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SOCIAL SECURITY
Disabled People (Benefits)
11. Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has had about benefits for disabled people from the organisations that represent them.
Mr. Scott : Over 70 organisations commented on "The Way Ahead" and I met representatives from some of the groups, including the Disability Benefits Consortium, to hear their views. Well over 100 organisations have sent in comments on the consultation document on the disability living allowance issued in August and comments are starting to come in on the explanatory note on the disability working allowance published on 12 November.
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Maintenance
12. Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average maintenance assessment under the current system ; and what is the average cost of supporting a mother and child through the benefit system.
13. Sir Hal Miller : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average maintenance assessment under the current system ; and what is the average cost of supporting a mother and child through the benefit system.
Mr. Jack : I refer my hon. Friends to my earlier answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns).
15. Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will define the criteria which will be applied to cases where maintenance cannot be recovered from the father because of threatened violence.
Mr. Newton : Our intention is that where a caring parent declines to co-operate in establishing liability for maintenance for the children, trained and experienced senior officers should consider whether in the circumstances there is good cause for the refusal. We shall be giving careful consideration to the guidance they will be given, but it would clearly not be right to create a position in which a threat of violence could be seen as a way of escaping maintenance.
24. Mr. Harris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the new Child Support Agency will have powers periodically to reassess maintenance orders.
Mr. Jack : Liability to maintain a child can last for many years. Much can change in that period. The Child Support Agency will be required to review maintenance payable every year so that those changes can be taken into account in an orderly way. These annual reviews will be automatic, removing the burden of initiating action from the caring parent.
Residential Care
14. Sir Robert McCrindle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the level of spending on benefits for people in residential care and nursing homes in 1978-79 and in 1990 ; and what is the real terms increase.
21. Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the level of spending on benefits for people in residential care and nursing homes in 1978-79 and in 1990 ; and what is the real term increase.
Miss Widdecombe : In 1978-79, supplementary benefit payments amounting to some £10 million were made to people in residential care and nursing homes. In 1990, the corresponding figure in income support was some £1.2 billion, a real term increase in expenditure of 287 per cent. per head.
Child Benefit
16. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the percentage of take-up of means-tested benefits for children ; and what is the percentage of take-up of child benefit.
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Mr. Jack : From the latest available evidence we estimate that around 90 per cent. of income-related benefit is claimed and four out of five people eligible for income related benefit actually made a claim. A similar proportion applies for families with children. Take -up of child benefit is virtually 100 per cent.State Pension
17. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of the state pension if it had been uprated in line with the increase in prices or earnings whichever was the higher since 1983.
23. Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of the state pension if it had been uprated in line with the increase in prices or earnings whichever was the higher since 1983.
Miss Widdecombe : The present value of the retirement pension, had it been uprated in this way, would be £55.30 for a single pensioner and £88.50 for a married couple. But the additional cost of this to the national insurance fund would be about £3.8 billion this financial year. This implies a rise in the national insurance contributions paid by an employee on average earnings of approximately £1.90 per week and £3.50 for his employer.
National Insurance
19. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent steps have been taken by his Department to crack down on those who wilfully seek to evade their legal responsibility to pay national insurance.
Mr. Jack : Following the establishment of the contributions unit in April this year significant progress has been made. We have strengthened the complement of national insurance inspectors, improved the training they receive and increased the number of visits to employers.
Such visits are designed to identify irregularities in the payment of contributions and to ensure that the benefit entitlement of employees is properly protected. The unit is well on the way to reducing the amount of underpaid contributions and further progress can be expected next year when the unit is given agency status.
Pensioners
20. Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of recently retired pensioners receive income from savings.
Miss Widdecombe : My hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that, in 1987, over 80 per cent. of recently retired pensioners received income from savings.
Regional Medical Officers
22. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any proposals relating to the role of regional medical officers in local appeal tribunals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : The constitution of a social security appeal tribunal is a legally qualified chairman and two lay members who have knowledge or experience of the local area. Medical appeal tribunals consist of a legally qualified chairman and two consultant medical practitioners. These people are part-time and are completely independent.
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Regional medical officers have no role in social security appeal tribunals or medical appeal tribunals. Their function is to provide medical advice to adjudication officers in deciding benefit claims. The Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance Bill, currently in Committee, makes provision for a new disability appeal tribunal consisting of a legally qualified chairman, a medical practitioner and a person experienced in dealing with the needs of disabled people.We have no proposals to alter the role of regional medical officers.
Mobility Allowance
25. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people currently receive mobility allowance ; and what was the comparable figure for 1978-79.
