| Previous Section | Home Page |
Toxic Waste
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total quantity of toxic waste exported from Britain to non- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in (a) 1990, (b) 1991 and (c) 1992 ; and what it is expected to be in (i) 1993 and (ii) 1994.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
There is no generally accepted definition of toxic waste. The nearest equivalent would be hazardous waste defined by the OECD red and amber lists. The total amount exported from the United Kingdom to non-OECD countries was 15,000 tonnes in 1990, 16,300 tonnes in 1991 and 9,000 tonnes in 1992.
We could provide an estimate for 1993 and 1994 only at disproportionate cost.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Fair Employment
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce a right of appeal for individuals against the issuing of section 42 certificates under the Fair Employment Acts 1976 and 1989 ; and what steps he is taking to ensure individuals can discover the nature of the allegations made.
Mr. Atkins : There are no plans to introduce a right of appeal. This question was considered in detail before and during the passage of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 and an undertaking was given that the matter would be kept under review. This remains the Government's position.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many section 42 certificates applying to Northern Ireland Electricity were issued under the Fair Employment Acts 1976 and 1989 in each year since their introduction ; and what were the numbers for the various religious categories of complainants.
Mr. Atkins : Fourteen certificates relating to Northern Ireland Electricity have been issued under section 42 of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) A-6eMr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of section 42 certificates issued each year under the Fair Employment Act 1976 and its equivalent under the Fair Employment Act 1989 by employer and by religious category for public and private concerns.
Column 62
Mr. Atkins : I am informed by the chairman of the Fair Employment Commission that the number of certificates issued each year under section 42 of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1976, as amended, is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1977 |-
1978 |4
1979 |-
1980 |3
1981 |3
1982 |1
1983 |1
1984 |3
1985 |2
1986 |1
1987 |2
1988 |6
1989 |1
1990 |4
1991 |-
1992 |4
1993 |-
Of the complainants, 30 were Roman Catholics and five were Protestants. In 20 cases the employer was a Government Department and in 15 cases the employer was a public body or a publicly owned company.
Hospital House Officers
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new house officer and senior house officer posts were created in the Belfast City and Royal Victoria hospitals in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 25 March 1993] : The information is as follows :
House officers Senior House
officers
Year |Belfast City |Royal Victoria|Belfast City |Royal Victoria
|hospital |hospital |hospital |hospital
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983 |- |- |- |4
1984 |1 |- |1 |3
1985 |- |5 |3 |3
1986 |- |- |8 |9
1987 |7 |- |- |-
1988 |- |- |8 |3
1989 |- |- |5 |2
1990 |1 |- |5 |3
1991 |1 |- |- |1
Figures for 1992 are not yet available.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new house officer and senior house officer posts were created in the Downe hospital, Downpatrick and the Downpatrick maternity hospital in each of the last 10 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 25 March 1993] : During the period 1983 to 1991, no new house officer posts were created in the Downe hospital or Downpatrick maternity hospital. One senior house officer post was created in Downe hospital in 1989. Figures for 1992 are not yet available.
House officer and senior house officer posts are primarily for training and should not be established solely to meet a service need. Where there is such a need, the appointment of a career grade doctor should be considered.
Column 63
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Children's Play Facilities
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his estimate of the amount spent annually per child on play facilities by national and local Government.
Mr. Key : This information is not held centrally.
Hospital Broadcasting
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance he has given to the Radio Authority regarding the priority to be attached to applications for access to the FM spectrum for hospital broadcasting ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : I have not given any guidance. The Radio Authority is responsible for licensing and for its procedures and priorities.
SCOTLAND
Correspondence
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 24 February, Official Report, column 653, when the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow can expect to receive a full reply to his letter.
Sir Hector Monro : Within the next 10 days I expect to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member's letter of 23
Column 64
December 1992 concerning the proposals submitted by Renfrewshire Enterprise for the East India harbour, Greenock.EDUCATION
Classroom Practice
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the willingness of schools to improve classroom practice.
