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Diseases
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of cases of (a) TB, (b) diphtheria and (c) dysentery in Wales for each county in each year since 1979.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The numbers of notifications of tuberculosis and dysentery in each county in Wales in each year since 1979 are given in the following table. There were no notifications of diphtheria during this period.
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|1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |<1>1992
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuberculosis
Clwyd |48 |42 |36 |41 |33 |46 |39 |28 |22 |19 |16 |28 |30 |23
Dyfed |41 |47 |30 |45 |36 |35 |36 |44 |28 |21 |20 |32 |31 |32
Gwent |49 |56 |41 |49 |42 |29 |32 |34 |44 |25 |33 |20 |20 |29
Gwynedd |42 |40 |39 |34 |38 |19 |27 |22 |21 |33 |23 |26 |6 |21
Mid Glamorgan |90 |79 |80 |60 |51 |71 |51 |46 |45 |37 |49 |22 |21 |47
Powys |12 |14 |1 |5 |5 |4 |2 |6 |4 |1 |3 |3 |0 |1
South Glamorgan |80 |68 |62 |52 |50 |70 |49 |46 |44 |37 |37 |36 |45 |35
West Glamorgan |50 |44 |36 |37 |44 |34 |38 |23 |24 |28 |28 |27 |13 |12
Dysentery (amoebic and bacillary)
Clwyd |10 |7 |7 |17 |9 |28 |33 |15 |9 |10 |27 |10 |72 |180
Dyfed |8 |9 |2 |5 |3 |7 |2 |9 |0 |10 |6 |5 |316 |31
Gwent |3 |0 |8 |5 |9 |10 |38 |19 |6 |31 |5 |0 |78 |96
Gwynedd |5 |5 |9 |6 |13 |20 |3 |0 |12 |3 |4 |2 |5 |16
Mid Glamorgan |4 |10 |2 |3 |7 |33 |92 |178 |13 |3 |4 |39 |23 |110
Powys |0 |0 |1 |1 |6 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |4 |6
South Glamorgan |9 |8 |14 |6 |7 |26 |464 |48 |240 |25 |52 |166 |472 |228
West Glamorgan |2 |3 |3 |5 |4 |10 |4 |13 |3 |8 |17 |13 |2 |9
Note:
Tuberculosis data from 1982 may not be strictly comparable with those for earlier years because the system has been designed to enable notifications
associated with chemoprophylaxis to be excluded. In the past this could only be done when chemoprophylaxis was identified.
<1> 1992 data are provisional.
Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
Incomes
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales over 16 years have an income of less than £75 per week.
Mr. Redwood : The estimated number of full-time employees in Wales at April 1992 with gross weekly earnings below £75 was 3,500.
Electrical Goods
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the percentage of electrical goods manufactured in Wales exported overseas in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The information requested is not available.
Relocation and Amalgamations
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the sections and organisations within his Department for which there are plans for relocation or amalgamation.
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Mr. Redwood : I have no such plans at present.
A465
Mr. Hain : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he is now in a position to give the start date for construction of the Aberdulais to Glynneath section of the A465.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A start to the main works is planned for 1993-94 contingent on the availability of trunk roads programme resources during the year.
Mr. Hain : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the latest total figure for the number of (a) fatalities and (b) accidents on the A465 between Aberdulais and Glynneath since 1978.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 8 June 1992, column 57-59, for the number of accidents involving personal injury and the number of deaths resulting from accidents on the stretch of the A465 between Aberdulais, junction with A4109, and Glynneath, junction with B4242, for 1979 to 1990. Figures for 1978 are not readily available. Updated figures for 1991 and provisional figures for 1992 are given in the following table along with totals for the years 1979 to 1992.
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|Number of |Number killed
|accidents<1>
--------------------------------------------------------
1991 |25 |3
1992<2> |25 |3
1979-1992<2> |263 |26
<1>Excluding those where there was no personal
injury-for which no information is available.
<2>Provisional.
Mr. Hain : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the fatal accident on the A465 near Resolven on Tuesday 25 May.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A full report on the accident is awaited.
Market Testing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the cost to date and the expected future cost of his Department's market-testing programme ; how many staff are engaged full-time in work relating to market testing ; which firms of consultants have been used in connection with the market-testing programme ; and how they were selected.
Mr. Redwood : The estimated cost of the Welsh Office market testing programme since November 1991 is £647,000. The future costs of the programme have yet to be determined. There are the equivalent of approximately 7.5 full-time staff engaged on work relating to market testing. Coopers and Lybrand, Touche Ross and Price Waterhouse management consultants have been used in connection with the market testing programme. All three appointments followed competitive tendering exercises.
