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Social Fund
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what proportion of social fund applications to visit a sick child in hospital were refused (a) in each district area and (b) nationally, for the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest available figures for expenditure on housing benefit to tenants in private rented accommodation and the level of income since the previous year.
Mr. Burt : The estimated outturn of expenditure for 1991-92 is £2, 115 million. Planned expenditure for 1992-93 is £2,522 million. Notes : The source of information is the 1992 Department Report published in February 1992. The 1993 Departmental Report, due to be published no later than 12 February 1993, will update the information contained in the reply. A copy will be placed in the Library.
Benefit Schemes
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report, column 101, what method was used to assess the value of a universal housing benefit scheme ; and what other means are used in his Department to assess the benefits of proposals for social security schemes.
Mr. Burt : The Department has received various proposals for extending the housing benefit scheme. Departmental analysts assess the financial impact of a policy by using micro-simulation models to compare, for a sample of the population, estimated benefit entitlement before and after the proposed change.
The main data sources used are the Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiry, the Family Expenditure Survey, and forecasts produced by the Government Actuary's Department for caseloads of non income-related benefits.
Income Support
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (Mr. Hogg) of 18January, Official Report, column 103, if he will publish an estimate of the regional and national distribution of claimants and payments of income support for mortgage interest.
Mr. Burt : The information is in the table.
Regions |Number of income |Annual amount of
|support recipients|mortgage interest
|with mortgage |added in the
|interest added in |assessment
|the assessment
|£ millions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Eastern |52,000 |81
London North |80,000 |247
South Western |40,000 |107
Wales |27,000 |49
Midlands |69,000 |127
North Western |58,000 |86
Scotland |18,000 |33
London South |67,000 |220
Great Britain |411,000 |949
Notes:
1. Due to rounding the sum of the individual amounts for each region does
not equal the total for Great Britain.
2. The regions are DSS administrative regions prior to 1991.
Source: Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry, May 1991.
Local Offices, Paisley
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to develop and construct new premises in the Paisley area for the executive agencies responsible to his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : Plans to develop new premises in the Paisley area for the executive agencies of the Department of Social Security are matters for the chief executives of those agencies. Mr Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency will reply on their behalf to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Gordon McMaster, dated 27 January 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency (BA), 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 plans to develop and construct new premises in the Paisley area for the Department's Executive Agencies.
Of all the Department's Executive Agencies, including the planned Child Support Agency from April 1993, only the BA has plans to construct new premises in the Paisley area. It is planned that the building, in addition to BA staff, will also house staff from the Contributions Agency and Child Support Agency.
An application for planning consent has been lodged with Renfrew District Council and, subject to a satisfactory outcome, the sale of the site for the new office in Paisley, to replace the existing Social Security office, will then be concluded. It is hoped that matters will be cleared within the next six to eight weeks. Funds are available for the construction of the new building and a start on site is expected immediately the site purchase is completed.
On current estimates the building should be ready for occupation by late 1994.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report. A copy will also be placed in the Library.
Disability Allowances
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when Mrs. Elizabeth Snoxall (Ref.WA237496B) can expect to receive a decision on her disability living allowance application.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from M. Bichard to Mr Robert B. Jones, dated27 January 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational
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matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Miss Elizabeth Snoxall's application for Disability Living Allowance (DLA).I can confirm that outstanding action has now been completed on Miss Snoxall's claim which has been notified to her. The DLA Unit replied separately on 24 January to your earlier correspondence to them about the case.
Clearly your constituent has not received the standard of service which she has every right to expect from the Agency. I offer my sincere apologies for the delay in dealing with her claim and for the distress and frustration this must have caused. My letter of 19 October 1992 to all MPs explained the problems the Agency has faced since the successful launch of the new benefits and the positive steps taken to improve the situation. I can assure you that every effort is being made by staff and management to improve the response time and service to our customers.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will apper in the Official Report . A copy will also be placed in the Library.
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of how many people qualify for cold weather payments in each district.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the social fund 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 M. Bichard to Mr. Alan Milburn, dated 27 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 for an estimate of how many people qualify for Cold Weather Payments in each District.
An estimate of the number of Income Support recipients in each Benefits Agency District, based on figures for those claiming Income Support in November 1992, who may qualify for a Cold Weather Payment should the area be triggered is in the attached annex.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report . A copy will also be placed in the Library.