Mr. Forth : The Office for Standards in Education has a continued programme of school inspection and reports on all aspects of education in schools. The overall impression is that teachers and schools have made considerable efforts to improve classroom practice.
Disabled Students
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the financial allocation in real terms for students with disabilities to enter university nationwide in each year since 1985-86.
Mr. Boswell : The first table shows the value of the supplementary allowances available to disabled students on first degree and comparable courses at universities and other higher institutions under the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations between 1985-86 and 1992-93.
The second table shows the total expenditure on these allowances by local education authorities in England and Wales between 1985-86 and 1990-91, the latest year for which this information is available. Assistance may also be available to disabled students from other sources.
Column 63
Table 2 Total expenditure by local education authorities in England and Wales on disabled students' allowances in mandatory awards Academic year |Cash £ |1990-91 prices<1> £ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985-86 |106,036 |142,581 1986-87 |192,123 |250,287 1987-88 |157,586 |194,599 1988-89 |189,775 |218,444 1989-90 |186,701 |201,649 1990-91 |969,621 |969,621 <1> Using the Gross Domestic Product deflator.
Table file CW930329.020 not available
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the change in the number of disabled people admitted to universities since 1987.
Column 64
Mr. Boswell : The Government aim to ensure that people with disabilities are able to benefit from the higher education opportunities available. My right hon. Friend asked the new Higher Education Funding Council for England to consider how access for such students can be facilitated, and the council announced recently that it will allocate £3 million in 1993-94 for a special initiative to improve access for these students. The Government have also substantially increased the value and scope of the disabled students' allowances payable with the mandatory award. Information on the number of students with disabilities in higher education is not held centrally.
Column 65
Foreign Languages (Primary Schools)
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many primary schools offer a foreign language to their pupils ; and to what extent the numbers have varied over the last 10 years.
Mr. Forth : The information requested is not centrally recorded.
University Students
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the latest statistics on the number of (a) students from other EC countries and (b) non-EC students attending United Kingdom universities ; and if he will estimate the income this brings to the universities.
Mr. Boswell : There were 19,500 students from other EC countries and 43,900 students from non EC countries studying in United Kingdom universities in the academic year 1991-92, when estimated fee income received by universities from these students was £274 million.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many grant-maintained schools have (a) fewer than 50 pupils ; (b) 50 to 100 pupils, (c) 100 to 250 pupils, (d) 250 to 500 pupils, (e) 500 to 1,000 pupils, (f) 1,000 to 1,500 pupils and (g) more than 1,500 pupils.
Mr. Forth : The information requested is given in the table. This uses latest available pupil numbers and is based on the 337 self-governing (GM) schools currently operating.
Column 66
|Number
-----------------------------------
Fewer than 50 pupils |1
50-100 pupils |8
100-250 pupils |29
250-500 pupils |68
500-1,000 pupils |162
1,000-1,500 pupils |65
1,500 pupils or over |4
Assisted Places
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people are employed on the management of the assisted places scheme ; at what cost ; and what plans he has for placing the management of the assisted places scheme in private hands.
Mr. Forth : The full-time equivalent of 7.7 staff is directly engaged in the management of the assisted places scheme in the current financial year and the direct staff costs are some £130,000 per annum. My right hon. Friend currently has no plans to change the existing arrangements for the management of the assisted places scheme.
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for the academic year 1991-92 those schools involved in the assisted places scheme with (a) the total number of pupils on rolls, (b) the number of assisted pupils and the percentage which (b) represents of (a) .
