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Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 7 February, Official Report, column 32 how many and what proportion of those claimants of invalidity benefit who receive an occupational pension had been receiving such pension payments for (a) up to six months, (b) up to one year, (c) up to two years and (d) more than two years ; and if such pensions had been in payment to the claimant during (i) the first six months of incapacity, (ii) between six and 12 months of the start of the incapacity and (iii) only after the first year of incapacity.
Mr. Scott : This information is not available.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 8 February, Official Report, column 210, of the claimants of invalidity benefit also receiving an income from investment, what were the sources of this investment income ; and of those with net earnings, how many and what proportion had payments from former employers, classified by type of employer payment.
Mr. Scott : The table shows the main sources of investment income with recipients as a proportion of all invalidity benefit recipients with investment income.
Information is not available on the number and proportion of invalidity benefit recipients with net earnings who receive payments from former employers.
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Type of investment |Proportion
income
|per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interest from bank accounts (net and gross) |30
Interest from building society accounts (net and gross) |75
Income from stocks and shares and British savings bonds interest |30
Other investment income |15
Notes:
1. Total may sum to more than 100 per cent. as individuals can have more than one source of investment
income.
2. Figures are based on information from the 1990 and 1991 Family Expenditure Sources Investment
income in the survey is subject to large margins of uncertainty.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 per cent.
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people claiming incapacity benefit after April 1995 he estimates will also receive payments from occupational or private schemes for long-term incapacity.
Mr. Scott : We have no estimates of the number of people who will be claiming incapacity benefit after April 1995 who will also receive payments from an occupational or a private scheme.
Invalid Care Allowance
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many invalid care allowance claimants have had payments of arrears of this benefit restricted to 12 months where an award of attendance allowance or disability living allowance to the person they are caring for has taken more than 12 months to determine ;
(2) if he will trawl all existing invalid care allowance claims and awards to identify cases where payment of arrears of invalid care allowance has been restricted to a period of 12 months where the time taken to determine the related attendance allowance or disability living allowance claim has taken more than 12 months ; and if he will make payment of invalid care allowance or a compensation payment for the further back period ;
(3) if he will amend social security regulations to allow back payment of invalid care allowance for more than 12 months where a determination and award on a related claim for attendance allowance or disability living allowance has taken more than 12 months.
Mr. Scott : To date, 241 claimants have had their invalid care allowance arrears limited to the statutory 12 months due to delays by this Department in processing the related attendance allowance or disability living allowance claims. Such ICA claims were identified at the outset and all claimants have been, or will be, paid the equivalent of their ICA arrears in full by way of ex-gratia payments. Any similar claims will be dealt with in the same way.
There are no plans to amend the relevant legislation.
Private Members' Bills
Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what occasions Ministers from his Department have requested Parliamentary Counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private members.
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Mr. Lilley : None. In the case of the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State authorised officials to instruct Parliamentary Counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members.
ENVIRONMENT
European Commissioner
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will next meet the European Commissioner for the Environment ; and what items he will discuss.
Mr. Atkins : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will next meet the Commissioner at the informal Environment Council on 13 to 15 May. The Council will discuss tourism and the environment.
Ofwat
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how consumer interests are represented on Ofwat's customer service committees.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 11 May 1994] : Section 29 of the Water Industry Act 1991 places a duty on each customer service committee to keep under review, to consult and to make representations to companies allocated to the committee about all matters appearing to the committee to affect the interests of customers or potential customers of those companies ; and to investigate any complaint made by a customer or potential customer relating to the carrying out of any of the functions of a water or sewerage undertaker.
The CSCs report to the Director General of Water Services and advise him on issues which affect customers, to inform his decision making.
Housing Investment
Ms Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what (a) further Government grants and (b) supplementary credit approvals were allocated specifically for local authority housing investment in addition to the housing investment programme allocation in each local authority in each year since 1978-79.