Annex
District |Qualifying IS
|recipients
-----------------------------------------------------------
Newcastle |20,602
North Durham |16,965
North Tees |15,110
North Tyneside |8,953
Northumberland |11,101
South Durham |13,659
South Tees |18,822
South Tyneside |20,592
Wearside |18,887
Barnsley |9,742
Doncaster |13,569
East Yorkshire |10,966
Hull |24,494
Rotherham |16,851
Sheffield East |16,243
Sheffield West |15,672
South Humberside |17,431
Bradford |21,048
Halifax |14,700
Kirklees |16,834
Leeds North |15,275
Leeds South |18,891
North Yorkshire |14,088
Wakefield |14,160
Glasgow Anniesland |8,625
Glasgow City |9,345
Glasgow East |15,888
Glasgow Laurieston |15,941
Glasgow South West |11,318
Renfrew |11,331
Springburn and Cumbernauld |11,160
Clyde Coast and Cowal |7,881
Coatbridge |9,632
Forth Valley |11,344
Highlands and Islands |14,355
Irvine and Kilmarnock |10,765
Lomond and Argyll |8,840
Motherwell |13,552
South West Scotland |13,040
East Lowlands |14,171
Fife |13,567
Grampian and Shetland |12,432
Lothian Central |10,183
Lothian West |11,603
Tayside |18,353
East Lincolnshire |16,511
East Nottinghamshire |15,258
Chesterfield and Worksop |14,517
North Leicestershire |17,416
North Nottinghamshire |12,131
South Leicestershire |16,659
West Lincolnshire |15,524
West Nottinghamshire |15,017
Birmingham Chamberlain |17,127
Birmingham Heartlands |15,192
Birmingham North West |16,476
Birmingham South East |15,070
Birmingham South West |15,809
Coventry |19,011
Hereford and Worcestershire |19,203
Warwickshire |15,819
Central Derbyshire |14,484
Central Staffordshire |14,024
North Staffordshire |19,551
North Worcestershire |18,548
Sandwell |19,270
Shropshire |15,453
South Derbyshire |10,918
Walsall |15,224
Wolverhampton |18,387
Cynon Merthyr & Rhymney Valley |13,525
Gwyneddigion |11,675
Mid Wales and Maelor |10,408
North Gwent and Brecon |11,131
North Wales Coast |13,435
Ogwr Afan Nedd |12,460
South Glamorgan |22,312
South Gwent and Islwyn |11,846
Swansea |13,875
Taff Rhondda |9,489
West Wales |13,703
Knowsley |15,410
Liverpool Central |10,942
Liverpool North |13,764
Liverpool South |16,323
Sefton |17,559
South Cheshire |17,408
South West Lancashire |14,407
Wirral |19,736
Manchester Central |11,960
Manchester North |8,626
Manchester Salford |12,760
Manchester South |18,257
North Cheshire |16,353
Oldham |15,869
Sale and East Cheshire |11,615
Stockport |12,635
Tameside |11,341
Blackburn |12,251
Blackpool |14,904
Bolton |16,003
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale |11,179
Lancaster and South Cumbria |12,016
North Cumbria |10,989
Preston |13,968
West Pennine |18,790
Wigan and Leigh |14,205
Cambridgeshire |20,813
Leaside |30,302
Northamptonshire |21,303
North and East Hertfordshire |12,541
Norwich |22,549
Suffolk |20,484
West Hertfordshire |13,645
Barnet |16,257
Bedfordshire |20,337
Buckinghamshire |18,423
Ealing |26,368
Euston |34,092
Harrow and Hillingdon |15,361
Oxford |15,169
Bankside |11,947
London Central |5,838
North Surrey |25,250
Palace |29,940
South Downs |18,846
South West Thames |26,151
West Sussex |23,026
Bristol Brunel |19,468
Bristol Severnside |22,093
Cornwall |22,229
Dorset |25,553
Exeter and North Devon |21,680
Gloucester |18,568
Somerset |15,621
South Devon |25,876
Barking and Havering |17,124
City East |14,975
Essex South East |16,927
Essex South West |23,382
Hackney and Islington |27,877
Lea Roding |26,905
Newham |21,559
North Essex |17,182
Canterbury and Thanet |12,956
Channel |12,112
East Sussex |15,958
Lewisham and Brixton |27,105
Neasden |20,534
North Kent |25,432
Thameside |20,600
West Kent |19,025
Berkshire |23,456
Hampshire North |16,330
Hounslow and Kingston |20,767
Solent and New Forest |24,107
South East Hants and Wight |22,609
Surrey Downs |20,160
Wiltshire |18,566
Registered Homes (Amendment) Act
Mr. Heppell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment has been made of the effect of the Registered Homes (Amendment) Act 1991 on the benefits of those who are currently part of adult fostering schemes, supported lodgings or adult placement schemes.
