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Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects that Ms Margaret Owen, of Mullins avenue, Rumney, Cardiff, NI number NX 304327A, will receive a copy of her medical records requested on 18 January in relation to her claim for disability living allowance.
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 the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from David Riggs to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 1 April 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about when he expects that Ms Margaret Owen, 25 Mullins Avenue, Rumney, Cardiff, will receive a copy of her medical records requested on 18th January in relation to her claim for disability living allowance. I have written to you separately and in greater detail about this matter.
I apologise for the delay in sending the evidence to Ms Owen. Staff are aware of the need to respond quickly to requests from our customers for such information.
You will be aware from Mr. Bichard's letter of 19 October 1992 to all MPs of the problems the Benefits Agency has faced since the launch of DLA and the positive steps taken to improve the situation. Since then we have taken further steps to improve the service to our customers including recruiting additional, and redeploying existing, staff to clear the backlog of reviews and four remote processing units have been set up using staff from other parts of the Benefits Agency. Taken together these steps will enable us to give the standard of service to which every customer is entitled and which we want to deliver.
Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. 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.
Ms Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for disability living allowance received in each month since April 1992 are still outstanding ; if he will give a breakdown of the figures month by month since the introduction of the benefit ; and what steps he is taking to clear up the backlog of outstanding claims.
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 the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from David Riggs to Ms Mildred Gordon, dated 1 April 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many claims for disability living allowance received in each month since April 1992 are still outstanding ; if he will give a breakdown of the figures month by month since the introduction of the benefit ; and what steps he is taking to clear up the backlog of outstanding claims.
The table below supplies the number of DLA claims (including Special Rules) registered by month and the number of cases outstanding by month of receipt. However, there will always be some cases which although received in one month will not be registered until the following month.
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Month |Registered |Cases outstanding by
|month of receipt
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 1992 |50,515 |182
May 1992 |45,376 |172
June 1992 |37,640 |162
July 1992 |36,105 |142
August 1992 |32,404 |143
September 1992 |35,570 |148
October 1992 |38,339 |259
November 1992 |36,867 |503
December 1992 |28,902 |812
January 1993 |34,416 |1,949
February 1993 |38,104 |7,131
Outstanding cases as of 26 March 1993.
DLA management have urgently drawn up a Service Delivery Plan to target older claims received prior to 1 December 1992 to ensure they are cleared as quickly as possible.
Of course there will always be a very small percentage of claims where customers or external medical professionals are unable to furnish the information required to clear cases within a period of some months.
The Service Delivery Plan also ensures 60 per cent. of new claims are cleared within 30 days in line with the national primary target for DLA. This national target is being consistently achieved. To answer the second part of your question I have listed below the measures taken to clear the backlog of claims. These include : To increase the number of staff in DLA and AA65 operations by over 800 ;
Sanctioning overtime in all Disability Benefit Centres and Units-- equivalent to approximately a further 300 more staff ; Redeployment of staff from other parts of the Benefits Agency to speed claims processing ;
Establishing, staffing and equipping additional three processing units to handle new claims and so relieve some pressures on existing units ;
A review of operations to improve efficiency by rationalising procedures.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Income Support
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people aged 60 years or over receive income support in (a) Northumbria, (b) Tyne and Wear, (c) Cleveland, (d) Durham, (e) North Yorkshire, (f) South Yorkshire, (g) West Yorkshire and (h) Humberside ;
(2) what is the take-up of income support on a caseload basis by people aged 60 years or over in the regions (a) Yorkshire and Humberside and (b) North.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Ann Robinson to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 1 April 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many people aged 60 years or over receive Income Support in (a) Northumbria, (b) Tyne and
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Wear, (c) Cleveland, (d) Durham, (e) North Yorkshire,(f) South Yorkshire, (g) West Yorkshire and (h) Humberside, and also what is the take-up of Income Support on a caseload basis by people aged 60 years or over in the regions(a) Yorkshire and Humberside and (b) North.The information is not available in the geographical areas requested. Information about the take-up of Income Support is not available.
