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excluding state benefits for the working families, with gross weekly income ranges as before to £280 to £299, but finishing with bands of £300 to £350, £350 to £400 and £400 and over and (b) the benefits and benefit incomes on which the out-of-work families depended.Mr. Burt : The information requested is in the tables. Some of the estimates in the tables are based on small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a wide margin of error.
The figures are based on estimates taken from 1991 and 1992 family expenditure surveys, using the income reported in the survey year. They are not adjusted to a common price base and therefore should not be used for comparison over time.
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Table 1
Number of working families with children at various income levels
Great Britain
1991-92
Thousands
One- Two- One- Two- Number of
dependent children
|parent |parent |wage |wage
|Total |family |family |family |family |One |Two |Three |Four or
|more
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross weekly income excluding state benefits
Under £80 |140 |10 |130 |120 |20 |50 |70 |20 |0
£80 to £99 |50 |10 |40 |50 |<1>- |30 |20 |10 |<1>-
£100 to £119 |60 |10 |50 |50 |<1>- |40 |20 |<1>- |0
£120 to £139 |70 |20 |50 |50 |10 |40 |20 |10 |<1>-
£140 to £159 |110 |20 |90 |100 |10 |40 |40 |20 |10
£160 to £179 |130 |20 |100 |100 |30 |60 |50 |20 |10
£180 to £199 |110 |20 |90 |80 |30 |60 |40 |10 |10
£200 to £219 |170 |30 |140 |120 |50 |80 |60 |20 |10
£220 to £239 |190 |20 |170 |120 |60 |70 |90 |10 |10
£240 to £259 |180 |20 |160 |110 |70 |80 |80 |20 |<1>-
£260 to £279 |230 |20 |210 |120 |100 |80 |110 |30 |10
£280 to £299 |220 |20 |200 |100 |120 |100 |80 |30 |10
£300 to £349 |510 |20 |480 |190 |320 |210 |220 |50 |20
£350 to £399 |570 |20 |550 |180 |400 |220 |270 |60 |10
£400 to £449 |460 |10 |440 |130 |330 |210 |190 |40 |10
£450 to £499 |340 |<1>- |340 |100 |250 |150 |140 |50 |10
£500 and over |1,450 |10 |1,430 |390 |1,060 |560 |650 |190 |50
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |4,980 |300 |4,680 |2,110 |2,870 |2,080 |2,140 |590 |170
<1>Denotes less than 5 thousand.
Notes:
1. The figures are estimates derived from the 1991 and 1992 Family Expenditure Surveys
combined. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 thousand and because of this rows
and columns may not exactly sum to totals. All estimates are subject to sampling error.
2. Gross weekly income is the income reported in the year of the survey, either 1991 or 1992,
with no adjustment for inflation.
3. A working family' is one where at least one parent/partner is in full-time employment or
self-employment and working 30 hours or more.
