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Transitional Payments
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his best estimate of the numbers who will still be in receipt of transitional additions in 1992-93 ; and if he will break it down by pensioners, families with children, lone parents and others.
Miss Widdecombe : It is estimated that immediately following the April 1992 uprating there will only be 10,000 people in receipt of income support transitional additions. The total can be broken down as follows :
$
|Number
------------------------------------
Pensioners |2,000
Lone parents |1,000
Couples with children |<1>
Others |5,000
<1> Denotes a caseload of fewer
than 500.
Note: Numbers have been rounded to
the nearest thousand.
Loss of Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number and proportion of people affected by the proposed 20 per cent. income tax lower rate will lose benefit as a result.
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Mr. Jack : On the introduction of the 20 per cent. income tax rate, all those receiving income-related benefits and who pay tax will be better off. In time the increased net earnings of those eligible for income-related benefits will result in the normal reductions in benefit levels which occur when net earnings are increased. The complex interaction of benefit upratings, tax changes and changes in personal circumstances at April 1992 make it difficult to determine with precision the number of people who will be affected, but we estimate that individual benefit levels will be reduced for around 1 million people out of the 25 million people who will benefit from the lower tax band.Bickleigh Down Clinic
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which hon. Members were invited to inspect the site last month of the future Bickleigh Down clinic in the constituency of South Hams ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : We are not aware of any hon. Members from this Department invited to inspect a clinic at Bickleigh Down, but at the invitation of Plymouth city council I attended and performed its turf cutting ceremony at the site of the Plymouth Child Support Agency centre. All invitations for this event were issued by Plymouth city council, and my right hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mr. Clark) attended.
Students
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many full-time students are currently receiving housing benefits and income support, by
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entitlement category ; and if he will express the total as a proportion of all full-time students who would be entitled to these benefits if they were not students.Miss Widdecombe : The latest available data for term-time indicate that in May 1991, 5,200 students were receiving housing benefit. Of these, 1,200 were also in receipt of income support. Data for August 1991 show 3,100 students were receiving housing benefit of whom 1,600 were also in receipt of income support.
A breakdown of the different categories of student claiming and information about the number of students on income support but not on housing benefit are not available. Similarly, information on the number of students who would be eligible for benefits but for their student status is not available. However, previous survey data have shown that only a minority of students claimed benefits.
Source : The housing benefit and community charge benefit management information system quarterly stock count for May and August 1991.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give his estimate of the number of households, by tenure, whose housing benefit is reduced because of non-dependants deductions ; and if he will sub-divide this number by 16 to 17-year-old, 18 to 24-year-old, and 25 years old and over age groups.
Miss Widdecombe : Such information as is available is in the table.
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Recipients whose Housing Benefit is reduced through non-dependent deductions:
May 1990
Age of claimant |HB with non |HB with non |All cases
|dependent |dependent
|deductions |deductions
|LA tenant |Private tenant
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-IS cases
16-17 |0 |0 |0
18-24 |400 |200 |600
Over 25 |126,000 |13,100 |139,100
|---- |---- |----
All ages |126,400 |13,300 |139,700
IS cases
All ages |186,400 |23,700 |210,100
Source: The housing benefit and community charge benefit management information
system annual 1 per cent. sample.
Disability
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households are currently receiving disabled living allowance and whether he will make a statement as to the effect of housing costs being excluded from calculations for this allowance.
Mr. Scott : Disability living allowance will not begin to be paid until 6 April 1992.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many inquiries were made through the benefit inquiry line by the end of February ; and how many were concerned with (a) disability living allowance, (b) disability working allowance, (c) other disability benefits and (d) a combination of the above.
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Mr. Scott : The provision of the benefit inquiry line is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and Public Information Office.
Relocation
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those parts of his Department which are currently under review for relocation ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to the east midlands ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to Mansfield ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : During 1992-93 the Department of Social Security will relocate around 700 Benefits Agency
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staff to Leeds. Around 3,000 Child Support Agency staff will be located in centres at Falkirk, Belfast, Birkenhead, Dudley, Hastings and Plymouth during 1993.The Contributions Agency has recently reviewed the effectiveness of its activities in local offices and there may be localised relocation of a small number of staff. In those locations where the Contributions Agency has plans to redeploy its resources, a departmental reception service will continue to be provided. There are no significant numbers moving to the east midlands, although there are proposals to increase staff in Mansfield by around six posts.