However, we do retain information concerning the number of recipients of Income Support aged 60 or over by District, and this is appended. The information has been obtained from the latest available Management Information Statistics for Income Support as at the end of February 1993.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
Income support recipients aged 60
or over by district
|Number
------------------------------------
Northumberland |7,510
Newcastle |12,590
North Tyneside |6,431
South Tyneside |12,793
North Durham |10,511
South Durham |9,515
Wearside |10,323
North Tees |7,834
South Tees |9,068
Barnsley |5,475
Doncaster |7,000
East Yorkshire |9,125
Hull |16,296
Rother and Dearne |9,432
Sheffield East |11,016
Sheffield West |10,459
South Humberside |11,596
Bradford |11,476
Yorkshire Pennine |11,506
Kirklees |11,353
Leeds Aire and Wharfe |9,335
Leeds Ridings |12,967
North Yorkshire |11,311
Wakefield |8,077
Information obtained from latest
available Income Support Management
Information Statistics.
Care Homes (Residential Allowance)
Mr. Willetts : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to change the rules relating to the payment of residential allowance during absences from residential care and nursing homes.
Mr. Burt : A number of representations have been received recently from Members and others on this issue. In the light of the concerns raised we have carefully considered all the implications for the new community care arrangements, particularly for local authorities. We have decided to extend the payment of residential allowance for absences of up to six weeks due to admission to hospital and up to three weeks for other reasons. Details of the new arrangements will be announced shortly.
Industrial Diseases
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the benefit recommended by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council for underground coal miners with emphysema and chronic bronchitis will be paid to the widows or other dependants of men suffering from these diseases who have died since the IIAC's report was submitted to him in August 1992.
Miss Widdecombe : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 29 March that regulations will be
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introduced to prescribe chronic bronchitis and emphysema as industrial diseases in relation to underground coal miners with effect from 13 September 1993. Industrial injuries disablement benefit is not payable for periods prior to the date of prescription of an industrial disease.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Arab Boycott
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what investigations have been made of the impact of the Arab boycott on British exports.
Mr. Needham : Trade frustrated by the boycott cannot be measured.
Medical Products (Malta)
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what tariffs or restrictions are applied to medical products manufactured in Malta and exported to EC countries.
Mr. Needham : Under the terms of the EC/Malta association agreement, medical products manufactured in Malta enter the Community without tariff or other restriction. Such products must however comply with any national technical requirements or standards, which currently vary from member state to member state.
Paper Recycling
Mr. Cohen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from the British Paper and Board Industry Federation about waste paper recycling ; what new measures Her Majesty's Government now propose to take ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I have on two occasions recently met members of the British Paper and Board Industry Federation to discuss waste paper recycling. The federation expressed concerns to us over the impact of the German packaging regulations which we are taking very seriously indeed. My right hon. Friend has written to European Commissioners and to the German Economics Minister about this matter, and we are urgently considering what further action, consistent with our EC and international obligations, might be taken to alleviate the difficulties being experienced by some sectors of the United Kingdom recycling industry.
The Prospects for Coal"
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has received from Nuclear Electric plc and Scottish Nuclear in regard to the prospects for improvement in performance of existing nuclear reactors to which reference is made in the White Paper "The Prospects for Coal", Cm. 2235, at paragraph 7.66.
Mr. Eggar : I have received appropriate information from Nuclear Electric to allow me to discharge my responsibilities as shareholder. One of the formal objectives set by Government for Nuclear Electric is that the company should achieve a continued increase in electricity generation, provided that this is economically
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justified. The means by which Nuclear Electric fulfils this objective, including improvements in the performance of existing nuclear stations, is a management matter for the company. Scottish Nuclear Limited is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will specify those organisations or individuals to which reference is made in the White Paper "The Prospects for Coal", Cm. 2235, at paragraphs 7.68 to 7.70, which are respectively in favour of (a) reducing the current nuclear component and (b) maintaining the current nuclear component in electricity generation.
Mr. Eggar : As the White Paper makes clear, the principal organisations advocating a reduction in the nuclear component in electricity generation were those representing coal mining interests, supported to some extent by consumer groups, environmental groups and the privatised generators. Those who advocated maintaining the nuclear component included the major players in the nuclear industry together with unions and employers' groups and some academics. However, many organisations and individuals discussed the role of nuclear generation as one among a number of issues in their evidence.
A list of all those who submitted evidence forms an appendix to the White Paper, and copies of the evidence are available in the Library.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consideration he gave to increasing the target for combined heat and power beyond 2,000 MW by the year 2000, in preparation of paragraph 8.24 of his White Paper "The Prospects for Coal", Cm 2235.
Mr. Eggar : The existing target for combined heat and power, which represented a doubling of capacity by the year 2000, was set on the basis of market potential in 1990. My Department, in consultation with the Department of the Environment and others, will be reviewing this target when we have more experience of the developments which are taking place within the new structure of the electricity supply industry.
