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Mr. Norman Lamont : The latest estimates for net contributions to the EC budget on a balance of payments basis are :
|£ million
------------------------------
1990
Q1 |353
Q2 |694
Q3 |542
Q4 |887
The figure for the fourth quarter has been revised upwards by £516 million in the light of corrected information which has become available since the press notice on the balance of payments was published by the CSO on 13 March.
This and other revisions will be incorporated in the CSO press notice on the quarterly balance of payments accounts to be published in June.
This revision to the fourth quarter of 1990 does not affect the projection of the invisible balance for January and February 1991 published in the CSO press notice of 25 March, nor does it affect the forecasts of the balance of payments for 1991 published in the FSBR tables 3.1 and 3.5.
Secondary Banks' Collapses
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes there have been in policy on secondary banks' collapses since 1974.
Mr. Maples : Significant improvements have been made to the system of banking supervision under the provisions of the Banking Acts 1979 and 1987. So far as individual cases are concerned, the bank's reaction continues to be determined on a case-by-case basis in the light of all the prevailing circumstances.
VAT
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to compensate health authorities for the Budget increase in the standard rate of value added tax.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have agreed that in the special case of the health programmes, the additional costs to health authorities should be added to existing provision as a claim against the reserve. This will also apply to comparable expenditure in Scotland and Wales. The increased provision will be granted to the NHS in supplementary estimates for 1991-92 to be presented in due course later in the year.
Public Expenditure
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing (a) the population figures used for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
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for the per capita calculations in his answer to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Summerson) on identifiable public expenditure of 13 December, Official Report , columns 457-58, citing data sources and (b) the population figures used for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions for the per capita calculations in the Treasury's note on public expenditure by territory and region in HC 41 of 1990-91, pp. 41-46, citing data sources.Column 522
Mr. Mellor : The population figures for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland used for the per capita calculations in the 1990 analysis of identifiable public expenditure and in the updated version of the table on public expenditure by territory and region given in appendix F of the statistical supplement to the autumn statement (Cm 1520) are set out in table 1. The population figures for the regions of England used in the latter analysis are set out in table 2.
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Table 1:
Population Data<1> for 1990 Territorial Analysis
Thousands
|England |Scotland |Wales |Northern
|Ireland
------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |47,111.7 |5,136.5 |2,811.8 |1,557.8
1986-87 |47,254.5 |5,121.0 |2,821.0 |<2>1,566.8
1987-88 |47,406.7 |5,112.1 |2,836.2 |1,575.1
1988-89 |47,536.3 |5,094.0 |2,857.0 |1,578.1
1989-90 |47,689.4 |5,090.7 |2,873.1 |1,583.0
<1> The data are mid-year population estimates produced by the
Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys. They are consistent
with the figures published in Table 2 of Population Trends 62 (
Winter 1990)
<2> During the course of the preparation of this reply a minor
error has come to light in the figure used (1,556.8) to produce
the per capita figures for Northern Ireland for 1986-87. The
effect of this is to overstate total Northern Ireland per capita
expenditure in that year by £19 (0.6 per cent.)
Table 2: Population Data<1> for Analysis of Regional Expenditure in England Thousands --------------------------------------- Northern Region |3,076.8 Yorks and Humberside |4,900.2 East Midlands |3,942.3 East Anglia |2,013.7 South East |17,317.6 South West |4,588.4 West Midlands |5,197.7 North West |6,370.1 England |47,406.7 <1> The data are mid-year population estimates produced by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys. They are consistent with the figures published in Table 3 of Population Trends 62 (Winter 1990)
SOCIAL SECURITY
Income Support
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total weekly income support entitlement for a married man with children aged four and six years if his income is (a) £50 per week, (b) £130 per week and (c) £160 per week.
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Mr. Jack : Income support is an inappropriate benefit, but my hon. Friend may be interested in the figures with family credit which is a more suitable benefit for the examples. The information is set out in the table. All assumptions are as set out in the published tax benefit model tables. Each family is assumed to live in council property appropriate to its size and to pay estimated average rent and community charge. Average rents are provisional 1991-92 figures and community charge has been assessed at £250 per annum. Any relevant changes announced in the Budget have also been incorporated.