4. A two-wage family' is where the second wage exceeds £5 per week.
5. The figures include only families in private households.
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Table 2
Number of non-working families of working age with children at various income levels
Great Britain
1991-92
Thousands
Gross weekly
||13income including
||13state benefits
|Under |£50 |£70 |£90 |£110 |£130 |£150 |£170 |£190 |£210 |£230 |£250 |Total
|£50 |to £69 |to £89 |to £109 |to £129 |to £149 |to £169 |to £189 |to £209 |to £229 |to £249 |and over
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total |40 |60 |140 |300 |330 |260 |220 |150 |90 |70 |40 |180 |1,880
One-parent family |10 |50 |100 |240 |210 |130 |110 |50 |30 |30 |20 |40 |1,020
Two-parent family |30 |20 |30 |60 |110 |120 |100 |100 |50 |40 |20 |150 |860
Number of dependent children
One |30 |50 |110 |200 |160 |70 |60 |40 |20 |20 |10 |80 |850
Two |10 |10 |20 |80 |130 |120 |60 |50 |30 |30 |10 |70 |610
Three |<1>- |<1>- |10 |10 |40 |70 |60 |30 |10 |20 |<1>- |30 |270
Four or more |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |10 |<1>- |10 |30 |30 |20 |10 |10 |10 |140
Contributory benefits being received
None<2> |40 |20 |30 |30 |20 |20 |20 |20 |20 |20 |20 |110 |370
None<3> |<1>- |40 |100 |240 |270 |200 |150 |80 |40 |40 |20 |30 |1,210
Unemployment benefit<2> 0 <1>- 10 10 10 <1>- 10 10 <1>- <1>- <1>- 10 60
Unemployment benefit<3> 0 0 <1>- <1>- <1>- <1>- 10 <1>- 0 <1>- 0 <1>- 30
SB/SSP<2> |0 |<1>- |0 |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |0 |<1>- |10 |30
SB/SSP<3> |0 |0 |0 |0 |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |10 |0 |0 |0 |20
Invalidity benefit<2> |0 |0 |<1>- |10 |10 |20 |10 |20 |10 |0 |<1>- |10 |100
Invalidity benefit<3> |0 |0 |0 |<1>- |0 |0 |<1>- |<1>- |<1>- |10 |<1>- |<1>- |20
Other<2> |0 |<1>- |0 |0 |<1>- |0 |10 |<1>- |0 |<1>- |<1>- |10 |30
Other<3> |0 |0 |<1>- |<1>- |10 |0 |0 |0 |0 |<1>- |0 |0 |10
<1>Denotes less than 5,000.
<2>Denotes without income support.
<3>Denotes with income support.
Notes:
1. The figures are estimates derived from the 1991 and 1992 Family Expenditure Surveys combined. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 thousand and because of this rows and columns may not exactly sum to totals. All estimates are subject to sampling error.
2. Gross weekly income is the income reported in the year of the survey, either 1991 or 1992 with no adjustment for inflation.
3. A non-working family' is one where neither parent/partner is in full-time employment or self-employment.
4. The figures include only families in private households.
5. Other contributory benefits include widows benefit, maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay.
6. It is known that receipt of income support is under reported in the Family Expenditure Surveys.
7. SB is sickness benefit and SSP is statutory sick pay.
Child Support
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of those fathers being asked for maintenance for their own children are also caring for stepchildren for whom no maintenance is being received.
Mr. Burt : I understand from Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive of the Child Support Agency, that this information is not available.
Lesbian Parents
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy, where lesbian couples are awarded parental rights over a child, that they do not receive more benefits than a heterosexual couple ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : The law contains no recognition of the possibility of a contract of marriage between people of the same sex. Social security legislation reflects this.
In the income-related benefits only an unmarried man and woman living together as husband and wife can be treated in the same way as a married couple--that is, as a single unit.
In the contributory benefits, adult dependency increases are paid in prescribed circumstances, which can include the situation where an adult dependant is caring for a child for whom the claimant is entitled, or treated as entitled, to child benefit. In this situation no reference is made to the sex of the claimant or the adult dependant.
Market Testing
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the plans for market testing of (a) social security commissioners, (b) social security appeal tribunals, (c) medical appeal tribunals and (d) disability appeal tribunals.
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Habitual Residence Test
Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security further to his oral answer of 4 July, Official Report , column 4, when the regulations to curb benefit tourism will be laid.
Mr. Lilley : I have laid regulations today to prevent benefit tourism. From 1 August people claiming income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit will have to be habitually resident of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Republic of Ireland or the Isle of Man. European Economic Area nationals who have acquired worker's rights under EC directives by working in the United Kingdom on a regular basis, asylum seekers, refugees and those given exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom will be unaffected.
War Pensions
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a list of all those district councils who do not disregard the first £20 of war widows' and war disabled pensions in calculating council tax and housing benefit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hague : There is a £10 per week statutory disregard of war widows' pensions and war disablement pensions in all of the income-related benefits. In addition, local authorities have the discretion to disregard up to the full amount of these pensions when calculating entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit. We have no plans to change these arrangements.
