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Column 1009
Number of employees in Wales
Industry |1979 |1993 |Source
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Health Service<1> |66,100 |76,700 |National Health Service payroll
Civil Service<2> |40,700 |30,535 |Civil Service Statistics, HM Treasury
HM Forces<3> |6,300 |5,200<4> |Ministry of Defence<4>
Local government<5> |148,600 |140,500 |Joint Staffing Watch
|Local Government Management Board
Police services<6> |8,300 |9,300 |Joint Staffing Watch
|Local Government Management Board
<1>Includes directly employed national health service staff and practitioners-general medical practitioners and their support staff, general dental practitioners and opticians. These
figures are approximate and most are as at 30 September/1 October.
<2>Includes non-industrial and industrial staff. Figures are full-time equivalents. Part-time staff are counted as half units. Figures are as at January 1979 and April 1993.
<3>United Kingdom Regular forces at 1 July each year.
<4>1992 figure.
<5>Numbers of staff employed in general services only-including education-in local authorities. This excludes police, staff of magistrates courts and probation services. Figures are as at
June each year.
<6> Includes police-all ranks-traffic wardens, cadets and civilians. Figures are as at June each year.
Contracting out has affected the totals for the civil service and local government.
Retail Sales
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy regarding out of town retail stores being established on green field sites ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Government policy on retail development is set out in planning policy guidance note 6, "Town Centres and Retail Developments". Local planning authorities shall determine applications for retail development and, where feasible, propose sites in their local plans taking into account the needs of the community, the likely effect of any development on the vitality and viability of existing town centres and whether access provides a choice of transport modes.
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to receive the comments of the Cardiff Bay development corporation on his Department's quinquennial review into the corporation's financial and management policy.
Mr. Redwood : The board of the corporation considered the draft report on 4 February.
I am accordingly placing a copy of the report's conclusions and recommendations in the Library of the House today.
Arts Council for Wales
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce the chairman of the Arts Council of Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I am pleased to announce that my right hon. Friend has appointed Sir Richard Lloyd Jones as chairman designate of the new Arts Council of Wales from 1 April 1994.
Sir Richard has held a wide range of posts in the civil service, culminating as permanent secretary at the Welsh Office between 1985 and 1993. He has a strong personal interest in the arts and will provide a sound leadership for the council.
I also pay tribute to the current chairman of the Welsh Arts Council, Mr. Mathew Prichard CBE, who is retiring
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on 31 March 1994. Mr. Prichard has held that office since 1 April 1986 and has made a valuable contribution to the arts in Wales. I am grateful to him for his sterling work.I intend to announce the rest of the membership of the Arts Council of Wales shortly.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Contracting Out (Pension Rights)
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance he has issued about the effect of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 on the transfer of pension rights in services in his Department which are subject to contracting out.
Mr. Waldegrave : Guidance on the assessment of pensions arrangements offered by external bidders during the conduct of a market test is set out in paragraph 5.18 of "The Government's Guide to Market Testing", which was published in August 1993. Copies were placed in the Library of the House.
Consultants
Dr. Wright : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on which occasion since 1979 his Department has employed the services of external consultants ; and if he will give details of the purposes for which they were employed and the cost of employing them.
Mr. Waldegrave : The information is not held centrally in the form requested and is available only at disproportionate cost.
Civil Service (Fast Stream Entry)
Mr. Brazier : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the review of the civil service fast stream entry recommended by the career management and succession planning study is yet under way.
Mr. Waldegrave : A review of the civil service fast stream entry is now under way as recommended by the "Career Management and Succession Planning Study"--the Oughton report. The review team has been asked to report by the end of June 1994.
The team will consider whether the fast stream entry should continue and, if so, whether the arrangements need
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to be revised to ensure that sufficient people with the right qualifications and aptitudes are attracted to the civil service, and how far these arrangements need to be adapted to reflect the more explicit criteria being developed for the senior open structure-- the top three grades in the civil service.Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency
Mr. Garnier : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has begun his review of the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency.