Benefits Claims, Scotland
Mr. Stephen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the target time scale for benefit claims to be dealt with in each region in Scotland.
Miss Widdecombe : The setting of targets in the Benefits Agency area directorates is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Social Fund
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many successful and unsuccessful applications were made to the social fund, in the last period for which figures are available, for help with (a) the cost of furniture and other essential household items, (b) rent in advance and (c) other items, by category, and where the application was successful, whether the assistance was provided by way of grant or loan, and the average amount of such assistance.
Mr. Scott : The available information for the period 1 April 1991 to 29 February 1992 is in the tables. Information regarding unsuccessful applications for specific items or services could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Social Fund Loans
|Number of|Size of
|awards |average
|award (£)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Furniture and household |662,911 |226
Rent in advance |14,795 |137
Washing machines |33,656 |209
Home improvements, repairs and
maintenance |12,722 |174
Removal expenses |6,180 |154
Travelling expenses |5,923 |42
Living expenses |441,922 |38
Clothing and footwear |49,471 |119
Bedding |25,754 |127
Other |15,298 |142
Social fund grants
|Size of
|Number of|average
|awards |award (£)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Furniture and household |142,139 |387
Rent in advance |427 |202
Washing machines |14,494 |288
Home improvements, repairs and
maintenance |7,021 |238
Removal expenses |8,624 |182
Travelling expenses |45,808 |60
Living expenses |924 |77
Clothing and footwear |26,503 |152
Bedding |6,152 |156
Other |4,052 |179
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of (a) crisis loans, (b) budget loans and (c) all loans from the social fund have gone to people aged 60 years and over.
Mr. Scott : The table shows the percentage of social fund loans awarded to people aged 60 and over from 1 April 1991 to 31 January 1992.
|Per cent.
------------------------------------
Crisis loans |1.05
Budgeting loans |3.96
All loans |2.66
Carers
Mr. Stephen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how long is the average delay in application for carers' benefits in Scotland, by region, since 1989.
Mr. Scott : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Child Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the gross additional cost, in cash terms and at 1991-92 prices, of uprating child benefit fully in line with inflation assuming each child in the family receives the same rate, in April of each year from 1988 to 1992.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 27 February 1992] : In 1992-93 we estimate that gross expenditure on child benefit will be £5.7 billion. If child benefit had been uprated each April from 1988 in line with the retail prices index, the rate payable for each child from April 1992 would be £9.95. It is estimated that to pay child benefit at this rate in 1992-93 would cost an additional £720 million gross or £470 million net, after allowing for the normal adjustments to other benefits. The extra help that has been made available to less well-off families since 1988 through the income-related benefits will be worth around £620 million in 1992-93.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
China
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the current number of political and religious prisoners of conscience held in the People's Republic of China.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Chinese authorities have said that there are 1.1 million inmates in prisons and reform camps in China, of whom 0.5 per cent.--5,500 people--
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have been indicted for so-called counter- revolutionary offences. Such offences often relate to those regarded in the west as prisoners of conscience. Some foreign researchers estimate that the real figures are much higher, but this cannot be verified.Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present BBC World Service broadcasts to the People's Republic of China ; and if he has any plans to increase the service.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Broadcasting to China is a high priority. Broadcasts in Mandarin and Cantonese total 24 hours and 5 hours a week respectively. The former will be increased by 3 hours a week in early 1993, when the World Service has recruited the necessary specialist staff. World Service broadcasts in English are also audible in China.
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has of the number of executions in the People's Republic of China last year.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : According to Amnesty International, there have been published accounts of more than 1,000 executions while unofficial sources suggest that up to 20,000 executions may have taken place in 1991. We have no means of verifying such figures.
Insolvency, France
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens currently imprisoned in France are presently seeking to prove insolvency under articles 752 and 756 of the French code of penal procedure.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We do not have the requested statistics. British nationals are not obliged to inform consular officers that they or their lawyers are negotiating a reduction or waiver of customs fines imposed by French courts.