As the hon. Member originally asked this question of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, I have limited the information in the table to Welsh district councils. Housing benefit information has been compiled from the latest available information from local authorities for the financial year 1990-91. No details are available for council tax benefit.
District councils in Wales who do not disregard a further £10 of war widows' pensions and war disablement pensions , in addition to the £10 statutory disregard, when entitlement to housing benefit is calculated
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Alyn and DeesideBrecknock
Carmarthen
Cynon Valley
Dinefwr
Lllw Valley
Merthyr Tydfil
Monmouth
Newport
Port Talbot
Rhymney Valley
South Pembrokeshire
Taff-Ely
Torfaen
Wrexham Maelor
Ynys Mon
Applies to war widows' pensions only.
Applies to war disablement pensions only.
Denotes a district council which disregards 50 per cent. of a war widow's or war disablement pension, including the £10 statutory disregard.
Civil Service
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will order an inquiry into the work of members of his Department (a) in drafting the detailed regulations relating to child support, (b) setting up and establishing the Child Support Agency and (c) managing and controlling the Child Support Agency ; if he will discipline those whose performance has been in error or inadequate ; and if he will give his assessment of the effect of the setting up of the Child Support Agency on public perception of the civil service.
Mr. Burt : No. Ministers are responsible for decisions on policy embodied in legislation, which it is for Parliament to approve, amend or reject. They are also accountable to Parliament for the conduct of the operations of their Department, including its agencies. Civil servants are responsible for advising Ministers on policy and for ensuring that their decisions are implemented effectively and efficiently.
We keep the policies, management and performance of the Department under regular review and, like other
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Government bodies, it is also open to scrutiny by the National Audit Office and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. Managers, including agency chief executives, have the duty of ensuring that any necessary action, including where appropriate disciplinary action, is taken to correct any errors or inadequacies.Running Costs
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a table showing the running costs of his Department in each region for each year since 1987-88.
Mr. Hague : The information is not available as running costs are not recorded on a regional basis.
Income Support
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend the regulations requiring carers premium allowances and invalid care allowance to be taken into account when considering applications for income support.
Mr. Burt : Invalid care allowance, like income support, is an income maintenance benefit. It is therefore taken into account when calculating entitlement to income support. The carer premium is an additional amount included in income support for people entitled to invalid care allowance, and increases the amount of benefit payable. We have no plans to change the current rules.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of income support in each region and as a percentage of the total had deductions made from their benefit for (a) poll tax arrears, (b) fuel bills and (c) social fund loan repayments in each year since 1990.
Mr. Burt : The information is in the table. Information is not available for the May 1993 "Annual Statistical Enquiry".
Source :
Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiries, May 1990-1992. Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, August 1993.
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Income Support Recipients with Deductions from Benefit
Region Total (a) Community (b) Fuel Bills (c) Social Fund
Charge Arrears Repayments
|Claimants
|Cases |Per cent. of|Cases |Per cent. of|Cases |Per cent. of
|Region |Region |Region
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 1993
North Eastern |839,000 |97,000 |11.6 |58,000 |7.0 |110,000 |13.2
London North |1,018,000 |66,000 |6.5 |36,000 |3.6 |85,000 |8.4
