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Local Offices
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list each Benefits Agency office that processes claims for invalidity benefit from persons resident in Pendle.
Mr. Scott : The administration of invalidity benefit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 28 June 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking if he will list each Benefit Agency Office within Pendle that
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processes claims for Invalidity Benefit from persons resident in Pendle.The area of Pendle is dealt with by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale District. Within the District there are two offices, Burnley District Office which processes Invalidity Benefit claims from persons resident in Pendle and Rossendale Benefit Office which is a "caller office" providing advice and information only to the public. The District covers not just Pendle itself but all the following areas, Padiham, Hapton, Nelson, Colne, Earby, Foulridge, Barnoldswick, Trawden, Briarfield, Barrowford, Whitworth, Bacup, Stacksteads, Haslingdon, Helmshaw, Rawtenstall, Waterfoot, Edenfield and Crawshawbooth.
Statistical information is maintained for the District as a whole and is not available for individual areas.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Medical Assessments
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many medical assessments have been undertaken at the Sheffield DHSS office this year, broken down by month.
Mr. Scott : The administration of medical assessments 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 Michael Bichard to Mrs. Helen Jackson, dated 28 June 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking how many medical assessments have been undertaken at the Sheffield DHSS office this year, broken down by month.
Firstly, I should explain that I have taken your question as referring to the Medical Boarding Centre located in Queens St. Sheffield. This is the office that deals with medical assessments for the area.
The information that you have requested has only been recorded since 2 February 1993. I am therefore unable to provide you with any figures for the month of January 1993. Additionally the figure provided for the month of June 1993 represents a count of medical assessments completed up to 18 June 1993. The table below sets out, by month, the number of medical assessments that have been undertaken in 1993. The numbers quoted are in respect of Severe Disablement Allowance, Sickness Benefit and Invalidity Benefit customers.
Month |Numbers ------------------------- February |236 March |334 April |357 May |387 June |200 I hope that this reply is helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
Legal Aid
Mrs. Jane Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what guidance is given to assessment officers in applying the discretionary provisions of the Civil Legal Aid (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1989 ;
(2) what are the relevant qualifications possessed by assessment officers determining legal aid eligibility ; what
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training and guidance are provided to assessment officers ; and what monitoring and supervision of assessment officers' performance take place.Mr. Burt : The assessment of financial eligibility for civil legal aid 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 Michael Bichard to Mrs. Jane Kennedy, dated 28 June 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking (i) what guidance is given to assessment officers in applying the discretionary provisions of the Civil Legal Aid (Assessment of Resources) Regulations and (ii) what are the relevant qualifications possessed by assessment officers determining legal aid eligibility ; what training and guidance is provided to assessment officers ; and what monitoring and supervision of assessment officers' performance takes place.
I should first of all point out that the assessment of financial eligibility for civil legal aid is performed on behalf of the Legal Aid Board by the Benefits Agency at a centralised office situated in Preston.
Assessment officers are provided with written guidance on all aspects of the financial assessment of civil legal aid cases. This includes the application of the discretionary provisions which permit an allowance against, or a disregard of, an item of income or capital to be made where reasonable.
The advice, however, only gives general guidelines. It encourages assessment officers to use their powers in a way which is consistent with the Regulations, that shows impartiality between the interests of the applicant, the opponent and the legal aid fund and for their decisions to be made taking into account all relevant information about the circumstances of each individual case. Such guidance cannot, therefore, be prescriptive although examples are given where it might be reasonable to exercise discretion.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has authorised all officers of the grade of Administrative Officer and above employed in the Benefits Agency's Legal Aid Assessment Office to be assessment officers for the purpose of determining the financial resources of persons seeking civil legal aid.
In practice most assessment work is carried out by Administrative Officers who will have the minimum qualifications applicable to the grade, unless they have been promoted from Administrative Assistant or equivalent.
The Legal Aid Assessment office provides extensive and discreet in-house technical training for assessment officers. This consists of both classroom training and operational experience followed by support from a trained mentor. Further advice and information is provided by the written guidance given to assessment officers and supported by a section within the Assessment Office responsible for considering policy and procedural matters.
The performance of assessment officers is monitored on an ongoing basis by their line managers. In addition, a random sample of assessment work is checked by a quality evaluation sections which is entirely independent of the operational section responsible for making financial assessments. Furthermore, civil legal aid assessment work is subject to scrutiny by both Benefits Agency Internal Audit and the National Audit Office.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this letter will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
Child Support
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to commission research on the workings of the new child support scheme ; and what form such research will take.
