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Written Answers to Questions

Friday 22 January 1993

HOME DEPARTMENT

Prison Service

Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 January, Official Report, column 693, what are the criteria on which


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the performance of the chief executive of the prison service agency will be assessed for eligibility for the performance bonus.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : For the period up to 31 March 1993 the performance of the director general will be assessed wholly on a qualitative basis. Thereafter, when the agency comes into being, his performance will be assessed on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative measures, the nature and balance of which are still to be settled.

Uniformed Police Officers

Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed police officers were employed by each police authority in Wales for each year since 1979.

Mr. Charles Wardle : The information requested is set out in the table :


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Police strength<1>-Wales-1979 to 1992                                                                                   

Year                |Dyfed-Powys        |Gwent              |North Wales        |South Wales                            

As at December      |Numbers of officers|Numbers of officers|Numbers of officers|Numbers of officers                    

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1979                |918                |958                |1,271              |3,025                                  

1980                |929                |973                |1,290              |3,068                                  

1981                |925                |963                |1,288              |3,082                                  

1982                |930                |969                |1,303              |3,096                                  

1983                |924                |962                |1,275              |3,082                                  

1984                |922                |957                |1,281              |3,106                                  

1985                |924                |971                |1,251              |3,064                                  

1986                |929                |973                |1,268              |3,099                                  

1987                |929                |977                |1,307              |3,120                                  

1988                |927                |989                |1,304              |3,114                                  

1989                |934                |1,000              |1,332              |3,118                                  

1990                |936                |1,001              |1,339              |3,123                                  

1991                |944                |995                |1,343              |3,142                                  

1992 (October)      |966                |1,008              |1,369              |3,182                                  

<1> Police strength varies from year to year according to wastage and recruitment patterns.                             

Sunday Trading

Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to include the recent proposals of high street retailers in his consultations on the reform of Sunday trading laws ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. and learned Friend is referring to the proposals for reform which have been drawn up by Marks and Spencer plc and other leading high street retailers. I met representatives of the traders on 3 November 1992 to discuss the proposals. At this stage we have no plans to include the model as one of the options to be put before the House.

Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from high street retailers on the reform of Sunday trading legislation.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Since 20 October 1992, we have received 83 written representations from retailers on this issue.

Police Force (Civilian Employees)

Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilians have been employed by each police authority in Wales for each year since 1979.


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Mr. Charles Wardle : The information requested is set out in the table :


Strength of Civilians in Wales 1979   

to 1992                               

--------------------------------------

1979    |194  |206  |319  |866        

1980    |194  |213  |320  |855        

1981    |195  |214  |325  |855        

1982    |198  |216  |328  |888        

1983    |204  |228  |351  |892        

1984    |208  |233  |373  |899        

1985    |210  |232  |401  |905        

1986    |198  |236  |382  |956        

1987    |209  |241  |385  |1,009      

1988    |215  |252  |388  |1,015      

1989    |234  |250  |423  |1,082      

1990    |243  |290  |439  |1,111      

1991    |250  |304  |444  |1,079      

1992<1> |268  |318  |459  |1,076      

<1> Until October.                    

Unlicensed Drivers

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people over the age of 17 years have been caught driving without having passed a recognised driving test within each police authority area during each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Jack : The following table sets out the number of prosecutions for offences of "driving without licence or


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causing or permitting to drive without licence" and "provisional licence holders not accompanied by qualified person" committed by persons 17 years old and above in each police force area in England and Wales for each of the years 1987 to 1991. Similar information for earlier years is not readily available.