Mr. Waldegrave : A review of the agency status of Recruitment and Assessment Services--RAS--is now under way. As a next steps agency the performance of RAS will be evaluated and RAS activities will be subjected to the normal prior options tests set out in the 1993 "Next Steps Review"-- Cm 2430.
This work will take into account the further review of the civil service fast stream entry which has been set up following the Oughton report, "Career Management and Succession Planning Study" and on which I am announcing progress today. In addition, the review team will consider the appropriate relationships between the civil service recruitment services, the role of the civil service commissioners, and the recruitment responsibilities of Government Departments. Comments and contributions from those with an interest in RAS and its work would be welcome and should be sent by 25 March 1994 to David Clark, recruitment studies team, Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service and Science, room 69A/2, Horse Guards road, London, SW1P 3AL.
Science (Postgraduate Training)
Mr. Trend : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress is being made on implementing the policies for postgraduate training announced in the White Paper "Realising our Potential : A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology".
Mr. Waldegrave : The Office of Science and Technology, with the help of the research and funding councils, has prepared a consultation document seeking views on how best to implement the White Paper's policy that research students supported by the research councils should normally complete a Master's year. The document is being circulated to higher education institutions, companies, professional and learned bodies, and I have placed copies in the Library. Consultation will last until the end of April.
PRIME MINISTER
Data Protection Registrar
Mr. Batiste : To ask the Prime Minister who is to be the new Data Protection Registrar.
The Prime Minister : I am pleased to announce that Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment of Mrs. Elizabeth France as the new Data Protection Registrar, on the retirement of Mr. Eric Howe later this year.
Mrs. France is currently head of information systems and pay services division of the Home Office. She is expected to take up her duties as registrar in the summer.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Northern Gas
Mr. Rendel : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many complaints were (a) lodged and (b) substantiated against Northern Gas in each year since 1983.
Mr. Eggar : The number of complaints lodged against British Gas Northern is a matter for the Director General of Gas Supply.
Mr. Rendel : To ask the President of the Board of Trade which body is responsible for investigating complaints against Northern Gas.
Mr. Eggar : Responsibility for investigating complaints against British Gas Northern lies with the Office of Gas Supply.
Regional Innovation Grants
Mr. Rendel : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures his Department has taken since 1992 to make inner-city task force and city challenge areas eligible for regional innovation grants.
Mr. Sainsbury : From 18 May 1992, regional innovation grants have been available in all inner-city task force and city challenge areas. It is a discretionary grant and all applicants must satisfy the criteria of the scheme to be eligible for support.
Malaysia (Exports)
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of British exports to Malaysia in each year since 1987.
Mr. Needham : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie) on 31 January, Official Report, column 588.
Stolen Equipment
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a list of the equipment stolen from his Department in the last three years for which information is available ; and what was the approximate value of each item.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 16 February 1994] : Details of equipment stolen from the Department during the three financial years in question are :
Item |Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91
Panasonic answering machine |100.00
Panasonic answering machine |60.80
Panasonic answering machine |60.80
Video cassette recorder and remote control and
remote control for TV |506.25
Panasonic answering machine |52.50
Dictating machine |51.33
SPO31 single channel IEEE to analogue unit |716.00
