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Expenditure Plans
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about his Department's expenditure plans for the financial years 1992-93 to 1994-95.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his statement today, the provision for the Department of Education and Science's own spending programme in 1992-93 will be £7,947 million, which is £627 million or 8.6 per cent. higher than the estimated outturn for 1991-92. This figure includes central Government expenditure on higher education, science, schools, and sport ; it also includes specific grants to local authorities and credit approvals for capital expenditure by LEAs. Capital Expenditure in Schools and Colleges
Local authority capital programmes at schools and colleges--annual capital guidelines and supplementary credit approvals--rise from £538 million in 1991-92 to £590 million in 1992-93. The total for local authority
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schools rises from £472 million to £524 million--an increase of 11 per cent. Provision for building grants for voluntary aided schools increases from £130.8 million to £150.7 million, a rise of over 15 per cent. £28.5 million has been allocated for capital expenditure in grant-maintained schools, up from £10.5 million in 1991-92, reflecting the rapid increase in the number of schools entering this sector. The total for school building work rises to £703 million in 1992-93 : up by some 10 per cent. in real terms over the equivalent figure for this year. The increase should also be seen against continuing downward pressure on building tender prices, which should enable sums allocated to new work this year and next to go even further. This level of provision underscores the Government's commitment to give priority to improving school buildings and to implementing the national curriculum, in particular science and technology.For the third year running, available recurrent public funding for universities, polytechnics and colleges is planned to increase by some 10 per cent. outturn in the previous year--to £3.9 billion in 1992-93. Total recurrentand capital spending on all higher education--UFC, PCFC and other higher education--funded through fees and grant will be £4.4 billion in 1992-93.
These plans will enable the continued expansion of the number of students in higher education described in the White Paper "Higher Education : A New Framework" (Cm. 1541). More than one in four of all young people in Britain are expected to enter higher education in autumn next year and one in three by the end of the century. As the White Paper explained, the plans envisage additional public funding to support this expansion while also expecting institutions to take advantage of the efficiency gains available to them as they take on more students.
Based on actual enrolments to each sector up to October 1990, the plans allow for the following distribution between sectors of the projected number of students for 1992-93 given in the White Paper :
Projected Home and EC student numbers (FTE) (
Financial years)
thousands Percentage
|1991-92 |1992-93 |increase
---------------------------------------------
PCFC |368 |401 |9.0
UFC |343 |363 |5.8
Under the Government's proposals to bring together universities, polytechnics and colleges into one higher education sector, the funds for 1993-94 will be made available to the new higher education funding councils. On a comparable basis to 1992-93, the planned available recurrent funding for 1993-94 and 1994-95 is £4.2 billion and £4.4 billion, some 17 per cent. and 22 per cent. respectively more than in 1991-92. Subject to the passage of the necessary legislation, there will be adjustments from 1993-94 to the planned funding for these years to take account of the changes in territorial responsibilities of the new funding councils.
These plans confirm that the Government are providing for the cost of the extra students enrolled as well as for an increase in resources for the funding councils. Universities, polytechnics and colleges remain free to take on, and finance through the tuition fee, as many qualified students as they are able to accommodate. The level of fees which will be reimbursed through public funds in the academic year 1992-93 will be up to these limits :
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Classroom based courses : £1,855.Laboratory/workshop based courses : £2,770.
Clinical medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses : £4, 985.
Postgraduate fee : £2,200.
The plans allow for an increase in fee income and capital and recurrent grant to the universities of £144 million in 1992-93, compared with estimated outturn for 1991-92. They will also benefit from extra income from tuition fees for every additional student enrolled beyond these plans.
The total planned recurrent grant for the Universities Funding Council in 1992-93 will be £1,585 million. The plans allow for a further transfer of resources to provision for science as part of the new boundary for dual support. Taking account of the dual support transfer, total planned available recurrent funding in 1992-93 is nearly 8 per cent. higher than the expected level in 1991-92. It will be for the universities to determine what can be afforded for academic pay within their overall resources, having regard to other cost increases, the scope for efficiency improvements and the need for additional staff. The Government will hold back £24 million of grant in 1992-93 for release only in the event of a satisfactory pay settlement for non-clinical academic staff which makes provision to relate pay more closely to performance.