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Number of prosecutions for offences committed by persons aged 17 years and over                                                             

England and Wales   Number of offences                                                                                                      

                     Driving without                                                                                                        

                     licence or causing                                                                                                     

                     or permitting to                                                                                                       

                     drive without                                                                                                          

                     licence or                                                                                                             

                    |provisional licence                                                                                                    

                    |holder not                                                                                                             

                    |accompanied by                                                                                                         

                    |qualified person                                                                                                       

Police force        |1987               |1988               |1989               |1990               |1991                                   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avon and Somerset   |3,896              |4,471              |4,485              |4,749              |6,040                                  

Bedfordshire        |1,933              |2,056              |1,842              |2,110              |1,834                                  

Cambridgeshire      |1,492              |1,476              |1,536              |1,795              |1,621                                  

Cheshire            |2,086              |2,113              |2,116              |2,402              |2,381                                  

Cleveland           |1,795              |1,828              |1,854              |1,950              |2,319                                  

Cumbria             |1,555              |1,634              |1,328              |1,290              |1,815                                  

Derbyshire          |2,683              |2,523              |2,525              |2,700              |2,189                                  

Devon and Cornwall  |3,647              |3,571              |3,582              |3,742              |4,292                                  

Dorset              |1,514              |1,644              |1,928              |1,993              |2,092                                  

Durham              |1,886              |1,784              |1,839              |2,272              |2,116                                  

Essex               |3,165              |3,370              |3,506              |3,153              |3,539                                  

Gloucestershire     |1,665              |1,886              |1,641              |1,639              |2,001                                  

Greater Manchester  |7,842              |8,936              |9,256              |10,242             |11,306                                 

Hampshire           |3,870              |4,471              |4,573              |4,158              |4,241                                  

Hertfordshire       |1,653              |1,659              |1,884              |2,111              |2,382                                  

Humberside          |1,765              |2,160              |2,185              |2,154              |2,080                                  

Kent                |3,248              |3,576              |3,998              |3,577              |3,125                                  

Lancashire          |4,588              |4,834              |5,413              |5,059              |5,067                                  

Leicestershire      |2,956              |3,210              |3,030              |3,209              |4,236                                  

Lincolnshire        |1,274              |1,383              |1,547              |1,663              |1,184                                  

London, City        |383                |535                |536                |461                |486                                    

Merseyside          |4,742              |4,940              |5,985              |6,437              |7,939                                  

Metropolitan        |11,129             |11,592             |10,614             |8,653              |19,605                                 

Norfolk             |1,296              |1,184              |1,279              |1,151              |1,094                                  

Northamptonshire    |1,401              |1,661              |1,913              |2,058              |2,483                                  

Northumbria         |4,139              |4,075              |4,385              |6,232              |8,050                                  

North Yorkshire     |1,184              |1,323              |1,381              |1,424              |1,772                                  

Nottinghamshire     |2,914              |2,704              |2,882              |3,210              |3,245                                  

South Yorkshire     |4,802              |4,343              |4,126              |3,856              |3,943                                  

Staffordshire       |2,327              |2,530              |3,053              |3,193              |3,164                                  

Suffolk             |1,218              |1,236              |1,361              |1,335              |1,464                                  

Surrey              |1,446              |1,605              |1,800              |1,777              |2,087                                  

Sussex              |3,356              |4,496              |4,868              |4,913              |4,984                                  

Thames Valley       |3,702              |4,340              |4,376              |5,658              |5,867                                  

Warwickshire        |1,126              |1,290              |1,652              |1,483              |1,352                                  

West Mercia         |2,730              |2,870              |3,155              |3,465              |3,327                                  

West Midlands       |9,080              |10,704             |11,034             |11,192             |12,539                                 

West Yorkshire      |6,151              |5,829              |5,831              |7,036              |6,831                                  

Wiltshire           |894                |1,004              |1,149              |1,314              |1,577                                  

Dyfed Powys         |845                |820                |1,041              |1,058              |1,317                                  

Gwent               |1,829              |1,747              |1,606              |1,581              |1,493                                  

North Wales         |1,910              |2,058              |2,397              |2,396              |2,521                                  

South Wales         |5,899              |7,174              |6,749              |7,002              |6,812                                  

                    |------             |------             |------             |------             |------                                 

Total               |129,016            |138,645            |143,241            |148,853            |169,812                                

Ainsty Lodge, Wetherby

Mr. Batiste : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many convictions for (a) burglary, (b) assault, (c) offences against property, (d) taking vehicles without the owner's consent, (e) driving without a licence and (f) dangerous driving have been recorded in each of the last five years against residents of Ainsty Lodge, Wetherby ;

(2) in respect of how many offences residents of Ainsty Lodge, Wetherby have been (a) charged and (b) convicted in each of the last five years ;

(3) what proportion of crimes suspected to have been committed in England by juveniles in each of the last five years are suspected to have been committed by persons in the care of local authorities ;


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(4) how many offences residents of Ainsty Lodge in Leeds have committed while on bail in each of the last five years.