Digital multimeter model 168/1688 |127.00
M300 base unit |1,964.00
Three desktop personal computers |2,800.00
Three printers |800.00
Keyboard for PC |50.00
Mouse for PC |25.00
Monitor for PC |250.00
Removable hard disc for PC |400.00
Software package |unknown
1991-92
TV-video presenter |643.50
JVC recorder-player model No. HRD 9520EK |255.00
Computer (keyboard, monitor, printer) plus manuals |4,000.00
Liberator printer |800.00
Eight telephones |200.00
Answerphone |120.00
Two wall clocks |30.00
Photocopier |1,500.00
Phillips pocket memo dictaphone |90.00
Video cassette recorder |312.91
Cannon photocopier model no. QUA 05127 |386.00
Multifax image master F30 no. X016 0004165 |891.00
Multifax image master F30 no. N 312463 J 6006 |891.00
Toshiba T1000 portable computer (inc mains adaptor) |391.00
WP diskette |196.00
Sony 21 TV and stand |536.59
VHS video recorder |272.26
Panasonic VHS video recorder and tripod |986.14
Video cassettes |20.00
Swan jug kettle |20.00
Toshiba radio cassette player |60.00
Wall clock |20.00
2 pictures |60.00
Tefal toaster |5.00
Moulinex microwave oven |158.00
Mirror |10.00
Canon fax no. E0407824 |469.00
Phillips pocket calculator no. LSH 0292 |41.00
Phillips dictating machine no. 98614 |63.00
Answerphone (Panasonic Easaphone) |60.00
2 Sonyo mini cassette recorders model no. TRC 3570A |138.00
2 Phillips 0185 pocket dictating machines and 1
Decimo 50311 pocket dictating machine |156.10
HP 85 Calculator |2,984.00
Ealing Beck electric control equipment |3,125.00
Tektronix oscilloscope model No. TEX 2213 |769.00
Barr and Stroud helium non-laser |398.00
Liberator portable text processor |187.50
Dictaphone model No. 1240 |41.00
Panasonic Easaphone |60.00
Brother M-2518 printer |1,200.00
Apricot microcomputer |1,875.00
Telephone |15.00
Compaq personal computer |2,500.00
Toshiba lap-top computer |750.00
Arcnet passive hubs |149.50
Telephone answering machine |60.00
Answer machine No. 81CHA 17684 |60.00
NEC Pinwriter P200 printer |173.00
Answer machine No. 8CB HB/6900 |60.00
Toshiba computer 1000 |450.00
Panasonic Easaphone |60.00
Pitney Bowes transcriber No. 1704 |130.00
Compaq deskpro 286E |217.00
RML Puffin computer |1,125.00
ICL model No. M40 PC |263.00
5 TDK floppy discs |8.00
Toshiba T5200-100 computer |2,700.00
Panasonic video recorder |399.00
Nimbus AX/2 hard disc and Wordperfect 5.0 manual |650.00
Lotus 1-2-3 software |187.00
Windows software |48.00
Panasonic Easaphone |52.83
Olympia typewriter |60.00
3 Hand-held dictating machines |127.50
3 Pictures |146.25
3 Portable personal computers |8,600.00
4 Software packages |1,000.00
3 Hard discs |2,000.00
Software manual |200.00
Year 1992-93
Phillips dictating machine model number LFH 0285 |49.35
Toshiba 3100 personal computer |1,725.00
Telecom ivory hand held phone |254.00
Telecom ivory hand held phone |210.62
Briefcase |28.00
2 Portable printers |500.00
2 printers |1,500.00
Hard disc |400.00
4 Portable personal computers |6,750.00
3 PC base units |4,000.00
Printer switching box |150.00
Software discs |400.00
EDUCATION
Student Grants
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from students over the age of 50 years about the difficulty in acquiring grants.
Mr. Boswell : My right hon. Friend has received no representations on this subject. The same conditions of eligibility for mandatory awards apply to students of all ages.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the amount of money available for grants.
Mr. Boswell : I refer to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 18 January, Official Report, column 542 . Decisions for years after 1994-95 will be taken at the appropriate time.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to increase student grants annually in line with inflation.
Mr. Boswell : Support for students is provided through grants and loans. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the House on 30 November, Official Report , column 929, the total support available to students through the main rates of grant and loan will be increased by 4 per cent. in 1994-95. Within this total, the main grant rates will be reduced by around 10 per cent. a year from 1994-95 to 1996- 97, and corresponding increases made in the loan facility. The total support available in subsequent years will be for decision at the appropriate time.
Student Loans
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from students in Coventry about the hardships caused by the student loans scheme.