Mr. Forth : The information requested is given in the following table :
Column 65
Numbers of pupils in assisted places scheme schools in Academic year 1991-92
School name |Number of pupils on|Number of assisted |Percentage of
|roll |pupils |assisted pupils to
|pupils on roll
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbey School, Reading |1,053 |46 |4.37
Abingdon |747 |91 |12.18
Ackworth |494 |15 |3.04
Aldenham |328 |27 |8.23
Alice Ottley |711 |83 |11.67
Alleyns, Dulwich |926 |201 |21.71
Ardingly College |651 |13 |2.00
Arnold School, Blackpool |1,171 |76 |6.49
Ashford |668 |41 |6.14
Ashville College |672 |6 |0.89
Austin Friars |308 |5 |1.62
Bancrofts |965 |80 |8.29
Barnard Castle |618 |9 |1.46
Bath High GPDST |626 |99 |15.81
Batley Grammar |609 |243 |39.90
Bedales |682 |10 |1.47
Bedford |1,111 |92 |8.28
Bedford High |1,013 |120 |11.85
Bedford Modern |1,191 |160 |13.43
Belvedere GPDST |567 |166 |29.28
Berkhamsted Girls |603 |16 |2.65
Berkhamsted |773 |24 |3.10
Birkenhead |1,077 |219 |20.33
Birkenhead High GPDST |950 |251 |26.42
Bishop's Stortford College |604 |45 |7.45
Blackheath High GPDST |496 |85 |17.14
Bloxham, Banbury |360 |13 |3.61
Bolton School Boys |999 |263 |26.33
Bolton School Girls |1,125 |253 |22.49
Bootham, York |350 |15 |4.29
Bradfield College |587 |4 |0.68
Bradford Girls Grammar |870 |55 |6.32
Bradford Grammar School |1,168 |220 |18.84
Brentwood School |1,155 |84 |7.27
Brighton College |482 |115 |23.86
Brighton/Hove High GPDST |718 |151 |21.03
Bristol Cathedral |459 |133 |28.98
Bristol Grammar |1,193 |256 |21.46
Bromley High GPDST |716 |83 |11.59
Bromsgrove |1,166 |15 |1.29
Bruton Girls |558 |127 |22.76
Burgess Hill Girls |577 |14 |2.43
Bury Grammar Boys |783 |199 |25.42
Bury Grammar Girls |1,141 |243 |21.30
Canford |501 |30 |5.99
Carmel College |262 |70 |26.72
Casterton |351 |42 |11.97
Caterham |723 |117 |16.18
Central Newcastle High GPDST |825 |115 |13.94
Charterhouse |698 |7 |1.00
Cheadle Hulme |912 |126 |13.82
Cheltenham Ladies College |848 |12 |1.42
Chigwell |644 |66 |10.25
Christ's Hospital |804 |16 |1.99
Churchers College |514 |118 |22.96
City of London |818 |139 |16.99
City of London Freemans |673 |6 |0.89
City of London Girls |646 |109 |16.87
Clifton College, Bristol |1,196 |68 |5.69
Clifton High, Bristol |824 |43 |5.22
Colfes |869 |176 |20.75
Colston's Girls |587 |166 |28.28
Colston's Bristol |729 |77 |10.56
Coventry, Bablake |1,957 |273 |13.95
Cranleigh |724 |30 |4.14
Croham Hurst |556 |15 |2.70
Croydon High GPDST |1.047 |82 |7.83
Culford |645 |48 |7.44
Dame Alice Harpur |1,007 |142 |14.10
Dame Allans Boys |472 |118 |25.00
Dame Allans Girls |449 |120 |26.73
Dauntseys |622 |57 |9.16
Denstone College |300 |112 |37.33
Derby High |508 |10 |1.97
Douai, Reading |262 |15 |5.73
Dover College |267 |14 |5.24
Downe House, Newbury |470 |6 |1.28
Dulwich College |1,393 |273 |19.60
Durham |373 |21 |5.63
Edgbaston College Girls |405 |16 |3.95
Edgehill College |496 |139 |28.02
Ellerslie (to 1992) |174 |15 |8.62
Ellesmere College |374 |6 |1.60
Eltham College, London |726 |94 |12.95
Emanuel, London SW11 |757 |283 |37.38
Epsom College |673 |23 |3.42
Exeter |818 |170 |20.78
Farnborough Hill |488 |153 |31.35
Felixstowe College |339 |5 |4.42
