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Metropolitan authorities |Per cent. |Rank
|of imports
|less
|per cent.
|of exports<1>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solihull |4.8 |1
Wigan |3.0 |2
Oldham |2.8 |3
Walsall |2.5 |4
Sefton |2.0 |5
Rotherham |1.9 |6
Salford |1.4 |7
South Tyneside |1.3 |8
Liverpool |1.2 |9
Wakefield |0.9 |10
Tameside |0.8 |11
Sandwell |0.8 |12
Manchester |0.7 |13
Coventry |0.7 |14
Dudley |0.5 |15
Newcastle upon Tyne |0.5 |16
Leeds |0.5 |17
Sunderland |0.2 |18
Bolton |0.1 |19
Stockport |0.1 |20
Kirklees |-0.1 |21
Doncaster |-0.2 |22
North Tyneside |-0.3 |23
Calderdale |-0.3 |24
Wirral |-0.4 |25
Sheffield |-0.6 |26
Gateshead |-0.7 |27
St. Helens |-0.7 |28
Birmingham |-0.8 |29
Wolverhampton |-0.9 |30
Barnsley |-1.1 |31
Bury |-1.7 |32
Rochdale |-2.2 |33
Bradford |-2.3 |34
Trafford |-2.5 |35
Knowsley |-6.7 |36
<1>All percentages rounded to one decimal place.
Exports-Pupils belonging to each local education authority atending maintained, including
maintained special, schools in another local education authority.
Imports-Pupils belonging to another local education authority attending maintained, including
maintained special, schools in each local education authority.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what information he has on trends in expenditure on books and equipment in grant-maintained schools ;
(2) what information he has on trends in employment of teaching and classroom support staff in grant-maintained schools.
Mr. Eggar : The Department does not collect detailed information on these matters. However, a number of GM schools have used the additional flexibility which
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opting-out brings to increase the sums spent on books and equipment. Some GM schools have appointed more teaching and support staff.Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils have been admitted to grant-maintained schools this year ; and how many were admitted in their last years as local education authority-maintained schools.
Mr. Eggar : This information is not available. However, grant- maintained schools are proving popular with parents and many grant- maintained schools have had large increases in applications.
Schools Budgets
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of potential schools budget will be delegated to schools by Hereford and Worcestershire education authority under LMS ; and if he will provide the information in the same format as the table in columns 325-28 of the Official Report of 11 December 1990.
Mr. Fallon : Hereford and Worcester's LMS scheme begins only in April, but we do not yet have budget information. However, we have had early indications from the authority that in the next financial year it intends to delegate to its school in excess of 85 per cent. of the potential schools budget.
GCSE
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will list for each local education authority the proportion of school leavers with five or more GCSE results at grades A-C as a percentage of all school leavers, and the rank position of the local education authority in each of the three-year periods 1984-87, 1985-88 and 1986-89.
Mr. Fallon : The table gives information for leavers from maintained schools, for each local education authority, aggregated over the academic years ending 1985 to 1987, 1986 to 1988 and 1987 to 1989.
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England-School leavers-Maintained schools
Proportion of leavers with five or more GCSE results at Grades A-C as percentage of all school
leavers, and the rank position of the LEA
1984-85, 1985-86, 191985-86, 1986-87, 191986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89
LEA |Per cent.|Rank |Per cent.|Rank |Per cent.|Rank