South Western |411,000 |38,000 |9.2 |10,000 |2.4 |37,000 |9.1
Wales |312,000 |27,000 |8.8 |15,000 |4.9 |36,000 |11.4
Midlands |912,000 |83,000 |9.1 |35,000 |3.8 |96,000 |10.5
North Western |812,000 |107,000 |13.1 |43,000 |5.3 |108,000 |13.4
Scotland |553,000 |44,000 |7.9 |41,000 |7.3 |96,000 |17.4
London South |915,000 |45,000 |5.0 |29,000 |3.2 |74,000 |8.1
Great Britain |5,771,000 |507,000 |8.8 |268,000 |4.6 |643,000 |11.1
May 1992
North Eastern |753,000 |50,000 |6.7 |57,000 |7.6 |103,000 |13.7
London North |891,000 |25,000 |2.8 |31,000 |3.5 |73,000 |8.2
South Western |357,000 |16,000 |4.4 |10,000 |2.7 |32,000 |9.0
Wales |287,000 |17,000 |5.9 |17,000 |5.9 |34,000 |11.9
Midlands |800,000 |36,000 |4.5 |23,000 |2.9 |90,000 |11.2
North Western |731,000 |44,000 |6.0 |39,000 |5.3 |100,000 |13.7
Scotland |519,000 |42,000 |8.0 |42,000 |8.1 |94,000 |18.1
London South |749,000 |14,000 |1.8 |24,000 |3.3 |59,000 |7.9
Great Britain |5,088,000 |243,000 |4.8 |243,000 |4.8 |586,000 |11.5
May 1991
North Eastern |688,000 |7,000 |0.9 |47,000 |6.9 |78,000 |11.3
London North |735,000 |2,000 |0.2 |21,000 |2.8 |44,000 |6.0
South Western |310,000 |1,000 |0.2 |7,000 |2.3 |20,000 |6.4
Wales |257,000 |3,000 |1.1 |13,000 |5.0 |26,000 |10.2
Midlands |699,000 |2,000 |0.2 |17,000 |2.4 |70,000 |10.1
North Western |669,000 |6,000 |1.0 |33,000 |4.9 |79,000 |11.8
Scotland |487,000 |13,000 |2.7 |43,000 |8.8 |84,000 |17.2
London South |641,000 |1,000 |0.1 |20,000 |3.1 |42,000 |6.6
Great Britain |4,487,000 |34,000 |0.8 |200,000 |4.5 |443,000 |9.9
May 1990
North Eastern |674,000 |- |- |41,000 |6.1 |72,000 |10.8
London North |638,000 |- |- |22,000 |3.4 |40,000 |6.3
South Western |274,000 |- |- |7,000 |2.7 |17,000 |6.1
Wales |248,000 |- |- |10,000 |4.1 |24,000 |9.6
Midlands |665,000 |- |- |13,000 |2.0 |54,000 |8.1
North Western |643,000 |- |- |25,000 |3.9 |65,000 |10.1
Scotland |481,000 |- |- |47,000 |9.8 |75,000 |15.7
London South |558,000 |- |- |17,000 |3.0 |36,000 |6.5
Great Britain |4,180,000 |- |- |183,000 |4.4 |383,000 |9.2
Notes:
1. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. Percentages are correct to one decimal place.
2. The regions given are the social security administrative regions, as used by the Department prior to 1988.
3. Information on deductions to cover direct payment of community charge arrears was not collected in 1990. (The
community charge was introduced in April 1989 in Scotland and April 1990 in the rest of Great Britain).
4. Deductions to cover direct payment of fuel bills include current charges and arrears for gas and electricity. An
Income Support recipient may have deductions for more than one of these. Such cases are only counted once in the
tables.
Rugby Injuries (Benefits)
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the current annual expenditure on paying sickness, invalidity or other benefits to persons injured playing rugby union football and their dependents.
Mr. Scott : The information is not available.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Kenya
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid the European Union has cancelled to Kenya ; and for what reason.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : No EC aid under the Lome convention has been cancelled recently. However, differences between the Government of Kenya and the European Commission on sectoral policy issues have resulted in proposals to reallocate 25 MECU of Lome III funds and 65 MECU of Lome IV funds--a total equivalent to approximately £70.3 million--from the cereals sector reform programme to other projects. This reallocation and the new projects are expected to be agreed formally later this year as part of a revised national indicative programme.
Column 402
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the reasons for cancelling a grant for forestry conservation to Kenya in February.
Mr. Lennox Boyd : We were unable to reach agreement with the Government of Kenya on a number of issues, including financial sustainability and management mechanisms in the pilot forests and consultation procedures over excisions, which would have enabled us to proceed with a planned further phase of the Kenya indigenous forestry conservation project. The project has now formally closed. We remain ready to discuss further the possibility of resuming our involvement provided a mutually acceptable basis can be found.
