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Miss Widdecombe : I have been asked to reply.
The table sets out housing benefit expenditure for central and local government from 1983-84 to 1990-91 :
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£ million
|1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
|outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |estimated
outturn
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government Expenditure (all
housing benefits):
England |3,053 |3,399 |3,762 |4,094 |4,288 |4,066 |4,299 |3,734
Great Britain |3,600 |4,001 |4,459 |4,869 |5,150 |4,936 |5,046 |4,430
Local Authority Expenditure:
England
rent rebate (council
tenants) |1,659 |1,789 |1,902 |1,979 |2,028 |2,168 |2,301 |2,590
rent allowance |483 |614 |784 |877 |892 |912 |1,094 |1,417
rate rebates |1,044 |1,159 |1,251 |1,389 |1,425 |1,157 |1,212 |0
Great Britain
rent rebate (council
tenants) |1,980 |2,145 |2,296 |2,420 |2,506 |2,714 |2,882 |3,192
rent allowance |536 |687 |881 |998 |1,030 |1,051 |1,258 |1,610
rate rebates |1,218 |1,354 |1,479 |1,635 |1,701 |1,373 |1,263 |0
SCOTLAND
Youth Training
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) applications and (b) available places for youth training there have been in Strathclyde this year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information sought is not collected centrally. It is unlikely to be available from any source in the form requested, partly because there is no standard application process and partly because provision is calculated on the basis of the number of trainee weeks available rather than the number of places.
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Agency Nurses
Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the expenditure of the national health service in Scotland, identified by health board, on employing agency nurses in each of the last five years in (a) cash and (b) constant prices.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is not held centrally.
Charities
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the statutory requirements covering the preparation and presentation of accounts by charities in Scotland ; and what information he has on the charities which have failed to meet these requirements in the last two years, five years and 10 years respectively.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Section 4 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990 empowers the Secretary of State to make regulations concerning the preparation and presentation of accounts by charities which are recognised bodies under the provisions of that Act and which are not companies. Section 4 has not yet come into force.There is no prior statutory requirement for Scottish charities to keep accounts.
Braille Examination Papers
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what arrangements his Department is making to ensure that blind and partially sighted students have adequate access to the standard grade and higher examination process ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) what arrangements are being made by his Department to ensure that examination papers for higher grade examinations are available in Braille.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is already the practice of the Scottish Examination Board to modify its stipulated arrangements for candidates who, because of visual impairment, are unable to satisfy the normal requirements. The facilities provided can include the services of a reader and/or scribe and the availability of examination papers in Braille.
Flood Warnings
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to introduce a statutory requirement for river purification boards to provide advance flood warnings covering both river and coastal areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : River purification boards and islands councils already have powers under the Agriculture Act 1970, as amended by the Local Government and Planning (Scotland) Act 1982, to provide and operate flood warning systems in their areas after consulting the chief constables and local authorities in whose areas it is proposed to exercise these powers. This procedure ensures that decisions about flood warning systems are taken by those best able to consider local needs and I have no plans to alter the statutory basis of these arrangements.
Mental Illness Services
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by health board, (a) the sums spent on capital projects in psychiatric hospitals in Scotland, and (b) the revenue expenditure on mental illness services in Scotland, for the last three years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money is being made available to new schemes to be funded under the specific grant for mental illness for 1992-93 ; and if he will make a statement about the future of the scheme.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Government's spending plans provide for an increase to £5 million in the provision of the mental illness specific grant scheme in 1992-93. This will, along with all Government spending plans, be reviewed in the course of this year.
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The scheme is set to run for an initial three years and extension of the scheme will be subject to review at the end of that period.Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide the latest available figures on the level of registered supported accommodation for people affected by mental illness by health board area and per 100,000 population.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information is not held in the form requested.
Craigtoun Hospital St. Andrews
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future use of Craigtoun hospital, St. Andrews.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 11 July 1991] : Fife health board has forwarded a proposal to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to close Craigtoun hospital, St. Andrew's which is currently being considered. As with all hospital closures, the board's proposals will be considered on their merits and views of the public and other interested parties taken into account in reaching a decision.