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barking and Dagenham |9.9 |96 |11.8 |94 |11.3 |95
Barnet |41.0 |1 |41.5 |1 |38.9 |2
Bexley |26.6 |23 |27.8 |20 |28.5 |26
Brent |19.1 |73 |19.1 |75 |20.6 |78
Bromley |30.5 |10 |32.0 |9 |29.9 |19
Croydon |22.9 |51 |22.7 |55 |22.1 |70
Ealing |19.6 |68 |19.2 |74 |22.5 |67
Enfield |23.7 |45 |24.8 |44 |26.9 |41
Haringey |17.3 |82 |17.3 |85 |16.6 |89
Harrow |37.8 |2 |38.3 |2 |38.6 |3
Havering |23.9 |44 |23.3 |52 |24.4 |57
Hillingdon |21.2 |62 |20.0 |70 |22.7 |65
Hounslow |21.5 |58 |21.5 |63 |25.2 |49
Kingston upon Thames |34.8 |3 |34.1 |5 |32.2 |10
Merton |24.9 |36 |23.4 |49 |24.6 |54
Newham |12.4 |93 |14.3 |93 |14.9 |93
Redbridge |25.6 |32 |26.6 |28 |25.5 |47
Richmond upon Thames |26.5 |25 |29.6 |14 |32.4 |8
Sutton |34.4 |4 |34.9 |4 |39.1 |1
Waltham Forest |11.0 |94 |11.3 |95 |12.7 |94
Birmingham |16.9 |85 |18.3 |79 |19.1 |85
Coventry |19.9 |67 |20.7 |68 |21.2 |76
Dudley |21.5 |58 |22.3 |59 |25.5 |47
Sandwell |13.4 |92 |14.6 |92 |15.5 |92
Solihull |29.4 |11 |30.8 |11 |31.7 |12
Walsall |19.1 |73 |20.9 |67 |23.4 |59
Wolverhampton |15.4 |89 |17.8 |82 |19.9 |81
Knowsley |10.6 |95 |10.0 |96 |8.5 |96
Liverpool |17.0 |84 |17.9 |81 |19.4 |84
St. Helens |23.6 |46 |23.2 |54 |20.5 |79
Sefton |27.0 |21 |26.4 |31 |28.5 |26
Wirral |23.5 |47 |25.9 |39 |27.8 |31
Bolton |24.9 |36 |26.0 |36 |28.7 |24
Bury |28.4 |15 |26.4 |31 |27.7 |33
Manchester |17.3 |82 |15.9 |90 |16.4 |90
Oldham |16.1 |87 |15.5 |91 |18.1 |86
Rochdale |20.2 |64 |18.7 |76 |20.9 |77
Salford |18.9 |75 |21.8 |60 |23.2 |62
Stockport |24.3 |41 |24.9 |43 |28.6 |25
Tameside |23.5 |47 |24.7 |45 |27.1 |39
Trafford |31.7 |7 |31.1 |10 |30.7 |15
Wigan |27.2 |19 |29.4 |15 |30.2 |18
Barnsley |15.7 |88 |16.9 |87 |19.7 |82
Doncaster |19.2 |72 |18.7 |76 |21.7 |73
Rotherham |17.4 |81 |19.5 |73 |23.0 |63
Sheffield |18.9 |75 |20.1 |69 |22.2 |68
Bradford |16.7 |86 |16.0 |89 |16.9 |88
Calderdale |19.3 |70 |20.0 |70 |21.5 |75
Kirklees |24.1 |43 |25.1 |42 |25.6 |46
Leeds |21.5 |58 |21.3 |65 |22.0 |71
Wakefield |15.4 |89 |17.6 |83 |17.5 |87
Gateshead |18.8 |77 |19.8 |72 |20.4 |80
Newcastle upon Tyne |17.7 |80 |17.4 |84 |21.6 |74
North Tyneside |21.9 |56 |23.3 |52 |27.5 |36
South Tyneside |18.1 |79 |18.3 |79 |22.2 |68
Sunderland |19.3 |70 |18.7 |76 |21.8 |72
Inner London |15.4 |89 |16.1 |88 |15.9 |91
Avon |24.7 |38 |26.1 |35 |27.8 |31
Bedfordshire |25.9 |29 |26.0 |36 |24.9 |52
Berkshire |27.5 |17 |29.3 |16 |32.3 |9
Buckinghamshire |31.6 |8 |33.4 |6 |36.0 |5
Cambridgeshire |24.4 |40 |26.0 |36 |28.0 |29
Cheshire |26.6 |23 |28.3 |19 |29.1 |23
Cleveland |27.5 |17 |27.1 |26 |26.5 |43
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |25.5 |33 |27.3 |24 |29.9 |19
Cumbria |24.2 |42 |26.9 |27 |28.0 |29
Derbyshire |21.5 |58 |22.4 |58 |24.6 |54
Devon |23.4 |49 |24.4 |47 |26.3 |44
Dorset |28.4 |15 |27.2 |25 |27.6 |35
Durham |20.0 |65 |21.0 |66 |23.4 |59
East Sussex |25.7 |30 |27.4 |23 |31.4 |13
Essex |25.1 |35 |26.3 |33 |27.4 |37
Gloucestershire |28.6 |14 |29.1 |17 |31.2 |14
Hampshire |26.0 |28 |27.7 |21 |29.6 |21
Hereford and Worcester |25.7 |30 |28.5 |18 |29.2 |22
Hertfordshire |28.9 |13 |30.3 |12 |31.9 |11
Humberside |21.1 |63 |21.5 |63 |22.6 |66
Isle of Wight |18.3 |78 |17.1 |86 |19.5 |83
Kent |27.1 |20 |26.5 |30 |27.3 |38
Lancashire |24.7 |38 |25.6 |40 |26.8 |42
Leicestershire |22.9 |51 |23.4 |49 |25.1 |51
Lincolnshire |25.3 |34 |25.2 |41 |25.2 |49
Norfolk |21.9 |56 |22.7 |55 |24.5 |56
North Yorkshire |31.4 |9 |32.8 |7 |34.5 |7
Northamptonshire |20.0 |65 |21.7 |61 |22.8 |64
Northumberland |29.0 |12 |29.8 |13 |30.7 |15
Nottinghamshire |19.6 |68 |21.6 |62 |23.4 |59
Oxfordshire |26.5 |25 |26.2 |34 |27.7 |33
Shropshire |27.0 |21 |27.7 |21 |30.3 |17
Somerset |22.2 |53 |24.5 |46 |27.1 |39
Staffordshire |23.4 |49 |23.4 |49 |24.9 |52
Suffolk |22.0 |55 |22.7 |55 |24.2 |58
