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Severe Disablement Allowance
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of severe disablement allowance receive an increase of benefit for (a) an adult dependant and (b) child dependants ; and what is the average number of children per claimant.
Mr. Scott : The information is in the table.
|Number
-------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA)
beneficiaries receiving an adult dependency
increase |4,000
Number of SDA beneficiaries receiving a child
dependency increase (CDI) |2,000
Average number of children per SDA beneficiary
receiving one or more CDIs |1.6
Source: 1 per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain as
at 4 April 1992, rounded to the nearest thousand.
Housing and Council Tax Benefits
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the average amount of housing benefit payable to people in full- time work ;
(2) what is the average amount of council tax benefit payable to people in full-time work.
Mr. Hague : In Great Britain, in May 1992, the latest date for which information is available, the average weekly amount of housing benefit for cases without income support, where there was earned income, was £25.02. Information for council tax benefit is not available.
Data source :
The May 1992 Housing Benefit Management Information System annual one per cent. sample of cases.
Notes :
1. Claimants in receipt of Income Support cannot be in full time work, so have been excluded.
2. Information on the number of hours worked is not collected, the information therefore includes any case where either a claimant and/or partner receives earnings.
3. The information refers to benefit units, these may be a single person or a couple.
4. As the information is from a sample taken at a specific point it cannot be taken to represent the whole year.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the average amount of council tax benefit payable to people who also receive (a) unemployment benefit, (b) invalidity benefit and (c) severe disablement allowance ;
(2) what is the average amount of housing benefit payable to people who also receive (i) unemployment benefit, (ii) invalidity benefit and (iii) severe disablement allowance.
Mr. Hague : In Great Britain, in May 1992, the latest date for which information is available, the average amount of housing benefit payable to persons in receipt of unemployment benefit, invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance was £34.25, £25.43 and £32.18 respectively. Information for council tax benefit is not available.
Data Source :
The Housing Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample and the Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiry of May 1992.
Notes :
1. The information refers to benefit units, these may be a single
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person or a couple.2. Cases selected include those where either the claimant or the partner were in receipt of any of the benefits.
3. Some cases may fall into more than one category ; eg a claimant may receive Unemployment Benefit and the partner Invalidity Benefit. 4. The information excludes all cases where Housing Benefit entitlement is less than 50 pence per week.
5. As the information is from a sample taken at a specific point it cannot be taken to represent the whole year.
6. The information for Unemployment Benefit uses a different analysis from that published in Social Security Statistics.
Severe Disablement Allowance
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people now receive severe disablement allowance ; and how many receive age allowances (a) at the higher rate, (b) at the middle rate and (c) at the lower rate.
Mr. Scott : As at 4 April 1992, the latest year for which actual figures are available, there were 302,000 recipients of severe disablement allowance. The numbers entitled to the higher, middle and lower rate age allowances were 204,000 , 52,000 and 45,000 respectively. We estimate that as at April 1993 there were 313,000 recipients of severe disablement allowance.
Sources :
One per cent. sample of claimants for Great Britain rounded to the nearest thousand.
Social Security Departmental Report published in March 1994.
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State Pensions
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has for the number of (a) men and (b) women reaching retirement age in (i) 2000, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2020 who will not qualify for a full basic state pension.
Mr. Hague : The data held are insufficient to allow reliable estimates to be made in the form requested.
At present, approximately 90 per cent. of men reaching state pension age have underlying entitlement to a full category A basic retirement pension based on their own contributions. This proportion is not expected to alter significantly in the future. The equivalent position for women is that approximately 20 per cent. currently have underlying entitlement to a full category A retirement pension. By 2020, this proportion is expected to increase to between half and two thirds.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims have been received since 13 September 1993 for industrial injuries disablement benefit for chronic bronchitis and emphysema ; how many claims were successful ; how many claimants were refused benefit because of failing (a) the breathing capacity test and (b) the category 1 pneumoconiosis test ; and if he will break down the figures by social security district.