Capital funding for the universities will be £9 million more than plans for 1991-92. This should allow a start to be made on an upgraded academic computer network, SuperJANET.
The plans allow for an increase in fee income and capital and recurrent grant to the polytechnics and colleges of £175 million in 1992-93, compared with estimated outturn for 1991-92. They will also benefit from tuition fee income for every additional student enrolled beyond these plans. The total planned recurrent grant for the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council in 1992-93 will be £898 million. Planned available recurrent funding in 1992-93 is some 12 per cent. higher than the expected level in 1991-92.
It will be for the polytechnic and college employers to determine what can be afforded for academic pay having regard to other cost increases, the scope for efficiency improvements and the need for additional staff. The Government will hold back £11 million of grant in 1992-93 for release only in the event of a satisfactory pay settlement for the lecturers to whom national negotiations currently apply which makes provision to relate pay more closely to performance.
Capital funding for the PCFC sector is increased to £137.5 million, a level over 50 per cent. higher than in 1989-90 when the polytechnic and college sector was established.
We will increase by 4 per cent. the level of support to each student next year from grant and loan combined, thus maintaining its value in real terms. Mandatory awards and loans will be available for all eligible students who apply for them.
Public expenditure provision for the DES science programme, including expenditure financed by EC receipts, has been increased significantly to £1,054 million in 1992-93, £1,184 million in 1993-94 and £1,274 million in 1994-95. These figures include transfers from higher education funding of £48 million, £125 million and £154 million respectively, which will enable the research
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councils, from August 1992, to meet the full costs of the projects which they support in higher education institutions.Within these totals, the sums available for distribution by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils will be £1,050 million, £1, 181 million and £1,270 million. The totals for 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994- 95 are £29 million, £50 million and £85 million higher than previous plans for those years. Total science provision for each year will be 7, 12 and 19 per cent. higher in cash than the estimated outturn in 1991 -92, excluding the sums transferred and after allowing for the one-off saving of £8 million in 1991-92 on postgraduate fees. This gives an excellent basis for the research councils to plan and manage basic and strategic research.
I am inviting the Advisory Board for the Research Councils to advise me on the distribution of these resources which will best advance the Government's aims for civil science in the interests of the nation as a whole.
The plans provide for the successful establishment and development of the 15 city technology colleges announced, and for a start from 1993-94 on spreading CTC principles and practices into other secondary schools.
The 1992-93 settlement for recurrent provision for grant-maintained schools takes account of the rapid increase in projected school numbers ; there are already over 100 grant-maintained schools operating, and numbers are projected to double by April 1992. We shall make available, subject to the passage of the Further and Higher Education Bill, £25 million in 1992- 93 for the costs of establishing the Further Education Funding Council and preparing further education and sixth form colleges for independence from local authority control.
Economic and Social Research Council
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he received the annual report of the Economic and Social Research Council for 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The annual report of the Economic and Social Research Council has been submitted to me under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act 1965 and a copy is being laid before the House today.
I was most interested to read about the council's achievements during its 25th anniversary year. I would note in particular its publication of new "Postgraduate Training Guidelines" issued after widespread consultation to help establish higher standards of training for research students in the social sciences ; and the launch of the ESRC's largest-ever research initiative to examine the causes and consequences of global environmental change.
I congratulate the council on these and its other achievements during its silver jubilee year.
Cash Limits
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any changes to announce to cash limits on votes within his responsibility for 1991-92.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limits for class XI, vote 1, schools, research and miscellaneous
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services, class XI, vote 2, higher and further education, and class XI, vote 4, administration will be changed. The cash limit changes are as follows :Column 141
Class and vote |Current |Change |Revised/
|cash limit |cash limit
|£ |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class XI, vote 1 |712,863,000 |+5,607,000 |718,470,000
Class XI, vote 2 |2,916,285,000 |+518,000 |2,916,803,000
Class XI, vote 4 |98,692,000 |+7,925,000 |106,617,000
The increase on class XI, vote 1 includes the full take-up of capital end- year flexibility entitlement of £6,085,000 announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991, columns 186-89 . It takes account of the transfer to the Overseas Development Administration of £300,000 towards covering the shortfall between the contribution from the European Commission and the level of fees levied by higher education institutions for students coming to the United Kingdom from central and eastern Europe under the trans-European mobility scheme for university studies (TEMPUS) for which the British Council is undertaking administration of United Kingdom participation ; and a transfer of £178,000 to class XI, vote 2.