Surrey |34.4 |4 |36.4 |3 |38.0 |4
Warwickshire |26.2 |27 |26.6 |28 |28.5 |26
West Sussex |32.1 |6 |32.5 |8 |35.5 |6
Wiltshire |22.2 |53 |23.9 |48 |25.9 |45
------------ |--- |--- |---
England |23.5 |27.4 |25.8
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Primary Schools, Hertfordshire
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will estimate the total funds per pupil which would be allocated to a primary school in Hertfordshire which opted for grant- maintained status.
Mr. Eggar : The amount of grant per pupil in 1991-92 for any primary school in Hertfordshire receiving grant-maintained status will depend on the local education authority's scheme for the local management of schools and on decisions yet to be taken by Hertfordshire on its budget for that year.
Direct Funding
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many primary and secondary schools have now elected for direct funding.
Mr. Eggar : In total, 145 schools have held ballots on the question of whether to apply for GM status, of which 109 schools have voted in favour and 36 against.
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Of the schools voting in favour, 102 have been secondary schools, four have been middle schools and three have been primary schools. Of these schools, 58 secondary schools and two middle schools have been approved for GM status and 12 schools have been rejected. Proposals from the remaining schools are either still to be published or not yet decided.In addition, there are ballots pending at 40 schools. Twenty-eight of these are secondary schools, one is a middle school and 11 are primary schools.
Teacher Training
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report tables showing, in respect of (a) polytechnic and other Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council colleges and (b) university departments of education the target number of places, and the number of students accepted for (i) primary places and (ii) secondary teacher training, for each year from 1986 to date.
Mr. Fallon : The figures are as follows :
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|1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990
--------------------------------------------------------
PCFC SECTOR
Primary
Recruitment |7,816 |8,776 |9,821 |10,837|12,029
Funded places |8,075 |8,499 |8,923 |9,249 |10,151
Secondary
Recruitment |3,635 |4,335 |4,145 |4,214 |4,503
Funded places |4,391 |4,738 |5,026 |4,941 |5,301
UFC Sector
Primary
Recruitment |1,148 |1,328 |1,552 |1,977 |2,301
Funded places |1,199 |1,357 |1,509 |1,875 |2,078
Secondary
Recruitment |4,290 |4,741 |4,665 |4,729 |4,960
Funded places |4,948 |5,043 |5,051 |5,122 |5,714
CERN
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the Science and Engineering Research Council's total funding has been represented by the United Kingdom contribution to CERN over each of the last five years ; and how this percentage is projected to change in future.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The information requested is as follows :
United Kingdom contribution to CERN as percentage of SERC budget Financial |Per cent. year ------------------------------- 1985-86 |12.7 1986-87 |14.1 1987-88 |15.7 1988-89 |14.8 1989-90 |11.9 <1>1990-91 |11.9 <1>1991-92 |12.8 <1>1992-93 |12.5 <1> Estimate.
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Sport
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the recommendations of the report of the School Sport Forum "Sport and Young People : Partnership and Action" which required action by his Department ; what action has been taken to implement each recommendation ; what are the reasons where a recommendation has not been implemented in full ; and what further action his Department intends to take.