Trawsfynydd Lake
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will close Trawsfynydd lake to members of the public until a full inquiry has been carried out into the radioactivity of the lake ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Regular monitoring of a range of environmental materials from Trawsfynydd lake is undertaken by the directorate of fisheries research of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This monitoring indicates that the radioactivity dose to the critical group, that is, people who consume fish from the lake and spend time on the lakeside, is well within internationally recommended safety limits. There would appear to be no reason, therefore, why Nuclear Electric should be advised to close the lake to the public.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the level of radioisotopes in Trawsfynydd lake.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Data on levels of radioisotopes in Trawsfynydd lake are collected in the course of routine monitoring by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Results are presented in the "Aquatic Environment Monitoring Report" published annually by that Department's directorate of fisheries research. The latest issue, No. 34, item 6.10 of which refers to Trawsfynydd, is in the Library of the House.
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Bone Cancer
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many incidents of bone cancer there have been in Wales in each of the last 10 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The recorded number of cases of cancer of the bone and articular cartilage for persons resident in Wales for the years 1979 to 1988 is given in the following table :
Year |Total ------------------ 1979 |83 1980 |65 1981 |52 1982 |81 1983 |85 1984 |108 1985 |97 1986 |100 1987 |88 1988 |111 Source: Welsh Cancer Registry.
The ninth revision of the International Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death (ICD 9) was introduced in 1980. Prior to this date the classification of cancer of the bone and articular cartilage included certain types of cancer excluded in later years' figures.
Radon Gas
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homes the National Radiological Protection Board has surveyed for radon in each year since 1989 in (a) postcode district SA, (b) Wales and (c) the United Kingdom.
Mr. Redwood : The number of homes surveyed for which results are available are shown in the following table :
Year |Postcode SA |Wales |United Kingdom --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1989 |110 |390 |8,200 1990 |25 |140 |3,500 1991 |90 |430 |71,000 1992 |7 |73 |23,000 1993 |18 |110 |31,000
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his best estimate of the number of houses in postal district SA whose occupants are exposed to radon gas in concentrations of (a) 0 to 25 becquerels per cubic metre, (b) 26 to 50 becquerels per cubic metre, (c) 51 to 100 becquerels per cubic metre, (d) 101 to 200 becquerels per cubic metre and (e) more than 200 becquerels per cubic metre.
Mr. Redwood : The research completed to date does not allow the estimate requested to be prepared.
Car Manufacturing
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of people in Wales directly employed by the car manufacturing industry in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Redwood : Levels of employment in the car manufacturing industry (a) in Wales are given in the following table. Figures are available only for years when a census of employment was carried out and the results prior to 1981 are not comparable with later years.
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Employees in employment
September |Motor vehicles and |Motor vehicle |Motor vehicle parts
|their engines (a) |bodies, trailers |(c)
|and caravans (b)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981 |400 |800 |18,200
1984 |600 |800 |12,600
1987 |100 |900 |13,100
1989 |- |1,100 |8,800
1991 |2,000 |1,100 |7,400
Source: Employment Department.
(a) Standard Industrial Classification (Revised) 1980 Group 351.
(b) Standard Industrial Classification (Revised) 1980 Group 352.
(c) Standard Industrial Classification (Revised) 1980 Group 353.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Sick and Disabled People
5. Mr. Ashby : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by how much real spending on long-term sick and disabled people has changed since 1979.
Mr. Burt : Expenditure for benefits on long-term sick and disabled people in 1992-93 was nearly £15 billion ; nearly treble the 1979 level in real terms.
18. Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department has taken to maintain support for disabled people.
Mr. Scott : Since 1979 we have introduced a wide range of improvements, aimed at providing a comprehensive and coherent system of disability benefits. These improvements include the introduction of disability living allowance and disability working allowance in April last year.
By the end of 1992-93 expenditure on benefits for long-term sick and disabled people has risen by 197 per cent. in real terms to £14.9 billion.
Pensioners
10. Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of recently retired pensioners income derives from state benefits.
Mr. Hague : We estimate that, in the latest year for which information is available, 36 per cent. of the income of recently retired pensioners was derived from state benefits.
Notes :
1. Source : Family Expenditure Survey.
2. Recently retired pensioners are pensioner units where the head of the unit is aged less than five years above the state pension age.
11. Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the average value of the capital assets owned by pensioners.
Mr. Lilley : We estimate that on average, between 1979 and 1989, pensioners' income from investments rose by 130 per cent. in real terms to £23.10 a week. Reliable information on the average value of all capital assets held by pensioners is not available, but just over half all pensioners own their own home. In England, the estimated average value of owner-occupied homes of those over 65 is more than £42,000.