Mr. Burt : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen), 20January 1993, Official Report, columns 294-95 .
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Retirement Pensioners
Mr. Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of people in receipt of the state retirement pension ; what percentage of this figure (a) pays income tax, (b) pays no income tax but is not in receipt of income support and (c) is in receipt of income support.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is not available in the form requested as the data are not directly comparable. Figures for (b) are not available.
At 31 March 1992 (the latest date for which figures are available) 10,005,570 persons were in receipt of a contributory state retirement pension, 592,720 of whom were resident outside Great Britain. I understand from the Inland Revenue that it is estimated that in the 1990-91 tax year 3.5 million persons in Great Britain in receipt of state retirement pension were liable to pay income tax. At 31 May 1991 (the latest date for which figures are available) the number of income support claimants and partners in receipt of state retirement pension was (rounded to the nearest thousand) 1,383, 000.
Care Allowances
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people would benefit and what is his estimate of the cost of extending entitlement to the carer premium to carers over retirement age who could establish underlying entitlement to invalid care allowance.
Mr. Burt : It is not possible for a person who becomes a carer after age 65 to establish entitlement to invalid care allowance. Information is not available on which to base a reliable estimate of the additional numbers who would qualify for the carer premium and the consequential cost.
Correspondence
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Chelmsford can expect a substantive reply to his letters of 14 August, 5November and 11 December 1992 to the chief executive of the Benefits Agency concerning his constituent, reference number DB103964.
Mr. Scott : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that he replied in full to my hon. Friend on 27 January 1993 and apologised for the delay.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
GATT
1. Mr. Spearing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the effects on British agriculture of the agreements so far reached in GATT.
Mr. Gummer : The agreement reached between EC and US negotiators last November takes full account of the common agricultural policy reforms agreed last May. A GATT deal based on that agreement would assure the future of the CAP support arrangements.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a detailed analysis of the effect of the GATT agreement on each sector of agriculture.
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Mr. Curry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 30 November 1992 (Official Report, column 59 ). The Commission's paper has since been deposited in the Library of the House.
Battery Hens
13. Mr. Lewis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what procedures he intends to implement in order to improve the conditions under which battery hens are kept.
Mr. Soames : The Government's policy is that welfare standards for all systems of keeping hens should be set on a Community basis. We are pressing for major improvements in the current Community directive on battery hens.
Set-aside
14. Dr. Wright : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress of the set-aside scheme.
15. Mr. Pike : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the new set-aside rules.
Mr. Curry : On 13 January, agriculture departments announced further details of the new arable payments scheme including claim procedures, rules on land transfers, a relaxation of the rules on set-aside in different yield regions and a more detailed EC regulation on non-food crops.
Tobacco
16. Mr. Gapes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how large are the current intervention stocks of tobacco held (a) in the European Community as a whole and (b) in the United Kingdom ; and how much it costs (i) the European Community and (ii) the United Kingdom Government to purchase and store these stocks of tobacco.
Mr. Curry : The European Commission's most recent figures show 8, 313 tonnes of tobacco held in intervention stores in Greece and Italy, the Community's main tobacco producers.
In 1991, the Community spent £37 million [54 million ecu] on storing tobacco, around 4 per cent. of CAP expenditure on tobacco for that year.
The United Kingdom does not produce or store tobacco. Our budgetary contribution is made to the EC budget as a whole.
Arable Aids Scheme
17. Mr. Spring : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning his Department's booklet on the arable aids scheme.
Promotion of Agricultural Products
18. Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last attended an exhibition in the United Kingdom for the promotion of agricultural products.
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Milk Marketing Board
19. Mr. Bates : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received on the proposals for the reform of the Milk Marketing Board.
Mr. Curry : The future of the Milk Marketing Board has been debated in detail during consideration of the Agriculture Bill in another place.
Animal Welfare
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will detail the number of animal welfare officers in his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : There are 239 veterinary officers in the state veterinary service whose duties include the monitoring of livestock welfare on farms.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on developments relating to animal welfare and the EC.
Mr. Soames : The Government continue to press for improvements to welfare standards in the Community. Commission proposals are currently awaited on further rules to protect animals in transport and on welfare of laying hens.
Food Marketing
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the recent food marketing seminar held at 10 Downing street.
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent food marketing seminar held at 10 Downing Street.