Mr. Atkins : The Government's response to the School Sport Forum report "Sport and Young People : Partnership and Action" was published on 27 November 1989. Further consideration to both curricular and extra- curricular sport is now being given by the national curriculum PE working group and as part of the Government's current review of sports policy.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the recommendations of the Minister for Sport's review group on sport and active recreation provision in the inner cities which required action by his Department, setting out what action has been taken to implement each recommendation, and the reasons where they have not been implemented in full ; and what further action he intends to take.
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Mr. Atkins : The recommendations of the review report "Sport and Active Recreation in the Inner Cities" are being considered as part of the Government's wider review of sports policy. We expect to announce our conclusions in the summer.Nuclear Physics
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the amount of the Science and Engineering Research Council's budget devoted to nuclear physics in each of the last five years in (a) cash terms and (b) constant terms.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Gross expenditure by SERC's nuclear physics board over the last five years is as follows :
|Cash terms |Constant
£ million |terms
|£ million
------------------------------------------------
1986-87 |71,152 |92,486
1987-88 |83,377 |102,778
1988-89 |84,297 |96,844
1989-90 |77,982 |84,220
<1>1990-91 |62,052 |62,052
<1> Forecast outturn (Excludes Laboratories
Directorate expenditure previously attributed
to Nuclear Physics Board).
Veterinary Schools
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the capital cost of bringing the animal accommodation of veterinary schools at universities up to the standard laid down in Home Office regulations.
Mr. Alan Howarth : It is for each university to determine how best to respond to the new code within the resources at its disposal from the Universities Funding Council and elsewhere.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial provision has been earmarked for the upgrading of animal accommodation at university veterinary schools in each of the next three financial years ; and whether this provision is contained within block grant or capital provision.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The expenditure plans announced on 8 November provided an extra £10 million a year for capital spending by the Universities Funding Council. The increased total allowed for additional equipment for teaching and necessary improvements to animal houses. The distribution of aggregate capital and recurrent funds among universities is a matter for the council, which will announce its allocations for 1991-92 later this month.
DEFENCE
Helicopter Noise (Insulation Grants)
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used for the provision of helicopter noise insulation grants to houses in the vicinity of RAF Cottesmore, Leicestershire.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are no helicopters based at RAF Cottesmore. The noise insulation grant scheme in operation is based on fixed-wing flying.
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Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used for the provision of helicopter noise insulation grants to houses in the vicinity of the helicopter landing site at Bessbrook, County Armagh.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Householders in the vicinity of the helicopter landing site at Bessbrook are eligible for noise insulation grants if their homes are subject to noise levels of 70dB(A) averaged over a 12-hour period. The contour which determines the boundaries of the scheme was originally predicted by computer model. Subsequent on-site noise measurements by the university of Ulster, which followed the normal convention of counting the total number of movements in a 24-hour period within the 12-hour average, produced a contour of smaller radius. Nevertheless the
computer-predicted contour remains as the boundary for the noise insulation grant scheme.
Bloodhound Missile
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current state of readiness of the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile system ;
(2) what is his policy towards the retention of the Bloodhound surface-to- air missile system.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. and learned Member.
War Pensioners Welfare
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of interviews carried out by War Pensioners Welfare staff in the last three years for which figures are available ; and how many of these were at the request of the pensioner concerned.
Miss Widdecombe : I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is in the table.
|Total number of |Number of
|interviews by war |interviews at
|pensioners' welfare|pensioners' request
|staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |41,229 |27,793
1989 |43,223 |27,481
1990 |43,672 |27,288
SOCIAL SECURITY
Senior Citizens
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the current average weekly income of senior citizens who are totally dependent on the retirement pension and income support.
Miss Widdecombe : Very few pensioners are dependent on retirement pension and income support alone ; income support beneficiaries automatically qualify for the maximum community charge benefit payable ; those who are tenants also qualify for maximum housing benefit. In addition, income support recipients are exempt from national health charges, such as those for prescriptions or dental services.
Information on the community charge benefit and housing benefit in payment to people in receipt of both
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retirement pension and income support is not available. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the actual weekly income of this particular group.In May 1989, the last date for which information is available, the average weekly payment of retirement pension and income support combined, net of the other benefit payable, was £75.39 for couples and £53.31 for singles. The average payment of housing benefit to pensioner households overall, for example, those in which either the claimant or the partner received retirement pension but not necessarily income support, was £19.50 per week.
These figures represent the average income of those people who receive both income support and retirement pension (in all its derivatives) but have no other income or capital.
European Directives
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the European directives which have been implemented by his Department since 1979 and those outstanding.
