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Fair Employment Tribunal
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases have been brought against private companies alleging religious and political discrimination, since the establishment of the Fair Employment tribunal until 31 December 1992, indicating the nature of each allegation and the tribunal's decision.
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Mr. Atkins [holding answer 1 April 1993] : It is not possible, until cases are heard, to distinguish between private companies, public limited companies, individuals and partnerships. However, in the period to 31 December 1992, 404 complaints were brought against private employers as distinct from public bodies. The nature of the allegations in such cases and the decisions of the tribunal, where available, are set out in the table.
|Number
-------------------------------------------------------
Nature of allegation
Alleged discriminatory dismissals |204
Alleged discriminatory non-appointments |133
Alleged discriminatory non-promotions |14
Alleged discriminatory harassments |24
Alleged discriminatory victimisations |29
|----
|404
Decisions of tribunal
Decisions-dismissed on merits |49
Decisions-dismissed following withdrawal |138
Decisions-applications allowed |7
Decisions-applications conciliated |14
Decisions-awaiting hearing |196
|---
|404
SOCIAL SECURITY
Maintenance Payments
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the average loss of benefit per claimant if maintenance could no longer be offset against income from 1 April.
Mr. Burt : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims are currently made for housing and community charge benefit where maintenance payments are offset against income for benefit calculation.
Mr. Burt : In May 1991, there were an estimated 3,000 housing benefit cases and 4,000 community charge benefit cases.
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Note : Figures apply to Great Britain and were derived from a small number of sample cases supplied by local authorities for the housing benefit and community charge benefit information system annual 1 per cent. sample of cases without income support. Some cases received both housing benefit and community charge benefit.Child Support Act
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of claims which will be made for housing and council tax benefit where maintenance payments will be offset against income in the first year of operation of the Child Support Act 1991.
Mr. Burt : There is no such provision in housing benefit or council tax benefit.
Boarder Premium
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of a boarder premium of £10 for each member of a homeless family living in (a) bed-and-breakfast accommodation and (b) hostel accommodation, including women's refuges ; and if he will give a breakdown of the costs involved.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is not available.
Industrial Disablement
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of claimants seeking disability compensation for pneumoconiosis has been successful in each year since 1979 ; and what has been the annual disability benefit paid in each year.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the numbers of industrial injuries disablement pensions for pneumoconiosis in payment at the end of the statistical period since 1979 are in the table.
Period |Pensions current at
|end of period
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 October 1978 to 30 September 1979 |28,610
1 October 1979 to 30 September 1980 |27,580
1 October 1980 to 30 September 1981 |26,040
1 October 1981 to 30 September 1982 |24,800
1 October 1982 to 30 September 1983 |23,770
1 October 1983 to 30 September 1984 |22,810
1 October 1984 to 30 September 1985 |22,140
1 October 1985 to 30 September 1986 |20,740
1 October 1986 to 4 April 1987<1> |19,620
6 April 1987 to 2 April 1988 |18,820
4 April 1988 to 1 April 1989 |17,830
3 April 1989 to 31 March 1990 |16,680
2 April 1990 to 31 March 1991 |15,990
1 April 1991 to 4 April 1992 |<2>14,610
Note: These figures are rated up from a 10 per cent. sample.
<1>Period covers six months only.
<2>Provisional figures only.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), of 29 March, Official Report , column 77, what consideration he gave to adopting a period of less than the 20 years aggregate of working underground to establish eligibility for industrial injury disablement.
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Mr. Scott : In its report (Cm 2091) the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, which advises the Secretary of State on the prescription of occupational diseases for industrial injuries disablement benefit purposes, recommended extending the list of prescribed diseases to include chronic bronchitis and emphysema in coal miners who meet specified criteria. The Government have accepted the council's recommendation in full.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Brentford and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 29 March, Official Report, column 77, on industrial injuries disablement benefit for coal miners with bronchitis and emphysema, what decisions underlay the choice of 13 September 1993 as the date from which the regulations will take effect.
Mr. Scott : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, in his reply to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) mentioned the very large number of claims expected from miners and ex-miners when chronic bronchitis and emphysema are added to the list of prescribed industrial diseases ; 13 September is the earliest date that the necessary medical and administrative arrangements can be put in place to deal with these claims.
Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to include ceramic workers in the list of workers who may claim compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema under the arrangements for payment of industrial injury disablement benefit.