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Mr. Burt : We have consistently stressed the importance of monitoring and evaluating the effects of the new policy and there is ongoing work built in to the Department's research programme. It involves both the careful analysis of management information on the activities of the Child Support Agency and the commissioning, as necessary, of research by external experts including ; a customer satisfaction survey : work on how professionals view the new system and an extension of work on lone parents, benefits and maintenance by the Policy Studies Institute.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was the average time taken to fill in the Child Support Agency form in the Child Support Agency tests ;
(2) how many pages are contained in the Child Support Agency form which is given to the absent parents to complete ;
(3) how many pages are contained in the Child Support Agency form which is given to the mother or carer for completion.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Mrs. Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library. SA) it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your three recent Parliamentary Questions about the number of pages in the form which is given to the absent parent to complete, the number of pages in the form which is given to the mother or carer for completion, and the average time taken to fill in the form in the tests.
The CSA form given to the absent parent to complete is 36 pages long.
The CSA form given to the parent with care of the child to complete is 36 pages long or, where the client is claiming Income Support, 16 pages long.
The findings of three rounds of market research indicate that on average completion of the maintenance application form (MAF) by the parent with care of the children would take about an hour and completion of the Maintenance Enquiry Form by the absent parent would take a similar amount of time. Completion of the shortened version of the MAF (for use by clients claiming Income Support) should take less than half an hour.
DEFENCE
Ministry of Defence Police Federation
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates Ministers in his Department held formal meetings with the Ministry of Defence Police Federation during the past five years.
Mr. Hanley : Defence Ministers have met representatives of the Defence Police Federation formally on the following dates during the past five years :
10 July 1989
3 October 1989
2 October 1990
1 October 1991
20 October 1992
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In addition, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence has a policy of open access for the federation if problems occasionally arise which cannot be resolved through official channels.RAF Boulmer
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft, of what type and of what age, are deployed at RAF Boulmer for the provision of search and rescue operations.
Mr. Hanley : Two Sea King helicopter air rescue mark 3 helicopters, in the search and rescue role, are deployed at RAF Boulmer. These aircraft first flew in March 1978.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rescue operations have been flown from RAF Boulmer since the cessation of search and rescue flights from RAF Leuchars to incidents in Tayside, Central, Fife, Strathclyde and Lothian regions.
Mr. Hanley : It is not normally possible to provide statistical data by regional area without incurring disproportionate costs. Due to the very small number of rescues, including incidents such as transfer of sick or injured people from ship to hospital, however, details for the period 1 April to 23 June 1993 are as follows :
Region |Number of callouts --------------------------------------------------------- Tayside |1 Central |- Fife |2 Strathclyde |- Lothian |-
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what time RAF Boulmer received a request to provide search and rescue assistance for the rescue of Diane Robertson near Benarty woods, Fife on 20 June ; and how long after the receipt of that request it was before an aircraft reached the scene of the rescue.
Mr. Hanley : RAF Boulmer recorded the request at 15.14 on 20 June. The SAR helicopter was diverted from a training sortie and, after refuelling at Boulmer, it reached the incident site at 16.13. The local fire brigade and ambulance were in attendance while the helicopter was on its way to the scene of the incident.
Mr Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in each of the last five years for which information is available search and rescue aircraft from RAF Boulmer have engaged in rescue operations with the Anstruther lifeboat or training exercises for such operations.
Mr. Hanley : The search and rescue helicopters from RAF Boulmer have attended two incidents in the past five years which involved the Anstruther lifeboat. There are no records of the RAF Boulmer helicopters training with the Anstruther lifeboats.
Market Testing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on legal advice regarding the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the market- testing programme.
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Mr. Aitken : Legal advice provided by the Treasury Solicitor to the Department includes, where appropriate, advice on the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the market-testing programme. The costs of that element of advice are not separately identifiable.
Uranium-tipped Ammunition
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the practice of issuing British troops with uranium-tipped bullets and shells ; and to what extent these weapons were used by British troops in the Gulf war.
Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton) on 11 June 1993, Official Report, column 309 .
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 June, Official Report, column 194, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the health evaluation of depleted uranium-tipped shells and (b) the advice on risk in use issued to British forces.
Mr. Hanley : No. The documents are classified because they give information about the size and composition of United Kingdom ammunition which could be of advantage to an enemy.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 June, Official Report, column 194, what general or informal information he has received from the United States Government regarding dangers to service men in the Gulf resulting from the use of shells tipped with depleted uranium.