Mr. Jack : The Department has the main responsibility for legislation arising from only two directives :
Council directive 79/7/EEC of 19 December 1978 on the progressive implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in matters of social security ; and
Council directive 86/378/EEC of 24 July 1986 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in occupational social security schemes.
The necessary legislation was enacted timeously.
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Pensioners
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total percentage of pensioner units whose income does not exceed £5,000, at current prices, for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is in the table.
Proportion of Pensioner Units with Income not exceeding £ 5,000 per annum at 1990 prices Year |Percentage --------------------------------- 1978 |64.9 1979 |67.1 1980 |66.1 1981 |62.1 1982 |60.3 1983 |54.1 1984 |55.8 1985 |54.1 1986 |52.2 1987 |51.1
Income Support
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much income support has been paid to claimants in (a) private nursing home care, (b) private residential home care, (c) public nursing home care and (d) public residential care homes in the last 10 years (i) in total and (ii) as an average per claimant.
Miss Widdecombe : The annual expenditure and the average expenditure per claimant for private residential care and nursing homes since 1981 for people claiming income support/supplementary benefit are in the table :
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Year |Annual |Average per |Annual |Average per
|expenditure |claimant |expenditure |claimant
|(nearest £ million)|£ |(nearest £ million)|£
|residential care |nursing homes
|homes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 1981 |23 |1,769 |- |-
December 1982 |39 |2,438 |- |-
December 1983 |104 |4,000 |- |-
December 1984 |200 |4,762 |- |-
December 1985 |259 |4,702 |89 |5,933
February 1986 |328 |4,686 |131 |6,550
May 1987 |438 |5,214 |233 |7,281
May 1988 |556 |5,398 |322 |7,318
May 1989 |658 |5,529 |447 |7,982
May 1990 |740 |5,920 |530 |8,281
Notes:
1. Prior to December 1985 the figures are not sufficiently reliable for the total to be subdivided into residents in residential
care homes and nursing homes, and therefore only the overall total has been given.
2. Figures for December 1981-1984 are taken from the annual statistical inquiry, figures for December 1985-May 1990 are taken from
the quarterly statistical inquiry.
Information regarding amounts paid to people in publicly owned homes (Part III) is not readily available and could only be obtained
at disproportionate cost.
Industrial Injuries Benefit
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (a) for the country as a whole and (b) for the Nottingham offices (i) the number of claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit lodged during each of the past 10 years, (ii) how many claims were accepted and (iii) what has been the total amount paid out in such benefits.
Mr. Scott : The available information is as follows :
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(i) Disablement Benefit Claims--Great Britain--1980-89
Year |Total claims
|(thousands)
---------------------------------------
1989 |102
1988 |87
1987 |100
1986 |122
1985 |119
1984 |107
1983 |121
1982 |115
1981 |116
1980 |126
After 1986, claims were necessary to
establish entitlement to Reduced
Earnings Allowance where Disablement
Benefit is itself not payable because
assessed disablement is less than 14
per cent.
(ii) Information on the number of claims accepted is not available.
The figures below are for the number of initial assessments of disablement in the year they were first paid. Initial awards of gratuities are available until 1986-87 only.
Initial Disablement Assessments
Year |Disablement|Disablement
|Gratuities
|(thousands)|(thousands)
------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |n/a |n/a
1988-89 |n/a |7
1987-88 |n/a |10
1986-87 |6 |5
1985-86 |53 |6
1984-85 |53 |6
1983-84 |58 |6
1982-83 |56 |7
1981-82 |65 |6
1980-81 |65 |7
Figure for 1986-87 covers the period 1 October
1986 to 4 April 1987.
Figure for 1986-87 covers the period 1 October 1986 to 4 April 1987.
(iii) Total benefit expenditure estimates for disablement benefit only are not available. The figures below include expenditure on reduced earnings allowance.
Industrial injuries benefit expenditure 1980-81 to 1989-90 Year |£ (million) ------------------------------------------ 1989-90 |470 1988-89 |451 1987-88 |453 1986-87 |440 1985-86 |407 1984-85 |381 1983-84 |369 1982-83 |343 1981-82 |315 1980-81 |282
Disablement benefit claims received in Nottingham offices Year |Total claims<1> ------------------------------------------------ 1990-91<2> |693 1989-90 |966 1988-89 |1,052 1987-88 |1,207 1986-87 |1,647 1985-86 |1,786 1984-85 |1,486 <1> Offices at Castlegate, David Lane, Shakespeare Street and Station Street. <2> Figures to December 1990 only. Note: Figures of claims made are retained at local offices for only six years. Figures relating to claims accepted and the amount paid in disablement benefit at Nottingham offices are not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Overseas Visits
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the countries visited by each of the Ministers in his Department since he became Secretary of State, with the topics discussed in each country.