Mr. Jack : The information requested is not collected.

Criminal Justice System (Costs)

Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason it was decided to provide each member of every justices' bench in England and Wales with a copy of the relevant volume of his Department's analysis of the costs of the criminal justice system, 1992 ; and what were the costs of this exercise including the cost of multi-colour printing.

Mr. Jack : Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 requires the Home Secretary to publish information annually to assist those engaged in the administration of criminal justice to become aware of the financial


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implications of their decisions. It was decided to provide magistrates with individual volumes to ensure that they had personal access to this important information.

The total cost of printing, producing and distributing the volumes was £124,290, or £2.54 per copy.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list, by county, in England and Wales the number of confirmed cases of BSE for the month of December 1992.

Mr. Soames : The information requested is available in the Library of the House.

Farmers (Medicines)

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidelines are used by his Ministry when determining whether a vet can sell medicine to a farmer ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames : The Medicines Act 1968 and its subordinate legislation sets the legal framework for the sale of and supply of medicines. This provides for a veterinary surgeon to prescribe medicines for use on animals under his or her care. Within those requirements, decisions on whether to sell medicines to farmers are a matter for the judgment of the individual veterinary surgeon.

BST Products

Mr. Garnier : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from the Medicines Commission concerning BST products.

Mr. Gummer : The Medicines Commission has advised me that the BST products manufactured by the companies, Lilly Industries Ltd. and Monsanto SA/NV, meet the medicines licensing criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. I have told the companies that the United Kingdom position in forthcoming Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products discussions will reflect this advice. However, no product licences under the Medicines Act may be issued so long as the licensing moratorium agreed by the European Community's Council of Ministers remains in force.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Mr. Jopling : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress to establish new environmentally sensitive areas ; and what management commitments and financial remuneration he is proposing.

Mr. Gummer : Pursuant to the answer given on 2 December 1992 at columns 224-25, I am today laying before both Houses of Parliament the six designation orders providing for the introduction of six new environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) in England. These new ESAs are :

Avon Valley ;

Exmoor ;


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Lake District ;

North Kent Marshes ;

South Wessex Downs ; and

South West Peak.

Information packs giving details of the areas covered, scheme conditions and payment rates are being placed in the Libraries. I am delighted to be able to introduce these new ESAs which will add some 426,000 hectares to the 387,000 hectares currently within ESAs in England. The new areas contain some of our most beautiful countryside and important wildlife areas. I am confident that like the existing schemes, they will play a significant part in the conservation and enhancement of landscapes, special habitats and features of historic interest.

Details of the new schemes are being sent to farmers in each area and applications to join them should be lodged with the Ministry's regional service centres before 31 March.

I will shortly be issuing for consultation our proposals for the introduction of a further six new ESAs which we plan to launch next winter. I will also be announcing the conclusions of my review of the existing schemes in the Breckland, Clun, North Peak, Suffolk river valleys and the Test valley.

Fallen Stock

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in Wales have developed small-scale incinerators and waste disposal units to deal with fallen stock in each year since 1990 ; and what financial assistance was granted by his Department for such schemes in each year.

Mr. David Hunt : I have been asked to reply.

My Department does not provide financial assistance for the provision of incinerators and waste disposal units. No information as to the numbers of such facilities is held centrally.

EDUCATION

Class Sizes

Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will outline the maximum numbers of pupils per classroom laid down by his Department in accordance with best practice policy in (a) infant schools, (b) primary schools and (c) secondary schools, in England and Wales.