Felsted, Dunmow |562 |44 |7.83
Forest School |1,173 |128 |10.91
Framlington College |710 |6 |0.85
Francis Holland |369 |15 |4.07
Friends, Saffron Walden |273 |74 |27.11
Giggleswick, Settle |435 |9 |2.07
Godolphin & Latymer |699 |156 |2.32
Godolphin, Salisbury |353 |14 |3.97
Greshams |769 |10 |1.30
Guildford High Girls |598 |10 |1.67
Haberdashers Askes Boys |1,300 |228 |17.54
Haberdashers Askes Girls |1,125 |105 |9.33
Haileybury and ISC |615 |10 |1.63
Hampton |891 |187 |20.99
Harrogate College |389 |17 |4.37
Headington |723 |7 |0.97
Hereford Cathedral |595 |229 |38.49
Highgate |904 |35 |3.87
Hipperholme Grammar |378 |6 |1.59
Holy Child |335 |10 |2.99
Hulme Grammar Boys |840 |202 |24.05
Hulme Grammar Girls |631 |178 |28.21
Hurstpierpoint College |519 |13 |2.50
Hymers College |939 |141 |15.02
Ipswich |618 |74 |11.97
Ipswich High GPDST |575 |100 |17.39
James Allens Girls |948 |161 |16.98
John Lyons |506 |91 |17.98
Kent College |740 |88 |11.89
Kimbolton Schools |713 |15 |2.10
King Edward VI High |544 |125 |22.98
King Edward VI Norwich |761 |116 |15.24
King Edward VI Southampton |945 |223 |23.60
King Edwards VII Lytham |616 |231 |37.50
King Edwards at Bath |853 |110 |12.90
King Edwards Birmingham |829 |233 |28.11
King Edwards Witley |522 |72 |13.79
Kings College Wimbledon |1,070 |65 |6.07
Kings High Girls, Warwick |553 |137 |24.77
Kings Bruton |347 |11 |3.17
Kings, Chester |596 |84 |14.09
Kings, Macclesfield |1,026 |152 |14.81
Kings, Rochester |650 |58 |8.92
Kings, Tynemouth |915 |10 |1.09
Kings, Worcester |905 |179 |19.78
Kingsley |586 |10 |1.71
Kingston Grammar |584 |150 |25.68
Kingswood School, Bath |483 |39 |8.07
Kirkham Grammar |646 |79 |12.23
La Sagesse Convent |507 |150 |29.59
Lady Eleanor Holles |806 |37 |4.59
Latymer Upper |1,053 |325 |30.86
Laxton |184 |2 |1.09
Leeds Girls High |949 |73 |7.69
Leeds Grammar |1,129 |187 |16.56
Leicester Grammar |565 |22 |3.89
Leighton Park |343 |15 |4.37
Leys, Cambridge |379 |37 |9.76
Liverpool College |687 |182 |26.49
Lord Wandsworth College |761 |81 |10.64
Loreto Convent Grammar |812 |54 |6.65
Loughborough Grammar |921 |125 |13.57
Loughborough High |528 |94 |17.80
Magdalen College |473 |126 |26.64
Malvern College |555 |71 |12.79
Manchester Grammar |1,430 |257 |17.97
Manchester High |970 |172 |17.73
Marist Convent Senior |406 |7 |1.72
Maynard |557 |159 |28.55
Merchant Taylors Girls |888 |182 |20.50
Merchant Taylors, Liverpool |846 |207 |24.47
Merchant Taylors, Northwood |704 |67 |9.52
Mill Hill |565 |60 |10.62
Monkton Combe |600 |41 |6.83
Mount Carmel, Cheshire |572 |15 |2.62
Mount St. Mary's College |324 |69 |21.30
Mount, York |327 |15 |4.59
Newcastle Under Lyme |1,347 |419 |31.11
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Church High |626 |15 |2.40
North London Collegiate |900 |96 |10.67
Northampton High |787 |152 |19.31
Norwich High GPDST |829 |166 |20.02
Notting Hill/Ealing High |764 |116 |15.18
Nottingham Girls High GPDST |1,072 |199 |18.56
Nottingham High |825 |150 |18.18
Oakham |1,036 |15 |1.45
Old Palace, Croydon |761 |197 |25.89
Oxford High GPDST |648 |79 |12.19
Pangbourne College |408 |14 |3.43
Perse School for Boys |651 |58 |8.91
Perse School for Girls |701 |68 |9.70
Plymouth College |876 |187 |21.35