Mr. Scott : The information is not available in the form requested. The table gives the information by Benefits Agency area directorate as at 12 June 1994--not all the claims received would have been decided by that date :
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Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema (PD D12) by Area Directorate
Area |Claims received |Disallowed on |Disallowed on |Assessed at 14 per
|employment grounds|medical grounds |cent. or over
|disabled
|(a) |(b) |(c)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South
Anglia |24 |4 |4 |3
Chilterns |22 |5 |3 |0
South East |446 |28 |299 |31
West Country |146 |8 |41 |4
Wales and Central England
East Midlands |5,292 |103 |3,722 |444
Greater Manchester |312 |13 |216 |27
Lancashire and Cumbria |2,160 |110 |1,350 |119
Merseyside |472 |21 |324 |34
Midlands South West |623 |26 |440 |47
Wales |8,614 |525 |5,362 |1,134
West Mercia |3,516 |174 |2,239 |316
Scotland and North
East Scotland |2,354 |78 |1,831 |84
Glasgow |232 |12 |92 |8
North and West Yorkshire |2,498 |80 |1,738 |327
North, Central and West Scotland |1,862 |79 |1,471 |49
South Yorkshire and Humberside |6,261 |139 |4,304 |655
Tyne Tees |6,873 |133 |5,510 |514
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Grand Total |41,707 |1,538 |28,946 |3,796
(a)Claims disallowed where the customer had not worked underground in a coal mine for a period of at least 20 years.
(b)Claims disallowed on medical advice include-customers with insufficient lung function loss; those where category 1
pneumoconiosis has not been diagnosed, and those where chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema has not been diagnosed.
(c)Claims assessed at 14 per cent. or more will result in an award of benefit.
Footnote: Not all claims received would have been decided by 12 June 1994.
Based on a 100 per cent. count and subject to amendment.
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Compensation Recovery Unit
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which the compensation recovery unit will take money away from asbestosis victims who have successfully pursued their claims in the civil courts ;
(2) in what circumstances (a) the mining industry and (b) other industries are liable to compensation recovery unit deductions where victims of industrial disease have successfully made claims for compensation ;
(3) what are the circumstances in which terminally ill people face recovery of court awards from the compensation recovery unit ; and what diseases are covered by the rules.
Mr. Scott : Under the provisions of the compensation recovery scheme, an amount equivalent to the value of relevant benefits paid in consequence of asbestosis or other disease, accident or injury should be deducted if the compensation award exceeds £2,500. The scheme applies to all types of industry and the provisions make no distinction between claims made in the civil courts and out-of-court settlements, nor between types of disease.
Compensation claims from people who are terminally ill may also be affected, but the legislation prescribes certain exempt cases, including payments made under the terms of the pneumoconiosis compensation scheme operated by agreement between British Coal and the mining unions.
D. Gale
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action has been taken to ensure that the decisions of the Independent Tribunal Service with reference to the appeal of D. Gale (NR158681C) are communicated promptly to the local offices.
Mr. Burt : This is a matter for the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, his honour Judge Thorpe. He will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Personal Pensions
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his best estimate of the cost of the one per cent. addition currently paid to the holders of appropriate personal pensions aged 30 years or over in a full year.
Mr. Hague : The cost was estimated to be around £165 million for a full year in the financial memorandum accompanying the Social Security Act 1993, which introduced this measure. There is as yet no evidence to suggest that this estimate needs to be revised.
Severe Hardship Payments
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many 16 and 17-year-olds applied for severe hardship payments ; and how many were granted for each quarter since 1988.
Mr. Burt : The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table. More than one application may be made by the same individual until a job or youth training place is secured.
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Applications for severe hardship payments
|Total number |Successful
|of applications
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 1988 to November 1988 |1,688 |1,139
December 1988 to February 1989 |2,370 |1,465
March 1989 to May 1989 |4,506 |2,963
June 1989 to August 1989 |5,362 |3,556
September 1989 to November 1989 |4,278 |2,877
December 1989 to February 1990 |5,448 |3,721
March 1990 to May 1990 |6,827 |4,663
June 1990 to August 1990 |7,470 |5,326
September 1990 to November 1990 |7,023 |5,240
December 1990 to February 1991 |8,722 |6,574
March 1991 to May 1991 |12,478 |9,665
June 1991 to August 1991 |15,112 |12,210
September 1991 to November 1991 |16,478 |13,231
December 1991 to February 1992 |19,697 |16,537
March 1992 to May 1992 |24,197 |19,959
June 1992 to August 1992 |28,114 |23,085
September 1992 to November 1992 |26,966 |21,551
December 1992 to February 1993 |31,135 |25,715
March 1993 to May 1993 |37,351 |31,700
June 1993 to August 1993 |37,256 |32,415
September 1993 to November 1993 |31,491 |27,557
December 1993 to February 1994 |34,397 |30,395
Source: Severe Hardship Claims Unit database.
Home Responsibilities Protection
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of (a) men and (b) women currently earning less than the lower earnings limit ; and, of these, how many are covered by the home responsibilities protection scheme.