The increase on class XI, vote 2 includes provision for a transfer of responsibility to the Universities Funding Council for course costs in training for social work. This is offset by decreases in provision for the Department of Health (class XIII, vote 3), the Home Office (class IX, vote 3) and the Welsh Office (class XVI, vote 5). The vote 2 increase also makes provision for the preparatory costs of establishing new funding arrangements for further education in England, offset by a reduction in provision on vote 1 and in provision on vote 2 for bursaries for the training of teachers in shortage subjects.
The increase on class XI, vote 4 includes the full take-up of capital (£2,000,000) and running costs (£404,000) end-year flexibility entitlement. It provides for slippage of expenditure associated with the Department's new headquarters building. It also provides for a further transfer (£200,000) from the Department of the Environment towards the costs of the sport and recreation directorate following the transfer of responsibility for sport to my Department. The increase is net of a transfer of £78,000 to the Department of Employment to reflect that Department's responsibility for the secretariat of the School Teachers' Review Body. The net effect of the changes to running costs is to increase the limit by £526,000 from £96,445,000 to £96,971,000.
These changes are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Public Appointments
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the numbers of persons or bodies appointed by him or by departments subject to his direction and control ; and the date of creation of each such body.
Dr. Mawhinney : At 31 August 1991, there were 147 such public bodies with a total of 2,358 appointments.
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Further details of these bodies may be found in "Public Bodies" and "Public Appointments : A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are available in the Library.Departmental Land Holdings
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of holdings of agricultural land owned by his Department in each county in Northern Ireland in (a) 1980 and (b) 1990.
Mr. Hanley : The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland owns agricultural land which it farms for educational and research purposes. Its forest service also owns areas of agricultural land which are surplus to its current planting plans or which it is holding pending the availability of adjoining land ; this land is generally let out to neighbouring farmers under short-term lets. The figures for 1990 are shown below (1980 figures in brackets) :
Areas of agricultural land owned and the number of holdings owned
and let by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, 1990
(1980)
County Hectares Holdings Holdings let
owned owned
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antrim |1,691 |(1,490)|20 |(10) |18 |(8)
Armagh/Down |658 |(1,179)|27 |(31) |23 |(27)
Fermanagh |1,768 |(1,753)|36 |(50) |34 |(48)
Londonderry |1,148 |(868) |16 |(27) |16 |(27)
Tyrone |1,367 |(2,480)|45 |(14) |44 |(13)
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Northern Ireland |6,632 |(7,770)|144 |(132) |135 |(123)
EMPLOYMENT
Manufacturing (Earnings)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will publish a table showing the increase in, respectively, the average real earnings of full-time adult male and female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April compared to full-time male and female manual employees (i) in the public sector and (ii) not in the public sector ;
(2) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult male manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April 1991 relative to full-time male adult manual workers in (i) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (ii) the nationalised industries and (iii) the private sector ;
(3) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay
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was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April 1991 relative to full-time adult female manual workers in (i) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (ii) the nationalised industries and (iii) the private sector ;(4) if he will publish a table showing the increase in, respectively, the average real earnings of full-time adult male and female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April compared to full-time adult male and female non-manual employees in (i) the public sector and (ii) not in the public sector ;
(5) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult female manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April and the same data for full-time adult female non-manual workers in (a) manufacturing, (b) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (c) the nationalised industries and (d) the private sector ;
(6) if he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult male and female manual workers in manufacturing industry whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April compared to full-time adult male and female non-manual employees in (i) the public sector and (ii) not in the public sector ;
(7) whether he will publish a table showing the increase in the average real earnings of full-time adult male manual workers in manufacturing industry, whose pay was not affected by sickness, in the 12 years to April 1991 relative to full-time adult male non-manual workers in (a) manufacturing, (b) the public sector other than the nationalised industries, (c) the nationalised industries and (d) the private sector.