Mr. Boswell : In the last year I have received one representation about the level of the student grant forwarded from an hon. Member for a Coventry constituency. Information about other representations received in the last year could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Inter-city Schools
Mr. Rendel : To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what measures his Department has taken since 1992 to ensure that more schools in the inner cities have the opportunity to develop their technological expertise ;
(2) what measures his Department has taken since 1992 to seek opportunities to open new city technology colleges in deprived inner-city areas.
Mr. Robin Squire : In 1992-93 and 1993-94, 70 secondary schools in inner London and metropolitan authority areas have received technology schools initiative awards, enabling them to enhance their technology facilities. Self-governing and voluntary-aided secondary schools, including those in inner cities, are eligible to become technology colleges, which will have the backing of private sponsors and receive Government grants to develop their teaching of technology, science and mathematics.
One city technology college has opened since 1992, the John Cabot CTC in Bristol, bringing the total to 15. No further CTCs are planned, but sponsors are welcome to come forward with new proposals. The Department continues to provide substantial financial support for the use of information technology in schools, both in inner cities and elsewhere. Most recently we announced a £4.5 million scheme to equip some primary schools with CD-ROM equipment and software, with funding allocated to take account of the needs of urban areas.
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Student Unions
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to safeguard the funding by student unions of student newspapers in his proposals for the reform of student unions.
Mr. Boswell : The Government are determined to reform student unions and to secure choice, democracy and accountability in their activities. It is not our intention to jeopardise student services, for which funding will remain available in institutions' budgets.
London Education Budget
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much money has been made available for spending on primary and secondary education in each of the London boroughs in each of the last three financial years ; what is the figure for 1994-95 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Robin Squire : For the purpose of determining standard spending assessments, the education component of standard spending, net of specific grants, is divided into five sub-blocks--under fives, five to 10, 11 to 15, 16 plus, and other education. The table sets out the year-on-year changes in the level of five to 10, 11 to 15 and 16 plus sub-blocks within the education standard spending assessment for London boroughs over the last three financial years, together with the figure for 1994-95. Education standard spending assessments are not ear-marked for local authority spending on primary and secondary education, as each authority is free to determine its spending priorities between and within services.
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Local Education |Sub-block |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
Authority
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
City |5 to 10 |0.124 |0.097 |0.090 |0.094
|11 to 15 |0.176 |0.066 |0.101 |0.101
|16+ |0.398 |0.380 |0.032 |0.031
Camden |5 to 10 |20.246 |21.475 |23.975 |24.152
|11 to 15 |19.312 |20.136 |23.245 |22.977
|16+ |11.071 |12.235 |5.622 |5.350
Greenwich |5 to 10 |35.906 |38.868 |40.168 |42.898
|11 to 15 |37.160 |40.732 |41.430 |43.179
