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Market Overt
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to review the law of market overt ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh : I hope shortly to issue a consultation paper on the law relating to transfer of title. This will invite opinions on whether reform is needed to the rule of sales in market overt.
Post Offices
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Post Office Counters offices he has visited in Wales.
Mr. Heseltine : I have made no recent visits to any Post Office Counters offices in Wales.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Post Office sorting offices he has visited in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.
Mr. Heseltine : I have made no recent visits to any Post Office sorting offices in Scotland, England or Wales.
Coal Subsidies
Mr. Cummings : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the subsidy to the British Coal Corporation described in the White Paper "The Prospects for Coal" to become payable.
Mr. Eggar : The subsidy to the British Coal Corporation will become payable during the current financial year.
Mr. Cummings : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how his Department intends to finance the proposed subsidies to be made available to the British Coal Corporation as detailed in his recent White Paper.
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Mr. Eggar : I shall be seeking finance for the proposed subsidy through the usual Supply estimates procedure.
Chemical Weapons Convention
Sir David Steel : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the United Kingdom will ratify the chemical weapons convention signed in Paris in January.
Mr. Sainsbury : Primary legislation is necessary to enable the United Kingdom to fulfil its obligations under the convention. We intend to ratify the convention when this legislation has been adopted.
Energy Tax
Mr. Shersby : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposal has been made by the European Community for a tax on energy designed to reduce the threat of global warming ; what consideration the Government have given to this ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Although the Department of Trade and Industry has an interest in the proposed directive for a carbon/energy tax, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for taxation matters.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General on 15 January, Official Report, columns 835-36 ; and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget Statement on 16 March, Official Report, columns 182-83.
Waste Disposal Contracts
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether a municipal waste-to-energy scheme which had been granted a waste disposal contract before a third tranche of the non-fossil fuel obligation is announced would be eligible to bid into the new order when it is announced.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 23 April 1993] : My Department is considering the arrangements for a third renewables order under the non- fossil fuel obligation, including the technologies to be included. However, other things being equal, a scheme that was able to demonstrate a secure supply of the renewable energy resource needed to drive the generation facility would be eligible to bid, and would be better placed to meet the requirements of the legislation, than one that was not.
EMPLOYMENT
Underpayment
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer of 15 March, Official Report, column 65, if she will name the eight companies prosecuted for illegal underpayment in 1992 and give the penalties incurred and the company names and business locations of all 5,165 establishments in England who paid less than statutory minimum remuneration for their workers in 1992 ; and if she will show how many employees were underpaid at each establishment.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The names of the employers in England prosecuted in 1992 by the wages inspectorate for
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underpayment of wages, together with particulars of penalties imposed by the courts, are set out in the table. The detailed results of inspections carried out by the wages inspectorate and which do not reach court, are disclosed only to the employers and workers concerned.Column 305
Prosecutions by the Wages Inspectorate in England in 1992 under section 16 of the Wages Act 1986: Failure to pay Statutory Minimum
Remuneration (SMR)
Employer |Number and type of |Number of workers |Penalties imposed
|offences
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Fried Chicken, Barnsley |1. Failure to pay SMR.|20 |Fined £600;
|costs £75
M. T. Fisher, Jump, Barnsley |1. Failure to pay SMR.|4 |Fined £100;
|costs £117.50
Fosters Yard Hotel, Polesworth, Staffordshire |1. Failure to pay SMR.|2 |Fined £400;
|costs £750
Fountain Stores, South Shields |2. Failure to pay SMR;|2 |Fined £300;
|keeping false records |costs £300
Haircut 100, Blaydon, Tyne and Wear |2. Failure to pay SMR;|2 |Fined £600;
|keeping false records |costs £250
Mark's Bakery, Mexborough |1. Failure to pay SMR.|8 |Bound over for
|12 months
Mark's Bakery, Mexborough |1. Failure to pay SMR.|2 |Fined £50;
|costs £50
G. Pickersgill, Peckfield, Leeds |1. Failure to pay SMR.|1 |Fined £100;
|costs £175
Training Programme
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer of 23 June 1992, Official Report, columns 169-78, if she will provide an updated table of her Department's training programmes for 1992- 93.