Column 136
Mr. Jack : The information requested is as follows :
Country |Topics discussed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secretary of State
United States of America |Family maintenance systems
Minister of State
United States of America |Disability
France |Disability
Former Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Mrs. Shephard)
Germany |Social Charter, Occupational
| Pensions operational matters
Portugal |Pension age, Social Charter,
| standards, use of IT in social
| security context
Belgium |Discussions on Social Charter with
| EC Social Affairs Commissioner
|Discussions on pensions age and
| Social Charter with Belgium
| Ministers
Ireland |EC Presidency-social affairs
| proposals
Ireland |Informal Social Affairs Council
Belgium |Speech to Social Services
| Committee of the Senate and
| meeting at National Labour
| Council
France |Visit to European Parliament,
| Strasbourg-general discussion
Italy |Forthcoming EC Presidency-
| Social Affairs proposals
Egypt |Invited by Egyptian Minister
| Egyptian situation discussed
Italy |Informal Social Affairs Council
Luxembourg |Forthcoming EC Presidency-
| Social Affairs proposals
Belgium |Speech to Ligue de Familles
Agencies
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on progress on the conversion of his Department's regions into agencies.
Miss Widdecombe : The Department has so far established two agencies, the Resettlement Units executive agency in May 1989 and the Information Technology Services agency in April 1990. The Social Security Benefits agency and the Contributions agency are planned to be implemented in April 1991. The White Paper "Children Come First", CM 1264, announced the proposed setting up of the child support agency in early 1993.
The aim of introducing agencies is to enable the Department to provide a better quality of service to its customers by the introduction of more effective and efficient management.
Mobility Allowance
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to propose changes to the mobility allowance to ensure that it would apply to anyone made immobile after their 66th birthday.
Mr. Scott : We have no such plans.
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Housing Benefit
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has on levels of overpayment of housing benefit by local authorities ; and what guidance is issued by his Department in such cases.
Miss Widdecombe : The latest available information shows that in 1988-89, 475 out of 483 local authorities in Great Britain identified overpayments amounting to £213 million. This includes overpayments arising through fraud and claimant or administrative error. Guidance on all aspects of overpayments is included in the housing benefit guidance manual issued by this Department. This is supplemented by the issue of circulars as appropriate. Officials also advise authorities by telephone and in writing in individual cases.
SERPS
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy towards the review or abolition of the incentives for people who have already opted out of SERPS.
Miss Widdecombe : Sections 3 and 7 of the Social Security Act 1986 restrict entitlement to the 2 per cent. incentive for members of personal pensions and new occupational schemes to a period before 6 April 1993. The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to review the terms of the contracted-out rebate at intervals of not more than five years and this will be done on receipt of a report by the Government Actuary.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy towards those who, having opted out of SERPS, seek to return to SERPS when the incentives to opt out end.
Miss Widdecombe : There are no restrictions on an individual who is a member of an occupational or personal pension scheme rejoining SERPS at any time.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the cost to the taxpayer of the opting out from SERPS.
Column 138
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 20 December 1990 at column 316.
War Pensions Office, Swansea
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about proposals to close the war pensions office in Swansea ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : No representations have been received, but there have been a number of local inquiries about the future of the Swansea war pensioners welfare office. The matter was also discussed at a meeting of the Dyfed and West Glamorgan war pensions committee in December 1990. The proposal was one of a number of recommendations about the location of war pensioners welfare offices made in the report of a routine management inspection of the war pensioners welfare service carried out last year. The recommendations are being considered, but no decisions have yet been taken. Any proposals for change which may emerge will be discussed fully with the central advisory committee on war pensions, and local war pensions committees will have an opportunity to comment. The interests of war pensioners and war widows will be safeguarded and we shall ensure that the effectiveness of the welfare service is fully maintained.
Census Officers
Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any proposals to amend the unemployment benefit entitlement regulations so as to allow unemployed persons to apply for the position of assistant census officer without disadvantaging their financial position.
Mr. Jack : An unemployed person, in receipt of benefit, will be subject to the normal earnings rules if he becomes an assistant census officer.
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