Pocklington |714 |133 |18.63
Polam Hall |483 |21 |4.35
Portsmouth Grammar |1,088 |191 |17.56
Portsmouth High GPDST |710 |132 |18.59
Prior Park College |440 |14 |3.18
Putney High School GPDST |832 |84 |10.10
Queen Elizabeth Hospital |484 |166 |34.30
Queen Elizabeth, Blackburn |1,225 |248 |20.24
Queen Elizabeth, Wakefield |740 |141 |19.05
Queen Mary, Lytham |660 |233 |35.30
Queens College, London |398 |74 |18.59
Queens College, Taunton |699 |66 |9.44
Queens School, Chester |613 |75 |12.23
Ratcliffe College |456 |69 |15.13
Red Maids, Bristol |578 |158 |27.34
Redland High, Bristol |663 |88 |13.27
Reed's School, Gobham |340 |15 |4.41
Reigate Grammar |852 |107 |12.56
Rendcomb College |244 |15 |6.15
Repton |553 |51 |9.22
Rossall |782 |41 |5.24
Royal Grammar, Guildford |810 |111 |13.70
Royal Grammar, Newcastle |1,117 |263 |23.55
Royal Grammar, Worcester |895 |254 |28.38
Ryde School |628 |7 |1.11
Salesian College |499 |54 |10.82
Scarborough College |430 |15 |3.49
Sedbergh |458 |40 |8.73
Sevenoaks, Kent |914 |10 |1.09
Sheffield High GPDST |707 |91 |12.87
Shrewsbury High GPDST |610 |76 |12.46
Silcoates |560 |6 |1.07
Sir William Perkins |504 |87 |17.26
Solihull |1,000 |21 |2.10
South Hampstead High GPDST |726 |68 |9.37
St. Albans |670 |113 |16.87
St. Albans High Girls |677 |50 |7.39
St. Ambrose College |782 |64 |8.18
St. Anselms College |853 |204 |23.92
St. Bede's College |1,120 |220 |19.64
St. Bees |332 |82 |24.70
St. Benedict's |599 |78 |13.02
St. Catherine's |596 |34 |5.70
St. Dunstan's College |788 |154 |19.54
St. Edmund's College |618 |80 |12.94
St. Edward's College |883 |396 |44.85
St. Felix, Southwold |367 |11 |3.00
St. George's College |630 |26 |4.13
St. Helen and St. Katherine |508 |89 |17.52
St. Helen's, Northwood |920 |43 |4.67
St. John's College, Southsea |847 |173 |20.43
St. John's, Leatherhead |439 |8 |1.82
St. Joseph's College, Ipswich |654 |81 |12.39
St. Joseph's College, Stoke |477 |10 |2.10
St. Joseph's Convent, Reading |458 |111 |24.24
St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate |380 |15 |3.95
St. Margaret's, Bushey |471 |13 |2.76
St. Margaret's, Exeter |456 |13 |2.85
St. Mary and St. Anne |267 |10 |3.75
St. Mary's College, Crosby |800 |235 |29.38
St. Mary's Convent, Cambridge |572 |110 |19.23
St. Mary's Hall, Brighton |367 |59 |16.08
St. Maurs Convent, Weybridge |713 |52 |7.29
St. Paul's Girls, Hammersmith |618 |62 |10.03
St. Paul's, Barnes |1,161 |80 |6.89
St. Peter's, York |768 |126 |16.41
St. Swithun's, Winchester |629 |0 |0.00
Stafford Grammar |292 |10 |3.42
Stamford |962 |84 |8.73
Stamford High |999 |87 |8.71
Stockport Grammar |1,259 |230 |18.27
Stoneyhurst College |421 |30 |7.13
Stowe |588 |5 |0.85
Streatham Hill/Clapham High |537 |148 |27.56
Surbiton High |704 |14 |1.99
Sutton High GPDST |802 |59 |7.36
Sutton Valence |384 |62 |16.15
Sydenham High GPDST |704 |126 |17.90
Talbot Heath |547 |140 |25.59
Taunton |1,026 |52 |5.07
Teesside High |541 |10 |1.85
Tonbridge |627 |2 |0.32
Tormead |522 |8 |1.53
Trent College |638 |124 |19.44
Trinity-of John Whitgift |834 |141 |16.91
Truro |907 |117 |12.90
Truro High |372 |61 |16.40
University College School |767 |70 |9.13
Upton Hall Convent |606 |166 |27.39
Ursuline Convent, Kent |285 |15 |5.26