Mr. McLoughlin : This information is not yet available. I shall write to the hon. Member giving the figures requested when the information for 1992-93 is complete.
Social Affairs Council
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Forman) of 16 April, Official Report, columns 739-40, what were the voting figures for each member state recorded in the meeting of the European Community's Social Affairs Council on 6 April.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : None of the items on the agenda for discussion at the 6 April Social Affairs Council was brought to a conclusion, and consequently no votes were taken on them.
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many claimants for unemployment benefit were advised to seek sickness or invalidity benefit instead in each month since January 1992.
Mr. McLoughlin : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Mr. Frank Dobson, dated 26 April 1993 :
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to her about the
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number of clients on Unemployment Benefit (UB) who were advised to seek sickness or invalidity benefit instead in each month since January 1992. This is something which falls within theresponsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency. The statistics in the attached table show the number of people claiming UB who left the register to start another, more appropriate, benefit in each month since April 1992. This information was only collected quarterly prior to that date. Figures are not held centrally on the numbers moving into each of the alternative benefits. As you will appreciate, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit are only two in a wide range of benefits to which former UB claimants can transfer.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Other benefit starts Q/E |Number ----------------------------- March 1992 |24,432 April 1992 |8,029 May 1992 |9,581 June 1992 |8,641 July 1992 |10,142 August 1992 |8,174 September 1992 |7,808 October 1992 |10,231 November 1992 |8,855 December 1992 |6,055 January 1993 |8,824 February 1993 |8,902 March 1993 |8,405
Workstart
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what area will be included in the Tyneside workstart pilot scheme.
Mr. McLoughlin : This is a matter for Tyneside training and enterprise council to determine. Officials from the Employment Department are currently negotiating with the training and enterprise council to develop a proposal.
The conditions of the workstart scheme, however, mean that the pilot scheme cannot extend to residents outside the Tyneside training and enterprise council area.
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Ms Jane Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to locate a workstart pilot scheme in Liverpool.
Mr. McLoughlin : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 23 March to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms Ruddock), Official Report, column 567.
SOCIAL SECURITY
European Court of Justice
10. Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases in the European Court of Justice have been won by his Department.
Mr. Lilley : Since the beginning of 1992 the European Court of Justice has decided in favour of my Department in two cases in which I was a party.
During this time there was a total of nine ECJ cases involving the United Kingdom social security system.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the outcome of recent European Court of Justice cases affecting his Department's policies.
Mr. Burt : Since the beginning of last year, nine cases involving the United Kingdom's interpretation of EC law as it affects social security have been referred to the European Court of Justice. The European Court confirmed the United Kingdom's policy interpretation of EC legislation in six of these cases. Two cases involved the clarification of issues as they affected the individual concerned and did not require changes in United Kingdom policy. One case has required a change in the United Kingdom rules governing whether family credit may be given to workers whose families are not resident in the United Kingdom. The remaining case has been referred back to the House of Lords for final determination.
The Department can also be affected by cases involving other member states, although there have been no such recent judgments.
Fraud
12. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals his Department has to reduce fraudulent claims for social security benefits.
Mr. Lilley : For 1993-94 I have set a target for fraud identified and stopped by the Benefits Agency and by local authorities administering housing benefit and council tax benefit of nearly £1 billion.
27. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many prosecutions have been brought for social security fraud in the last five years.
Mr. Burt : In the five years ended March 1993 more than 34,000 people were prosecuted for social security fraud.
28. Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department is taking to tackle fraud and the abuse of benefits.
Mr. Burt : The Benefits Agency will be building upon the excellent base established in 1992-93, when over £500 million of fraud savings were achieved. Among the
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initiatives planned for this year are the deployment of more investigators and greater use of new technology. In addition, new financial incentives for local authorities are expected to result in a clamp down on housing benefit and council tax benefit fraud.Unemployment Benefits
13. Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much in total has been paid in unemployment benefits and to how many claimants in 1982, 1987 and 1992 ; and how many claimants he expects to receive what total in 1993.