Tanzania
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement detailing the value of all types of aid and support for economic and social development in Tanzania in each of the last five years, providing information separately for the different aid and support programmes.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Our support for economic and social development in Tanzania has been, and remains, substantial. The main elements comprise programme aid, in support of economic reform, and project assistance, consisting of both technical cooperation and financial inputs, focusing particularly on natural resources, health and population, and transport and infrastructure. We have also provided considerable assistance through non- governmental organisations. The value of our aid has been as follows :
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United Kingdom |PROJECT |AID |Programme |Disaster |Debt |Other |Total Financial Year |Financial |Technical |Aid |Relief |Relief £'000 |Aid |Cooperation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1988-89 |4,154 |7,102 |19,559 |- |13 |1,061 |31,888 1989-90 |3,269 |9,445 |4,840 |- |8 |937 |18,500 1990-91 |719 |9,425 |20,851 |45 |3 |881 |31,925 1991-92 |796 |12,754 |10,652 |16 |- |849 |25,066 1992-93 |3,728 |12,517 |6,497 |36 |- |956 |23,734
Aid Budget
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the United Kingdom's aid budget was (a) given as bilateral aid, (b) multilateral aid and (c) administered by the European Community in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992 and currently.
Mr. Hurd [pursuant to his reply, 27 June 1994, column 411] : The answer should read as follows : "In 1979-80, 72 per cent. was bilateral aid, 12 per cent. was chanelled through multilateral institutions other than the EC, and 16 per cent. was administered by the EC.
In 1983-84 the figures were 55 per cent., 30 per cent., 15 per cent. ; in 1987-88 the figures were 60 per cent., 24 per cent., 16 per cent. ; and in 1992-93 the most recent year for which figures are available, the figures were 54 per cent., 25 per cent., and 21 per cent. respectively."
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Research
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the report of the multi-departmental scrutiny of public sector research establishments will be published ; and what arrangements have been made for public consultation on the report's findings.
Mr. Waldegrave : I am pleased to announce that the report on the efficiency scrutiny of civil public sector research establishments is being published today. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The scrutiny was foreshadowed in the White Paper "Realising our potential : a strategy for science, engineering and technology". I announced its terms of reference on 2 February and the bodies to be covered on 3 March, Official Report, columns 809-11.
As Minister for Science, I am determined to ensure that Government resources are spent to the maximum extent possible on science rather than on administrative overheads. The scrutiny team's report proposes a range of options. I and my colleagues in other Departments will be examining these proposals carefully before deciding on the Government's response.
The Government wish to ensure that all interested parties have an opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process on the report. There will accordingly be a four-month public consultation period, beginning today and ending on 11 November, during which all individuals and organisations who wish to comment are invited to forward views to the Office of Science and Technology, head of trans-departmental science and technology group. The Government will take these views into account in reaching their decisions on the way forward.
Column 404
Civil Servants
Mr. Byers : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what occasions in the last 10 years he or a Minister in his Department has given a direction to civil servants to award a contract against the advice of the civil service ; what was the subject matter of the contract and its value ; and when it was awarded.
Mr. Waldegrave : There have been no occasions in the last 10 years when Ministers in the Office of Public Service and Science or any of its predecessors have given any such directions.
Management Training
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in his Department have attended management training seminars run by Paget and Thompson in the last 12 months.
Mr. Waldegrave : According to available information, three members of Central Office of Information staff, and one from the Office of Public Service and Science, Chessington computer centre, attended management training seminars by Padgett Thompson during the period. None has attended seminars by Paget and Thompson.
Market Testing
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in how many cases in each of the last two years where market testing of public services took place an in-house bid was prohibited ; in how many cases it was allowed ; in the latter case, how many times the in-house bid won ; what percentage of the total for each year was represented by each of these categories ; and what was the total value of the contracts in each category.