Maastricht Treaty
Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the reasons for the variation in the English translation of article 198a of the treaty agreed at Maastrict on 11 December 1991.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The first English version of article 198a referred to
"representatives of regional and local authorities"
but in the version signed at Maastricht the word "bodies" was substitited for "authorities". Jurists/linguists decided that the term "bodies" translated better the word "collectivite s" in the French text.
Geneva Convention
Sir Geoffrey Finsberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is now in a position to state when he will sign the additional protocols of the Geneva convention.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Not yet. Our consultations are still not complete.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Overseas Aid
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about growth in overseas aid since 1986-87.
Mrs. Chalker : Between 1986-87 and 1990-91, the aid programme grew by 33.7 per cent. in cash terms, and 2.5 per cent. in real terms.
Additional Aid
Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commnwealth Affairs what proposals have been made by the European Community for additional subsidies, grants and loans to north African countries and Jordan ; and if he will state the amounts involved.
Mrs. Chalker : As part of the Community's new Mediterranean policy, European Community Foreign Ministers agreed in 1991 to the following new series of financial protocols for 1992-96 ;
N
Grants and risk capital Loans
|ecus million|£ million |ecus million|£ million
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Algeria |70 |<1>49 |280 |196
Morocco |218 |153 |220 |154
Tunisia |116 |81 |168 |118
Egypt |258 |180 |310 |217
Jordan |46 |32 |80 |56
<1> Approximate.
The above countries and others are also eligible for 300 million ecu-- £210 million--in grants in support of structural adjustment ; and for 230 million ecu--£161 million--in grants and 1,800 million ecu-- £1, 260 million--in loans for horizontal co-operation--projects benefiting more than one country in the region.
Bolivia (Soya Beans)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to his answer of 4 March, Official Report, column 167 , what were the previous uses of the area now under cultivation for soya bean production.
Mrs. Chalker : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 27 January 1992, Official Report, column 421 .
WALES
Village Halls
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the village halls in Wales which have been assisted financially by the urban aid programme since June 1979, with an indication of the grant given to each, respectively.
Mr. David Hunt : The village halls assisted by the urban programme in Wales since June 1979 are listed in the table :
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?
Name |Grant £ |Financial
|year
---------------------------------------------------------------
Penybryn village hall, Rhymney
Valley |72,000 |1982-83
Gilwern village hall, Blaenau
Gwent |3,789 |1985-86
St. Brides village hall, Newport |79,500 |1991-92
Pontneath Vaughan village hall,
Brecknock |25,000 |1991-92
Singleton Hospital
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his decisions about the night casualty service at Singleton hospital.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : My right hon. Friend's policy is to allow at least two to three months after the end of the one-month appeal period for careful consideration of any representations made to him about a service change. The appeal period in respect of the Singleton hospital night-time casualty service ended on 28 February.
Conservation Areas
Mr. Edwards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance he proposes to issue to local authorities regarding the impact of large- scale retail development in conservation areas and on unlisted buildings in conservation areas.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Guidance on development proposals within conservation areas is provided in Welsh Office circular 61/81 : "Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas". The Department has also issued guidance on large-scale retail development in planning policy guidance note 6 : "Major Retail Development".
Copies of both documents are available in the Library of the House.
Roads
Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total spending by central Government on roads in Wales since 1979 ; and how many miles of motorway and trunk roads have been laid since that year.
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the spending per capita on roads in Wales.
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total value of road starts in Wales planned in the next two financial years.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Since 1979, total net spending by central Government on the roads programme in Wales is almost £2 billion ; including £360 million transport grant. Twenty-two miles of motorway and 145 miles of trunk road have been completed. Seven schemes totalling almost 18 miles are presently under construction. Twenty-three local authority schemes are being sponsored by transport grant.
Total expenditure on roads in Wales per head of population in 1990-91 was £145.49.
Six major trunk road scheme starts are planned for 1992-93. The total cost of these schemes is estimated to be £204 million. Starts in 1993-94 have not yet been announced, but 20 schemes, costing £391 million, are indicated over the next three years in the 1992 supplement to roads in Wales published in February.
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Labour Statistics
Mr. Ray Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the number of male and female unemployed in Ogmore, Mid-Glamorgan and Wales at the latest available date, together with the figures for the same areas in May 1979.