It should be noted that the results in the tables remain arbitrary. They cannot reflect, except by chance, the actual circumstances of particular people and cannot claim to be representative of the population at large. The tables use hypothetical rents so they do not reflect the full range of housing costs which people can pay.
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Married couple with two children aged 4 and 6
|£ per week
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Child Benefit |15.50
Assumed rent |25.60
Assumed community charge |9.62
Gross |Tax |National |Take home |Family Credit |Rent rebate |Community |Total net |Net income after
earnings |insurance |pay |charge benefit |income |rent and
|community charge
£ per week |£ per week |£ per week |£ per week |£ per week |£ per week |£ per week |£ per week |£ per week
50.00 |0.00 |1.28 |48.72 |57.70 |16.49 |5.59 |144.00 |108.78
130.00 |9.78 |8.48 |111.74 |23.06 |0.00 |1.34 |151.64 |116.42
160.00 |17.28 |11.18 |131.54 |9.20 |0.00 |0.00 |156.24 |121.02
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give details of the number of
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income support or family income supplement recipients for each of the years 1979 to 1990 showing, in each case, the number of recipients estimated to be liable to income tax at the date of their previous claim.Mr. Jack : Information on the number of recipients liable to income tax is not available.
Incomes
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish tables similar to the tax benefit model table showing the net weekly spending power for each of (a) a single person, (b) a married couple with no children, (c) a couple with a child aged 11 years, (d) a couple with two children aged eight and 11 years, (e) a couple with three children aged eight, 11 and 15 years, (f) a couple with four children aged three, eight, 11 and 15 years with weekly earnings of (i) £60, (ii) £70, (iii) £80, (iv) £90, (v) £100, (vi) £110, (vii) £120, (viii) £130, (ix) £140, (x) £150, (xi) £160, (xii) £170, and (xiii) £180 together with net weekly spending power in the first weeks of unemployment when the individuals concerned are classified as long-term unemployed.
Mr. Jack : The information is set out in the tables. All assumptions are as set out in the published tax benefit model tables. Each family is assumed to live in council property appropriate to its size and to pay estimated average rent and community charge. Average rents are provisional 1991-92 figures and community charge has been assessed at £250 per annum. Any relevant changes announced in the Budget have also been incorporated.
It should be noted that the results in the tables remain arbitrary. They cannot reflect, except by chance, the actual circumstances of particular people and cannot claim to be representative of the population at large. The tables use hypothetical rents so they do not reflect the full range of housing costs which people can pay.
Single Person
Total net income on income support: £64.73
Net income after rent and
community charge on income support: £38.69
Gross |Net income
earnings |before rent and|after rent and
|community |community
|charge |charge
(£ per week) |(£ per week) |(£ per week)
----------------------------------------------------------------
60 |72.36 |46.32
70 |73.85 |47.81
80 |75.40 |49.36
90 |78.46 |52.42
100 |85.06 |59.02
110 |91.66 |65.62
120 |98.26 |72.22
130 |104.86 |78.82
140 |111.46 |85.42
150 |118.06 |92.02
160 |124.66 |98.62
170 |131.26 |105.22
180 |137.86 |111.82
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Married couple with one child aged 11
Total net income on income support: £123.93
Net income after rent and
community charge on income support: £90.88
Gross |Net income
earnings |before rent and|after rent and
|community |community
|charge |charge
(£ per week) |(£ per week) |(£ per week)
----------------------------------------------------------------
60 |135.98 |102.93
70 |137.14 |104.09
80 |137.69 |104.64
90 |138.23 |105.18
100 |138.65 |105.60
110 |139.05 |106.00
120 |139.94 |106.89
130 |143.63 |108.58
140 |143.31 |110.26
150 |144.99 |111.94
160 |146.68 |113.63
170 |148.36 |115.31
180 |152.99 |119.94
Married couple with one child aged 11
Total net income on income support : £123.93
Net income after rent and
community charge on income support : £90.88
Gross earnings Net income before rent and community charge Net income after rent and community charge