Mr. Jackson : Information on the average gross earnings of manual and non-manual male and female employees by sector and of manual employees in manufacturing can be found in tables 1, 4 and 6 of part A of the new earnings survey reports from 1979 onwards, apart from those in the "Public Sector other than the nationalised industries" for 1979 which are given in the table below.
Information on the retail prices index (all items) to convert 1979 figures to 1991 prices is published in table 6.4 of the latest Employment Gazette for April 1991, and in table 26 of the annual supplement to Economic Trends for April of earlier years. Copies of the publications are available in the Library.
Average gross weekly earnings of
full-time adult employees whose
pay was not affected by absence.
Public sector other than public
corporations
|April 1979
|£
---------------------------------------
Manual women |52.9
Manual men |79.5
Non-manual women |74.5
Non-manual men |111.0
Employees (Underpayments)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers in the east midlands have been prosecuted for underpaying their employees since 1979 ; and if he will list the name, offence and penalty in each case.
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Mr. Forth : Maurice's Discount of Nottingham is the only employer in the east midlands to have been prosecuted since 1979. The employer was prosecuted in 1989 under section 16 of the Wages Act 1986 for failing to pay at least the statutory minimum remuneration. The court imposed a fine of £100 and costs of £100 were awarded against the employer. Arrears of wages amounting to £429.71 were paid by the employer to the worker concerned.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the number of jobs lost in manufacturing since 1970, 1973, 1979 and 1988, respectively ; and what is his estimate of the number of jobs in each case lost as a result of (i) lack of training and (ii) lack of capital investment.
Mr. Jackson : The number of employees in employment in manufacturing in the United Kingdom at June 1991 has fallen by :
Since |Number ------------------------------ 1970 |3,456,000 1973 |2,959,000 1979 |2,375,000 1988 |332,000
It is not possible to estimate the causes underlying the falls, but manufacturing has accounted for a declining share of total employment in most other industrial countries over the last twenty years, and has seen substantial increases in output per employee over the period.
Mr. Lee : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the level of employment in the United Kingdom apparel, knitting and textile industries (classes 26, 43, 453 and 455 ; including Northern Ireland) at September 1988, September 1989, September 1990 and September 1991.
Mr. Jackson : Estimates of employees in employment in the apparel, knitting and textile industries in the United Kingdom are only available at census of employment dates. The following table shows Great Britain estimates for the dates requested together with United Kingdom estimates for the latest two censuses.
Employees in employment
Apparel, knitting and textile industries
(SIC 26, 43, 453 and 455)
Thousands
|Great |United
|Britain<1>|Kingdom
------------------------------------------------
September 1987 |511.2 |508.6
September 1988 |509.1 |-
September 1989 |477.7 |476.5
September 1990 |456.0 |-
June 1991 |429.1 |-
<1> The Great Britain figures include:
(i) group 255, manufacture of paints, varnishes
and printing
ink, and;
(ii) activity heading 4560, manufacture of fur
goods.
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Youth Training
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria are used to justify different unit prices for youth training places, or weeks ; and what is the range of prices paid.
Mr. Jackson : Targets for numbers of training weeks and outputs to be delivered on youth training (YT), the payment for each and the overall budget are agreed by negotiation between the employment department and individual training and enterprise councils (TECs). TEC volume targets and unit prices are influenced by past performance and by a range of local factors.
TECs are responsible for all contractual and financial arrangements with individual organisations which provide training.
Car Industry
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the increase since April 1979 in (a) output per head and (b) the average weekly earnings in real terms of adult male manual workers in the car industry.
Mr. Jackson : The increase in output per head in the motor vehicles and parts industry between the second quarter of 1979 and the second quarter of 1991 is estimated to be 57 per cent.
Information on the average gross weekly earnings of manual male employees in the motor vehicle industry can be found in table 4 of part A of the new earnings survey reports for 1979 and 1991. Information on the retail prices index (all items) to convert 1979 figures to 1991 prices is published in table 6.4 of the latest Employment Gazette for April 1991, and in table 26 of the annual supplement to Economic Trends for April of earlier years. Copies of the publications are available in the Library.
Cash Limits
Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether any changes will be made to his Department's cash limits or running costs limits for 1991-92.
