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Average gross weekly earnings of employees
on all rates-pay
unaffected by absence: April 1993
England |Including
|overtime
|£
--------------------------------------------
Aged 16-full time |97.5
Aged under 18-full time |109.6
Aged 16-part time |39.2
Aged under18-part time |44.0
Source: April 1993 New Earnings Survey.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what figures are available for school leavers unemployed (a) upon leaving school, (b) one months after leaving, (c) one to three months after leaving, (d) three to 12 months after leaving and (e) one to three years after leaving.
Miss Widdecombe : Information taken from the most recent youth cohort studies of England and Wales is given in the following table :
Proportion of school leavers who were out of work after leaving school
|16 and |18-year-old
|17-year-old |school leavers
|school leavers
|Per cent. |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage remaining out of work
immediately after leaving school |20 |30
Percentage remaining out of work
1 month after leaving school |17 |24
Percentage remaining out of work
3 months after leaving school |10 |13
Percentage remaining out of work
12 months after leaving school |2 |2
Source: The Youth Cohort Study of England and Wales. (Data for 16 and 17 year
old school leavers was taken from Cohort 6 Sweeps 1 and 2 which were conducted
in Spring 1992 and Spring 1993 and data for 18 year old school leavers was
taken Cohort 5 Sweep 3 which was conducted in Spring 1993).
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what figures and percentage terms are available for school leavers (a) entering part- time employment, (b) entering full-time employment and (c) entering temporary employment.
Miss Widdecombe : The information in the following table has been taken from the youth cohort study of England and Wales. The study does not collect information on those young people who are in temporary employment.
Proportion of young people in full-time or part-time employment
in the spring after leaving school
|16/17 year olds|17/18 year olds|18/19 year olds
|Spring 1992 |Spring 1993 |Spring 1993
|Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage in full-time
employment |39 |39 |59
Percentage in part-time
employment |5 |10 |11
Source: The Youth Cohort Study of England and Wales (Cohort 6 Sweep 1 and 2 and
Cohort 5 Sweep 3).
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Race Relations
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consult local authorities before authorising any changes in the administration of the race relations employment advisory service or obliging market testing of the service.
Miss Widdecombe : There is no need for the Department to consult local authorities before making any changes to the administration of the Race Relations Employment Advisory Service or market-testing the service. RREAS is a self-contained organisation which offers advice and guidance on racial equality in employment directly to employers in the private and public sectors. There is no reason why any changes in its administration or management should impact on the work of local authorities.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria his Department is using in considering whether the race relations employment advisory service should be market tested ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Government's policy, as set out in the White Paper "Competing for Quality"--November 1992, Cm. 1730--is to provide high-quality public services in the most cost-effective way.
Working Hours
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of the working week for those in full-time employment in the United Kingdom and in the other countries of the European Union.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Estimates from the spring 1993 Labour Force Survey for the United Kingdom show that the average usual total weekly hours worked by full-time employees in their main job was 43.5 hours.
Most recent international comparisons of average hours worked relate to LFS results for spring 1991 and are published by EUROSTAT. These estimates are given in the table :
Employees working Full-time
|Average hours
|usually
|worked per
|week
-------------------------------------------
United Kingdom |43.4
Portugal |41.5
Spain |40.5
Ireland |40.4
Greece |40.3
FR Germany |39.8
Luxembourg |39.8
France |39.7
Netherlands |38.9
Italy |38.7
Denmark |38.4
Belgium |38.0
EU 12 average |40.3
Source: EUROSTAT Labour Force Survey
results 1991.
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Unemployment
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people (a) joined and (b) left the unemployment register for each of the last 12 months for (i) Burnley, (ii) Lancashire, (iii) the north-west and (iv) England ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Information on the numbers of people entering and leaving claimaint unemployment on the unadjusted basis can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what figures are available for (a) Burnley, (b) Lancashire, (c) the north-west and (d) England for those unemployed by duration of (i) less than three months, (ii) three to 12 months ; (iii) one to three years and (iv) three years and more ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Information on the levels of claimant unemployment by duration is available on the unadjusted basis only, for the months of January, April, July and Otober. It can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response his Department is making to levels of unemployment among ethnic minorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Employment Service provides a range of specific measures aimed at helping unemployed people obtain work, including those from ethnic minorities. Training programmes administered by training and enterprise councils on the Employment Department's behalf are available to all those eligible, regardless of their racial origin. The Race Relations Employment Advisory Service, and various ED publications, help employers to provide equality of opportunity.
Training
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how he intends to ensure that adequate training provision is made for young people with special needs under the commitment to youth training made in the White Paper, "Competitiveness : Helping Business to Win".