Mr. Burt : In 1982-83 just under 2.5 million claimants received £5 billion in unemployment benefits. For 1987-88 there were 2.6 million recipients and a total of £6.6 billion was paid in benefits. For 1992-93 it is estimated that 2.5 million claimants received £9.3 billion. The forecast for 1993-94, in the Department's third annual report, is for 2.8 million unemployed people to receive just under £10.4 billion.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons over the age of 55 years received reduced unemployment benefit as a result of occupational pension payments of £35, in the last financial year.
Mr. Burt : Information in the form requested is not available. At November 1992, the number of people whose unemployment benefit was reduced or extinguished due to their receipt of an occupational and/or personal pension was :
|Number
------------------------------------------------
Unemployment Benefit reduced |18,200
Unemployment Benefit extinguished |11,800
Source: Half yearly analysis of unemployed
claimants: November 1992
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to ensure that all employees made compulsorily redundant receive full unemployment benefit.
Mr. Burt : We have no plans to change the rules governing entitlement to unemployment benefit of employees made compulsorily redundant.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to raise or abolish the £35 per week threshold for over-55s' pension income when claiming unemployment benefit.
Mr. Burt : We have no plans to do so.
Availability for Work
14. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the minimum hours under the availability for work requirement necessary for entitlement to income support.
Mr. Burt : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on 8 March, column 460.
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Benefits
15. Mr. Thomason : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to promote a debate on the balance between selective and universal benefits.
Mr. Lilley : I am always keen to encourage public debate on social security issues. I would particularly welcome any interesting ideas which could inform the ongoing review of the social security system.
21. Mr. Enright : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what benefits are currently under review ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : In the course of the long-term expenditure review, we shall be examining all aspects of the social security programme. No decisions have been taken yet ; there would be no point in conducting a long-term review if we already knew the outcome. It is our policy, at this stage of the review, to keep all options open.
Child Support Agency
16. Mr. Milligan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress he has made in setting up the Child Support Agency.
Mr. Burt : The Child Support Agency began operations on 5 April as planned. Operating within the framework of the Child Support Act 1991, the agency will provide a clear focus for the assessment, collection and enforcement of maintenance payments, and ensure that many more parents meet their responsibility to maintain their children.
Housing Benefit
17. Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the proposals for the Audit Commission for improving the administration of housing benefit in so far as they apply to his Department.
Mr. Burt : We welcome the Audit Commission's view that authorities can do much to improve the delivery of housing benefit.
Departmental Budget
18. Mr. Whittingdale : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of total Government expenditure is currently taken by his departmental budget ; and what the proportion was in 1979.
Mr. Scott : Total social security expenditure as a proportion of general Government expenditure :
|Percentage
---------------------------------
1978-79 |25.42
1992-93 |32.20
Invalidity Benefit
19. Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the practical and financial implications of the implementation of the
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judgment of the European Court of Justice, case C-328/91 (30 March 1993), in respect of the resumption of the payment of invalidity benefit to women aged 60 to 65 years ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Scott : The European Court's ruling specifically concerned the age conditions for entitlement to two non-contributory
benefits--severe disablement allowance and invalid care allowance--and the Court expressly referred to this fact. Contributory invalidity benefit for women aged 60 to 65 was not at issue in the case before the European Court. That is the subject of a joint appeal by the Chief Adjudication Officer and the Secretary of State for Social Security in a separate case ; the appeal follows the decision by a social security commissioner to allow payment of standard rate invalidity benefit to women aged 60 to 65.
Adjudication officers are currently following the commissioner's interpretation of the law in deciding invalidity benefit cases, but payment of any additional benefit awarded as a result of the commissioner's decision is being suspended by the Secretary of State until this appeal has been resolved.
Elderly People
20. Mr. Spring : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department has taken to maintain support for the elderly.
Miss Widdecombe : Since 1979 the Department has maintained the real value of the basic retirement pension ; improved choice and flexibility in pension provision so that now 67 per cent. of recently retired pensioners have income from occupational pensions ; and targeted additional resources to poorer pensioners--now totalling some £1 billion extra each year. Spending on benefits for the elderly has increased in real terms by 40 per cent. since 1979, to nearly £34.5 billion in 1992-93.