Ursuline High, Ilford |401 |144 |35.91
Wakefield High |1,013 |147 |14.51
Walthamstow Hall |505 |57 |11.29
Warwick |981 |141 |14.37
Wellingborough |795 |64 |8.05
Wellington College |820 |39 |4.76
Wellington, Somerset |838 |214 |25.54
Wells Cathedral |815 |78 |9.57
West Buckland |566 |85 |15.02
Westholme |1,019 |15 |1.47
Westminster |610 |53 |8.69
Whitgift, Croydon |939 |108 |11.50
William Hulme Grammar |791 |220 |27.81
Wimbledon High GPDST |758 |65 |8.58
Winchester College |652 |22 |3.37
Wisbech Grammar |628 |312 |49.68
Withington Girls |569 |71 |12.48
Wolverhampton Grammar |653 |261 |39.97
Woodbridge |781 |113 |14.47
Woodhouse Grove |735 |133 |18.10
Worksop |374 |15 |4.01
Wrekin College |339 |5 |1.47
Wycliffe College |598 |41 |6.86
Yarm |560 |21 |3.75
Average proportion 13.52
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will state for each year in which the assisted places scheme has been operating the number of places available and the number actually taken up, the amount budgeted each year for the scheme and the amount actually spent.
Mr. Forth : The information requested is given in the following table for each year up to 1991-92, the latest year for which complete figures are available :
Year |Places available<1> |Places taken up<1> |Budget estimate<2> |Actual outturn<2> £m
|£m
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |5,446 |4,185 |3.3 |3.0
1982-83 |11,058 |8,616 |9.3 |8.7
1983-84 |15,866 |13,102 |16.5 |15.0
1984-85 |20,699 |17,386 |22.5 |22.2
1985-86 |25,210 |21,412 |31.1 |29.6
1986-87 |29,295 |24,478 |37.4 |37.9
1987-88 |33,228 |26,899 |47.8 |46.0
1988-89 |33,217 |27,083 |55.1 |50.9
1989-90 |33,280 |27,008 |57.0 |56.5
1990-91 |33,302 |26,740 |60.4 |63.4
1991-92 |33,312 |27,641 |64.9 |75.7
The figures are for England only
<1> Academic year
<2> Financial year
Column 74
SOCIAL SECURITY
National Insurance Benefits
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the full year cost of increasing all national insurance benefits by (a) 0.5 per cent. and (b) 0.3 per cent. in 1993-94.
Miss Widdecombe : The Government Actuary's Department estimates are in the table.
All national insurance benefits
Year |Percentage increase|Full year cost £
|million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993-94 |0.5 |198
1993-94 |0.3 |119
Over-60s (Benefits)
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged 60 years or over receive (a) income support, (b) housing benefit and (c) community charge benefit in each of the standard regions in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is in the tables. Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Column 75
Income Support Recipients Aged 60 or over
Social Security Number of
Region Claimants
|Housing benefit |Community charge
|benefit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
South West |125 |249
South East |283 |493
London |261 |357
East Anglia |72 |130
West Midlands |212 |403
East Midlands |122 |227
North West |242 |416
Yorkshire and Humberside |159 |245
North |179 |264
Wales |91 |139
Scotland |263 |353
|------- |-------
Great Britain (Total) |2,010 |3,277
Notes:
1. Figures are thousands rounded to the nearest thousand. The totals do not
sum due to rounding.