Miss Widdecombe : The White Paper "Competitiveness : Helping Business to Win" restates the Government's commitment to the guarantee of a suitable training place to all 16 and 17-year-old school leavers who are unable to find a job and are seeking training. The guarantee is delivered locally by training and enterprise councils and meets the needs of individuals whatever their ability or training needs.
Employment Schemes, London
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) for how long unemployed people are currently waiting to attend the job search seminars at each employment centre in the London region from the date they first applied ;
(2) for how long unemployed people are currently waiting to take up the new Restart courses at each employment centre in London from the date they first applied ;
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(3) for how long unemployed people are currently waiting to attend the job review workshops at each employment centre in London from the date they first applied.Mr. Michael Forsyth : Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. G. Johnson to Mr. Jim Dowd, dated 14 July 1994 : The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions regarding how long unemployed people are currently waiting to attend Job Search Seminars, Job Review Workshops and New Restart Courses in each employment centre in the London region from the date they first applied. I am replying in the Chief Executive's absence.
Employment Service (ES) programmes are designed to give specific help to unemployed people at certain stages of their unemployment. Job Search Seminars and Job Review Workshops are available to clients who have been unemployed for 13 weeks whereas New Restart is a mandatory programme for clients who have been unemployed for two years. The ES and the client will only gain maximum benefit from the assistance and guidance offered by any particular programme if the referral is made at the appropriate time. The ES Structure review which was implemented in April this year has placed the responsiblity on our District Managers to provide suitable ES programmes and ensure that those programmes are filled. By devolving responsibility in this way we aim to ensure that programme waiting lists are reduced and that the right provision is in the right place at the right time. Greater London is divided into nine District Offices covering 147 Employment Service Jobcentres, Jobcentres and Unemployment Benefit Offices. In order to supply an immediate reply to your questions I have contacted a representative sample of offices in each of the nine Districts and can give you average waiting times for each of the programmes as follows :
Job search seminars. The average wait is two-three weeks north of the Thames and four weeks south of the Thames.
Job Review Workshops. The average wait is two-three weeks both north and south of the Thames.
New Restart. The average wait is three weeks both north and south of the Thames.
The above figures indicate that in London, generally, our local management policy is working but we are not complacent as we know that waiting lists for some programmes in some Districts are longer. I have asked our Programmes Manager, David Young, to review programmes provision to ensure that our clients' needs are best met in all Districts.
I hope this is helpful.
Mrs. Helen Tinney
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to ensure that the Health and Safety Executive updates its practices and procedures to take account of the report of the fatal accident inquiry into the death of Mrs. Helen Tinney of Gorbals, Glasgow.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 July 1994] : The Health and Safety Executive has studied the report on the fatal accident inquiry with care. The executive is promoting and participating in a revision of the British Standard, No. 5607/BS6187, which sets out the technical requirements applicable to the use of explosives in demolition. The revision will take into account the demolition by explosives of high-rise buildings.
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HOUSE OF COMMONS
BBC (Security Passes)
Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee (1) how many passes giving access to the Palace of Westminster, other than Lobby or Gallery passes, have been allocated to the British Broadcasting Corporation ;
(2) how many Lobby and Gallery passes have been allocated to the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Mr. Michael J. Martin : I understand that the British Broadcasting Corporation has been issued with 42 photo-identity passes for the Press Gallery and Lobby, and with 102 such passes for other parts of the Palace of Westminster.
Jubilee Line Construction
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what effect the current delays in the construction of the Jubilee line will have on the timetable for the new building for parliamentary offices.
Mr. Ray Powell : My Committee fully recognises the critical effect of the rebuilding of Westminster station on the construction programme of the new parliamentary building. It therefore recommended in its second report of Session 1991-92 (HC 358) that a steering group of officials should be established to monitor progress, to give directions to the project teams of London Underground Ltd. and the new parliamentary building on matters affecting the interface between the two schemes and to report monthly to the Committee. That group includes in its membership the managing director of LUL and the director of the Jubilee line extension project. The Committee's recommendation was subsequently incorporated into the legal agreement between the House and London Underground which now governs the development of the site.
The Committee has now considered the second of these monthly reports and has been advised by the steering group
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that, after four months on site, work is not proceeding as well as expected ; is behind schedule ; and that LUL has instructed its contractor to reprogramme the work. The Committee has been advised by the steering group that, notwithstanding these delays, LUL is confident the site will be handed back on schedule in February 1997. The Committee nevertheless remains concerned about this slippage so early in the programme and has therefore invited the managing director of LUL to complement his contribution to the steering group with regular meetings with the Committee. That invitation has now been accepted and the first of these meetings is expected to take place this autumn.The target date for completion of the new parliamentary building remains at August 1999.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people (a) claimed and (b) were awarded non-contributory invalidity benefit following entitlement to statutory sick pay where the claimant suffered an industrial injury for the period (i) between April 1992 to April 1993, (ii) April 1993 to April 1994 and (iii) in total since April 1983.