Mr. Hague : It is estimated that 0.9 million men and 2.3 million women earn less than the lower earnings limit in any week. The number of these covered by the home responsibilities protection scheme is not known but those who satisfy the normal conditions for caring have access to the scheme.
DEFENCE
Armed Forces (Young People)
15. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many young people under the age of 18 years are currently serving in Her Majesty's forces.
Mr. Hanley : As at 1 July 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 3,334 young people under the age of 18 serving in the armed forces.
Front Line First"
16. Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications of his "Front Line First" policy for (a) 24 Air Mobile Brigade and (b) the Army garrison at Colchester.
Mr. Hanley : As we have said previously, we hope to make an announcement about the broad outcome of the "Front Line First" studies before the summer recess.
My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that as part of the additional front -line manpower for the Army announced in December last year we intend to make available an additional battery of 83 men for the 24 Airmobile Brigade Artillery regiment.
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Defence Exports
17. Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on defence exports.
Mr. Aitken : I am pleased to report that 1993 was another record year, with British defence equipment manufacturers winning export orders worth £6,600 million. This maintains the United Kingdom's position as the world's second largest supplier of defence equipment.
22. Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the contribution of defence industries to British exports ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : 1993 was another record year for British defence equipment manufacturers who won export orders worth £6,600 million. This represents 5.45 per cent. of total British exports in 1993.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
18. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his French counterpart in respect of the deployment of military forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mr. Rifkind : I have regular discussions with my French counterpart on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Trident
19. Mr. Connarty : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the most up-to-date estimates of the capital cost of completing the Trident missile programme and maintaining it thereafter.
Mr. Aitken : At the end of December 1993, some £7 billion had been spent on the Trident programme out of a total of some £9.9 billion, with future estimated capital expenditure expressed at current economic conditions. Operating costs over the lifetime of Trident are expected to amount to some £6 billion on the same basis. The latter figure includes the costs of manpower, submarine refits, transport, stores, an appropriate element of the costs of the Clyde submarine base and the atomic weapons establishment and the eventual decommissioning of the submarines.
Hercules (Replacement)
20. Mr. Miller : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the replacement of the Hercules.
Mr. Aitken : We plan to replace or refurbish about half the Hercules fleet on a rolling basis by the end of the century. The balance of the Hercules fleet will be considered later, alongside the possible replacement of other RAF transport aircraft.
Peace Dividend
21. Mr. Robathan : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made as to the extent of to which the peace dividend has now been exhausted.
Mr. Hanley : "Peace dividend" is not a term that my Department uses, because peace itself is a dividend from a
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continuous investment of national and international resources. In the face of continuing uncertainty in the strategic setting, the Government's security and defence policies aim both to meet existing and future challenges in the most effective way possible, and to make a suitable contribution to peace and stability worldwide, with the purpose of maintaining the freedom and territorial integrity of the United Kingdom and its dependent territories and its ability to pursue legitimate interests at home and abroad. The proportion of national resources which will be required to meet these goals cannot be predicted absolutely. On present plans, defence expenditure is expected to be about 2.9 per cent. of gross domestic product in 1996-97.Defence Costs Study
23. Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what closures of Ministry of Defence sites in the midlands the defence costs study is considering.
Mr. Aitken : A number of recommendations have emerged from the defence costs study for the rationalisation of various defence sites throughout the country. These are still under consideration by Ministers. Until final decisions are taken it would be premature for me to comment on the detail of the options under consideration.
Procurement
24. Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he intends to conduct a review of his Department's procurement plans.
Mr. Aitken : My Department's procurement plans are kept under review to ensure that they will continue to sustain cost-effectively the military capabilities that our policies require.
Contractorisation
25. Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the contractorisation programme in the armed services.
Mr. Aitken : Following the issue in 1991 of the Government's White Paper, "Competing for Quality", we have a programme to pursue market- testing opportunities worth £1.2 billion in the four years from April 1992 across the whole range of defence activities. The aim of the programme is to test the efficiency of in-house services and functions against competition from industry, thereby maximising value for money for the defence budget and the taxpayer. The recent defence costs study will inevitably have a significant impact on the scale of our future "Competing for Quality" programme, and decisions on the contents of the programme will be taken in the light of the outcome of the study.
Hydrographical Surveys
26. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of hydrographic surveys is undertaken by the Royal Navy's marine surveying section.
Mr. Hanley : About two thirds of the civil programme of nautical charting hydrographic surveys in national waters is carried out by Royal Navy personnel embarked in
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ships of the Hydrographic Surveying Squadron or in chartered vessels. The Navy has only limited involvement in hydrographic surveys outside national waters.Contracts
27. Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of United Kingdom defence contracts have been awarded to United Kingdom companies in the past 12 months.