Mr. Curry : My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister chaired a seminar with leaders of the agriculture and food industries on 13 January. This considered ways to improve opportunities for British food suppliers to encourage our industries to become more competitive and to encourage investment in the UK.
Mr. Kevin Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to meet representatives of the British food industry to discuss the sale of food produced in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Curry : We meet the industry constantly. Last week alone there were three meetings specifically devoted to promote export and food marketing.
24. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet representatives of British supermarkets to discuss food marketing.
Mr. Curry : My ministerial colleagues and I and our officials frequently meet supermarket representatives to discuss current issues of concern, including food marketing.
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Badgers Act 1991
25. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning the Badgers Act 1991.
Mr. Soames : In addition to the responses to the consultation exercise on licensing under the Badgers Act 1991, more than 150 letters from hon. Members and more than 320 letters from members of the public have been received on the licensing arrangements which will permit interference with badger setts.
Food Prices
26. Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the price of food in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Curry : We have received a number of representations about the effects of the recent green pound devaluations on the price of food in the United Kingdom.
Pig Industry
27. Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the British pig industry to discuss problems relating to the industry.
Mr. Curry : All Ministers meet representatives of the industry.
Suckler Cow Premium
Mr. Hague : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when suckler cow premium payments will be made to farmers in North Yorkshire.
Mr. Curry : The Northallerton regional service centre, which covers North Yorkshire, has to date processed a third of the claims received for suckler cow premium under the 1992 scheme for payment. The remainder are being processed as quickly as possible.
Industrial and Marine Bacteria
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 1992, Official Report , columns 341-42, if he will give a breakdown of the use of the further £140,000 allocated to the work of the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacteria Ltd. for 1993-94 ; and what assessment he has now made of the long -term value of the collections as a national scientific resource.
Mr. Curry : The further £140,000 provided for NCIMB Ltd. is a reduction on the previous allocation but is the level of aid which will enable the company to remain in operation until March 1994. The Ministry has not stipulated the precise apportionment of this money between the various operating costs of the company but I understand the bulk of these funds will be used to pay the staff who maintain the collections.
The long-term value of the collections as a national scientific resource is being considered by the Office of Science and Technology and I refer the hon. Member to the answer that he received on 17 December from my right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Office of Public Service and Science ( Official Report, column 351 ).
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Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Wray : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on common agricultural policy costs to the United Kingdom in the last 12 months.
Mr. Curry : I receive numerous representations on all aspects of the CAP.
Forestry
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to develop a unified grant scheme to encourage and reward forest owners for developing conservation benefits to new and existing woods in the United Kingdom.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 25 January 1993] : I have been asked to reply.
The Government encourage forest and woodland owners to develop plans under the woodland grant scheme, which provides grants for the creation and management of woodlands to ensure that they yield a wide range of benefits, including conservation.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement outlining the timetable for the adoption of the Government's forestry strategy with special reference to restocking and replanting.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 25 January 1993] : I have been asked to reply.
The Government's aims and objectives for forestry, which include new planting and restocking, are described in the booklet "Forestry Policy for Great Britain", a copy of which is in the Library. A number of forestry and environmental interests have suggested that the Government should prepare a forestry strategy which would set out how these aims and objectives are implemented. The Government will be considering the merits of preparing such a document in the light of discussions that the Forestry Commission are having with interested organisations.
SCOTLAND
Salmon
Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the figures for the number of salmon caught in Scotland during the season 1991 and the season 1992, on rod and line and by commercial nets.
Sir Hector Monro : Details of reported catches of salmon in Scotland are published annually in The Scottish Office Statistical Bulletin-- Fisheries Series. Copies of this publication are available in the Library. The reported catches of salmon in the 1991 season by method of catch (net and coble and fixed engine for netsmen and rod-and-line for anglers) are set out below.
Reported Catches of Salmon in Scotland-1991 Method |Reported Catch --------------------------------------------- Net and coble |9,528 Fixed engine |10,529 Rod-and-line |45,136
Figures for the 1992 season are currently being collated ready for publication in the summer of this year.
Child Abuse
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will produce an information leaflet on child abuse, setting out such matters as (a) the law on child abuse, (b) organisations that provide counselling and/or support, and (c) what a responsible adult should do if he/she suspects a child has suffered abuse.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In guidance to local authorities and other agencies, my right hon. Friend has provided information on a wide range of aspects of child protection. He also provides direct financial suport for organisations such as Childline (Scotland) which provide information, advice and counselling about child abuse. In addition, local authorities produce public information on child care matters, including child protection.
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