Mr. Scott : The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council advises the Secretary of State on the prescription of diseases for industrial injuries disablement benefit purposes. I understand that the council has not received any scientific evidence to suggest that bronchitis and emphysema should be recommended for prescription in relation to ceramic workers.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of underground coal miners with emphysema and chronic bronchitis who would have qualified for benefit from the recommendation in the report sent to him by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council in August 1992 but have died since he received the report.
Mr. Scott : No such estimate has been made.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated cost of his decision on the recommendation of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee in regard to underground miners with emphysema and chronic bronchitis ; and how the cost has been computed.
Mr. Scott : The current estimate of the net additional full-year benefit cost of implementing the council's recommendation to prescribe chronic bronchitis and emphysema in underground coal miners is in the region of £6 million. This estimate is based on the assumption that around 9,000 awards will be made. Some 4,000 of these will be to miners and ex-miners currently receiving industrial injuries disablement benefit for pneumoconiosis but who, following the prescription of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, will qualify for extra benefit. The remainder will be to those miners and ex-miners who newly qualify for benefit.
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These estimates have drawn upon departmental records concerning pneumonoconiosis cases and upon the assistance of British Coal.EC Social Affairs Council
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he intends to put to the European Social Affairs Council on 5 April.
Public Appointments
Dr. Wright : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the appointments made by him as listed in "Public Bodies 1992" came within the categories set out in paragraphs 49 and 50 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" and required a submission to the Prime Minister.
Miss Widdecombe : Two--the chairman of the Occupational Pensions Board, Sir Jeremy Rowe, and the chairman of the Social Security Advisory Committee, Sir Peter Barclay.
Social Security Research Yearbook
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements he has made to distribute to interested non-governmental organisations copies of his Department's social security research yearbook 1991-92.
Mr. Scott : Copies of the yearbook have been sent to the main research organisations and others who have expressed an interest in the Department's research programme.
Retirement Pensions
Mr. Knox : T o ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 18 March, Official Report, column 376, if he will publish an updated version of the table attached to the letter from the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe), dated 26 September 1992, showing the percentages of men aged 65 and women aged 60 years who were in receipt of a full category A retirement pension in 1980 and 1991 as a percentage of (a) the relevant population in those years, and (b) category A pensioners ; and if he will also publish the explanatory notes in the letter.
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Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is in the table.
Entitlement to full |Column 1 as |Column 2 as
category A pension |percentage of |percentage of
|population |category A
|pensioners
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At 28 November 1980
Men aged 65 |79.47 |96.86
Women aged 60 |20.01 |53.35
At 30 September 1992
Men aged 65 |68.1 |91.8
Women aged 60 |16.3 |37.1
Notes:
1. Great Britain residents only.
2. Population estimates from mid-1991 based on population projection.
3. Equivalent figures for invalidity benefit are not currently available.
Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the impact on the support ratio in 2030 of (a) maintaining the current state pension ages and (b) equalising state pension age at (i) 60, (ii) 65 and (iii) 67 years.
Miss Widdecombe : On the same basis as the estimates set out in the discussion document, "Options for Equality in State Pension Age", but incorporating the latest Office of Population Census and Surveys population projections, the effects on the support ratio in 2030 are in the table :
'
|Ratio
---------------------------------------
Current state pension ages |2.2
Age 60 |1.8
Age 65 |3.0
Age 67 |3.2
Note:
The support ratio is defined as the
number of people of working age per
pensioner.
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioner tax units had incomes less than £5,000 per annum in the age bands (a) 60 to 64 years, (b) 65 to 69 years, (c) 70 to 74 years, (d) 75 to 79 years, (e) 80 years and over and (f) all ages, in the latest year for which figures are available.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is in the table :
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Percentage of Pensioner Unit Age Groups
with Gross Income of Less than £5000 per annum in 1989
Age |60-64 |65-69 |70-74 |75-79 |80+ |All
|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Single pensioners |68 |67 |71 |82 |87 |77
Pensioner couples |<1>- |13 |18 |23 |27 |18
All pensioner units |68 |38 |48 |62 |76 |55
Notes:
1. A pensioner unit is defined as a single person aged at or above state pensionable age (
SPA) or a couple where the husband is aged at or above SPA.
2. The age of the pensioner couple is taken to be the age of the husband.
<1>- Under the above definitions there are no pensioner couples in the 60-64 age band.
Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the additional cost or saving
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to the Exchequer of equalising the state pension age at (a) 60, (b) 65 or (c) 67 years compared with the current arrangements.Column 663
Miss Widdecombe : On the same basis as the estimates set out in the discussion document "Options for Equality in State Pension Age," the effects on the Exchequer are in the table :
1992-93 prices £ billion
Cost +ve, savings -ve
|2025 |2035
-------------------------
Age 60 | 4.6| 3.6
Age 65 |-3.7 |-3.1
Age 67 |-6.4 |-5.7
Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the state pension age in (a) Sweden and (b) the United States of America.
Miss Widdecombe : State pension age in Sweden is currently 65 for both men and women. In 1992 the Government passed legislation to raise the state pension age to 66. The new pension age will be phased in gradually over a four-year period ending in 1998.
State pension age in the United States of America is currently 65 for both men and women. In 1983 the Government passed a law to raise the age at which full benefits are payable from 65 to 67. The new age will be phased in very gradually during the first quarter of the next century.
Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the impact on the economically active ratio in 2030 of (a) maintaining the current state pension ages and (b) equalising the state pension age at (i) 60, (ii) 65 and (iii) 67 years.
Miss Widdecombe : On the same basis as the estimates set out in the discussion document, "Options for Equality in State Pension Age," the effects on the economically active ratio in 2030 are in the table.
|Ratio
---------------------------------------
Current state pension ages |1.4
Age 60 |1.4
Age 65 |1.5
Age 67 |1.6
Note: The economically active ratio is
defined as the number of active adults
per inactive adult.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of recipients of (a) full state retirement pension and (b) reduced state retirement pension for each year since 1979-80.
Miss Widdecombe : The number of retirement pension recipients resident in Great Britain receiving 100 per cent. of the basic pension (full) or less than 100 per cent. (reduced rate) is as follows :
Thousands
Category A <1> Category B<2>
|Full |Reduced rate|Full |Reduced rate
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 1979 |4,301.5 |344.3 |3,761.0 |116.7
November 1980 |4,359.2 |401.6 |3,802.8 |111.8
November 1981 |4,414.9 |452.5 |3,844.6 |106.3
September 1982 |4,427.3 |516.3 |3,849.9 |106.3
September 1983 |4,444.6 |588.6 |3,840.9 |103.7
March 1984 |4,411.9 |627.3 |3,788.1 |100.1
September 1985 |4,539.3 |674.9 |3,848.9 |99.4
September 1986 |4,605.3 |700.7 |3,857.9 |94.7
September 1987 |4,650.1 |712.5 |3,838.3 |93.5
September 1988 |4,678.2 |717.2 |3,818.3 |92.9
March 1989 |4,677.6 |720.2 |3,796.8 |92.1
September 1990 |4,748.3 |756.3 |3,774.5 |92.0
September 1991 |4,773.2 |780.7 |3,749.7 |93.2
September 1992 |4,803.9 |816.4 |3,720.3 |99.7
<1> Men and women on own insurance.
<2> Wives and widows on husband's insurance.
Note:
Further details can be found in the six-monthly "Retirement Pension: All Cases
Tables" available in the Library.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total weekly cost of the state retirement pension for 1992-93 and 1993-94.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is in the table.
Year |Basic RP (estimated)|SERPS (estimated) |Total weekly cost
|(estimated)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93 |£488 million |£26 million |£514 million
1993-94 |£504 million |£30 million |£534 million
Notes:
1. Source-Departmental Report 1993.
2. Excludes the cost of the non-contributory over-80 pension.
3. Weekly cost is based on the number of pension paydays inthe year 1 April-31 March.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the operative date for the uprating of the state retirement pension in each year from 1980 to 1993.
Miss Widdecombe : The operative dates for uprating--that is, since 1987, the first Monday in the tax year--are as follows :
Year |Uprating date ------------------------------------------------------ 1980 |24 November 1980 1981 |23 November 1981 1982 |22 Novemberr 1982 1983 |21 November 1983 1984 |26 November 1984 1985 |25 November 1985 1986 |28 July 1986 1987 |6 April 1987 1988 |11 April 1988 1989 |10 April 1989 1990 |9 April 1990 1991 |8 April 1991 1992 |6 April 1992 1993 |12 April 1993
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what evaluation has been made by his Department of the physical and organic nature of myalgic encephalomyelitis, and of differences from other chronic fatigue syndromes, in his setting of guidelines for benefit support ;
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(2) what disability benefits are available for sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis who are required to take off extensive periods from work as part of a recovery programme.Mr. Scott : The Department accepts that there may be a physical and organic basis for the condition known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). It may well be that only a small proportion of people with chronic fatigue syndromes meet criteria which have been used to describe ME as a distinct entity. Although there may be aetiological differences between ME and other chronic fatigue syndromes, their disabling effects and the needs arising from them are often similar. Eligibility for receipt of disability or incapacity benefits does not depend upon the person being affected by a particular disease or diagnosis, but on the disabling effects of the clinical condition and the care and mobility needs which arise from them ; or the effect of the disablement or illness on the capacity for work.
