widows |conditions satisfied | widowers
Pension
Category A Retirement Pension |Minimum age of entitlement |Age 60 |Age 65
|Age until which an individual may |Age 65 |Age 70
|"deretire" or postpone claim to
|receive increments
|Working life for calculation of |44 years |49 years
|pension rate
Category B Retirement Pension |Conditions of Entitlement |Aged 60 and over and (i) |Aged 65 and over and
|married at 60 to husband |widowed over 65 late wife
|who is entitled to Category A |was over 60 when she died
|Retirement Pension, or (ii) |and satisfied contribution
|married after age 60 to |conditions for Category A
|husband entitled to Category |Retirement Pension
|A Retirement Pension, or (iii)
|widowed after age 60 and
|late husband satisfied contri-
|bution conditions for
|Category A Retirement
|Pension, or (iv) widowed
|before age 60 and in receipt
|of widows pension in conse-
|quence of husband's death
Retirement Pension Additional |Age at 6 April 1978 for amendment |Age 40 |Age 45
Pension | of accrual formula from 5 April
|1999
Graduated Retirement Benefit |Minimum age of entitlement |Age 60 |Age 65
|Amount of graduated contributions |£9.00 |£7.50
|paid to obtain one graduated retire-
|ment benefit unit
Severe Disablement Allowance |Upper age for establishing entitle- |60 |65
|ment
|Age at which payment can continue |65 |70
|if the normal entitlement rules are
|no longer satisfied
Invalid Care Allowance |Upper age for establishing entitle- |60 |65
|ment
|Age at which payment can continue |65 |70
|if the normal entitlement rules are
|no longer satisfied
Reduced Earnings Allowance (not |Transfer to Retirement Allowance |Age 60 (except women 60 |Age 65 (except men 65 and
payable in respect of industrial |and over on 10 April 1989)
accidents on and from 1 October |over on 10 April 1989)
1990)
Income of Unemployment and |Claimant's age for entitlement |60-65 |65-70
Sickness Benefit for Child
dependant
Increase of Category A |Entitlement for spouse where pen- |Increase for husband only if |No additional condition for
RetirementPension for Adult |sioner residing with spouse in |pensioner was entitled to an |increase for wife
dependant |contributing to maintenance of |increase of unemployment,
|spouse subject to earnings maximum |sickness or invalidity benefit
|immediately before comm-
|Pension entitlement
Child Benefit |Priority of Title |Wife or mother has priority
|over husband or father where
|it is necessary to decide
|priority
Guardian's Allowance |Priority of Title |Wife has priority over hus-
|band where it is necessary to
|determine priority
Income Support Housing Benefit |Higher Pensioner Premium depen- |Subject to conditions for
|Community Charge Benefit |dent upon entitlement to Invalidity
|Benefit or Severe Disablement |(see above) |entitlement to these benefits
|Allowance
Income Support |Payability between ages 60 and 65 |Paid in advance |Paid in arrears
|for claimants with no other income
|Disentitlement of students on full |Disentitlement ceases at age |Disentitlement ceases at age
|time course of study | 60 | 65
Table file CW900726.074 not available
Child Benefit
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current real value of child benefit as against the level in April 1987 ; and what would be the annual cost of restoring child benefit to its April 1987 level (a) assuming a similar increase in child dependancy additions paid with income-related benefits and (b) assuming no other benefit increases.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The April 1987 rate of child benefit -- £7.25--would be worth £8.91 in April 1990 on the basis of the movement in the index of retail prices between those months. The costs of such an increase would be £1,030 million gross and £780 million net.
Maternity Payments
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what would be the net cost of (a) abolishing, (b) reducing to one year and (c) reducing to six months, the two-year length of service qualifications for full-time workers employed for over 16 hours a week for receipt of statutory maternity pay ;
Column 490
(2) what would be the net additional cost of paying maternity allowance to (a) all full-time pregnant workers, (b) all part-time pregnant workers and (c) all pregnant workers ; (3) what would be the net cost of (a) abolishing, (b) reducing to one year and (c) reducing to six months, the five-year length of service qualification for part-time workers employed for at least eight but under 16 hours for receipt of statutory maternity pay ; (4) what would be the net cost of paying statutory maternity pay at the higher rate of nine tenths of the employee's average weekly earnings for the whole of the maternity pay period if the maternity pay period were (a) 18 weeks, (b) 26 weeks, (c) 39 weeks and (d) 52 weeks.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the net cost of abolishing the capital rule for receipt of the maternity expenses grant for families claiming income support or other income-related benefits.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Column 491
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the net cost of reintroducing the national insurance maternity grant set at a level of £100 per child.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The net cost of paying a universal maternity grant of £100 is estimated as about £56 million. This figure assumes maternity payments under the social fund would no longer be payable.
Political Advisers
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the political advisers and public relations advisers currently employed to advise Ministers in his Department, including those persons paid by other organisations and seconded to the Government, giving in every case the source of payment, rate of salary and expenses.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : At present there are no political advisers or public relations advisers employed to advise Ministers in this Department. The Department is in the process of recruiting one and it is likely that they will be appointed with effect from 16 August. Salary has yet to be agreed.
Income Support
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the net cost of raising the income support rate for claimants aged 18 to 24 years to the level of the rate payable for claimants aged 25 years and over.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The estimated cost for income-related benefits would be in the region of £250 million.
Source : Modelled using data drawn from the 1985-86-87 Family Expenditure surveys and the 1989 annual statistical inquiry. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the net cost of restoring entitlement to income support to all 16 and 17-year-olds at (a) current 18 to 24-year-old levels and (b) at full adult levels.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The estimated annual cost of restoring entitlement to income support to all 16 and 17-year-olds at (a) current 18 to 24-year-old levels of personal allowance and (b) at full adult levels would be around £10 million and £150 million respectively.
Costs are based on existing benefit rates and youth training allowances ; the actual cost would also depend on the number of people on youth training.
Source : The 1985-86-87 Family Expenditure surveys and the 1989 annual statistical inquiry.
Pensioners (Housing Benefit)
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether pensioners over 75 years of age living in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole have been paid the additional housing benefit to which they are entitled following the Government's changes in the rules for those aged over 75 years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The day-to-day administration of housing benefit is the responsibility of local authorities.
Column 492
We are not aware that councils in Scotland had any particular difficulty in implementing the changes to the housing benefit scheme in October 1989.Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost to the national insurance fund of allowing (a) employees and (b) employers to contract out of national insurance contributions for receipt of unemployment benefit at the current contracting out rate for occupational and personal pensions, assessing the take-up rate as (a) 10 per cent., (b) 20 per cent. and (c) 50 per cent.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Such estimates cannot be made on the basis of the assumptions provided. The net cost to the national insurance fund of introducing a system of contracting-out in respect of unemployment benefit would depend on the extent to which expenditure was reduced and the size of the rebate given. The rebate for occupational and personal pensions is based on the cost to pension schemes of providing guaranteed minimum pensions. It would not be appropriate to use that rebate as a basis for producing the estimates requested.
Disability Premium
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the estimated cost would be to his Department if the part-time earnings disregard for those who qualify for the disability premium in income support were to be raised by (a) £1 per week and (b) £5 per week.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The estimated cost in income support of raising the earnings disregard for those who qualify for the disability premium would be £500,000 for a £1 a week increase and £2 million for a £5 a week increase.
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