|16+ |13.624 |15.555 |6.729 |7.055
Hackney |5 to 10 |37.247 |39.525 |42.859 |41.212
|11 to 15 |35.653 |38.589 |43.327 |39.377
|16+ |17.571 |21.986 |4.972 |4.436
Hammersmith |5 to 10 |16.610 |18.177 |20.220 |19.909
|11 to 15 |16.329 |18.276 |19.298 |18.683
|16+ |9.577 |11.579 |2.837 |2.337
Islington |5 to 10 |26.384 |29.051 |30.858 |32.033
|11 to 15 |25.471 |28.968 |30.647 |30.587
|16+ |13.174 |15.936 |2.255 |2.571
Kensington |5 to 10 |10.312 |11.052 |11.492 |11.129
|11 to 15 |9.684 |11.246 |11.034 |10.547
|16+ |6.743 |7.569 |1.921 |1.979
Lambeth |5 to 10 |43.414 |48.456 |51.761 |48.450
|11 to 15 |40.112 |42.817 |46.347 |42.096
|16+ |21.862 |27.323 |4.410 |3.791
Lewisham |5 to 10 |36.852 |40.911 |43.614 |45.488
|11 to 15 |35.545 |38.655 |39.369 |40.062
|16+ |16.361 |19.699 |5.882 |5.969
Southwark |5 to 10 |38.487 |41.387 |43.362 |45.266
|11 to 15 |34.588 |37.845 |36.754 |37.341
|16+ |14.037 |16.153 |3.208 |3.018
Tower Hamlets |5 to 10 |43.265 |46.753 |48.908 |49.500
|11 to 15 |42.145 |44.380 |46.576 |47.207
|16+ |12.533 |17.158 |5.034 |5.739
Wandsworth |5 to 10 |30.936 |32.763 |33.645 |31.997
|11 to 15 |31.270 |32.299 |32.809 |30.232
|16+ |19.749 |19.226 |5.433 |5.292
Westminster |5 to 10 |14.933 |16.462 |17.331 |16.547
|11 to 15 |14.506 |16.154 |17.939 |16.571
|16+ |10.12 |11.981 |3.624 |3.327
Barking |5 to 10 |21.269 |23.264 |23.593 |25.569
|11 to 15 |22.609 |23.854 |24.695 |25.895
|16+ |6.784 |7.762 |3.949 |4.058
Barnet |5 to 10 |34.086 |36.665 |37.795 |38.812
|11 to 15 |35.987 |38.609 |39.692 |40.647
|16+ |21.339 |24.450 |10.867 |9.748
Bexley |5 to 10 |27.617 |29.816 |30.909 |32.909
|11 to 15 |32.276 |34.024 |35.212 |35.877
|16+ |13.085 |14.685 |7.199 |7.226
Brent |5 to 10 |40.947 |43.417 |45.334 |44.443
|11 to 15 |40.669 |44.134 |46.986 |45.755
|16+ |27.486 |30.021 |10.520 |10.505
Bromley |5 to 10 |30.871 |32.465 |33.638 |35.706
|11 to 15 |34.203 |35.663 |36.528 |38.303
|16+ |17.403 |19.393 |9.542 |9.288
Croydon |5 to 10 |40.524 |43.747 |44.859 |47.043
|11 to 15 |42.354 |44.630 |46.039 |47.340
|16+ |23.907 |26.291 |4.092 |4.370
Ealing |5 to 10 |40.774 |44.026 |45.570 |45.098
|11 to 15 |40.083 |43.941 |47.377 |46.379
|16+ |23.909 |26.720 |8.951 |6.324
Enfield |5 to 15 |35.323 |37.993 |38.761 |41.031
|11 to 15 |39.440 |42.063 |43.651 |44.749
|16+ |19.619 |21.703 |9.902 |10.318
Haringey |5 to 10 |30.613 |33.849 |36.896 |36.637
|11 to 15 |30.110 |34.433 |36.517 |35.789
|16+ |20.322 |21.588 |7.087 |7.011
Harrow |5 to 10 |25.072 |26.934 |27.349 |28.778
|11 to 15 |26.863 |28.602 |29.430 |30.487
|16+ |15.821 |16.413 |2.245 |2.492
Havering |5 to 10 |28.705 |30.190 |30.701 |33.636
|11 to 15 |34.845 |36.620 |37.094 |39.474
|16+ |13.966 |15.007 |4.691 |3.777
Hillingdon |5 to 10 |28.892 |30.719 |31.707 |34.686
|11 to 15 |30.770 |33.014 |34.558 |36.478
|16+ |14.408 |15.446 |7.431 |7.426
Hounslow |5 to 10 |28.948 |31.184 |31.733 |33.114
|11 to 15 |30.031 |33.006 |33.487 |35.249
|16+ |14.385 |16.337 |6.611 |6.988
Kingston |5 to 10 |13.932 |14.835 |15.524 |16.351
|11 to 15 |15.503 |16.532 |16.870 |17.033
|16+ |9.232 |9.849 |3.964 |3.938
Merton |5 to 10 |18.361 |19.873 |20.953 |22.086
|11 to 15 |19.151 |20.468 |21.568 |21.610
|16+ |10.402 |11.668 |2.811 |3.023
Newham |5 to 10 |43.062 |49.438 |51.128 |53.402
|11 to 15 |41.282 |46.315 |49.563 |49.902
|16+ |19.451 |21.902 |3.609 |4.489
Redbridge |5 to 10 |28.450 |30.601 |32.124 |34.201
|11 to 15 |32.026 |33.051 |36.902 |37.892
|16+ |16.016 |17.333 |9.168 |9.676
Richmond |5 to 10 |14.027 |14.966 |15.127 |15.504
|11 to 15 |13.463 |14.185 |14.774 |15.037
|16+ |8.654 |9.080 |1.082 |0.886
Sutton |5 to 10 |19.262 |20.966 |21.955 |23.551
|11 to 15 |21.681 |23.105 |24.185 |25.614
|16+ |10.127 |11.214 |5.391 |5.421
Waltham Forest |5 to 10 |32.972 |36.117 |37.897 |39.212
