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Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued by his Department to Benefits Agency to advise their local offices on which categories of jobs might be suitable for disabled people in receipt of invalidity benefit ; and what representations he has received in response.
Mr. Scott : Guidance issued to adjudication officers refers them to the "Standard Occupational Classification". This has been developed jointly by the Department of Employment and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. Both the "Standard Occupational Classification" and "The Adjudication Officers Guide" are in the Library.
Girocheques
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many replacement girocheques were issued by his Department in each of the last five years ; and what was their total value for each of these years ;
(2) what changes there have been in the criteria used by his Department for the issuing of replacement girocheques ;
(3) if he will make a statement about the criteria used by his Department for the issuing of replacement girocheques in cases where the original cheque has been lost or stolen ; and if he will make a statement on what flexibility unemployment benefit offices have in administering this policy.
Mr. Hague : The administration of payment of benefit by girocheque 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.
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Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 9 December 1993 :The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about replacement girocheques issued by the Department of Social Security.
The number of girocheques replaced after being reported missing or stolen, and the value of those replaced girocheques (based on average value of issues) in each of the last five years are as follows :
Year |Number replaced|Value £ million ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1988-89 |45,765 |3.53 1989-90 |53,636 |4.31 1990-91 |58,802 |5.38 1991-92 |67,265 |6.47 1992-93 |90,933 |8.93
Additionally, the Employment Service Agency acts as our agent in the provision of girocheques to those who are unemployed and claiming Income Support. Data relevant to those issues cannot be seperately identified and are, therefore, not included in the tables above. Since the formation of the Benefits Agency there has been no change in the criteria for the issuing of replacement girocheques. I am informed by Mike Fogden, the Chief Executive of the Employment Service Agency that the criteria they use in the issuing of replacement girocheques is the same as that of the Benefits Agency, namely :
To issue a prompt replacement whenever a girocheque is reported as not received, lost, stolen or destroyed unless there is reason to doubt that the report is genuine.
The reasons for doubt include :
(a) an unreasonable delay in making the report.
(b) incomplete or inconsistent answers on the report form. (
(c) Post Office confirmation that the girocheque has been cashed. (
(d) a previous history of loses.
Decisions on replacing girocheques reported as lost or stolen are made by Executive Officers based in Employment Service Jobcentres or Benefit Agency offices, who take account of the individual circumstances of each case.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Disability
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about his Department's future plans for the disability living allowances Minister's hotline unit ; and how many cases have been dealt with by the unit in each month since its establishment.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 9 December 1993.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Hotline. The Hotline continues to operate at the DLA Unit in Blackpool and achieve a 48-hour call back service. There are presently no plans to alter this facility. However, as the performance for handling DLA claims is now being sustained at a high level we will have to consider at some point whether there remains a need for the service in the same form to be maintained in the future. Members will be advised of any changes if, and when we propose such changes.
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As requested, I have provided details in the attached appendix of the number of cases that have been dealt with by the Ministers Hotline since its inception.I hope you find this reply helpful.
Cases dealt with by DLA Ministers Hotline
|Number of calls
------------------------------------------------
1992
July |417
August |733
September |690
October |1,132
November |885
Decenmber |513
1993
January |858
February |707
March |609
April |469
May |250
June |193
July |178
August |108
September |100
October |88
November |78
Fraud
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the basis of the calculation of sector fraud achievement of claimed savings of £491 million in weekly benefit and £25 million in instrument payment savings on page 15 of the document, "Fighting Fraud in 1992-93".
Mr. Hague : The administration of benefit fraud 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. Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Bob Cryer, dated 9 November 1993 :
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the basis of sector fraud's savings as published in Fighting Fraud.
With regard to the weekly benefit saving, a multiplier of 32 weeks is applied to the amount of weekly benefit savings recorded as a result of successful fraud investigations or interventions. This single multiplier is currently applied to all benefits payable by the Department and reflects the anticipated average period for which claims could be expected to continue in the absence of a successful fraud intervention.
Instrument of Payment savings are not subject to any multiplier and all such savings are recorded at face value.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
SCOTLAND
Kilgarth Tip, Coatbridge
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to take a decision about the application by City of Glasgow district council in respect of Kilgarth tip, Coatbridge.
Mr. Lang : The letters conveying the decision about the application by City of Glasgow district council were issued on Monday 6 December.