Mr. Forth : The Department does not issue guidance on the maximum number of pupils per classroom. The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 prescribe the overall minimum teaching areas to be provided for maintained and grant-maintained schools in England and Wales. These areas are based on the total number of registered pupils at the school and their age range. The apportionment of teaching space within the overall area available is a matter for local determination.

National Union of Students

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what changes he proposes to make to the status of the National Union of Students ; and if he will make a statement.


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Mr. Boswell : In the light of the Department's consultations on student unionism, my right hon. Friend is considering proposals for reform, which he plans to announce in the near future.

Schools Capacity

Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will outline the criteria by which his Department currently calculates the total pupil capacity in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England.

Mr. Forth : Our recent survey of the capacity of primary and secondary schools was calculated on the basis of two different measures : for primary schools capacity was calculated (a) using the more open enrolment (MOE) formula set out in annex D of the Department's circular 6/91, and (b) by multiplying the standard admission number of the school by the number of year groups. For secondary schools the capacity was calculated (a) by using the more open enrolement (MOE) formula set out in annex A of the Department's circular 11/88, and (b) (for pupils aged under 16) by multiplying the standard number by the number of year groups. Both circulars are available in the Library.

Careers Officers

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many university and polytechnic careers officers there were in (a) 1979 and (b) 1985 ; and how many there are today.

Mr. Boswell : Information on careers officers in the former polytechnics is not held centrally. The table shows numbers of careers and appointments officers employed by institutions within the Universities Funding Council sector.


                                                                                

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

Pupil Exclusions

Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give for each grant-maintained school the number of permanent pupil exclusions in the academic year 1991-92 and for each previous year back to and including the final academic year in which the school was local authority maintained.

Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 5 November 1992 at col. 345.

Teacher Training

Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about future levels of recruitment to teacher training courses.

Mr. Forth : My right hon. Friend is pleased to note the buoyant level of recruitment to initial teacher training courses in 1991 and 1992. He is however concerned that if


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the present pattern of recruitment continues it is likely to lead to an over-supply of teachers trained for primary schools, whereas secondary schools may face teacher shortages as pupil numbers rise during the 1990s. In advising the Higher Education Funding Council for England of intake targets for initial teacher training for the period 1993-1996 the Department has therefore proposed that they should fund a reducing number of places for primary school training and increasing numbers for secondary education. He has also asked the council to consider how it might help to tilt the balance of recruitment to primary school training towards applicants holding science, technology and mathematics qualifications, while containing overall numbers.

A copy of the official letter to the council dated 7 January has been placed in the Library of the House. I understand that the Welsh Office has written in similar terms to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

SOCIAL SECURITY

KPMG Management Consultants

Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to KPMG Management Consultants over the past 12 months.

Miss Widdecombe : The following contracts have been awarded to KPMG Management Consultants by the Department of Social Security during the 1992 -93 financial year :

Development of the Contributions Agency's Customer Education Project--(6 January 1992 to 30 June 1992).

Review of the Contributions Agency Performance Appraisal System--(21 April 1992 to 30 September 1992).

Development of the Contributions Agency's Customer Education Pilot Projects --(15 October 1992 to July 1993).

Promotion to Grade 5 Job Analysis Project--(25 November 1991 to 31 May 1992).

Service Delivery Market Testing Project in the Information Technology Services Agency--(21 January 1993 to 21 April 1993). Market Testing Project in the Information Technology Services Agency

Methodologies Evaluation in the Information Technology Services Agency--(1 April 1992 to 31 July 1992).

Market Testing Project in the Information Technology Services Agency--(6 January 1993 to 30 September 1993).

War Pensions

Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the local authorities which operate (a) a total disregard, (b) a partial disregard and (c) no disregard, other than the statutory minimum of war pensions for housing and community charge benefit.


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Miss Widdecombe : The information requested, as reported by local authorities in the financial year 1990-91, is in the following tables.