A wide range of benefits is available to sick and disabled people, including sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis, provided they meet the conditions of entitlement.
Data Protection Act 1984
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many certificates have been signed under the terms of section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 for each year since 1987.
Fuel Bills
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what analysis his Department has made of the fuel bills of disabled people and carers, and the effects of a value added tax charge on those bills, in his consideration of the uprating of (a) income-related benefits and (b) other benefits for disabled people and carers.
Mr. Burt : Our conclusions in regard to the impact of VAT on people on low incomes, including those who are disabled or carers, will be made public in the normal way in the autumn statement on benefit uprating. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has made it clear that extra help will be given to poorer pensioners and others on low incomes.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department will take to ensure that disabled people and carers on income-related benefits who have higher than average fuel bills are fully compensated for the introduction of a value added tax charge on domestic fuel.
Ms Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps are being taken to assist single mothers to afford the new tax provision on heating ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : In his budget statement the Chancellor said that there would be extra help for poorer pensioners and those on low incomes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be announcing the details of this extra help in the autumn.
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Schizophrenia
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what benefits are available to schizophrenics ; what plans he has to extend these ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : A wide range of benefits is available to sick and disabled people, including people with schizophrenia, provided they meet the conditions of entitlement. Many such people will have already benefited from the introduction of disability living allowance in April 1992. We have no plans to further extend benefit provision for schizophrenics.
Social Fund
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications have been made in the past year for judicial review on social fund decisions ; and what percentage were successful.
Mr. Scott : In 1992-93, five judicial review applications were made. So far, two of these have been heard ; neither was successful. There have been 12.5 million applications for discretionary social fund payments since they became available in 1988 ; of these, only 25 have resulted in judicial review applications. Of the 20 applications that have been heard, only three have been successful.
Domestic Fuel Expenditure
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures for estimated domestic fuel expenditure by households on income support giving figures separately for expenditure on (a) oil, (b) piped gas, (c) bottled gas, (d) electricity and (e) coal.
Mr. Burt [holding answer 26 March 1993] : Estimates of average reported fuel expenditure by households headed by an income support (IS) recipient are given in the table. The estimates will include cases where the household fuel expenditure is partly incurred on behalf of other family units not in receipt of IS within the same household. IS recipients who are not heads of households are not included. The estimates are based on the combined 1990 and 1991 Family Expenditure Surveys and so reflect average levels of expenditure for that two-year period.
Average weekly expenditure on
fuel by households headed by
a
recipient of IS, from the
1990 and 1991 Family
Expenditure Surveys
|£
------------------------------
All domestic fuel |11.00
Of which:
(b) piped gas |3.70
(d) electricity |6.00
(e) coal, coke |0.80
The number of IS households reporting expenditure on oil is too small for a reliable estimate to be given. A separate estimate of expenditure on bottled gas is not available from the Family Expenditure Survey data. Both these items, together with other minor fuels, are included in the estimate of total fuel expenditure.
Column 667
Housing Benefit
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average level of housing benefit per recipient, in English and Welsh local authorities payable to (a) local authority tenants, (b) local housing association tenants and (c) private sector tenants for 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1992-93.
Miss Widdecombe : The available information is in the table.
England Wales
|Local authority |Private tenants<1>|Local authority |Private tenants<1>
|tenants |tenants
Year |£ |£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<2>1990 |20.18 |25.86 |20.37 |22.24
<2>1991 |23.35 |32.96 |22.57 |29.44
<3>1992 |27.72 |39.02 |27.03 |34.31
<1> Separate information on the average amount of housing benefit received by housing association tenants is not
collected separately. It is therefore included with that of private tenants.
<2> The data source is the housing benefit and community charge benefit annual 1 per cent. sample for May.
<3> The data source is the quarterly caseload count for May 1992.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the administrative cost of housing benefit for each English local authority for 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Miss Widdecombe : A copy of a table showing local authorities' estimates of their housing benefit administration costs for 1991-92 and 1992-93 will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received concerning the method of payment of housing benefit to local authorities and their administrative costs.
Miss Widdecombe : Both the Department of the Environment and this Department receive representations about housing benefit payments and Government subsidy on these payments, which are most frequently made by tenants, local authorities and local authority associations.
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