Working with St. Andrew's GPs a study is currently under way at St. Andrew's memorial hospital to determine the most appropriate use of beds. The outcome of this study will be known in September when we will be in a position to consider further the proposals to close Craigtoun hospital.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Executive Agencies
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of the Resettlement Agency ; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded ;
(2) what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of the Contributions Agency ; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded ;
(3) what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of the Benefits Agency ; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded ;
(4) what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of Information Technology Services Agency ; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded.
Miss Widdecombe : The chief executive of each of the Department's executive agencies will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Pension Age
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received from the United Kingdom Federation of Business and Professional Women regarding equalisation of the state pension age.
Miss Widdecombe : We have received two letters.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those organisations and individuals which have made representations on equalisation of the state pension age since 1 January.
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Miss Widdecombe : Since 1 January 1991 we have received representations from the following organisations :Age Concern
Asda Stores Ltd.
Association of British Insurers
British Aerospace
British Hardware Federation
BP
Campaign for Equal State Pension Age
Comet Group PLC
CBI
Co-operative Union Ltd.
Dolland and Aitchison Group PLC
Electrical Engineering Federation
Equal Opportunities Commission
European Federation for Retirement Provision
Help the Aged
ICI
Joint Working Group
Life Insurance Council
Marks and Spencer PLC
Mars Confectionary
National Association of Pension Funds
Nat West Bank
Noble Lowndes and Partners
Occupational Pensions Board
The Retail Consortium
Royal Insurance
J. Sainsbury
Social Security Advisory Committee
Spar (UK) Ltd.
Specialeyes PLC
TUC
United Kingdom Federation of Business and Professional Women R. Watson and Sons
In addition, 150 letters have been received from hon. Members and 124 from members of the public.
Water Bills
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what benefits are now available to those in receipt of invalid care allowance and disability benefits in respect of assistance with water bills.
Mr. Scott : There is no specific social security benefit available to help people pay their water charges. However, income support is an income-related benefit for people not in full-time work whose income is below a certain level. It is intended to cover all normal day-to-day living expenses and beneficiaries are expected to budget for their water charges in the same way as any other commitment.
Industrial Injuries
Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will add reactive dyes to the list of substances which are held to be asthma causing in respect of claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : We shall be laying regulations shortly which will extend the coverage for occupational asthma under the industrial injuries scheme. Nine further named agents, including reactive dyes, will be added to the prescribed list of sensitising agents encountered at work.
Independent Living Fund
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security under the proposals for the future of the independent living fund, how the present arrangement
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whereby direct payments are made to severely disabled people to make their own personal assistance arrangements will continue after 1993.Mr. Scott : I refer my hon. Friend to the announcement I made during consideration of Lords amendments to the Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance Bill, on 21 May at col 794. We are still considering the form the successor body may take.
Severe Disablement Allowance
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what review he has undertaken of the different residency rules for severe disablement allowance compared to attendance allowance, mobility allowance or disability living allowance ; what plans he has to unify the residency qualifications ; what other plans he has to review the severe disablement allowance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review residency rules for severe disablement allowance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : We recognise that there has been some criticism of the residence qualifying condition for severe disablement allowance, which is more stringent than those which apply to other non-contributory benefits for sick and disabled people. The general issue of the acceptable length of residency conditions is being considered by the European Court of Justice. We believe that it would be sensible to be informed by their view before reaching any conclusions on the test for claimants generally.
In the meantime, regulations were laid before the House on 4 July which will help members of the armed forces and their families with the residence condition. We believe that this approach is wholly justified in advance of any more general consideration of the test. We have no current plans to conduct a wider review of severe disablement allowance.
Occupational Diseases
Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps are being taken to review the list of prescribed diseases and the occupations for which they are prescribed, as defined by the Social Security Act 1975 and subsequent amendments, to harmonise with the European Schedule of Occupational Diseases (Annex I) and with the Additional List (Annex II), in relation to European Commission recommendation of 22 May 1990 (90/326/EEC) for the adoption of a European schedule of occupational diseases.