Sir George Young [holding answer 15 April 1994] : Before the introduction of the present local authority capital finance system in April 1990, the allocation in-year of additional capital resources for housing investment was reflected in increases to housing investment programme allocations. Powers to issue supplementary credit approvals are contained in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, and SCAs have therefore been issued only since 1990-91. Resources have been set aside since 1990-91 outside the envelope of the annual housing investment programme allocations for the following programmes of SCAs and capital grants for housing investment by local authorities :
SCAs
Estate action (1990-91 to 1993-94)
Homelessness (1990-91 and 1991-92)
Ex-new town defects (1991-92 to 1994-95)
Energy efficiency (1991-92 to 1993-94)
Rural housing (1991-92 and 1992-93)
Flats over shops (1992-93 to 1994-95)
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Cash incentive schemes (1992-93 and 1994-95)Housing partnership fund (1993-94 and 1994-95)
Admissible credit approvals (1993-94)
Renovation grants (1990-91 to 1992-93)
Area improvement (1990-91)
Capital grants
Ex-new town defects (1990-91 to 1994-95)
Estate action (1990-91 to 1993-94)
Ms Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much (a) further Government grants and (b) supplementary credit approvals were allocated specifically for local authority housing investment in addition to the housing investment programme allocation in each local authority for the years 1978-79, 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Sir George Young [holding answer 15 April 1994] : Before the introduction of the present local authority capital finance system in April 1990, the allocation in-year of additional capital resources for housing investment was reflected in increases to housing investment programme allocations.
Powers to issue supplementary credit approvals are contained in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, and SCAs have therefore been issued only since 1990-91. SCAs may be issued up to six months after the end of the financial year during which the relevant expenditure is defrayed, and the bulk of housing SCAs for 1993-94 will be issued in the coming months. No housing SCAs have yet been issued for 1994-95.
Details of payments to local authorities in 1993-94 of capital grant which is outside the envelope of the annual housing investment programme allocations have been placed in the Library. No such grant has yet been paid in 1994-95.
Drinking Water
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those mineral waters produced in the United Kingdom that have been, or are to be, prohibited for public consumption under the EC drinking water directive 80/778 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : I have been asked to reply.
The provisions of EC directive 80/778 relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption do not apply to natural mineral waters approved under EC directive 80/777 on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral waters.
EMPLOYMENT
Personnel Data Processing
Mr. Mudie : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure on the aborted personnel data processing system.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The total expenditure, excluding staff and training costs, on the Department's personnel data processing system was £2.43 million.
Mr. Mudie : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much was paid to McDonnell Douglas
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in respect of (a) project supplies, (b) software development, (c) computer hardware and (d) other items connected with the personnel data processing system.Mr. Michael Forsyth : The amount paid to McDonnell Douglas, in respect of the Department's personnel data processing system, were : (a) Project supplies £2,930
(b) Software development £782,555
(c) Computer hardware £625,202
(d) Other items £351,714
Mobile Telephones Pagers
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) portable telephones, (b) pagers and electronic bleepers and (c) car telephones are currently used by his Department ; what are the annual costs of operating this equipment ; and to which personnel it is made available.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Detective Agencies
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much his Department has spent on contracts with private detective agencies since 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Fees for private detective agencies instructed by the Employment Service since 1991 amount to £175 plus VAT.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what further steps he is taking to request information from training and enterprise councils in relation to the numbers of secondees from his Department continuing to work for the same training and enterprise councils after having applied successfully under the voluntary early retirement scheme for early retirement (a) in England and (b) in Wales.
Miss Widdecombe : The Permanent Secretary has written to the chairman of every training and enterprise council in England and Wales to ensure that the Department's policy on this matter is fully understood and to seek their support and co-operation in implementing that policy.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of those unemployed for 12 months and more in May 1979 ; and what are the current figures.
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 12 May 1994] : The unadjusted number of United Kingdom claimants
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unemployed for over a year stood at 1,106,771 in January 1983, the earliest date for which equivalent figures are available. The figure for January 1994 was 1,087,877.WALES
Library Services
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what resources will be available to the new local authorities in Wales to carry out their statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service ; (2) what plans will be made to facilitate joint arrangements between the new local authorities to enable them to carry out their statutory responsibilities in relation to public libraries.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Ogmore (Mr. Powell) on21 March at column 73.
Wind Energy
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) of 4 May, Official Report, column 537, if he will name the individuals or bodies who made representations to him on the annexe on wind energy in planning policy guidance note 22.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Wales Wind Energy Forum and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the effect of the impending local government reforms on the local government superannuation scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Welsh Office has recently consulted all Welsh local authorities, the two local authority associations and other interested organisations on proposals for the administration of superannuation funds under section 7 of the Superannuation Act 1972. The closing date for comments is 30 June.