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12. Mr. Willetts : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners retiring (a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which figures are available, had incomes from savings ; and what was the real average level of savings on each of those two dates.
Information is not available in the form requested because the family expenditure survey does not tell us when people retire. The information in the table is about those who have recently retired--that is, where the head of the unit is aged less than five years over state pension age. The sample size of those one year over state pension age would be too small to be reliable.
Income from savings
Recently retired pensioners
Percentage oAverage amount
units with for those in
investment ireceipt<1>
|1979 |1989 |1979 |1989
--------------------------------------------------
Pensioner couples |73 |87 |21.60|41.50
Single pensioners |60 |64 |12.60|31.50
All pensioner units |68 |78 |18.20|38.10
<1> £ per week, 1989 prices.
Notes:
1. Source: Family Expenditure survey.
2. Recently retired pensioner units are defined
as: single woman aged 60 to 64; single men aged
65 to 69; and couples in which the husband is
aged 65 to 69.
15. Mr. Nicholls : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households had incomes above the national average in 1979, and in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Hague : The information is in the table :
Percentage of pensioners above
contemporary average income
1979 1988-89
|BHC|AHC|BHC|AHC
--------------------------------------
Pensioner couples |18 |20 |20 |23
Single pensioners |16 |20 |15 |21
All pensioners |17 |20 |18 |22
Notes:
1. Source: Family Expenditure Survey.
2. BHC and AHC denote before and
after housing costs respectively.
3. 1988-89 denotes a combined sample
from the 1988 and 1989 Family
Expenditure Surveys.
4. Figures have been calculated using
the methodology used to produce the
Households Below Average Income
results. They therefore relate to
individual pensioners (rather than
pensioner units) and assume all
members of a household share the same
standard of living.
Percentage of pensioners above
contemporary average income
1979 1988-89
|BHC|AHC|BHC|AHC
--------------------------------------
Pensioner couples |18 |20 |20 |23
Single pensioners |16 |20 |15 |21
All pensioners |17 |20 |18 |22
Notes:
1. Source: Family Expenditure Survey.
2. BHC and AHC denote before and
after housing costs respectively.
3. 1988-89 denotes a combined sample
from the 1988 and 1989 Family
Expenditure Surveys.
4. Figures have been calculated using
the methodology used to produce the
Households Below Average Income
results. They therefore relate to
individual pensioners (rather than
pensioner units) and assume all
members of a household share the same
standard of living.
20. Mr. Whittingdale : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has of the total value of an average pensioner's savings, investments and home ; and what was the figure in 1979.
Mr. Hague : The information is not available in the form requested. In 1989, the latest date for which information is available, the average weekly investment income received by pensioners was £23.10. This represented an increase of 130 per cent. over the average sum of £10.00 received in 1979. Home ownership among pensioners increased from 40 per cent. to 52 per cent. over the same period, with 94 per cent. of pensioner owner occupiers owning their homes outright.
25. Mr. Legg : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the trend in pensioners' real income since 1979.
Mr. Hague : Since 1979 pensioners' total average net incomes have increased by 30 per cent., or 37 per cent. after payment of housing costs.
Fraud
13. Mr. Robathan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further action his Department is taking to reduce fraud.
Mr. Burt : This year an extra £10 million has been allocated to the Benefits Agency to provide additional trained staff in key areas, the development of information technology and further research to help step up the fight against fraud and abuse.
We have also introduced new financial incentives to encourage local authorities to crack down on housing benefit fraud.
Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has of the extent of fraud in the social security budget ; and what steps he is proposing to take to combat it.
Mr. Hague : Although the full extent of social security fraud is not known, a target of nearly £1 billion fraud savings has been set for 1993-94. The Benefits Agency has been allocated an additional £10 million for each of the next three years to allow the deployment of more investigators and to finance other anti-fraud initiatives. New financial incentives have also been introduced to encourage local authorities to combat housing benefit/council tax benefit fraud.
Benefits
17. Mr. Fabricant : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent measures his Department has taken to maintain the real level of benefits.
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Mr. Burt : From April this year we have maintained the real values of all social security benefits by fully uprating them in line with the movement in prices. Because of our success in keeping inflation down this increase, based on last September's RPI, was over twice as much as it would have been using the current inflation rate of 1.3 per cent.
In addition, the continuing payment of the element previously allowed for payment of the community charge as well as 100 per cent. council tax benefit, provides extra help worth up to £1.64 a week for a single person and £2.90 for a couple. Overall this help is worth around £750 million a year.
State Pension
19. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has had with respect to the future of the state pension.
Mr. Hague : We regularly receive representations about the state pension.
Loans
21. Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review the operation of budgetary and crisis loans.