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. Crowther) on 10 June at columns 396-97.
Benefit Provision
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor) of 26 July 1990, Official Report, columns 494-95, when he now expects to be able to publish the results of the research into the way in which benefit provision for 16 and 17-year-olds is working.
Mr. Jack [pursuant to the reply, 30 April, column 161] : I have today placed a copy of the report on 16 and
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17-year-old applicants for severe hardship payments in the Library. The research focuses on the very small proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds, 0.4 per cent., who are not in full-time education, work, or youth training and who claim income support under the severe hardship provision.The research was commissioned in July 1990 by the DSS to gather more data on young people who claim under the severe hardship provision, their understanding of and attitudes towards the benefit system and their experience of training and the labour market. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment is also publishing today a report "Finding Youth Training Places for 16 and 17 Year Old Applicants for Severe Hardship Payment".
Almost two thirds of those interviewed during the MORI research said that they found youth training useful. The report also shows that severe hardship payments are, as intended, going to those young people seeking YT places who are most at risk : and in particular that the system provides a safety net both for those who have to live independently and to those at risk of homelessness or the break-up of the family.
The research coupled with the Department's own monitoring has been taken into account in putting in hand further improvements in the arrangements for dealing with claims from young people, which build on those already announced in November 1989 and March 1990. Accordingly the Government are implementing the following measures : (1) The service to 16 and 17-year- olds in Benefits Agency offices is being improved by :
Making a specific assistant manager in each district personally responsible for service to 16 and 17-year-olds.
Further staff training to reinforce the importance of 16 and 17-year-olds being handled positively and sympathetically both at reception and in the course of their personal interview.
Ensuring that interviews with young people are conducted in private, wherever possible.
Introducing priority handling for claims and strengthened procedural guidance.
A review of the leaflets and other information available to 16 and 17-year- olds.
(2) Measures have already been taken to improve the procedures for arranging YT placements, including the introduction of guarantee liaison arrangements in each TEC, with contractual obligations on TECs to investigate individual cases. All those in receipt of severe hardship payments for more than eight weeks are now automatically referred to the TEC under the liaison arrangements. This procedure is to be further strengthened by referring at an earlier stage those young people whose personal circumstances make it particularly important to find a place quickly : care leavers, rough sleepers, pregnant girls.
(3) The Employment Service will improve the guidance to unemployment benefit offices on handling claims for income support. The Children Act 1989, which comes into force with effect from October 1991, makes clear the duty on local authorities to prepare children for the time when they leave their care and simplifies the existing powers and duties of local authorities to care for children formerly in their care. These provisions recognise the importance of helping children to become established in the community.
However, concern has been expressed about some children leaving care who claim income support under the severe hardship provisions : this creates an uncertainty which can cause difficulty in making positive plans for the future. Accordingly we intend to introduce legislation to give eligibility for income support to all those 16 and
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17-year-olds who live independently on leaving care while continuing in full-time non-advanced education. And we further intend to make income support available for a period of up to eight weeks to all 16 and 17-year-olds leaving care who have to live independently and who are registered for work and YT.Those 16 and 17-year-olds who have been sleeping rough in London will already have benefited from and will continue to benefit from the bed spaces being made available by the Department of the Environment under its rough sleepers initiative. Of these, 180 hostel bed spaces are specifically earmarked for young people.
These measures, taken with the improvements already made, will ensure the effective operation of the safety net that the severe hardship provision provides to those most at risk while seeking a YT place without detracting from the positive options of education, work or training which are pursued by the vast majority of young people in this age group.
HEALTH
Plastic Surgery
14. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if, when he next meets the chairman of the North West regional health authority, he proposes to discuss the provision of plastic surgery in the north-west region.
Mr. Dorrell : When I meet the chairman of North Western regional health authority this evening I shall congratulate him on his region's record in undertaking record numbers of treatments in plastic surgery and on the decision to appoint additional medical consultant and teaching staff.
Operations (Waiting Lists)
16. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients awaiting operations in the Wessex regional health authority area wait for longer than one year ; and if he will make a statement.
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