Mr. Scott : I am pleased to say that the number of people receiving mobility allowance has increased sixfold from 95,000 in 1978-79 to 615,000 in 1989-90.
Social Fund
26. Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the social fund.
Mr. Scott : Since the social fund was introduced, over two and a half million interest-free loans and over half a million non-repayable community care grants have been awarded, at a total value of over £500 million. The fund continues to make a valuable contribution to assisting a large number of people in the greatest need.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, at 1989 prices, the amount of social fund money for (a) loans and (b) grants for each office in Leeds for the years 1989-90, 1990- 91 and 1991-92.
Mr. Scott : The total allocations made to offices in Leeds in 1989- 90 and 1990-91, at 1989 prices, are set out in the table. The allocations for 1991-92 will be announced nearer the time.
1989-90 1990-91<1>
|Loans |Grants |Loans |Grants
|£ |£ |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------
Leeds East |591,480|246,151|621,995|234,238
Leeds North |699,290|299,660|750,115|284,088
Leeds North-West |392,307|173,467|410,322|159,708
Leeds South |243,725|105,300|238,312|102,226
Leeds West |326,381|142,116|313,601|209,749
<1>1989 prices as reckoned by the gross domestic product
deflator.
Disability Benefits
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the numbers of additional people who will receive (a) lower rate attendance component of the disability living allowance, (b) lower rate mobility component and (c) higher rate mobility component, if the age limit of 65 years for the receipt of the disability living allowance were removed, and the additional expenditure incurred in total in each case.
Mr. Scott : Estimates of the additional number of beneficiaries are (a) 250,000 (b) 150,000 (c) 1,350,000.
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The corresponding expenditure figures in the first full year are (a) £165 million (b) £100 million (c) about £2 billion. All estimates are necessarily subject to large margins of uncertainty.Young Persons (Benefits)
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list all the changes to benefits for those persons aged 16 and 17 years since 1987, showing (a) their financial consequences and (b) the numbers affected ;
(2) if he will list all the changes to entitlement rules for those persons aged 16 and 17 years who are unemployed and seeking income maintenance.
Miss Widdecombe : Information in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the two main changes in entitlement to income support for 16 and 17-year-olds were : (a) In September 1988 income support was withdrawn from the majority and instead the Government gave a guarantee of a place on youth training to all young people who wanted one. The decrease is net social security benefit expenditure was estimated to be £88 million in the first year, but the Government spent over £1,000 million on the youth training scheme in 1988-89, of which a substantial proportion was in the form of training allowances paid in lieu of income support to people on youth training. The number of young people affected by this measure is estimated at 100,000. (b) In July 1989 16 and 17-year-olds who were forced to live independently were given entitlement to income support at the rate normally paid to 18 to 24-year-olds. The higher rate was also paid to all young people receiving only housing benefit. It is estimated that 17,000 young people benefited, at a cost of £3.7 million in the first year.
Disability Working Allowance
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions he has had with disability organisations concerning the disability working allowance.
Mr. Scott : More than 70 organisations commented on "The Way Ahead : Benefits for Disabled People" (Cm. 917) which set out the proposed structure for the disability working allowance. On 5 April I held a meeting with the Disability Benefits Consortium, to discuss its views. On 12 November we issued a note on the disability working allowance setting out our proposals in more detail ; and disability organisations are starting to send us their comments. We shall continue to give careful consideration to all the comments we receive.
Taxi Fares (Reimbursement)
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances taxi fares will be paid to claimants attending a medical appeal tribunal ; what is the procedure for claiming taxi fares in advance ; what is the procedure for reimbursing claimants their taxi fares ; what is the average length of time taken to reimburse the claimants' taxi fares ; and how much has been paid out in taxi fares.
Miss Widdecombe : The administration of social security appeal tribunals is the responsibility of the president of social security and medical appeal tribunals, his honour Judge Derek Holden. The hon. Member may care to contact his office direct to obtain this information.
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Pensioners (Income)
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average pensioner's income expressed in money and real terms (a) today and (b) in May 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : In 1987, the last year for which figures are currently available, the average total net pensioner income was £99.90 per week. In 1979 it was £42.20, or £75.90 at 1987 prices.
Appeals
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what considerations he has given to the payment of interest on awards made by the social security appeal tribunals when the date of the award is more than six months after the submission of the claim by the appellant ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The administration of social security appeal tribunals is a matter for the president, his honour Judge Derek Holden. Appeals are heard as soon as possible, depending on the inquiries that have to be made, and the number of other appeals awaiting hearing. We have no plans to pay interest on any arrears of benefit a tribunal might award.