Mr. Aitken : United Kingdom-based companies have been awarded some 90 per cent., by value, of the direct contracts placed by my Department in the last 12 months.
Ten Tors Competition
28. Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the manning levels of the Regular Army and the Territorial Army in the 10 tors competition held on Saturday 14 May on Dartmoor.
Mr. Hanley : A total of 74 Regular Army personnel and 289 members of the Territorial Army took part in the 10 tors competition on 14 May.
Merchant Vessels
29. Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many merchant vessels are currently available to the United Kingdom for defence purposes.
Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Oldham, Central and Royton (Mr. Davies) earlier today.
Territorial Army
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the deployment of formed Territorial Army units to the Falklands or other overseas theatres.
Mr. Hanley : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 19 April at column 508 our intention to deploy a Territorial Army platoon in support of the Regular Army in the Falkland Islands from July to November this year, and a Territorial Army company as part of the Falkland Islands garrison from March to July next year. We shall consider further
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developments in the light of this trial. The 40 TA personnel deploying next month are drawn from across the Province, and come from 4/5 Royal Irish Rangers and 152 Ambulance Regiment RLC.Defence Procurement Executive
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the list kept by the Defence Procurement Executive of approved persons or companies in the United Kingdom to whom surplus military equipment may be disposed.
Mr. Aitken : More than 4,000 companies and individuals encompassing more than 250 commodity types are currently registered on the Directorate of Sales (Disposals) trade lists. The information is commercial in confidence and can be released only with permission of the tenderers concerned.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries to which surplus military equipment has been disposed by the Defence Procurement Executive in the last five years for which information is available.
Mr. Aitken : The information requested could not be provided without disproportionate effort. However, overseas sales of surplus military equipment by the Ministry of Defence are subject to the same defence and foreign policy considerations as all other exports of defence equipment.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used for the disposal of surplus military equipment by the Defence Procurement Executive.
Mr. Aitken : Surplus military equipment is sold by the Directorate of Sales (Disposals) to the best financial advantage of the Ministry of Defence, in compliance with Government policies and control procedures.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons and at what grades or ranks work in the Defence Procurement Executive.
Mr. Aitken : The available information, relating to staff working in Chief of Defence Procurement's budget area at 1 April 1994, is as follows :
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Permanent United Kingdom-based civilian staff-full-time equivalent numbers
by grade equivalence
Total ScientisOther staffs
administration
group
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total |9,660.0|3,237.5|4,333.0|2,089.5
Non-industrial Total |8,235.5|3,237.5|4,333.0|665.0
Grade 1 |1.0 |0.0 |1.0 |0.0
Grade 2 |2.0 |1.0 |1.0 |0.0
Grade 3 |12.0 |6.0 |6.0 |0.0
Grade 4 |8.0 |4.0 |4.0 |0.0
Grade 5 |80.0 |36.0 |38.0 |6.0
Grade 6 |181.5 |55.0 |125.5 |1.0
Grade 7 |672.0 |134.0 |516.0 |22.0
SEO and equivalent |1,563.5|287.0 |1,242.5|34.0
HEO and equivalent |2,099.0|467.0 |1,553.0|79.0
EO and equivalent |1,667.0|745.5 |803.5 |118.0
AO and equivalent |1,330.5|1,110.5|42.5 |177.5
AA and equivalent |615.0 |391.5 |0.0 |223.5
Other-
industrials on temporary promotion |4.0 |- |- |4.0
Industrial total |1,424.5|- |- |1,424.5
Apprentices |173.0 |- |- |173.0
Basic craftsmen |22.0 |- |- |22.0
Senior craftsmen |608.5 |- |- |608.5
Industrial Technician |45.0 |- |- |45.0
Fire Service |47.0 |- |- |47.0
Other Non-craft |529.0 |- |- |529.0
United Kingdom regular service personnel
Total |1,224 |- |- |-
Officers |840 |- |- |-
Other ranks |384 |- |- |-
Royal Air Force
Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what he expects the level of manpower in the Royal Air Force to be in 1999.
Mr. Hanley : Detailed manpower requirements in five years' time will depend on a number of factors, including changing commitments, developments in technology and the progress of management initiatives such as market testing. The Royal Air Force estimates, however, that once restructuring following the "Options for Change" review has been completed, its broad requirement for manpower will be 64,500, which assumes 4,500 in initial training. The precise number in initial training will depend upon recruiting and outflow at the time. These figures reflect decisions already taken. They do not take account of any changes in manpower which may arise as a result of the defence costs study.
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