Local authorities                                   

operating a total                                   

disregard scheme                                    

for both war                                        

disablement and war                                 

widows' pensions                                    

----------------------------------------------------

Aberconwy                                           

Allerdale                                           

Angus<1>                                            

Arfon                                               

Arun                                                

Ashford                                             

Banff and Buchan<1>                                 

Bassetlaw                                           

Berwickshire<1>                                     

Blackpool                                           

Borders<2>                                          

Bracknell                                           

Braintree                                           

Brentwood                                           

Broxbourne                                          

Burnley                                             

Calderdale                                          

Carlisle                                            

Castle Point                                        

Ceredigion                                          

Chelmsford                                          

Cherwell                                            

Chiltern                                            

Clackmannan<1>                                      

Clydesdale<1>                                       

Congleton                                           

Cotswold                                            

Craven                                              

Cumbernauld (D.C.)<1>                               

Cumnock and Doon<1>                                 

Dacorum                                             

Daventry                                            

Dumbarton<1>                                        

Dundee<1>                                           

Ealing                                              

East Devon                                          

East Hertfordshire                                  

East Kilbride (D.C.)<1>                             

East Lothian<1>                                     

East Yorkshire                                      

Edinburgh<1>                                        

Elmbridge                                           

Epsom and Ewell                                     

Ettrick and Lauderdale<1>                           

Fife<2>                                             

Forest of Dean                                      

Gillingham                                          

Glasgow<1>                                          

Gloucester                                          

Gordon<1>                                           

Grampian<2>                                         

Guildford                                           

Halton                                              

Hammersmith                                         

Harlow                                              

Hartlepool                                          

Hertsmere                                           

Hinchley and Bosworth                               

Hounslow                                            

Huntingdon                                          

Inverclyde<1>                                       

Ipswich                                             

Isle of Scilly                                      

Islwyn                                              

Kensington and Chelsea                              

Kincardine and Deeside<1>                           

Kirklees                                            

Lambeth                                             

Langbaurgh                                          

Lewes                                               

Lichfield                                           

Livingston (D.C.)<1>                                

Lochaber<1>                                         

Luton                                               

Maidstone                                           

Mansfield                                           

Melton                                              

Merton                                              

Midlothian<1>                                       

Mid Sussex                                          

Mole Valley                                         

Montgomery                                          

Motherwell<1>                                       

Neath                                               

Newbury                                             

Nithsdale<1>                                        

Northavon                                           

North Cornwall                                      

North East Fife<1>                                  

North Kesteven                                      

North Tyneside                                      

North West Leicestershire                           

Nottingham                                          

Ogwr                                                

Perth and Kinross<1>                                

Purbeck                                             

Redbridge                                           

Reigate and Banstead                                

Rhuddlan                                            

Richmond-upon-Thames                                

Rochford                                            

Rossendale<3>                                       

Roxburgh<1>                                         

Rushcliffe                                          

Rutland                                             

Sandwell                                            

Scunthorpe                                          

Sefton                                              

Sevenoaks                                           

Skye and Lochalsh<1>                                

Solihull                                            

South Bucks                                         

South Derbyshire                                    

South Holland                                       

South Lakeland                                      

South Oxfordshire                                   

South Shropshire                                    

South Tyneside                                      

South Wight                                         

Staffs. Moorlands                                   

Stewartry<1>                                        

Stirling<1>                                         

Stoke on Trent                                      

Strathkelvin<1>                                     

Suffolk Coastal                                     

Sutton                                              

Tameside                                            

Tandridge                                           

Tendring                                            

Tewesbury                                           

The Wrekin                                          

Tower Hamlets                                       

Tweeddale<1>                                        

Wakefield                                           

Waltham Forest                                      

Wansbeck                                            

Watford                                             

Wellingborough<4>                                   

West Lothian<1>                                     

West Oxfordshire                                    

Wigtown<1>                                          

Windsor and Maidenhead                              

Wokingham                                           

Woodspring                                          

Wycombe                                             


Local authorities                                  

operating a total                                  

disregard scheme                                   

for war                                            

disablement                                        

pensions only                                      

---------------------------------------------------

Bath               |Blaby                          

Blackburn<5>       |Bolton                         

Bromley            |Bury                           

Cambridge          |Corby                          

Doncaster          |Dudley<5>                      

East Staffordshire |Exeter                         

Grimsby            |Hambleton                      

Havering           |Middlesbrough                  

Newport            |Oldham                         

Ribble Valley<5>   |Southampton<5>                 

South Somerset<5>  |Stevenage                      

Stockton on Tees   |Torbay                         

Torfaen            |Tunbridge Wells                

Vale Royal<5>      |York                           


Local authorities          

operating a total          

disregard scheme           

for war widows'            