Statutory Sick Pay
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of people in Wales in the last available year claiming statutory sick pay at (a) the lower rate and (b) the higher rate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : In 1988-89, some 5.6 million people in the United Kingdom received statutory sick pay. It is estimated that at that time about 90 per cent. would have received the higher rate. Information is not collected in a form which would enable separate figures to be given for Wales.
SCOTLAND
Local Government Finance
Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average increase in community charge between 1989-90 and 1990-91, and the average increase in external finance between 1989-90 and 1990-91 for (a) all local authorities in Scotland, (b) separately for regional, district and island authorities and (c) for authorities separately by political control.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information is as follows :
|Average increase |Average increase
|in personal |in external finance
|community charge |1989-90 to
|1989-90 to |1990-91
|1990-91
|per cent. |per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. All local authorities |8.71 |6.42
b. Regions |8.57 |6.03
Districts |9.39 |8.09
Islands |1.32 |9.92
c. i. Regions
Labour |10.50 |4.68
Independent |4.84 |12.86
No overall control |-3.63 |11.14
ii. Districts
Labour |10.52 |5.70
Independent |7.54 |17.16
Conservative |-17.21 |46.16
Liberal Democrat |-0.24 |24.88
SNP |5.77 |13.53
No overall control |16.82 |20.67
iii. Islands
Independent |1.32 |9.92
Notes:
1. The average increases in the community charge relate to the personal community
charge only and are therefore exclusive of water charges.
2. Because non-domestic rate income did not become part of Government-determined
support for local authorities' current expenditure until 1990-91 it is not possible
to make a proper comparison of "external finance" between 1989-90 and 1990-91. The
figures in the second column are all based on comparing revenue support grant and
specific grants for 1989-90 plus the original Scottish Office estimate of each local
authority's non-domestic rate income for that year with aggregate external finance
for 1990-91.
3. Part (c) of the reply reflects composition of each authority at current rate.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he has any plans to exempt (a) students and (b) student nurses from the poll tax in 1991-92 ;
(2) if he will introduce legislation to grant exemption from the poll tax for those visiting Scotland on exchange schemes ; (3) if he has any plans to end the 20 per cent. contribution rule applying to all poll tax payers whatever their income for 1991-2 ; (4) if he proposes to exempt non-working partners from the poll tax in 1991-92 ;
(5) if he has any proposals to exempt elderly people being cared for at home, by relatives or friends from the poll tax in 1991-92.
Mr. Allan Stewart : [holding answer 14 December 1990] : The Government are committed to a fundamental review of local government finance.
Agricultural Co-operatives
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial support will be given to the Organisation for the Promotion of Agricultural Co-operatives in Scotland in 1991.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The 1990-91 Supply Estimates--class XV, vote 2 --provide for grant of up to £168,000 for the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society. Funding for 1991-92 has still to be determined.
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Community Charge
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he is having with (a) local authorities, (b) student organisations, (c) student nurses and (d) community groups in order to discuss the review of the poll tax in Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The community charge is discussed regularly at meetings between Ministers and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. As part of the review of the community charge, my right hon. Friend will be interested to receive the views of all groups and bodies with an interest in the charge.
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the studies made by the Scottish Office to assess the impact of the poll tax upon (a) students, (b) pensioners, (c) single parents and (d) school leavers in Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The community charge arrangements in Scotland, as they affect particular groups, have been monitored by the Scottish Office since the charge was introduced and, where appropriate, changes have been made.
Prisoners (Medical Care)
Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners in Scotland have received medical care outside prison in the past year ; and how many have received medical care in the private sector.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : During the period April 1989 to March 1990, the latest for which figures are available, 246 prisoners were admitted to public hospitals. Central records are not kept of the number of prisoners who attended external medical facilities as outpatients, nor of whether any of these were private sector facilities.
Special Needs
Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he has taken to ensure that each training and enterprise board makes acceptable provision within its area for those with special needs.
Mr. Allan Stewart : There are no training and enterprise boards in Scotland. However, local enterprise companies will be expected to demonstrate in their business plans how they intend to provide for people with special training needs.
Penal Institutions
Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) the design capacity for all Scottish penal institutions and (b) the actual current occupation levels for these institutions.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is set out in the table :
|(a) |(b)
|Design |Occupation
|capacity |level as at
|30 November
|1990
----------------------------------------------------------------------
HMP Aberdeen |150 |147
HMP Barlinnie |933 |834
HMYOI Castle Huntly |144 |114
HMI Cornton Vale |219 |132
HMYOI Dumfries |146 |107
HMP Dungavel |147 |135
HMP Edinburgh |526 |448
HMP Friarton |57 |73
HMP and HMYOI Glenochil |678 |621
HMP Greenock |179 |184
HMP Inverness |87 |104
HM Remand Institution Longriggend |177 |167
HMP Low Moss |400 |251
HMP Noranside |104 |111
HMP Penninghame |73 |70
HMP Perth |449 |389
HMP Peterhead |275 |111
HMYOI Polmont |412 |344
HMP Shotts |540 |360
|---- |----
Total design capacity |5,696 |4,702
At 30 November 1990, a total of 550 places were out of use because of policy restrictions or for maintenance/refurbishment work ; this means that there were 5,146 places available for use on that date.