(£ per week) (£ per week) (£ per week)
60 135.98 102.93
70 137.14 104.09
80 137.69 104.64
90 138.23 105.18
100 138.65 105.60
110 139.05 106.00
120 139.94 106.89
130 141.63 108.58
140 143.31 110.26
150 144.99 111.94
160 146.68 113.63
170 148.36 115.31
180 152.99 119.94
Married couple with two children aged 8 and 11
Total net income on income support : £142.30
Net income after rent and
community charge on income support : £107.08
Married couple with two children aged 8 and 11
Total net income on income support: £142.30
Net income after rent and
community charge on income support: £107.08
Gross |Net income
earnings |before rent and|after rent and
|community |community
|charge |charge
(£ per week) |(£ per week) |(£ per week)
----------------------------------------------------------------
60 |152.22 |117.00
70 |153.38 |118.16
80 |153.93 |118.71
90 |154.47 |119.25
100 |154.89 |119.67
110 |155.29 |120.07
120 |156.35 |121.13
130 |158.04 |122.82
140 |159.72 |124.50
150 |161.40 |126.18
160 |162.64 |127.42
170 |164.62 |129.40
180 |166.60 |131.38
Married couple with three children aged 8, 11 and 15 Total net income on income support : £164.90
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Net income after rent andcommunity charge on income support : £129.68
Married couple with three children aged 8, 11 and 15
Total net income on income support: £164.90
Net income after rent and
community charge on income support: £129.68
Gross |Net income
earnings |before rent and|after rent and
|community |community
|charge |charge
(£ per week) |(£ per week) |(£ per week)
----------------------------------------------------------------
60 |172.69 |137.47
70 |173.85 |138.63
80 |174.40 |139.18
90 |174.94 |139.72
100 |175.80 |140.58
110 |177.48 |142.26
120 |179.16 |143.94
130 |180.85 |145.63
140 |182.03 |146.81
150 |184.01 |148.79
160 |185.99 |150.77
170 |187.97 |152.75
180 |189.95 |154.73
Married couple with four children aged 3, 8, 11 and 15
Total net income on income support: £180.35
Net income after rent and
community charge on income support:£145.13
Gross |Net income
earnings |before rent and|after rent and
|community |community
|charge |charge
(£ per week) |(£ per week) |(£ per week)
----------------------------------------------------------------
60 |186.76 |151.54
70 |187.92 |152.70
80 |188.14 |152.92
90 |190.46 |155.24
100 |192.21 |156.99
110 |193.89 |158.67
120 |195.57 |160.35
130 |197.00 |161.78
140 |198.98 |163.76
150 |200.96 |165.74
160 |202.94 |167.72
170 |204.92 |169.70
180 |206.90 |171.68
Lone Parents
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of lone parents and their dependants in November 1979 and November 1990 or the nearest date possible, dependent on receipt of social security benefit or income support and family income or payment ; and what was the total number of lone parents and their dependants on the same dates, showing in each case the percentage change since 1979.
Mr. Jack : The information requested is set out in the table. The latest information available is shown, but the dates vary and the sets of figures are therefore not strictly comparable. The references to social security benefit and family income have been read as supplementary benefit and family income supplement/family credit respectively.
Supplementary benefit/income support<1>
|November |May |Percentage
|1979 |1989 |increase
---------------------------------------------------------
Lone parents |318,000 |767,000 |141
Dependants |558,000 |1,307,000 |134
<1> Annual Statistical Enquiries-November 1979 and May
1989. Figures do not include prisoners' partners.
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9
Family income supplement/family credit<2>
|November |July |Percentage
1979 |1990<4> |increase
---------------------------------------------------------
Lone parents |42,000 |126,000 |200
Dependants |73,000 |200,000 |174
<2> Ten per cent. sample of family income supplement
load and 5 per cent. sample of family credit load.
<4> The family credit figure for 1990 shows the position
at the end of July.
Total of lone parent families<3>
|November |November |Percentage
|1979 |1986 |increase
---------------------------------------------------------
Lone parents |840,000 |1,010,000 |20
Dependants |1,400,000 |1,600,000 |14
<3> Office of Population, Censuses and
Surveys-"Population Trends 45" (Autumn 1986) and
"Population Trends 55" (Spring 1989).