Mr. Hanley : Potential risks from handling depleted uranium (DU) were well understood in the United States and United Kingdom before the Gulf conflict. Since then, my Department has monitored reports in mass media and specialist journals quoting United States officials on the subject. Most recently and authoritatively, my Department has received a copy of a United States Department of Defence fact sheet of 11 June 1993 which specifically relates to the possible health effects of DU and analyses known incidents involving exposure of United States personnel to it. These personnel continue to be monitored, but the fact sheet concludes that exposure to DU has not caused the unexplained symptoms associated with the so-called Desert Storm syndrome (DSS). The existence of DSS and its possible causes have also been a subject of discussion between United States and United Kingdom medical officers in the course of normal liaison, which supports the Department of Defence official assessment. For the convenience of the House, I am arranging to have a copy of the document placed in the Library.
Dockyards
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Hunt class refits are to be carried out at Rosyth ; (2) how many aircraft carriers are to be (a) refitted before 2005 and (b) allocated to Rosyth ;
(3) if he will list for each year until 2005, the guaranteed surface ship refits allocated to Rosyth dockyard ; what is his estimate of the number of man weeks, per vessel ; and how many jobs he attributes to each refit ;
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(4) what is the proportion of refit expenditure he expects to be paid to (a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport in 1993 and in each year until 2005 ;(5) what is his estimate of the restructuring costs for (a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport under his proposals announced on 24 June ;
(6) how many (a) type 42, (b) type 23 and (c) type 22 refits are (i) allocated to Rosyth and (ii) guaranteed to Rosyth between now and 2005 ;
(7) if he will list the job numbers for each year until 2005 in defence work he has estimated to be attributed to (a) Rosyth and (b) Devonport ;
(8) what is his estimate of the costs of defence refitting each year until 2005 ; and what is the amount he expects will be paid to (a) Rosyth, (b) Devonport and (c) other shipyards.
Mr. Aitken : As my right hon. and learned Friend said in the House on 24 June, Official Report, column 449, further information relating to the Government's conclusions regarding future refitting arrangements for the Royal Navy will be published in a consultative document which will provide a basis for consultation with the parties concerned. This document will be issued next week.
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the construction of the nuclear storage facility at Rosyth ;
(2) when he will remove all nuclear waste from Rosyth.
Mr. Aitken : The nuclear storage facility at Rosyth is required to provide a temporary local integrated complex to store items and materials arising from the continuing nuclear refitting and decommissioning work at Rosyth dockyard.
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) where the decommissioned Polaris submarines will now be stored ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) when he expects to move all decommissioned submarines from Rosyth ;
(3) when he expects to move the Dreadnought submarine from Rosyth.
Mr. Aitken : Our present policy is that decommissioned nuclear submarines, including Polaris, will continue to be stored afloat at the location where they are decommissioned, pending eventual disposal. This policy is kept under review. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence said in the Trident refit debate on 24 June, columns 449-58, this will be the subject of further consideration.
F3 Tornado
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 June, Official Report, columns 339-40, if the four F3 Tornados which had undergone fatigue index modification by Airwork Services and had been returned to operational bases, have now been returned to St. Athan and classified as to the extent of damage.
Mr. Aitken : No. It will take some time before the damage assessment of Tornado F3 aircraft affected by this contract is complete.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 June, Official Report, columns
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339-40, if he has received the report of the Royal Aeronautical Establishment, Farnborough, on the preferred method of rectification of the F3 Tornados modified by Airwork Services at RAF St. Athan, and damaged in the course of that modification ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Aitken : I do not expect to receive the recommendations of the aircraft design authority on repair schemes for several months and the Defence Research Agency will not be in a position to provide its own advice until some time after that.
Low flying
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the operation of the low-flying management system over Cumbria on 23 June ; and if he will make a statement on progress towards implementing the automated low-flying flight planning inquiry and notification system.
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Mr. Hanley : The management of the United Kingdom low-flying system over Cumbria was operating in accordance with normal procedures on 23 June. The automated low-flying flight inquiry and notification system will be introduced into service as quickly as possible.
MOD Police
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken concerning the allegations made against MOD police officers by Ms Lindis Percy of Bradford, in a letter dated 31 May to the chief constable of MOD police ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : I can confirm that the chief constable of MOD police received a letter dated 31 May concerning allegations made against MOD police officers by Ms Lindis Percy of Bradford. It has been recorded as an official complaint and is now being investigated in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. A report will be forwarded to the Police Complaints Authority when the investigation has been completed.
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