2. Source: Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry and the Housing Benefit
and Community Charge Benefit Management Information System-May 1991.
3. Income support information is not available for the standard statistical
regions; the nearest alternative is given for this benefit.
Table file CW930329.026 not available
Repetitive Strain Injury
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines he has issued to local Department of social security offices concerning the health risks of repetitive strain injury in the workplace.
Mr. Scott : Repetitive strain injury is a condition commonly contracted by those who operate visual display units for unreasonably long continuous sessions and/or in an ergonomically incorrect environment.
Since 1987, the Department of Social Security has stipulated that all VDU operators must work in accordance with a departmental information technology agreement. This agreement between management and the trade unions paid particular regard, among other things, to health and safety issues surrounding VDU usage, including ergonomic issues, and restricts the period of continuous operation to safe levels.
Employees were also issued with proprietary literature in 1991 which was intended to increase general awareness of the means by which injury to the wrist, hand and finger can be avoided. All of the Department's VDUs are being, or have been, assessed to confirm that they comply with the provisions of new health and safety regulations which are effective from 1 January 1993. VDU users are receiving, or have received, further training on practices which will prevent repetitive
Column 76
strain injury. They have also been invited to contribute to the assessment process to ensure that personal ergonomic needs are met.Diability Living Allowance
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for the disability living allowance have come from Warrington, south ; how many have been successful ; and how many were successful on appeal.
Mr. Scott : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
VAT (Fuel and Power)
Mr. Shore : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if those in receipt of (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax rebates will be compensated for extending value-added tax to domestic fuel and power.
Mr. Burt : I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 22 March 1993 at column 511 .
Housing Benefit
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the national average figure for processing housing benefit claims within 14 days.
Mr. Burt : The proportion of claims processed within 14 days of receipt of all the necessary information is 76 per cent.
Industrial Injuries
Mr. Pickles : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will announce his response to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's recommendations on chronic bronchitis and emphysema in coal miners ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lilley : We have considered the Council's report on chronic bronchitis and emphysema in coal miners and metal production workers very carefully and have accepted the recommendation that these diseases should be prescribed as industrial diseases in relation to underground coal miners. Regulations will be laid to give effect to this from 13 September 1993.
Under normal circumstances benefit claims in respect of industrial diseases can take several months to investigate, and in this case we anticipate very large numbers of claims from miners and ex-miners. We estimate that the number of claims dealt with over the next year or so under the industrial injuries scheme could be almost doubled. We are concerned to ensure that claims are dealt with as quickly as possible and that unacceptable backlogs and delays do not arise. We consider that this can best be achieved by a two-stage take-on of claims. The regulations will provide for claims from older miners and ex-miners to be taken first, from 13 September 1993, and for claims from otherhe appropriate
Column 77
time and satisfy the usual conditions for the award of benefit, so that no one will lose benefit as a result of the phased take-on. Precise details of how the take-on claims will be handled will be well publicised before implementation.Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence there is on the financial effects for landlords of bed-and-breakfast accommodation of an increase in the income support paid to homeless families living in such accommodation.
Mr. Burt : In the mid-1980s, benefit regulations and procedures relating to board and lodging were substan-tially re-appraised and tightened in response to widespread public criticism of abuse of the existing arrangements. The persistence of such abuse led to the subsequent abolition of the special treatment of boarders within income support in 1989. Retrieval of the evidence then available could now be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Pensions (Report)
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library a copy of the report by Watson Europe on pensions in Britain and Europe.
Miss Widdecombe : I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library shortly.
VAT (Heating Fuels)
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners and others on low incomes he expects to receive special help in Waveney with meeting the VAT on heating fuels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : Information in the form requested is not available. Overall, some 8 million recipients of income-related benefits will gain from extra help. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be considering the precise way in which to target this help and his conclusions will be announced in the normal way in the autumn.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the Chelmsford parliamentary constituency are in receipt of housing benefit.