Income Support (Pensioners)
22. Mr. Duncan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many low-income pensioners his Department estimates have gained from the extra increases in income support that have taken effect since the start of 1991.
Miss Widdecombe : Around 3 million pensioners on low incomes have gained from these increases.
Social Fund (Temporary Accommodation)
23. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review Government and local office DSS policy on the allocation of the social fund to people resident in, or leaving, temporary accommodation.
Mr. Scott : We are currently carefully considering the operation of the social fund in response to a number of authoritative reports and our own close monitoring of the fund.
Value Added Tax (Fuel)
24. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the impact on benefit claimants arising from the imposition of VAT on domestic fuel and power ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Burt : I refer the hon. Member to the reply earlier today to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh).
Disability Claims
25. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he is now able to announce the removal of the backlog of backdated disability claims ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : The situation on outstanding claims has improved significantly. Of new claims received prior to1 December 1992, 99.99 per cent. have now bete for Social Security what is the total value of extra help which has been directed to pensioners on low incomes since 1989.
Miss Widdecombe : The total value of such extra help is now worth around £1 billion a year.
Benefits (Automated Credit Transfer)
Ms Janet Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what has been the cost, for each year since 1987, of seeking to persuade recipients of benefits, pensions and other allowances to switch to payment by automated credit transfer ; (2) what would be the saving to his Department for each category of benefit, pension or other allowance if all recipients in each category were to switch to payment by automated credit transfer ; (3) how many people draw benefits, pensions or other allowances in cash weekly at (a) main post offices and (b) sub-post offices ; (4) if he will list, for each category of benefit, pension or other allowance, the percentage, and actual number of
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recipients who are paid by automated credit transfer, the percentage and actual number of recipients who are paid by Giro, and the percentage and actual number of recipients who are paid in cash weekly at post offices ;(5) what proposals he has to seek to persuade recipients of benefits, pensions or other allowances to switch to payment by automated credit transfer ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Details of the precise number of beneficiaries paid by particular methods of payment are not available. However, the estimated totals for the number of recipients for the main benefits receiving payment other than by automated credit transfer are shown in the table. The number of recipients who are paid at the post office includes all those beneficiaries paid by order book, but Girocheques may of course be cashed either at the post office or through a bank or building society account.
It is estimated that 20 million social security beneficiaries use sub-post offices and 4 million use main post offices.
Information is not available which allows a costing on a benefit basis of the savings that would be made if all beneficiaries were paid by ACT, but the total estimated administration savings from converting all payments of social security benefits to ACT is about £475 million a year.
The estimated costs of the actions taken to encourage beneficiaries to switch to payment by ACT were £535,000 in 1987-1988 ; £1,500,000 in 1988-1989 ; and £4,000 in 1990-91. No costs were incurred in the years 1989-1990, 1991-1992 and 1992-1993. During the next year, we will be making changes to form design and to leaflets, and to other information available from the Benefits Agency. These will be introduced gradually and after the appropriate research and piloting.
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Estimate of number of recipients by method of payment (at December 1992)
Number (millions) and percentage of beneficiaries paid by:
Benefit Four weekly Fortnightly Weekly orderbook
orderbook girocheque
|millions |per cent.|millions |per cent.|millions |per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retirement pension |n/a |n/a |6.5 |70
Child benefit |2.25 |33 |n/a |3.0 |45
Income support |n/a |n/a |3.5 |100
Unemployment benefit (including income support cases
paid by Employment Services) |n/a |2.8 |100 |n/a
Invalidity benefit |n/a |n/a |1.8 |100
Note: There are some circumstances when payment may be made by weekly girocheque for limited periods-these have been
excluded from the table.
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security at what intervals benefits on credit transfer are paid ; and whether these are in advance or arrears.
Miss Widdecombe : People who choose to have their retirement pension, widowed mother's allowance, widows benefit or widows pension paid by automated credit transfer also have a choice of receiving their benefit every four or 13 weeks, paid in arrears. War pensions are also payable either 13 or four-weekly, and if the latter three weeks are in arrears and one in advance. Child benefit, family credit, disability living allowance, disability working allowance and attendance allowance paid by automated credit transfer are paid four-weekly in arrears.
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