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Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements have been made for the involvement of the Ministry of Defence in discussions on the future of the Forestry Commission.
Sir Hector Monro : Ministerial colleagues in the Ministry of Defence are being kept informed of issues affecting their interests which arise from the work of the Forestry review group, announced by my right hon. Friend on 30 March 1993.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Benefits
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of (a) the extra expenditure and (b) savings for each year up to 2000 as a result of each of the main measures on disability benefits which he announced on 10 January 1990 ; and if he will make further projections for (i) extra costs and (ii) savings
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for each of these measures between the years 2000 and 2025 where these can be estimated in broad orders of magnitude.Mr. Scott : Information on the projected costs/savings of each of the main measures was announced by the former Secretary of State on 10 January 1990 at column 482. The table estimates in broad orders of magnitude these costs/savings for 1993-94 to 1995-96 and the likely effect for 2000-01 at the latest price base. It is not possible to provide estimates in the longer term since the costs and savings depend on a large number of factors which cannot be accurately forecast.
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|1993-94 |1994-95 |1995-96 |2000-01
Measure |Cost/saving|Cost/saving|Cost/saving|Cost/saving
|£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction of disability living
allowance |+230 |+290 |+340 |+490
Introduction of disability working
allowance |+20 |+50 |+50 |+100
Abolition of the accrual of new
rights to the earnings-related
additions to invalidity pension |-30 |-70 |-120 |-550
Age related addition on severe
disablement allowance |+50 |+60 |+60 |+70
Abolition of reduced earnings
allowance in the industrial
injuries scheme |-80 |n/a |n/a |-160
+=cost; -=saving.
Sources:
1. Government Actuary and Department of Social Security (for disability working allowance).
2. Estimates for abolition of reduced earnings allowance in the industrial injuries scheme
taken from Official Report of 19 January 1990 and converted to 1992-93 prices.
Notes:
1. Figures are at 1992-93 prices.
2. Estimates take account of changes to income related benefit entitlement, except for
disability working allowance which are gross costs.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million, but are not accurate to that degree.
Estimates for 2000-01 are subject to a considerable degree of uncertainty.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to ensure that local authorities are meeting the requirement to process housing benefit claims within 14 days.
Mr. Burt : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 19 January, at column 211. Full statutory responsibility for the administration of the housing benefit scheme rests with local authorities. They are required to ensure that the system is working effectively and in accordance with the rules of the benefit scheme. Regulations prescribe that claims should be processed within 14 days of receipt of all the necessary information, or as soon as possible thereafter. Where through no fault of the applicant, a claim to rent allowance cannot be settled within 14 days, interim payments should be made.
We recognise the continuing concerns about some authorities' performance in this area, and the Department plans shortly to issue strengthened guidance reminding all authorities of their legal duties to make interim payments.
My reply to my hon. Friend on 2 March 1993 at column 112 referred to the housing benefit performance measures, prepared by the Audit Commission, under the citizens
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charter initiative within local government. Publication of the results, both locally and nationally, will ensure that authorities monitor more closely how they meet the 14-day requirements.Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence he has on the extent to which local authorities are meeting the 14 -day target for housing benefit claims ; if he will list those authorities which did not meet the target for the two most recent years where figures are available ; and how many days it took those authorities to process such claims.
Mr. Burt [holding answer 10 June 1993] : The available information has been placed in the Library. Information on the actual number of days that authorities take to process benefit claims is not available.
Figures reported by many authorities indicate how well they administer housing benefit. Regulations provide that authorities should process claims within 14 days of all the necessary information becoming available. In 1991 -92, overall figures, based on the 345 authorities supplying data, indicated that around 70 per cent. of authorities achieve, or exceed, the national average of 75 per cent. for the processing of housing benefit claims within 14 days of
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all relevant information becoming available. Some 40 per cent. of responding authorities process 90 per cent. or more of claims within 14 days.Source : Housing Benefit Management Information System Statistical Return (1991-92).
Disability Allowances
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women have applied for disabled living allowance or the equivalent benefit, in each of the last three years ; and what percentage of men and women have been granted it (i) for life and (ii) for specified periods of time.
Mr. Scott : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the relevant extracts from leaflets available to the general public in which advance notice has been given of the Government's intention to make invalidity benefit subject to income tax.
Mr. Scott : Reference to the intention to extend taxation to invalidity benefit has been included in the Department's leaflet about the benefit (NI 16A) since April 1983. The current wording is as follows :
"Invalidity Benefit is not taxable, even when you continue to get it after 65 (men) or 60 (women). It is planned to tax it some time in the future, but a date hasn't yet been set".
Social Fund
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action has been undertaken by his Department as a result of the recommendations on the reform of the social fund by the Social Security Advisory Committee.
Mr. Scott : We have taken account of these recommendations in making recent operational improvements to the social fund. In particular ; this year's increase in the budget to £346 million (52 per cent. higher than in April 1991) ; the introduction of the social fund computer system which will improve the consistency, speed and quality of decision making ; revised training ; and improved forms and letters.
We will continue to take account of the findings of this and other reports, as well as our own close monitoring, as we consider any further improvements to the operation of the fund.
Quarry House
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the budget for decoration and art work for Quarry house in 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Mr. Hague : It is not possible to put a precise figure on the budget for decoration and artwork for Quarry house in 1991-92 and 1992-93 because the majority of work was covered by the main building contract.
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Terminal Illness
Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what benefits are currently available to terminally ill people in hospices or nursing homes ;
(2) what was the value of each benefit available to terminally ill people in hospices or nursing homes in each of the last 10 years ; and how many people claimed each of those benefits in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Burt : A wide range of benefits is available to terminally ill people in hospices or nursing homes, provided they meet the conditions of entitlement. Special higher levels of income support are available to people who were in residential care and nursing homes, including hospices which make a charge, at 31 March 1993. The maximum level which applies for such people who are terminally ill in nursing homes is currently £280 a week (£315 in London) plus personal expenses of £12.65. For details of this I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 18 January at columns 106-107. The income support entitlement of people entering homes since 1 April 1993 includes a residential allowance of £45 (£50 in London).
Information about the value and the numbers of recipients of each benefit is not available in the form requested.
Full information about eligibility to benefits is made widely available by the Benefits Agency in a variety of forms including leaflets and various confidential free telephone advice lines.
Maternity Pay
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department will announce the proposed changes to statutory maternity pay required by the EC directive on the protection of pregnant women at work.
Mr. Scott : We are considering the directive's implications for statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance and will make an announcement when this work has been completed.
Resettlement Unit Advisory Steering Group
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the resettlement unit advisory steering group last met ; and when the group is next expected to meet.
Mr. Hague : The management of the Resettlement Agency is a matter for Mr. Tony Ward, the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Mr. T. Ward to Mr. Nick Raynsford, dated 21 June 1993 :
As the Resettlement Agency is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him, about the Resettlement Unit Advisory Steering Group, when it last met, and when the group is next expected to meet. This is something which falls within the responsibilities he has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
The Resettlement Unit Advisory Steering Group last met on 4 April 1990. Since then, much headway has been made by the Agency, in taking forward Government policy to
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disengage from the direct revision of facilities for single homeless people with an unsettled way of life. Ten units which provided 667 beds have been either replaced or sold by way of grant aid to voluntary organisations, and 852 new beds have been created to replace them. In this way, the Agency has made rapid advances and has not had cause to seek the advice of the Advisory Steering Group since 1990. In view of the progress that has been made, it is, in my opinion, most unlikely that I will need to seek its help in future. I enclose a copy of my latest annual report from which you will see details of the Agency's performance.
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