Benefits and Allowances
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the value in real terms, in absolute figures and as a percentage of retirement and other state pensions and all other welfare and national insurance benefits and allowances paid in (a) November 1979 and (b) November 1990 ; and what were the actual figures for each benefit in each year.
Miss Widdecombe : The last uprating date for which such calculations were made was April 1990 and I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 28 June 1990 at columns 355- 66 and the reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 2 July 1989 at columns 455-56. The missing figures on the real level of invalidity pension are the same as those for retirement pension given in the earlier answer.
These answers do not cover income-related benefits such as income support. The levels of all income-related benefits payable in November 1979 and 1990 can be found in "Social Security Statistics" for 1980 and 1990 respectively, which are in the Library. Changes over time to the benefit system have rendered increasingly meaningless any attempt to make hypothetical comparisons between what people get now under the various income-related benefits and what they might generally have got under previous schemes.
Personal Pensions
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received about the 2 per cent. incentive for holders of personal pensions.
Miss Widdecombe : This year four letters have been received from members of the public about the 2 per cent. incentive. These have mainly been in response to press articles on the subject.
Local Offices
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a breakdown of the national and local benefit agency structure on a constituency basis.
Miss Widdecombe : There are currently no plans to publish a guide containing this information. However,
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district office managers will be contacting individual Members in the near future with details of how the boundaries of the district structure relate to their constituencies.State Pensions
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many men aged 64 years are receiving a social security benefit ; what would be the additional cost of paying them retirement pension ; and what would be the cost of providing retirement pension to men aged 64 years not in receipt of any social security benefit.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Social Fund
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what effect the £100 million cash limit on the social fund will have on the local and central administration of the fund ; and what consideration he gave in fixing it at that level, to the risk of the fund running out of money before the end of the financial year.
Mr. Scott : The social fund has always operated nationally within a net budget, and the setting of a net cash limit now formalises this arrangement. This does not affect the local administration of the social fund where budgets will continue to operate on the basis of gross district budgets. We have no reason to believe that the £100 million net budget will not support the 1991-92 national gross budget of £227.7 million throughout the year.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing district office social fund allocations for 1991-92 and the allocations to the local offices comprised in each district for 1990-91.
Mr. Scott : Details of the local office social fund allocations in 1990-91 and the district office allocations for 1991-92 are in the Library. I will write to the hon. Member with details of the local offices covered by each new district office, and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of social fund loans was estimated to be non-recoverable in fixing the fund's cash limit for 1991-92.
Mr. Scott : The expected level of loan recoveries does not affect the social fund's cash limit of £100 million.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the social fund's cash limit for 1991-92 and its estimated net expenditure on discretionary grants and loans for 1990-91, in cash terms and in real terms.
Mr. Scott : The social fund net cash limit for 1991-92 is £100 million. Estimated net expenditure on grants and loans in 1990-91 in cash terms and real terms at 1991-92 prices is as follows :
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Loans |(At 1991-92 |Grants |(At 1991-92 £ million |prices) |£ million |prices) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31.4 |(33.6 million)|67.1 |(71.8 million)
Real terms figures have been calculated using the current GDP deflator and may alter. In any event the social fund budget is based on a number of factors, including the level of gross allocation permitted by expected loan recoveries and is not linked to inflation forecasts.
Carers
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what steps he is currently taking to ensure that all payments to carers are made at the earliest possible date.
Mr. Scott : To ensure that all payments to carers are made at the earliest possible date, clearance times for invalid care allowance claims are kept under close and regular scrutiny. Despite claims increasing by 50 per cent. during the period October 1990 to January 1991 compared with the same period last year, the clearance time for the year to date is 38.5 days against a published target of 38 days.
Disability
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what methods of payment will be available to recipients of (a) disability living allowance and (b) disability working allowance.
Miss Widdecombe : Recipients of both disability living allowance and disability working allowance will normally be able to choose whether to be paid in the form of an order book encashable at a post office, or automated credit transfer direct to a bank or building society account.