Insolvency Practitioners
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many inspections were carried out by the insolvency service in each of the last three years into the quality of work of insolvency practitioners ; in how many cases practitioners were referred to their relevant supervisory bodies ; and what other action was taken.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The insolvency service visits insolvency practitioners to ensure their compliance with the statutory requirements and has carried out 140 such visits to insolvency practitioners since April 1992. Reports are forwarded to the relevant licensing body for its consideration. A smaller number of such visits were also made before April 1992 but statistics are not readily available.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the bodies responsible for the supervision and regulation of insolvency practitioners ; what duties are laid on such bodies under the Insolvency Act 1986 ; and how many practitioners are regulated by each body.
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Mr. Neil Hamilton : The following professional bodies have satisfied the Secretary of State for the purposes of regulating the professional practices. They enforce rules to ensure that those individuals they authorise are fit and proper to act as insolvency practitioners and meet acceptable levels of education and practical experience.
The number of individuals authorised by each body is shown in brackets.
The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants : (114). The Insolvency Practitioners Association : (267).
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales : (953).
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland : (86). The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland : (200). The Law Society : (183).
THe Law Society of Scotland : (40).
In addition, the Secretary of State directly authorises 147 insolvency practitioners.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of whether the regulation of insolvency practitioners is meeting the requirements of the Insolvency Act 1986 ; and what action he proposes to improve those standards.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Since the introduction of licensing, action has been taken by the appropriate authorising body to withdraw authorisation, where it is satisfied that an insolvency practitioner is no longer a fit and proper person to act as such. Misconduct not amounting to evidence that the practitioner is no longer fit and proper has resulted in lesser disciplinary action.
As part of its continuing review of the effectiveness of the insolvency legislation, the insolvency service introduced routine visits to insolvency practitioners to monitor their compliance with statutory requirements. The licensing bodies are committed to carrying out such visits on their own members.
Clothing and Textiles
Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many multi-fibre arrangements with third world countries are currently in operation in the case of (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany ; what are the latest figures for clothing and textile (i) exports and (ii) imports for (a) and (b) which country is the world's largest exporter of clothing and textiles ; and what is the United Kingdom's rank.
Mr. Needham : Agreements with supplying countries under the multi- fibre arrangement (MFA) are negotiated by the European Commission and apply equally to all EC member states. There are currently 27 MFA agreements.
In 1991, the latest year for which figures are available, the value of United Kingdom exports of textiles and clothing was £4.7 billion and imports totalled £8.4 billion. In the same year German exports totalled £12.6 billion against imports of £21.5 billion.
In 1990, the latest year for which complete comparative figures are available, Hong Kong was the world's largest exporter of textiles and clothing (£13.5 billion). In the same year, the United Kingdom was ranked 10th with exports totalling £4.7 billion.
Assistance to Business (France)
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on assistance made available to businesses locating in the Nord Pas de Calais
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region by the French Government and French local authorities ; and if he will make a statement on the level of comparable assistance currently available to businesses in Dover, Deal and east Kent.Mr. Needham : I understand that a range of assistance from central Government and the regional council is available to businesses in Nord Pas de Calais. In east Kent, businesses have access to the overseas trade services provided by my Department, to the DTI consultancy scheme and to technology support. We are currently carrying out a review of the assisted areas in Great Britain and will take into account all of the arguments advanced about east Kent.
Natural Rubber
Mr. Meacher : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom position with regard to the renegotiation of the international natural rubber agreement.
Mr. Needham : Government policy towards interna-tional commodity agreements was given by the then Minister for Trade in response to a question from the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, South-West, (Mr. Page) on 21 July 1988, Official Report, columns 767-8. Against this background, we do not consider that a third international natural rubber agreement is desirable.
The United Kingdom acts in such matters in consultation with other member states of the European Community. Other member states are also opposed to renegotiation at present.
Overseas Projects
Mr. Meacher : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library details of the current membership, constitution and operating brief of the Overseas Project Board and the Export Group for Constructional Industries.
Mr. Needham : I am placing details of the Overseas Project Board (OPB) in the Library, with a copy of the 1991-92 annual report and forward plan of the British Overseas Trade Board, which covers the OPB's activities.
The Government are not responsible for the Export Group for the Constructional Industries, which is a trade association for British contracting companies and funded entirely by its members.
Assisted Area Status
Mr. Tipping : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he now intends to announce the result of his review of the assisted area status map.