Mr. Burt [holding answer 25 March 1993] : Information for the United Kingdom is not available. However, the latest available information for Great Britain is in "Social Security Statistics 1992", table A3.05, a copy of which is in the Library. Discrete information for Chelmsford borough council, or the parliamentary constituency, is not available.
Pensions (Payment Methods)
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what saving in public expenditure or other financial benefit accrues to his Department by retirement pensions being paid through automated credit transfer ; and what proportion of retirement pensions being paid at present are paid (a) through ACT, (b) through post offices and (c) in other ways ;
Column 78
(2) how many letters he has sent in the last year to those about to retire advising them about how their pension may be paid ; if all such letters gave information about pension payment through (a) the Post Office, (b) automated credit transfer and (c) other methods ; and if he will make a statement.Miss Widdecombe : The administration and payment of retirement pension 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 Mr. M. Bichard to Mr. Max Madden, dated 26 March 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many letters he has sent in the last year to those about to retire advising them about how their pension may be paid ; if all such letters gave information about pension payment through (a) the Post Office, (b) automated credit transfer and (c) other means ; and what saving in public expenditure or other financial benefit accrues to his Department by retirement pensions being paid through automated credit transfer : and what proportion of retirement pensions being paid at present are paid through ACT, (b) through post offices and (c) in other ways.
Information relating to methods of payment is contained in the retirement pension claim form. 527,383 retirement pension claim packs were issued in the year ending 16 March 1993. Information regarding the various methods of payment is available to all applicants. Savings arise through reduced administration costs. The average administrative cost of paying retirement pensions by ACT is three pence per payment. The alternative methods of paying retirement pensions are order books and payable orders ; each payment costs an average of forty four pence and fifty one pence respectively. Additionally, ACT is not as susceptible to fraud in the same way as other methods of payment and this means further savings in public expenditure.
At the end of January this year, 69.5 per cent. of pensioners were paid by order book at the Post Office, 26.7 per cent. were paid by ACT, which includes customers using Girobank at the Post Office, and 3.8 per cent. were paid by payable order.
I hope that you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, for each of the last five years, the duration, value and nature of contracts awarded by his Department to Arthur Andersen, Andersen Consulting, KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock, Touche Ross, Ernst and Young and Price Waterhouse.
Mr. Goodlad : The tables list the contracts awarded by the diplomatic and aid wings of the Department for each of the last four years, and for the diplomatic wing in 1988-89. Information on contracts awarded by the aid wing in 1988-89 is not centrally recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Arthur Andersen
(a) Diplomatic Wing
No contracts awarded in last five years
(b) Aid Wing
One contract only, awarded in 1991-92
Project Finance and Development, Former Soviet Union
7 weeks duration ; value £450,000
Andersen Consulting
Column 79
(a(Diplomatic Wing) No contracts awarded in the last five years (b
(Aid Wing) No contracts awarded in 1989-90 and 1990-91
Two contracts awarded in 1991-92
(i
(Feasibility study, bread distribution Moscow 3 weeks duration ; value £48,000)
(ii
(Bread distribution, Moscow 22 weeks
duration ; value £998,000) One contract awarded in 1992-93 Moscow bread project Phase II
9 months duration ; value £245,000
K.P.M.G. Peat Marwick McLintock
(a
(Diplomatic Wing) One contract awarded in 1988-89
Review of IT project management in FCO
one months duration ; value £5,000
One contract awarded in 1989-90
Review of Information Systems Division Training
one months duration ; value £14,000
No contracts awarded in 1990-91
Three contracts awarded in 1991-92
(i
(Review of Information Systems Division Training Two months duration ; value £22,000)
(ii
(Scrutiny on Training 3 weeks duration ; value £15,000) (iii
(Review of Career Planning 8 months duration ; value £350,000) No contracts awarded in 1992-93
| Next Section
| Home Page |