Public Bodies
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many non-departmental public bodies or similar agencies to which holders of his office make appointments existed in 1979 and in 1993 ; and if he will list in cash and real terms the total administrative costs, the salaries of each appointed worker and the amount spent in implementing their statutory duties.
Mr. Redwood : The information available is as follows :
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Number of public bodies in Wales
|Executive|Advisory |Tribunals|NHS |Total
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |16 |12 |3 |9 |40
1 April 1993 |23 |28 |4 |33 |88
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Number of Staff Employed
|Executive |NHS |Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |7,548 |<1>50,321 |57,869
1 April 1993 |2,000 |<1><2>55,900|57,900
<1> Estimated figure
<2> At 1 September 1993
Gross Expenditure
|Executive |NHS |Expenditure by |Total
|Welsh Office in
|support of
|Executive and
|Advisory Bodies
|and Tribunals |£ million
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |<3>212.32 |<1><3>411.000 |n/a |<3>623.320
|<4>589.876 |<4>1,141.857 |- |<4>1,731.733
1992-93 |510.00 |<5>1,871.862 |4 |2,385.862
<1> Estimated figure.
<2> At 1 September 1993.
<3> About in cash.
<4> Amount at 1992-93 prices.
<5> Provisional figure.
Information on the salaries of each appointed worker and the amount spent in implementing their statutory duties is not available. The information given is taken from the Report on Non-Departmental Public Bodies (January 1980 Cmnd. 7797) and Public Bodies 1993 (HMSO) which are available in the Library of the House.
The figures include public bodies to which the Secretary of State for Wales does not make appointments ; it is not possible to disaggregate the data to include only those bodies to which he makes appointments.
Health Cash Allocations
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he informed the district health authorities in Wales of their cash allocation for 1994-95.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : My right hon. Friend announced the cash allocations to health authorities in Wales for 1994-95 on 16 March.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received from health authorities and trusts in Wales concerning the cash increase for 1994-95.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : A number of trusts have made representations to the Welsh Office regarding the 1994-95 allocations to health authorities but none has related to the level of cash increase provided.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department informed NHS trusts in Wales that they would be required to absorb the pay award to nurses, doctors and midwives in 1994-95.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Following the Government's acceptance of the recommendations of the review bodies on the 1994-95 pay increases to doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives and the profession supplementary to medicine, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, in a press release on 3 February, made it clear that
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we looked to the NHS to fund this award through improved efficiency and productivity, allowing the extra money for the NHS announced in the Budget to go directly to patient services. This press release was circulated to NHS trusts in Wales and discussed with their chief executives at a meeting on 15 February.NHS Job Losses
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on job losses within the national health service in Wales in 1994-95.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The possibility of job losses has been raised in correspondence received by my right hon. Friend from the chairman of the NHS trust chairmen's group and from some individual trusts. No other representations have been received.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Radiation Monitoring Stations
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many radiation monitoring stations there are in Northern Ireland ; what plans he has to establish further stations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Tim Smith : The gamma dose rate in air is measured at 49 fixed coastal locations on a quarterly basis. This is in addition to the monitoring of locally caught seafood and sediments from the intertidal areas. The results of this monitoring show that radioactivity levels measured are of no radiological significance to the health of the Northern Ireland population and these results have been confirmed by monitoring undertaken by the Northern Ireland radiation monitoring committee, representing district councils in the Province. In recent years, joint surveys undertaken by my Department and colleagues in the Republic of Ireland, into radioactivity levels in Foyle and Carlingford loughs, also confirm that levels are very low. My Department's environmental monitoring programme is under continual review and we are committed to providing public reassurance and information in this way.
In addition to these local measures, under RIMNET--the radiation incident monitoring network, designed to give early warning in the event of an overseas nuclear emergency--five continuous stations are operational in the Province.
Detective Agencies
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on contracts with private detective agencies since 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Wheeler : Since 1991 Northern Ireland Civil Service Departments and the Northern Ireland Office have spent £25,017 on inquiries undertaken by private detective agencies as follows :
|£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland |<1>9,401
Department of Economic Development |<2>15,616
<1> Investigations into the circumstances relating to persons claiming
compensation against the Department as a result of alleged personal
injuries through tripping incidents.