|11 to 15 |34.961 |37.754 |39.557 |39.973
|16+ |17.085 |18.526 |2.656 |3.063
Notes:
1. 1993-94 figures for the 16+ sub-block reflects the LEAs' loss of responsibility for most further education.
2. 1994-95 figures reflect LEAs loss of responsibility for the careers service and school inspections.
Further Education Funding Council
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for Education who made the decision to appoint Mr. Philip Head as property controller for the Further Education Funding Council.
Mr. Boswell : Short-listed candidates for the post of the Further Education Funding Council's head of property services were interviewed by a panel chaired by Mr. Roger McClure, the council's director of finance and the senior line manager with overall responsibility for the property services team. Subsequent discussions leading to the offer of appointment to the post were conducted by Mr. McClure.
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what criteria the approval of the Secretary of State was given to the appointment of Mr. Philip Head as property controller for the Further Education Funding Council.
Mr. Boswell : The Secretary of State's approval is not required for the appointment of staff of the Further Education Funding Council below the level of chief executive.
Environmental Education
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to implement the recommendations for environmental education in further education contained in the report of the Toyne committee.
Mr. Boswell : It is primarily for the further education institutions and the Further Education Funding Council to decide how to respond to the recommendations of the Toyne committee report, "Environmental Responsibility : an Agenda for Further and Higher Education". The Department wrote to the funding council and further education institutions drawing their attention to the committee's recommendations.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of claimants of incapacity benefit who will be eligible for income support for the period (a) between the 28th and 52nd week of incapacity and (b) from the end of the first year ; and what are the estimated savings in each case.
Mr. Scott : We estimate that around 25 per cent. of people awarded incapacity benefit after April 1995 will also be entitled to income support between the 28th and 52nd weeks of incapacity ; and that around 30 per cent. will be entitled to income support after 52 weeks. We estimate that the introduction of the higher rate of short-term incapacity benefit between the 28th and 52nd weeks of incapacity will produce net savings of around £110 million in 1995-96, and around £150 milliion in 1996- 97 ; and that the introduction of long-term incapacity benefit after 52 weeks will produce net savings of around £20 million in 1995-96, and around £170 million in 1996-97.
Notes :
i. All estimates are expressed in constant 1993-94 prices, rounded to the nearest £10 million, and net of offsetting changes in income-related benefit expenditure.
ii. Estimates take account of the effect on incapacity benefit recipients of the planned changes in the qualifying conditions for the disability premium paid with the income-related benefit.
Pensioners Living Abroad
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer if the pensions payable to British citizens now living abroad were indexed for the cost of living in the same way as if these people had remained living in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Hague : The estimated additional cost of paying fully indexed benefits to all state retirement and widow pensioners living abroad is £275 million a year. Separate figures are not available on the cost of indexing benefits only for those who are British citizens.