Child Benefit
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether widowed mothers, including war widows, will benefit from the increase in child benefit in October 1991.
Mr. Jack : It is our intention that the weekly rates of child dependency increases payable with widowed mother's allowance and of war widows' children's allowances, together with other benefits payable in respect of children, will not be affected by the increases in the rates of child benefit to be introduced in October 1991.
Local Offices, Bradford
Mr. Rooney : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff are currently employed in the three Bradford offices ; and what will be the numbers in each category from April under the district management unit.
Miss Widdecombe : The staffing position in the three Bradford offices on 26 March 1991 was as follows :
|Numbers
--------------------------------------
Bradford East
Permanent |113.5
Fixed-term contract |10
Casuals |7
Bradford South
Permanent |113.5
Fixed-term contract |20
Casuals |11
Bradford West
Permanent |120.5
Fixed-term contract |21.5
Casuals |12
The staffing position from 1 April 1991 is expected to be as follows :
|Numbers
--------------------------------------
Bradford East
Permanent |113.5
Fixed-term contract |4
Bradford South
Permanent |113.5
Fixed-term contract |18
Casuals |8
Bradford West
Permanent |119
Fixed-term contract |8
Casuals |4
It is planned to make seven of the fixed-term contract staff permanent throughout the DMU from 1 May 1991.
Direct Payments
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list the social security benefits which it is not possible to have paid directly into the claimant's bank account ; if he will specify in each case the reason why this facility is not available ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will list the social security benefits which it is possible to have paid directly into the claimant's bank account ; and if he will specify in each case the date when this facility became available.
Miss Widdecombe : The facility for the payment of benefit directly into a bank account is limited to those benefits which are fully computerised.
Pending completion of the Department's computerisation programme, the following benefits are those currently payable by automated credit transfer direct to a bank or building society. Also shown are the dates when that facility was introduced :
|Year
--------------------------------------------
Retirement pension/widows benefit |1982
Child benefit |1983
War pension |1983
Mobility allowance |1983
Attendance allowance |1985
Family credit |1988
Residential Homes
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information local benefit offices are required to supply him with in regard to income support payments to residents of private residential or nursing homes.
Column 530
Miss Widdecombe : Data are collected from the files of a 1 per cent. sample of all income support recipients in each local office. For people in residential care or nursing homes the income support data are the weekly amount in payment.
AIDS
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will conduct research into the effectiveness of the social security system in meeting the financial needs of people with AIDS ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : We have no plans to do so.
Chief Adjudication Officer
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the sixth annual report of the Chief Adjudication Officer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : The report is being published today. As last year, it finds considerable variation in standards of adjudication both in the Department of Social Security and the Employment Service, and makes a number of comments and recommendations for improvements. These are being considered, and will be the subject of a formal response in due course.
As the report recognises, the organisational changes currently being undertaken in conjuction with the inauguration of the Benefits Agency next month provide an opportunity to consider the scope for improving adjudication standards through greater specialisation in this work at the level of the new district offices. Although it makes no specific recommendation in this respect, I am arranging for the report's comments to be drawn to the attention of the agency's chief executive.
Community Charges Bill
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the provisions of the Community Charges (General Reduction) Bill entail any alterations in social security regulations.
Mr. Newton : We will be laying regulations making consequential amendments to the community charge benefit scheme. They will provide that any claim for benefit which is made within 56 days of the receipt of a demand notice reflecting the new levels of community charge can, where appropriate, be backdated to 1 April 1991. The regulations will also revoke the existing rule which prevents community charge benefit being paid if it would amount to less than 50p per week, and make a number of other technical changes. In view of the urgency the Social Security Advisory Committee has agreed to waive consultation on the regulations, which will be entirely beneficial.
Pensions
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 26 November 1990, Official Report, column 304, what are the figures at constant 1990 prices, retaining his original prices and
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earnings assumptions ; and if he will also show (a) the SERPS entitlement at earnings equal to half the upper earnings limit for national insurance contributions in each year at 1990 prices and (b) the category A national insurance pension in each year at 1990 prices.
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