Mr. Scott : We are carefully considering the operation of the social fund in response to a number of authoritative reports and our own close monitoring of the fund.
Elderly People
22. Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department has taken to maintain support for the elderly.
Mr. Hague : Since 1979 we have 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 the extra help above normal upratings made available to pensioners on income-related benefits since 1989 is now worth around £1 billion a year.
21-hour Rule
23. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had on the 21-hour rule.
Mr. Burt : The 21-hour rule enables unemployed claimants in receipt of income support to follow part-time education courses while continuing their search for work. We have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others over the past few months.
Pensions Harmonisation
24. Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters he has received over the past 12 months from the general public about the issue of harmonising the ages of pension entitlement for men and women ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hague : Since the consultation document "Options for Equality in State Pension Age" was published in December 1991, we have received over 4,000 responses
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from members of the public. The Government are committed to the equalisation of state pension age. We will announce our proposals in due course.Social Fund
26. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will extend the rules for eligibility for the social fund to include fares to courts relating to family proceedings.
Mr. Scott : We have no plans to do so. Arrangements concerning attendance at legal proceedings are a matter for the court.
Automated Credit Transfer
27. Mr. Hutton : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received about his Department's consultations for automated credit transfer.
Mr. Burt : We have recently received a substantial number of representations about automated credit transfer, including letters from right hon. and hon. Members and a number of individuals.
Pension Incomes
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much total pension incomes increased per annum between (a) 1974 and 1979 and (b) 1979 and 1992.
Mr. Hague : Estimates of pensioners' income for 1974 have not yet been calculated on a basis consistent with those for 1989, the latest year for which data are available. However, our most recent comparable estimates show that annual increases in pensioners' incomes were, on average :
(a) between 1974 and 1979--0.6 per cent. a year ; and
(b) between 1979 and 1988--3.3 per cent. a year.
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National Insurance
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the amount of revenue that would accrue to the Government in the first full year from an increase in employees' national insurance contributions of (a) 1 per cent. and (b) 2 per cent.
Mr. Hague : The figures are as follows :
(a) £1.8 billion
(b) £3.6 billion
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has as to how many people below the basic rate income tax threshold will pay more national insurance contributions during the 1994-95 financial year as a result of the changes announced in the Budget.
Mr. Hague : It is estimated that in 1994-95 about 500,000 people whose earnings fall below the basic rate income tax threshold will pay slightly more in national insurance contributions.
Pension Schemes
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are (a) the total numbers of members, (b) the total current estimated liabilities and (c) the average liability per member in respect of (i) private sector funded pension schemes and (ii) public sector unfunded pension schemes.
Mr. Hague : The information is not available in the form requested. Membership, and approximate liabilities, of public sector unfunded schemes, and of all funded schemes, including those public sector schemes which are funded, is in the table.
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|Active members |All members |Estimated |Average liability|Average liability
|liabilities |per active member|per member
|(millions) |(millions) |(£ million) |(£) |(£)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public sector unfunded |2.8 |5.2 |170,000 |60,000 |33,000
Private/public sector funded |7.8 |14.9 |430,000 |55,000 |29,000
All schemes |10.6 |20.1 |600,000 |57,000 |30,000
Source: Government Actuary's Department.
Notes:
(a)Numbers of scheme members are based on 1987 GAD Survey of Occupational Pension Schemes.
(b)Estimates of scheme liabilities are for 1991 and are given at 1991 prices.
(c)Estimates of average liability per scheme member are illustrative and assume that sectoral scheme membership did not change between
1987 and 1991.
(d)Active members are those currently contributing to the scheme. All members includes deferred pensioners and beneficiaries.
Child Support
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who will be required to pay a fee, and how often, for a maintenance application to the Child Support Agency ; how long applicants to the agency will be given to pay the fee ; and what is the applicant's fee payable annually to the agency.
Mr. Burt : Both the absent parent and the parent with care of the children will be required to pay £44 each for the
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annual assessment service, renewable each year. The fee is not payable if they are in receipt of income support, family credit or disability working allowance ; they are under 16, or under 19 and in full-time education up to A-level or equivalent ; or their income falls below a certain limit. Clients normally have 14 days in which to pay the fee.Column 141
DNA Tests
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who will pay for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing, on a denial of parenthood, in cases where the Child Support Agency applies to the court for such testing.
Mr. Burt : Any parties who make an application to the courts for a declaration of parentage may request that DNA tests be taken, but there is no legal power for them or for the courts to require such tests. Where the Child Support Agency is the applicant it supplies conventional evidence to support its application and does not routinely invite or pay for DNA testing. However, the agency may pay for test fees at the express request of the courts, with the intention of seeking recovery of court costs awarded in its favour.
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