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Learning Difficulties
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statutory provisions govern the voting rights of people with learning difficulties ; what plans he has to ensure that people with learning disabilities are given better opportunities to vote ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The statutory provisions are contained in the representation of the people and the mental health legislation. To be entitled to vote all electors must satisfy criteria of eligibility and competence. Eligibility is governed by the registration process and it is the responsibility of electoral registration officers to determine whether or not an applicant satisfies the statutory conditions, including the common law requirement that an elector should not lack the capacity to vote because of profound learning difficulties. At an election the presiding officer also carries a responsibility to satisfy himself as to the elector's capacity to vote.
The Scottish Office Home and Health Department will shortly be issuing revised guidance on these matters to electoral registration officers.
Forestry
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the forestry review group's report.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 November 1993] : The advice of the review group is, and will remain, confidential to Ministers.
A7
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be in a position to publish the route action plan covering the A7 trunk route south of Hawick ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 29 November 1993] : I expect to publish a leaflet setting out the details of the route action plan early in 1994.
Set-aside Land
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what percentage of arable land on Scottish non-LFA farms will require to be taken out of production in 1994, on the basis of IACS figures, to avoid liability for penalties under the arable area payment scheme in 1995, showing (a) the standard set-aside requirement, (b) the penalty from 1993 and (c) any further area arising from the discrepancy between IACS statistics and previous census statistics submitted by the Department to the European Commission ;
(2) if he will estimate the reduction in production of spring-sown cereals in 1994 arising from the arable area payments scheme penalty for 1993 and any further reduction in cropping that may be required to avoid a further penalty in 1995 ; and if he will make a statement on the impact of that reduction on the Scottish maltsters, millers and other cereal using industries.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 6 December 1993] : No arable land requires to be taken out of production in 1994 or 1995, nor is there a discrepancy in the statistics.
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The rules of the arable area payments scheme made clear that the total claimed arable area must not exceed the regional base area ; and that any excess would result in penalties. The scheme is voluntary ; and if farmers do apply there is no obligation to do so on all their arable land. They may therefore sow as much arable crops as they wish without setting aside any land.HOME DEPARTMENT
Fraud
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the sentences available for fraud.
Mr. Maclean : The Government are satisfied that the penalties for offences involving fraud are adequate. Fraudulent trading and false accounting both carry a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment ; and obtaining property by deception has a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment.
Prison Officers (Accommodation)
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officer accommodation units at each of the London prisons were still owned by the Prison Department as of 1 December.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 10 December 1993 : The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many prison officer's quarters were still owned by the Prison Service at each of the London prisons. The number as at 1 December 1993 were as follows :
|Number
------------------------------
Belmarsh |13
Brixton |120
Feltham |86
Holloway |150
Latchmere House |21
Pentonville |94
Wandsworth |114
Wormwood Scrubs |172
|--
|770
Firearms Certificates
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in England and Wales had been granted a firearms certificate as of 1 December ; and for what uses such certificates have been granted.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The number of firearms certificates which were on issue in England and Wales as at 31 December 1992 was 136,810. Corresponding information for 1 December 1993 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The law requires that, before issuing a firearm certificate, the chief officer of police must satisfy himself
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that the applicant has a good reason for requiring the firearm or ammunition in respect of which the certificate is sought. No central record is kept of the reasons for which certificates are granted.Dangerous Dogs
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation on dangerous dogs in the coming Session.
Farriers (Registration) Act 1975
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many communications he has received during the consultation on deregulation of the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 ; how many were in favour and how many against ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Department has received 16 responses to its consultative letter concerning the deregulation review of the Farriers (Registration) Acts 1975 and 1977. Eleven were in favour of retaining the present controls and five argued for deregulation.
Riding Establishments Acts
Mr. Mills : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many communications he has received during the consultation on deregulation of the Riding Establishments Acts ; how many were in favour and how many against ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The Department has received 12 responses to its consultative letter on the deregulation review of the Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970. All were in favour of retaining present controls.
Sentencing
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what account he takes, in reaching decisions on tariff sentences upon those convicted of offences deemed political, of the individual offenders and mitigating factors such as age or nature of motivation ;
(2) what representations he has received from (a) Abdul Qayyum Raja, a prisoner at HMP Long Lartin, (b) his legal representatives and (c) other individuals and organisations about his case ; (3) if he will reduce the sentence imposed under tariff arrangements on Abdul Qayyum Raja ; when he intends to announce his decision in this case ; and if he will disclose full information and explanation for the tariff sentence he finally decides upon in this case ;
(4) what representations he has received from (a) Mohammed Riaz, a prisoner at HMP Whitemoor, (b) his legal representatives and (c) other individuals and organisations on his case ;
(5) if he will reduce the sentence imposed under the tariff arrangements on Mohammed Riaz ; when he intends to announce his decision in this case ; and if he will disclose full information and explanation for the tariff sentence he finally decides upon in his case ;
(6) if he will disclose full information about each factor which he takes into account in reaching decisions concerning the tariff ; and if he will make a statement on the effect of the judgment in the House of Lords in the case of Doody and Others in 1993.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : The arrangements for determining the period which mandatory life sentence prisoners--including those convicted of politically motivated murders--should serve in custody in order to meet the requirements of retribution and deterrence are set out in my right hon. and learned Friend's replies of 27 July 1993 at columns 863-85 and 4 November 1993 at columns 376-78. The procedures for disclosing such decisions and related information to the prisoners concerned are also described.