NHS Trusts
Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those applications from hospitals within Scotland for trust status.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Four expressions of interest in NHS trust status have been received in respect of hospitals at Forfar, the Royal Scottish national hospital, the unit at the Foresterhill site in Aberdeen comprising the royal infirmary, maternity hospital and children's hospital, and the South Ayrshire unit comprising the hospitals at Ayr and Ballochmyle. None has yet progressed to the formal application stage.
Opinion Surveys
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985 giving the date and purpose of each survey.
Mr. Lang : The Scottish Office commissions a variety of surveys, a significant number of which contain questions on views and attitudes. It would involve disproportionate cost to distinguish in any consistent way those surveys which contained such opinion questions from those which did not.
Training Schemes
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the total expenditure on YTS in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland in 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90 ;
(2) what proportion of the total expenditure on YTS in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland in the years 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90 was met by the Training Agency, private sector and local authority, respectively ;
(3) what is the estimated outturn of expenditure on training in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland in the current
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financial year ; and what proportion of that expenditure is likely to be attributed to each of the Training Agency, private sector and local authority.Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 13 December 1990] : Local Training Agency expenditure on youth training in Orkney and Shetland in 1988-89 and 1989-90 is shown in the table. The figures for 1987-88 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
|Financial |Expenditure
|Year |on YTS
|£
------------------------------------------------
Orkney |1988-89 |336,185
|1989-90 |411,223
Shetland |1988-89 |312,703
|1989-90 |331,355
All Government expenditure on youth training in Orkney and Shetland in 1987 -88, 1988-89 and 1989-90 was incurred by the Training Agency.
Training placement providers are expected to make a contribution to the training managers's costs. The amount of which is negotiated between these two parties. Both training managers and placement providers are also expected to contribute to the cost of training to an extent commensurate with the benefits that they derive from participation in the training process and may incur additional expenditure on training or in payments to trainees. The amount of such additional contributions is a matter for each local authority or business concerned.
The Training Agency expects that local expenditure by it on youth training in Orkney and Shetland in 1990-91 will be respectively £376, 336 and £460,795.
Family Planning Services
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of family planning services.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 14 December 1990] : The Government regard family planning services as an important preventive service contributing to better maternal and child health and to the stability of family life and have no plans for altering the provision of them in Scotland. It is for individual health boards to determine, within the resources available to them, the most appropriate pattern of provision of family planning services in their respective areas.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost of general practitioner prescribed hormone replacement therapy treatments in each of the health board areas ; and if he will express this cost as a figure per head of the female population aged over 40 years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 14 December 1990] : In the year to 31 December 1989, the cost of the NHS drugs in Scotland dispensed by community pharmacists which are in general prescribed for hormone replacement therapy--British National Formulary sections 6.4.1.1. and 6.4.1.3--was £2,263,000 for 231,000 prescriptions. This represents a cost of £1.85 per head of female population aged over 40.
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Corresponding information by health board areas is not available.Mental Illness
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost per head in each of the health board areas of (a) in-patient treatments of mental illness, (b) out-patient and day-care treatment of mental illness and (c) general practitioner prescribed prescription costs for treatment of stress, anxiety and depression.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 14 December 1990] : The information for the year ending 31 March 1990 is set out in the table.
|Weekly cost |Cost per
|per head for |attendance of
|in-patient |out-patient
|treatments of |and day-care
|mental illness|treatment of
|mental illness
Health board |£ |£
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |365.97 |32.04
Ayrshire and Arran |336.87 |16.22
Borders |338.85 |30.02
Dumfries and Galloway |413.72 |22.61
Fife |370.95 |36.07
Forth Valley |302.12 |42.13
Grampian |344.44 |24.12
Greater Glasgow |336.05 |31.17
Highland |372.92 |30.08
Lanarkshire |324.59 |27.77
Lothian |339.53 |30.79
Orkney |- |-
Shetland |- |-
Tayside |375.07 |26.95
Western Isles |- |-
There are no separate mental illness hospitals in islands health boards. Patients from these boards are treated on the mainland. Statistics on prescription costs for the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression are not collected centrally.
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