Column 1021
Severe Weather Payments
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in which areas in the United Kingdom cold weather payments have been triggered since the start of the present severe weather in February ; and if he will relax the regulations in order that such payments can now be made to all those eligible.
Mr. Scott : Payments have been triggered for the area covered by the Wilsden weather station for 10 to 16 February ; and by the Meterological Office forecast for the area covered by Eskdalemuir, for the period 16 to 22 February.
All those eligible already receive automatic payments.
Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of people in receipt of invalidity benefit in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, and in Wales, in (a) 1979, (b) 1983, (c) 1987 and (d) 1992.
Mr. Scott : This 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. Ted Rowlands, dated 17 February 1994 :
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of people in receipt of Invalidity Benefit in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, and in Wales, in 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992.
The information is not available in the exact format requested. This is because statistics for the years in question are only available for the standard statistical regions of the Benefits Agency, one of which is Wales, but are not broken down into individual Districts.
The areas of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney are dealt with by the Agency's Merthyr Tydfil District. This District deals with areas other than Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney and so the statistics provided will include people not living in the area in question. Also statistics are not retained by Districts for longer than two years ; I have therefore only provided figures for March 1992.
There were a total of 11,946 people claiming Invalidity Benefit in the Merthyr Tydfil District at the last working day of March 1992. The figures were obtained from a 100 per cent. clerical count of cases in the Office, and include a small number of people who have claimed but are not receiving Invalidity Benefit, eg. because there is underlying entitlement which has been extinguished by the payment of a higher overlapping benefit. The table shows the number of customers in receipt of Invalidity Benefit in Wales at a point in time in 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992. The statistics are based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants.
Number of IVB beneficiaries
at a point in time in Wales
|Number
-----------------------------
2 June 1979 |69,000
2 April 1983 |87,000
4 April 1987 |122,000
4 April 1992 |159,000
Note: The table figures are
rounded to the nearest
thousand.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients currently in receipt of invalidity benefit are over the age of 58 years in (a) Merthyr Tydfil, (b) Rhymney and (c) Wales.
Column 1022
Mr. Scott : This 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. Ted Rowlands, dated 17 February 1994 :
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary question about recipients of Invalidity Benefit who are over the age of 58 in Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Wales.
The information is not available in the exact format requested. This is because statistics are only available for the standard statistical regions, one of which is Wales, but are not broken down into individual Districts.
The latest available information for Wales is based on a 1 per cent. sample of claims to Invalidity Benefit in Great Britain. At 4 April 1992, there were approximately 69,000 Invalidity Benefit recipients aged 59 and over in Wales.
Statistics for the specific areas of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney are not readily available and could only be obtained at a
disproportionate cost. This is because statistics are maintained by Benefits Agency Districts whose boundaries do not correspond with those of constituencies ; and the statistics are not kept by age. To obtain the information you request would require a manual inspection of each individual claim within the Merthyr Tydfil District which covers Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney.
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Child Support Agency
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time for the Child Support Agency to (a) acknowledge a letter from a member of the public, (b) answer any questions raised and reply in writing, and what is the current amount of correspondence awaiting (c) an acknowledgement and (d) a full reply ; and what is the overall backlog of correspondence at the Child Support Agency.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 17 February 1994 :
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the time taken by the Child Support Agency to reply to letters from members of the public.
The Agency's Charter contains a stated aim to respond to correspondence within 10 working days of receipt. Although general correspondence is not routinely acknowledged, the Agency does aim to acknowledge written complaints within two days of receipt. Because the Agency is a new organisation providing a completely new service, it will not be possible to state with confidence before the end of the first year the average length of time taken to reply to correspondence.
As the first year of the Agency's operations has stimulated a great deal of correspondence, I am afraid that the targets for answering correspondence are not currently being met. The necessary steps are being taken to ensure that letters are answered as promptly as possible. The Agency remains committed, however, to publish its performance against Charter standards in April, and thereafter monthly.
I hope that you find this reply useful.
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