Mr. Howard : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the following changes will be made : The cash limit for class VI, vote (programmes and central services) will be increased by £81,066,000 from £2,357,241,000 to £2,438,307, 000. The increase principally reflects additional provision for the package of employment measures which I announced to the House on 19 June 1991. The changes for this vote relating to the package are : £43,520,000 provision for the new employment action (EA) programme ; an increase of £29,900,000 for employment training (ET) ; increased provision of £1,000,000 for publicity to promote the June measures ; increased receipts from the Welsh Office (class XVI, vote 4) to recover increased expenditure on EA and ET in Wales ; and increased running costs associated with the delivery of EA, of which £1,315,000 is for training and enterprise councils and departmental area offices in England and Wales and local enterprise companies in Scotland, and £342,000 is for Employment Department
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headquarters. The increase in the cash limit as a result of these measures is partially offset by reduced requirements by the Department of Social Security (class XIV, vote 1). Other changes to the cash limit reflect : a transfer of £3,100,000 from the Scottish Office (class XV, vote 3) for residual expenditure by my department mainly on Youth Training (YT) in Scotland ; increased provision of £1,599,000 (running costs) and £2,000,000 (capital) for full take up of end year flexibility entitlement, to carry forward unspent provision from 1990-91 to 1991-92 as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 186-190 ; an increase of £2,585, 000 running costs for payment to Property Holdings for opportunity cost rents ; an increase of £1,168,000 running costs for payment to the Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSD) for legal services and £17, 000 new receipts for recovery of costs and awards from legal cases following the move to a repayment system with the Treasury Solicitor's Department ; a transfer of £78,000 running costs from the Department of Education and Science (class XI, vote 4) for secretariat services to the school teachers review body ; increased receipts of £300,000 from the sale of capital assets from the former National Dock Labour Board ; a transfer of £45,000 to the Scottish Office (class XV, vote 13) to fund a grant to the Scottish Council on Alcohol ; and a reduction of £20,000 for tourist projects to reflect an excess in expenditure on tourism in 1990-91.The cash limit for class VI, vote 2 (employment service), will be increased by £35,031,000 from £453,849,000 to £488,880,000. The increase is the net result of an increase of £15,715,000 running costs for measures to assist the unemployed ; an increase of £5,408, 000 running costs for administration of payments to ET, YT and EA participants ; an increase of £2,800,000 for job review and restart courses programmes ; an increase of £10,060,000 running costs in respect of opportunity costs rents ; an increase of £3,106,000 for full take up of running costs end year flexibility entitlement to carry forward unspent provision from 1990-91 to 1991-92 as announced by the Chief Secretary on 17 July 1991 ; an increase of £5,000,000 in running costs for increased funding for fraud investigation, offset by equivalent receipts from the Department of Social Security (class XIV, vote 4) ; increased receipts of £1,651,000 relating to VAT refunds on contracted out services and increased VAT receipts of £407,000 in respect of programmes for priority groups.
The running costs limit for the Department of Employment will be increased by £44,725,000 from £1,057,699,000 to £1,102,424,000. The increases are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
WALES
Pupils (English)
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure parents who wish their children to be educated through the medium of English in maintained primary schools in Dyfed will receive such an education for their children.
Mr. David Hunt : This is the responsibility of the local education authority.
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Cancer Specialists
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will indicate where there are health authorities in Wales with a shortage of consultant cancer specialists ;
(2) what steps he will take to deal with a shortage of consultant cancer specialists.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The Welsh medical and dental manpower committee advises the Department on the relative priority of consultant appointments and reflect in their recommendations any shortages identified by district health authorities.
The latest information shows no shortages in this speciality.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he will take to speed up treatment for cancer sufferers.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : We are continuing to make available central funds to improve the accessibility and quality of the regional radiotherapy and oncology service. We are also encouraging an exchange of information and ideas between those interested in the development of an effective cancer service in Wales.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were in employment in the Holyhead travel-to-work area in (a) June 1987 and (b) June 1991.
Mr. David Hunt : In September 1987 there were 13,800 employees in employment in the Holyhead travel to work area. In September 1989 (the latest date for which information is available) the number of employees in employment had increased to 15,000. Employment data for the area are available only from biennial censuses of employment.