Mr. David Hunt : Figures that are consistent between 1979 and 1992 are available for Wales only. The seasonally adjusted figures in January 1992 were 97,100 males and 26,500 females. Corresponding figures for May 1979 were 49,800 and 19,000 respectively.
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were in work in Wales in May 1979 ; and what the figure is at the latest available date.
Mr. David Hunt : The number was 1,157,000 in June 1979, which has now increased to 1,175,000 on the latest available figure.
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what figures he has for rural unemployment for (a) Clwyd South West and (b) Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : There is no classification by which unemployment can readily be categorised as rural.
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the number of male unemployed in Newport, Gwent and Wales at the latest available date.
Mr. David Hunt : In January 1992, there were 5,712, 16,063 and 101, 149 unemployed male claimants in the Newport district, Gwent and Wales respectively.
Clwyd Health Authority
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the number of administrative staff employed by the Clwyd health authority ; what percentage this is of the total number of staff employed ; and what were the equivalent figures for 1979.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Between 1979 and 1990 the numbers of administrative and clerical staff and senior managers increased by 2 per cent. as a proportion of the total work force employed by the district health authority and the family health service authority in Clwyd.
This compares with the 3 per cent. increase in numbers of nurses and midwives over the same period.
Health Service Pay
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the difference between the amounts paid by the Welsh Office to Welsh area health authorities to pay for agreed pay rises in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990 and the actual costs of the pay rises.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Health authorities must meet the cost of pay awards from within the totality of the resources available to them. They receive a cash increase each year and may receive further funding in-year as a contribution toward the excess costs of review bodies' recommendations. These resources, together with the cash released from cost improvement programmes and income-generation schemes, have not only been sufficient to meet the cost of pay and price rises over the period since 1987 but permitted a sustained expansion in the volume of services.
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The figures relating to the funding available to health authorities and the actual cost of pay awards is as follows :
|Purchasing |Actual cost of
|power of |pay awards<2>
|health
|authorities<1>
|£ million |£ million
------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |67.9 |44.5
1988-89 |83.8 |<3>71.2
1989-90 |65.6 |49.0
1990-91 |80.4 |56.1
<1> Welsh Office and value for money unit, Welsh Health
Common
Services Authority.
<2> Health authorities in Wales.
<3> Includes the cost of the clinical regrading of nursing
staff.
Hospital Trusts
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals in Wales have expressed an interest in applying for trust status.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : My right hon. Friend has invited applications from 14 health units for NHS trust status in April 1993. These cover 82 hospitals, 11,000 beds and contractual income of some £600 million. Including Pembrokeshire, some 65 per cent. of acute services and 60 per cent. of community services in Wales could be NHS trust based in 1993.
Small Businesses
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of the recession on small businesses in Wales ; and what new initiatives he has taken to help local authorities help Welsh companies.
Mr. David Hunt : The number of VAT registered businesses in Wales increased by over 10 per cent. in the years 1988 to 1990--the latest year for which figures are available--to 8,250. Government policy to assist this sector is clearly working and the Welsh economy is strongly placed to respond to the economic upturn.
Environment Report
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish an annual report on the state of the environment in Wales.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The Welsh Office already publishes the "Environmental Digest for Wales." In addition my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales last September published the "Environment in Wales" report which described progress on environmental matters in Wales since the publication of the Government's White Paper "This Common Inheritance."
Local Government Finance
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met leaders of local authorities in Wales to discuss local government finance.
Mr. David Hunt : I chaired a meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 24 February to discuss implementation of the council tax.
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Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the percentage change in the amount paid per household under community charge in Wales compared to the last year of domestic rates in real terms.
Mr. David Hunt : Average domestic rates per household in Wales for 1989-90, after domestic rate relief, were £327 or around £380 at 1991-92 prices, using the GDP deflator. The average community charge set for 1991-92 after community charge reduction grant was £92, or £184 per two charge payer household--52 per cent. less than the average domestic rates figure for 1989-90.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Raffan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give an estimate of how much money could be saved by moving to unitary local government in Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : My proposal for a structure of 23 unitary authorities is estimated to be cost neutral ; I am placing in the Library of the House and in the Vote Office copies of the report submitted to me by financial consultants.
Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he has made to consult with hon. Members on options for local government reorganisation.
Mr. David Hunt : I have invited hon. Members to submit their views to me, and have held meetings with every Member who has requested one.
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