Mr. Scott : Information from April 1992 is not yet available and figures from April 1983 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Income Support
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what figures are available for people claiming income support by (a) gender and (b) age for (i) Burnley, (ii) Lancashire, (iii) the north West and (iv) England for the latest month for which figures are available.
Mr. Burt : The available information is in the table.
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Income Support claimants by age, gender and region (thousands)
North western England
region
Age |Males |Females |All claimants|Males |Females |All claimants
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16-19 |22 |22 |44 |137 |129 |266
20-29 |114 |110 |224 |712 |617 |1,329
30-39 |74 |64 |138 |493 |999 |892
40-49 |52 |37 |89 |333 |224 |557
50-59 |39 |27 |66 |245 |152 |397
60-69 |37 |35 |72 |224 |192 |416
70-79 |19 |59 |79 |111 |339 |450
80+ |17 |83 |100 |115 |485 |599
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
All ages |375 |437 |812 |2,370 |2,536 |4,906
Notes:
1. Source: Income Support Quarterly Enquiry, August 1993.
2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. The North Western Region is one of the Social Security administrative regions used by the Department prior
to 1988.
Benefits Repayments
Ms Jowell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances private individuals are required to repay contributory, non-means tested benefits
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to his Department ; what plans the Government have to extend the scope of such repayments ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Hague : Repayments of benefit can be required when an adjudication officer decides that an overpayment
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has been caused by a person's misrepresentation, or failure to disclose, any material fact ; or when there has been a civil action under common law.In certain circumstances, legislation provides for recovery of moneys paid to individual benefit claimants, thus
(1) when Income Support is paid (or paid at a higher rate) because of the late payment of a contributory or other non-means tested benefit, the sum involved may be recovered before any payment of arrears is made.
(2) an amount equivalent to the value of relevant benefits should be deducted and paid to the Department for cases which fall under the provisions of the Compensation Recovery Scheme. Normally this deduction is made by the compensator just before the personal injury damages are paid to the individual who made the claim.
We have no plans to extend the scope of these arrangements.
Household Incomes
Mr. Willetts : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the next edition of "Households Below Average Income" statistics will be published.
Mr. Burt : The new edition of the household below average income-- HBAI--statistics, covering the years 1979 to 1991-92, has been published today and copies have been placed in the Library. The figures show that average disposable household incomes have grown in real terms by 36 per cent. between 1979 and 1991-92. Increases were not confined to a few top earners, and there have been appreciable increases in average incomes for all family types and economic status groups. Pensioners have done particularly well, with pensioner couples showing an increase in average income of up to 56 per cent. after housing costs and 46 per cent. before housing costs. A complex picture emerges in the outcomes for the lower- incomes groups. This edition captures a particular point in the economic cycle when unemployment peaked, prior to the downward trend that followed. Interest rates had begun to fall, but were still much higher than their current levels. Another significant fctor is the potentially misleading impression given by the very low incomes reported by an increasing number of self-employed families. Analysis, in particular of the expenditure of these households reporting zero or negative incomes, shows that their spending patterns would place them in the top half of the income distribution. Indeed, there is evidence that the living standards, as measured by expenditure, of the bottom income 10 per cent. may be no lower than that of the second 10 per cent. There has also been a marked increase in their possession of consumer durables. The results shown in HBAI for the lowest income group cannot, therefore, be interpreted simply and should be treated with some caution.
The new family resources survey, which is due to replace the family expenditure survey as the data source for HBAI, will place special emphasis on gathering information from households on low incomes and so should help to improve the reliability of the information.
Carers
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what percentage of the social security budget is allocated for the financial support of carers ;
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(2) what was the total cost of the allowance paid to carers in the last year ; and how many carers received the invalidity allowance ; (3) what proposals there are to increase that part of the social security budget applied to the carers allowance and carers invalidity allowance.Mr. Scott : Carers may be entitled to a wide range of benefits and financial support, which are not subject to cash-limiting or budget- allocation.
Expenditure for 1994-95 on invalid care allowance, which is specifically intended for carers, is estimated to constitute 0.61 per cent. of the social security budget, excluding administration. The estimated expenditure for invalid care allowance for 1993-94 is £433 million and £510 million for 1994-95.
The latest estimate of those in receipt of ICA is 249,988 as at 4 July 1994.
Notes
From the Departmental Report 1994.