<2> Investigations pertinent to economic development.
Prisoners
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by Her Majesty's prison and remand home/centre for the latest date he has figures available, the number of inmates whose place of residence is South Yorkshire ; and what were the figures (a) 12 months and (b) 24 months ago.
Sir John Wheeler : There were no prisoners with a last known address in South Yorkshire being held in Her Majesty's prisons in Northern Ireland on 1 May 1994, 1993 or 1992.
Police Sick Leave
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by sex, and by year for the last 10 years, the average number of police officer days lost for reasons of sickness in each police division.
Sir John Wheeler : The available information is as follows :
Table 1-Average days lost per member Year |Male |Female |Force |Day type ------------------------------------------------------ 1984 |n/a |n/a |14.37 |Total 1985 |n/a |n/a |14.94 |Total 1986 |n/a |n/a |16.71 |Total 1987 |n/a |n/a |16.77 |Total 1988 |n/a |n/a |19.00 |Total 1989 |18.95 |31.98 |19.79 |Total 1990 |19.27 |33.11 |20.19 |Total 1991 |13.71 |23.61 |14.40 |Work 1992 |13.70 |21.06 |14.49 |Work 1993 |13.80 |18.93 |14.16 |Work
Table 2 Average Work Days Lost per Member
Year
Police |1991 |1992 |1993
Division
---------------------------------------------
|1991 |1992 |1993
A |16.2 |16.8 |14.7
B |13.6 |13.5 |11.2
D |16.3 |17.5 |16.9
E |15.7 |17.0 |17.4
G |16.7 |17.8 |17.9
H |13.9 |12.6 |12.6
J |16.4 |21.2 |16.7
K |12.7 |12.4 |12.4
L |10.2 |10.3 |10.4
N |13.2 |11.8 |10.0
O |15.4 |18.8 |19.3
P |19.6 |16.3 |18.9
Notes:-
(i) Sick absence includes both RUC Regular
and Full-Time Reserve officers;
(ii) Breakdown by police division for
male/female absence is not available;
(iii) Force headquarters staff and
specialist units ie Traffic Branch etc. are
not included within divisional figures;
(iv) TOTAL days lost are based on 365-day
calendar year; whereas WORK days lost are
based on a 228-day year (ie calendar year
less rest days, Public Holidays etc);
(v) The police divisional headquarters are
located as follows:
A Musgrave street, Belfast
B Grosvenor road, Belfast
D Antrim road, Belfast
E Strandtown, Belfast
G Newtownards
H Armagh
J Mahon road, Portadown
K Dungannon
L Enniskillen
N Strand road, Londonderry
O Coleraine
P Ballymena
PRIME MINISTER
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Byers : To ask the Prime Minister how many employees have worked on a full-time or part-time basis with the Scott inquiry liaison unit set up within the Cabinet Office ; when the unit was established ; and when its work will be completed.
The Prime Minister : The Scott inquiry unit in the Cabinet Office was established in December 1992 with three full-time members, increased to five in April 1993. I am unable at this stage to say when the work of the unit will be completed.
Veterans
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Prime Minister if he will reconsider his decision not to appoint a veterans' Minister.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 9 May 1994] : Responsibility for matters affecting war veterans, their widows and dependants, forms part of the departmental remit of a number of Ministers, as appropriate. There are no plans to change this arrangement.
HEALTH
Nurses and Midwives
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) qualified national health service nurses and midwives, (b) unqualified national health service nursing staff and (c) nursing learners were employed in each regional health authority in each year since 1989 (i) in numbers and (ii) as a percentage of the total NHS nursing and midwifery staff.
Mr. Sackville : The information requested will be placed in the Library.
Consultancies
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by (a) regional health authorities, (b) district health authorities, (c) family health service authorities and (d) other health authorities on consultancies in the latest year for which figure are available.
Mr. Sackville : Expenditure on consultants is included under the category "external contract staffing and consultancy services", and cannot be separately identified. This information is published in Health and Personal Social Services Statistics, copies of which are available in the Library. The figures could include non-clinical services provided by outside bodies in areas such as cleaning, accountancy and computer services.
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