Mr. Heseltine : The needs and circumstances of all areas are being carefully considered in the assisted areas map review. The results will be announced as soon as possible, after the necessary clearance from the European Commission.
Coal Industry
Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his reply to the First report from the Trade and Industry Select Committee on British Energy Policy and the Market for Coal in relation to
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recommendation 33 on the interest of the consumer, Cm 2235, page 131, what period of time he assumed for the consumers' interest when formulating his response.Mr. Eggar : As the Government's response to recommendation 33 makes clear, the main protection for the interests of electricity consumers lies in the development of effective competition in the electricity supply industry. The development of competition is a continuing process, which began with electricity privatisation, and which will be further increased by the relaxation of the franchise limit for the RECs next year.
Nuclear Installations
Mr. Parry : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the list of countries who have agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency methods of inspection of nuclear installations.
Mr. Eggar : Information on the topic is published in the annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency ; a copy of the report for 1991 is available in the Library.
Offshore Exploration
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of his Department's forecasts of the number of exploration and appraisal drilling wells in the United Kingdom continental shelf in each of the next five years (a) prior to the Budget and (b) in light of the Budget's proposed changes to the oil taxation regime ; and if he will also break down the figures by sector of the United Kingdom continental shelf.
Mr. Eggar : My Department does not publish five-year forecasts of the number of exploration and appraisal wells in the United Kingdom continental shelf. It does, however, conduct regular surveys of company intentions to drill wells looking up to two years ahead. The results of the last survey were published in the August 1992 issue of "Energy Trends", a copy of which is in the Library.
Oil Taxation
Mr. Salmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department will be revising its Brown Book forecasts in light of the Budget changes to the oil taxation regime and their likely impact ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The Brown Book forecasts for petroleum production from 1993 to 1997 to be included in the Brown Book were published on 4 March, Official Report, columns 252-53. The tax changes announced in the Budget are not expected to have a significant effect on production over this period ; and there are no plans to revise the figures before the Brown Book is published at the end of April.
Structural Funds Regulations
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will seek to ensure in the current negotiations on the new Structural Fund Regulations, that (a) all projects and programmes comply with EC environmental legislation and policy and (b) all applications for funding submitted to the European Commission contain adequate and appropriate environmental information.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 1 April 1993] : The Government fully agree that structural funds projects and
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programmes should comply with EC environmental legislation and policies. The Government agree also therefore that, where appropriate, applications for funding should contain adequate environmental information. Full account must be taken account of these concerns during the review of the structural funds regulations.Environmental Management
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has recently received from the textile industry in connection with BS 7750 on environmental management.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 31 March 1993] : My hon. Friend has written to me about correspondence he has received from the textile industry on BS 7750. This is the only representation I have received.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make a statement on the progress which has been made in connection with the pilot programme relating to the introduction of the BSI standard 7750 for environmental management ; how many companies participated in that programme ; what success they have had in meeting the requirements ; what form of accreditation they will receive on successful completion ; and what estimate he has made of the costs which they have incurred in participating in the pilot programme ;
(2) by what authority, and through what mechanism, accreditation will be given to those companies which have successfully met the requirements of the BS 7750 standard for environmental management.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 31 March 1993] : In issuing BS 7750 the BSI made clear that it would be reviewed following the completion of the pilot programme. That programme is not yet complete and BSI has not therefore made an assessment of how successful companies have been in applying it. I understand that some 230 companies are implementing the standard in the programme ; participation is voluntary and no estimate is available of the costs to the participants. I will ask the chief executive of BSI to write to my hon. Friend when BSI has reached a considered view of the outcome of the programme.
Companies may apply the standard and may contract a third party to certify that they have done so. My Department is considering whether it should set up a scheme to accredit such certifying bodies in relation to the revised version of BS 5570.
Rechar
Mr. Allen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much Rechar money has been (a) approved by his Department, (b) granted to and (c) spent in (i) the east midlands and (ii) Nottingham, since the inception of the scheme ; and if he will list the projects and their cost in each category.
Mr. Baldry : I have been asked to reply.
A total of 280 applications have so far been received for the east midlands Rechar programme, seven of which relate to Nottingham. To date, 104 applications, worth £7.6 million in European regional development fund grant, have been approved. Some £2.7 million has been paid. The remaining applications are being evaluated, and
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if approved as submitted would attract grant of £2.05 million. In Nottingham one project has been approved with a grant of £0.08 million.
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