From the Departmental Report 1994
Source : the ICA Unit, based on 100 per cent. count, subject to amendment.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many carers (a) receive and (b) do not receive the invalid care allowance (i) nationally and (ii) in Coventry.
Mr. Scott : As at 4 July 1994, there were 249,988 people in receipt of invalid care allowance in Great Britain. Figures are not available for numbers of carers in receipt of ICA in Coventry and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information on the numbers of carers not in receipt nationally or in Coventry is not available.
Source :--the ICA Unit, based on 100 per cent. count, subject to amendment.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what precentage of carers receive the carers invalidity benefit (a) in Coventry and (b) nationally.
Mr. Scott : No such benefit as carers invalidity benefit exists, however, it is estimated that nationally 3.7 per cent. of carers receive invalid care allowance. Separate figures are not available for Coventry.
Source :
Based on General Household Survey 1990 estimate.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to bring the carers allowance in line with national average earnings.
Mr. Scott : We have no plans to do so. Invalid care allowance provides a measure of income maintenance and is not intended to be a wage for carers.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what representations he has received from carers organisations regarding (a) the carers allowance, (b) the stress factor and (c) the carers disability allowance ;
(2) if he will name the carers organisations who have made representations to him about help to carers (a) from Coventry and (b) nationally ;
(3) how many individuals have made representations to him about help for carers.
Mr. Scott : In the year ending 30 June 1994 representations were received from Coventry Carers
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Forum, and other organisations including Caring Costs, Carers National Association, Alzheimer's Disease Society, Oxfordshire Carers Forum, Sutton Carers Forum, Barnet Carers Forum, RADAR.Representations were also received from 266 individuals. Representations have been received regarding the rate at which invalid care allowance is paid and the conditions of entitlement to ICA. These sometimes refer to the stress involved in caring. No such benefit as carers disability allowance exists.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he plans to the carers allowance and carers invalidity allowance for the current year.
Mr. Scott : As a result of the European Court ruling in the case of Thomas and others, we will shortly be legislating under the European Communities Act to equalise the age limits for claiming invalid care allowance and severe disablement allowance for men and women at 65.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are his proposals for encouraging more people to become carers.
Mr. Scott : The Government recognise the contribution made by carers to society, and will continue to keep carers' benefits and other assistance under review.
Rent Rebates and Allowances
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount spent in each year between 1988-89 and 1993-94 on rent rebates and rent allowances both in current prices and in constant 1993-94 prices ; if, following the Treasury's Summer Economic Forecast 1994, he will publish projections for each of the years from 1994-95 to 1996-97 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : The latest available information is in the table. The projections for 1994-95 to 1996-97 will be announced at the time of the Budget and will be published in due course in the departmental report.
£ million
Year |Rent |Rent
|rebate |allowance
-----------------------------------------
Expenditure in cash prices
1988-89 |2,718 |1,055
1989-90 |2,946 |1,336
1990-91 |3,345 |1,579
1991-92 |3,675 |2,322
1992-93 |4,347 |3,257
<1>1993-94 |5,004 |3,817
Expenditure in 1993-94 prices
1988-89 |3,581 |1,390
1989-90 |3,629 |1,646
1990-91 |3,813 |1,821
1991-92 |3,940 |2,490
1992-93 |4,488 |3,363
<1>1993-94 |5,004 |3,817
Data source: The 1994 Social Security
Departmental Report.
<1>The figures for 1993-94 are estimated
expenditure only.
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Housing Benefit
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average time taken to process housing benefit claims last year.
Mr. Burt : Information is not available in the form requested. Latest available data, for 1992-93, show that 75 per cent. of all claims to housing benefit were processed within 14 days of the local authority receiving all the relevant information.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Child Support Agency staff have received performance-related pay ; and if he will make a statement.
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. Chris Mullin, dated 13 July 1994 :
I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security on performance related pay within the Child Support Agency.
The Child Support Agency operates its performance related pay scheme within the terms of the national pay arrangements agreed by the Treasury and Civil Service Trades Unions.
The level of any individual's performance related progression is governed by the Agency's annual performance appraisal arrangements. Each member of staff is set a number of work and personal objectives, tailored to meet their experience and ability, which are assessed each year by their line manager. Any entitlement to performance related pay is then awarded in recognition of the level of performance achieved.
There is no direct correlation between the pay of staff employed by the Agency and the amount of maintenance they secure or the number of absent parents they locate.
The Agency now employs 5,268 permanent staff, including 488.5 in Northern Ireland, all of whom are eligible for consideration for an award of performance related pay based upon the agreed arrangements which are available for inspection in the Library.
I hope you will find this reply helpful.
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