In deciding the period to be served in custody all available information, including advice from the judiciary, representations on the prisoners' behalf and any mitigating factors will be fully taken into account. The statement by the right hon. Sir Leon Brittan, as Secretary of State in 1983, that terrorists and certain other specified categories of murderer can normally expect to serve at least 20 years will also be relevant in some cases.
As to the cases of Mr. Raja and Mr. Riaz, representations have been made on their behalf by their legal representatives, Members of both Houses of Parliament and members of the public. Mr. Riaz has also made representations direct. All these representations are being carefully considered and decisions will be taken shortly. Mr. Raja and Mr. Riaz will be informed separately of the period set in their case and each of them will be given reasons for the decision.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received supporting the view that tariff sentences should be set by the trial judge in open court upon hearing representations on behalf of the prisoner immediately upon conviction.
Mr. Maclean : From time to time, we receive representations supporting the view that when a mandatory life sentence is passed on a person convicted of the offence of murder the period necessary to satisfy the requirements of retribution and deterrence should be stated by the trial judge in open court after the offender has had an opportunity to make representations.
Custody Costs
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average cost of custody per inmate month in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Alun Michael, dated 10 December 1993 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of custody per inmate month.
The average monthly cost of holding an inmate in custody was £2,142 for 1992-93.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average monthly cost of a supervision order combined with intensive intermediate treatment or specified activities in the last year for which figures are available ;
(2) what was the average monthly cost of a probation order in the last year for which figures are available ;
(3) what was the average monthly cost of a community service order in the last year for which figures are available.
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Mr. Maclean : The latest information on the costs of probation and community service orders is set out in table 12.3 of "Probation Statistics, England and Wales, 1992", which is in the Library of the House.
The average monthly cost of a probation order is estimated at £98 and the average monthly cost of a community service order is estimated at £95. The costs of supervision orders when combined with other requirements may vary greatly and the equivalent figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average cost of custody per inmate month in (a) open and (b) closed youth establishments in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Alun Michael, dated 10 December 1993 :
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of custody per inmate month in open and closed youth establishments.
In 1992-93 the average monthly cost of holding an inmate in an open youth establishment and a closed youth establishment was £2,747 and £2,132 respectively.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average monthly cost of cautioning-plus schemes in the last year for which figures are available ;
(2) what was the average cost of administering a caution in the last year in which figures are available.
Mr. Maclean : No figures are available on the cost of administering a caution. Although it is not possible to calculate the average monthly cost of so called "caution-plus" schemes, information from two long established schemes suggests that the average cost of each supported caution is in the range £300-£1,100.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average monthly cost of bail support schemes in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Maclean : The Home Office probation supervision grant scheme currently makes grants to 11 projects solely or mainly for bail support ; other projects may include some bail support work. The average monthly Home Office grant to these bail support projects in the financial year 1993-94 is £4,062. However, this may not fully reflect the cost of bail support projects as projects may well receive funding from other sources.
Security Firms
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks his Department makes to ensure that security firms used by his Department do not employ staff who have criminal records.
Mr. Maclean : Staff from security firms employed by the Home Office undergo security checks, including criminal record checks, appropriate to the nature of their work and place of employment.
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Winston Silcott
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to take a decision in respect of the reference of the case of Winston Silcott to the Court of Appeal.
Mr. Maclean : My right hon. and learned Friend expects to be in a position to reach a decision shortly.
Murder Sentences
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the shortest sentence served for murder in the last 30 years ; and what were the circumstances.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Ms Barbara Roche, dated 10 December 1993 :
Shortest sentence served for murder in the last 30 years The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the shortest sentence served for murder in the last 30 years and what the circumstances were.
The shortest sentence served was one day. This occurred in two unrelated cases where the inmates died one day after reception. Mr. Peter Lloyd :
(Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 10 December 1993 :
Average sentence length for murder
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average time served by inmates sentenced for murder and who have since been released.
I attach a copy of a table showing the numbers of life sentenced prisoners released from 1981-91. This information is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (Table 8.5 of the latest volume, for 1991, CM 2157), a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.
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