Cash Limits
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limits for his Department in the current year.
Mr. David Hunt : Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 4 will be increased by £5,159,000 from £151,408,000 to £156,567,000 ; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 5 will be reduced by £6,590,000 from £399,875,000 to £393,285,000 ; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 8 will be increased by £12,783,000 from £1,130,677,000 to £1,143,460,000 ; the cash limit for class XVI, vote 10 will be increased by £10,521,000 from £1,764,799,000 to £1,775,320,000. In addition, the cash limit for WO/UA will be increased by £8,061,000 from £74,091,000 to £82,152,000 and the cash limit for WO/LACAP will be reduced by £4, 879,000 from £379,541,000 to £374,662,000.
The increase in vote 4 is in respect of the Welsh share of the increased provision for measures to help unemployed people, announced by the Secretary of State for Employment on 19 June 1991. The Welsh share is mainly for employment training and the new employment action programme.
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The reduction to vote 5 allows for the transfer to class XVI, vote 10 of payments to the Valuation Office Agency for rating list work (£5,158,000). There are also further reductions of (i) £735,000 in the provision for rating list work and (ii) £697,000 in respect of the running costs of the valuation and community charge tribunal offices (including associated receipts) which are being accommodated from offsetting savings within vote 10.The additional resources for vote 8 are for (i) the increase in VAT announced on 19 March 1991 (£7,500,000), (ii) full take-up of end year flexibility entitlement for capital carryover as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 (cols. 186 to 190) (£5,086,000) and (iii) the transfer from class XIII, vote 1 (Department of Health) of the Incentive Bonus Scheme Policy Group (£197,000).
The increase to vote 10 takes account of (i) the transfer of provision for rating services from class XVI, vote 5 (£5,158,000) and (ii) additional provision for payments to the Valuation Office Agency in respect of council tax banding work (£5,363,000).
The increase to the urban aid capital cash limit (WO/UA) takes account of (i) the take-up of end year flexibility entitlement on capital expenditure (£3,182,000) as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 186 to 190 and (ii) the transfer of provision for the rural initiative from WO/LACAP (£4,879, 000).
The reduction in the local authority capital cash limit (WO/LACAP) relates to the transfer of provision to WO/UA in respect of the rural initiative.
The net increase represented by these changes is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
Non-domestic Rates
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the national non-domestic rate poundage for Wales for 1992-93 and the distributable amount of non-domestic rates which will flow from this.
Mr. David Hunt : We propose that the national non-domestic rate poundage for Wales should rise in line with the increase in the retail price index for the 12 months to September 1991 giving a poundage for 1992- 93 of £0.425. This represents an increase of just over 4 per cent. compared with just under 11 per cent. between 1990-91 and 1991-92. We believe this is fair and reasonable, and will be widely welcomed. It reflects the Government's success in reducing inflation, and will demonstrate to business the benefits of the uniform business rate. We propose that the distributable amount of non-domestic rates income will be £536 million.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Mr. T M French
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne can expect a reply to his letter of 14 August on behalf of Mr. T M French, of Portobello boarding cattery, Portobello, Troon, Camborne, Cornwall.
Mr. Jack : A reply was sent to the hon. Member on Tuesday 5 November.
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Benefits (Claimants' Savings)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state (a) the present tariff income schedule of attributed interest on savings held by benefit claimants, (b) the interest rate and annual percentage rate on savings implied by the schedule, (c) when the schedule was last revised and (d) whether he proposes to revise it again in the light of recent falls in interest rates.
Miss Widdecombe : The tariff income rules in the income-related benefits do not imply any particular return on savings. They ensure that help is targeted on those who need it most, while gradually reducing the amount of benefit paid to those with higher amounts of capital.
The level of income assumed from capital is calculated by ignoring the first £3,000 and taking into account £1 a week for every £250, or part of £250, between £3,000 and the upper capital limit for the particular benefit. The tariff income rule has not been revised since it was introduced in 1988. The maximum amount of capital that a claimant can have and still be entitled to benefit was increased in income support and family credit from £6,000 to £8,000, and doubled in housing benefit and community charge benefit from £8,000 to £16, 000 in April 1990.
The capital rules continue to be kept under review.
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