Mr. Waldegrave : Comprehensive information on the reasons for contract being let without an in-house bid is not available centrally. The rest of the information requested for the period from April 1992 to December 1993 can be found in table 2 on page 101 of the citizens charter second report which is in the Library. Comparable information for 1994 is not yet available.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the basis of his calculation that market testing of central Government public services has saved £135 million ; if he will give a precise breakdown of each main component of this total ; and what period is covered by these savings.
Mr. Waldegrave : £135 million is the total annual saving for the period from April 1992 to December 1993, calculated by taking into consideration all those costs which are directly attributable to individual tests. The calculation is set out in the table.
Column 405
°
|£ million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Annual cost of activities before testing |1,119.2
Less |Annual cost of activities after testing |980.0
Less |Annualised redundancy costs |2.0
Less |Other one-off costs attributable to tests,
| including consultancy support to in-house
| teams, annualised |1.5
Equals |Annual savings attributable to tests |<1>135.6
<1> The figures do not sum exactly to the total because of rounding.
Open Government
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he intends to introduce legislation to enable a statutory right of access to personal information as described in the White Paper on open government ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : Legislation will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits.
Disabled People
Mr. Alan Howarth : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what role will be played by his Department in the forthcoming consultation on disability ; and what plans he has to publish a consultation paper on making public services accessible to disabled people.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Minister for Disabled People will be co-ordinating action on the forthcoming consultation on disability and will involve other Departments as necessary. The principles underlying the citizens charter apply to everyone, including people with disabilities. I am hoping shortly to publish jointly, with the Minister for State for Social Security, a checklist to help service providers and those responsible for drawing up and publishing charters or statements of charter standards to consider in more detail the standard of service they offer to people with disabilities.
EMPLOYMENT
Work Permits
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permits have been issued to foreign nationals in each of the last three years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The total number of work permits issued by the Department in each of the last three years is shown in the following table :
Year |Number of
|work permits
|issued
---------------------------------------
1991 |37,989
1992 |37,917
1993 |37,761
Training
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of training providers funded by training and enterprise councils are specifically Asian, African or Caribbean organisations.
Column 406
Miss Widdecombe : The Department does not require training and enterprise councils to supply information about the ethnic background of their training providers.
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of directors of training and enterprise councils are of Asian, African or Caribbean origin.
Miss Widdecombe : I am unable to give the information the hon. Member is asking for as it is not held centrally.
Academic Appointments
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by what authority non-EU citizens cannot take up British academic appointments when their qualifications and abilities are considered by the academic institutions to be superior.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Department grants work permits under the Immigration Act 1971 to enable United Kingdom employers, including academic institutions, where necessary, to recruit highly skilled personnel from outside the European Economic Area. It does so for overseas nationals who have unique qualifications or experience, or where there are no suitable qualified resident workers available.
Running Costs
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a table showing the running costs of his Department in each region for each year since 1987-88.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information in the form requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Equal Opportunities Commission
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the ratio of male to female employees at the Equal Opportunities Commission.
Miss Widdecombe : From the latest figures available the ratio is one male employee to every four female employees.
Unemployment
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the most recent figures for unemployment in the 12 European Union member states.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 7 July 1994] :
Internationally comparable unemployment figures based on the internationally standardised ILO definition of unemployment are published by EUROSTAT in its monthly "Unemployment Bulletin", copies of which are available in the Library. These figures, which show that the United Kingdom ILO unemployment rate is below the EC average, are shown in the table.
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates in EC
countries
|Percentage |Latest month
------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |10.0 |April
Denmark |10.5 |April
Germany<1> |6.3 |April
Greece |n/a |-
Spain |23.1 |April
France |11.3 |April
Ireland |17.9 |April
Italy |11.5 |April
Luxembourg |3.3 |April
Netherlands |10.0 |March
Protugal |6.2 |April
United Kingdom |9.9 |April
EC average |11.0 |April
<1> This figures only relates to the former West
Germany.
n/a Not available.
Muscular Dystrophy
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measure his Department plans to ensure employment opportunities to young people suffering from muscular dystrophy.
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