pensions only              

---------------------------

Castle Morpeth             

Kirkaldy<1><6>             

Thurrock<6>                


Local authorities                                                  

operating a partial                                                

disregard scheme                                                   

for war pensions                                                   

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Adur                     |Aylesbury Vale                           

Barking<8>               |Barnet                                   

Beverley                 |Bournemouth                              

Breckland                |Bromsgrove                               

Camden                   |Canterbury                               

Chichester               |Chorley                                  

Crawley                  |Darlington<7>                            

Derby<7>                 |Derbyshire Dales                         

Dover                    |East Hampshire                           

Fareham                  |Fenland                                  

Hastings<10>             |Havant                                   

Holderness               |Kingston upon Thames                     

Knowsley                 |Lincoln                                  

Lliw Valley              |Malvern Hills                            

Meirrionnydd             |New Forest                               

North Dorset             |Penwith<9>                               

Poole                    |Portsmouth                               

Preseli                  |Preston                                  

Reading                  |Rochdale                                 

Rhondda                  |Salisbury                                

Scarborough              |South Norfolk                            

South Pembrokeshire      |Swansea                                  

Teignbridge              |Thamesdown<7>                            

Tonbridge and Malling<7> |Vale of Glamorgan                        

Wealden                  |West Norfolk                             

Wigan                    |Worcester                                


Local authorities                        

not operating a                          

local scheme for                         

war                                      

-----------------------------------------

Alnwick                                  

Babergh                                  

Barrow-in-Furness                        

Basildon (D.C.)<1>                       

Bexley                                   

Bolsover                                 

Brecknock                                

Bristol                                  

Cannock Chase                            

Carmarthen                               

City of London                           

Colchester                               

Croydon                                  

Derwentside                              

Durham                                   

Easington                                

East Lindsey                             

Enfield                                  

Gateshead                                

Greenwich                                

Harrogate                                

High Peak                                

Kerrier                                  

Kingston-upon-Hull                       

Leominster                               

Merthyr Tydfil                           

Newcastle-upon-Tyne                      

North Devon                              

Norwich                                  

Oswestry                                 

Pendle                                   

Port Talbot                              

Rhymney Valley                           

Runnymede                                

Ryedale                                  

Sheffield                                

Shrewsbury and Atcham                    

South Herefordshire                      

St. Edmundsbury                          

Sunderland                               

Taff-Ely                                 

Teesdale                                 

Torridge                                 

Uttlesford                               

Warrington (D.C.)<1>                     

Waveney                                  

Welwyn Hatfield                          

West Dorset                              

West Lindsey                             

Weymouth and Portland                    

Wrexham Maelor                           

Wyre                                     

Ynys Mon                                 

<1> Denotes those authorities            

responsible for Housing Benefit only.    

<2> Denotes those authorities            

responsible for Community Charge Benefit 

only.                                    

<3> Denotes those authorities            

responsible for both benefits but who    

operate a scheme for Housing Benefit     

only.                                    

<4> Denotes those authorities            

responsible for both benefits but who    

operate a scheme for Community Charge    

Benefit only.                            

<5> Denotes those authorities who        

operate a scheme to fully disregard war  

disablement pension and part of war      

widows' pension.                         

<6> Denotes those authorities who        

operate a scheme to fully disregard war  

widows' pension and part of war          

disablement pension.                     

<7> Denotes those authorities who        

operate a scheme to partially disregard  

war disablement pension only.            

<8> Denotes an authority which operates  

a scheme to partially disregard war      

pensions for Housing Benefit only.       

<9> Denotes an authority which operates  

a scheme to fully disregard war pensions 

for Housing Benefit rent rebates and     

partially disregard war pensions for     

Community Charge Benefit.                

<10> Denotes an authority which operates 

a scheme to fully disregard war pensions 

for Community Charge Benefit and         

partially disregard war pensions in      

Housing Benefit.                         

Migrants, Greater London

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (a) by borough, (b) by district health authority and (c) by country of origin, the number of migrants from Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan currently resident in Greater London and claiming any type of social security benefit.

Miss Widdecombe : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that details of the country of origin of benefit recipients are not recorded routinely and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Matters concerning district health authorities are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

Invalid Care Allowance

Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many unsuccessful claims were made for invalid care allowances in the past 12 months, and if he will publish a breakdown of refusals according to (a)


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non-receipt of the appropriate benefits by the cared for person, (b) claimant earning more than the weekly ICA earnings limit, (c) claimant caring for less than 35 hours a week, (d) claimant over 65 years of age and (e) claimant in receipt of an overlapping benefit.

Mr. Scott : In the 12 months to 31 December 1992 there were 20,840 unsuccessful claims to invalid care allowance.

The breakdown of refusals requested is in the table.


Category |Number           

---------------------------

(a)      |11,339           

(b)      |1,388            

(c)      |56               

(d)      |1,972            

(e)      |2,569            

The balance of refusals were for reasons other than those mentioned by my hon. Friend.

Disability Allowances

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to reply to the application by Mr. Keith Pownall of 20 August 1992 on behalf of his wife Valerie Pownall for invalid care allowance and the higher rate of attendance allowance.

Mr. Scott : The administration of invalid care allowance and attendance allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Bob Cryer, dated 21 January 1993.

As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Mr. Keith Pownall's applications for Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) and for higher rate Attendance Allowance (AA) made on behalf of his wife Mrs. Valerie Pownall.

I can confirm that decisions were made on 17 August 1992 on Mr. Pownall's ICA claim and on 19 January 1993 on his wife's AA claim. Mr. and Mrs. Pownall have been notified of both decisions. I have replied to you separately and in greater detail about the case. I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report. A copy will also be placed in the Library.

Young People (Benefits)

Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged 16 and 17 years in Birmingham not in employment, not on a youth training scheme and not in full-time education are receiving benefit.

Mr. Burt : The administration of benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Letter from Michael Bichard to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 21 January 1993.

As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for


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Social Security asking how many people aged 16 and 17 years in Birmingham not in employment, not on a YT scheme and not in full time-education are receiving benefit.

The complete range of information you requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I have, however, detailed below the number of successful applications as a result of the hardship provisions, and these are outlined below. It should be noted that a direction to pay in these cases normally lasts for an eight week period, therefore, some of the applications successful in November may no longer be currently receiving benefit.


District               |November 1992|December 1992              

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Birmingham Chamberlain |13           |12                         

Birmingham North West  |19           |10                         

Birmingham Heartlands  |16           |16                         

Birmingham South East  |9            |12                         

Birmingham South West  |31           |19                         

                       |----         |----                       

Totals                 |88           |69                         

The number of successful applications do not equate to the number of customers as some customers may have made more than one application. The above information has been supplied by the Severe Hardship Claims Unit.

I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report. A copy is also being placed in the library.

Income Support

Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are on income support within the Seaham and Peterlee agency areas ; and what were the comparable numbers each year since 1988.

Mr. Burt : The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. John Cummings, dated 20 January 1993.

As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many people are on Income Support within the Seaham and Peterlee agency areas ; and what were the comparable numbers each year since 1988.

The complete range of information you requested is not available. This is because statistics of a local nature are destroyed at regular intervals in accordance with standing instructions. I have listed below the latest available data which shows the number of recipients at a given point in time rather than for a given period.


Date          |Seaham  |Peterlee         

-----------------------------------------

November 1989 |3,040   |6,782            

November 1990 |3,300   |7,111            

November 1991 |3,143   |7,348            

November 1992 |3,518   |8,003            

This information has been obtained from the Income Support Management Information System.

I hope you find this reply helpful. Copies of this letter will be placed in the library.


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