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Prisoners (Housing Benefit)
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will follow up a letter to the hon. Member for South Hams, dated 24 June, regarding the review of the current rules for paying housing benefit to prisoners, and the effect of this policy on Mr. and Mrs. Shelston of Wembury, near Plymouth ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hague : We are currently looking at the issues involving the payment of housing benefit to certain prisoners. A statement will be made when these inquiries are completed.
Severe Hardship Payments
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 21 June, Official Report, columns 148-49, what amount was paid for severe hardship in each quarter since September 1988.
Mr. Burt : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The amount of income support paid to 16 to 17-year-olds claiming income support under the severe hardship provision is determined locally.
Child Poverty
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children were living in poverty, as defined by (a) his Department and (b) the World Health Organisation, in each year since 1979.
Mr. Burt : No Government in the United Kingdom have ever accepted that it is possible to identify a single simple measure to define poverty in any meaningful way.
Statistics on the distribution of household incomes, including those for children, can be found in "Households Below Average Income" 1979 to 1991- 92, published on 14 July 1994, a copy of which is in the Library.
War Pensions
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many public surgeries were held by the war pensions welfare service in Shetland since 1985.
Mr. Hague : This is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the War Pensions Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jim Wallace, dated 19 July 1994 :The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of War Pensions surgeries held in Shetland.
No War Pensions surgeries have been held in Shetland since 1985. The local Benefits Agency office in Lerwick are aware of the War Pensions Welfare Service and contact is on a regular basis, discussing any matters which may arise in connection with either existing or potential War Pensioners or Widows. The Lerwick office is regularly supplied with War Pensions publicity material including posters, claim forms and the War Pensions Welfare Officer's calling cards. In addition, the Welfare Office for the Highlands and Islands has visited Shetland yearly since 1984 and all those on the island who required or asked for assistance were contacted. The next visit is scheduled for August 1994. A member of the local War Pensions Committee, who also works for the Social Services Department on the island, is resident in Shetland and visits pensioners or widows when required.
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I hope you find my reply helpful.Housing Benefit
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table setting out for each year between 1988-89 and 1993-94 the number of claimants of rent rebate and rent allowance, divided into fair-rented and non-fair-rented housing association tenants and fair-rented and non-fair-rented private sector tenants ; 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 [holding answer 14 July 1994] : The 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.
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Number of housing benefit recipients in Great Britain 1988-1993 (000s)
All private
tenants
Other private
tenants
(Excluding
Housing
Associations)
|All private |Housing
|Local Authority|tenants |Associations |Regulated |Deregulated
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |3,132 |69 |n/a |n/a |n/a
1989 |2,971 |958 |n/a |n/a |n/a
1990 |2,928 |1,067 |n/a |n/a |n/a
1991 |2,945 |1,085 |n/a |n/a |n/a
1992 |3,038 |1,290 |345 |378 |567
1993 |3,053 |1,477 |412 |339 |726
n/a=Not available.
Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System quarterly caseload count in May of each year.
Note:
Information on Fair Rent is not collected. Data on Housing Association, regulated and deregulated rents is only
available from May 1992.
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table setting out for each year between 1988-89 and 1993-94 the mean and median rents paid by recipients of housing benefit according to whether they live in local authority, housing association or private
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sector accommodation, dividing the latter two groups into fair-rented and non-fair-rented accommodation ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Burt [holding answer 14 July 1994] : The available information is in the table.
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Mean and Median Rents (£/week) in Housing Benefit cases in Great Britain
All private
tenants
Local authoritAll private Housing Other private
tenants associations tenants
(excluding
housing
associations)
Regulated Deregulated
|Mean |Median|Mean |Median|Mean |Median|Mean |Median|Mean |Median
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |18.96 |18.23 |21.80 |20.15 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a
1989 |20.57 |20.03 |24.29 |22.50 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a
1990 |23.67 |22.59 |29.42 |25.98 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a
1991 |27.29 |25.45 |35.75 |30.50 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a
1992 |30.48 |28.29 |41.68 |35.50 |35.53 |32.91 |34.20 |30.50 |50.93 |43.20
n/a = Not available.
Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample of
HB cases in May.
Note: Information on Fair Rent is not collected. Data on Housing Association,
regulated and dregulated rents only available from May 1992.
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table setting out for each year since 1988-89 how many claimants of (a) rent rebate and (b) rent allowance, divided between those claimants who are housing association tenants and those who are private sector tenants, were unemployed and how many were
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working but had earnings low enough to qualify for housing benefit ; what proportion of total spending on each of these benefits is accounted for by unemployed claimants and those claimants who are working but have earnings low enough to qualify for housing benefit ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Hague : The available information is in the table.
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1990 1991 1992
|Unemployed|Working |Unemployed|Working |Unemployed|Working
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rent Rebate |35,000 |137,000 |67,000 |145,000 |77,000 |147,000
Housing Association |- |- |- |- |11,000 |14,000
Private |- |- |- |- |64,000 |65,000
Total Rent Allowance |20,000 |67,000 |54,000 |69,000 |75,000 |79,000
Data source:
The Housing Benefit Management Information system annual one per cent. enquiries of May for each
year.
Notes:
1. No information on the proportion of total expenditure is available.
2. Information for May 1988 and May 1989 is not available.
3. The figures have been rounded to the nearest one thousand.
4. The information relates to benefit units, a benefit unit may be a couple or a single person.
5. Unemployed has been defined as in receipt of Unemployment Benefit.
6. Claimants in receipt of Income Support and earnings have been excluded, therefore, the
information includes Housing Benefit-only cases where
either a claimant and/or partner receives earnings.
7. Information on Housing Association tenants was not collected before 1992.
Disabled People
Mr. Berry : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the names and addresses of those to be consulted on the Government's proposals to tackle discrimination against disabled people.
Mr. Scott : It is the Government's intention that this should be a wide-ranging public consultation. A copy of the names and addresses of the organisations on the initial consultation list will be placed in the Library and sent to the hon. Member shortly. The consultation document has also been sent to a number of individuals. In addition, advertising is to be placed in the national press to encourage other organisations and individuals with an interest to obtain a copy.
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TREASURY
Rates and Taxes
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing), of 7 July, Official Report , columns 268-70 , if he will publish a table on a similar basis, showing the share of tax accounted for by rates, community charge and council tax as a separate item and distinguishing between taxes on income and taxes on capital.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The information requested, set out in terms of the national accounts classification of taxes, is shown in the table.
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Taxes as percentage of total taxes and social security contributions
|1978-79 |1991-92 |<1>1993-94|<2>1994-95|<2>1995-96
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rates<3> |10 |- |- |- |-
Community charge/Council tax<4> - 3 4 4 3
Business rates<5> |- |7 |6 |5 |6
Expenditure taxes |31 |35 |37 |37 |37
Taxes on income |40 |36 |34 |35 |36
Taxes on capital |2 |2 |1 |1 |1
Social Security receipts |17 |17 |18 |18 |17
<1>Provisional outturn.
<2>From Treasury Summer Economic Forecast 1994.
<3>Includes domestic and non-domestic rates prior to introduction of community
charge/council tax and business rates.
<4>Community charge for 1991-92; council tax from 1993-94. Includes some community charge
arrears.
<5>Includes district council rates in Northern Ireland.
Developing Countries (Debt)
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what commitments were made at the Naples economic summit of 8 to 10 July on raising the level of debt relief for developing countries facing special difficulties beyond 50 per cent. ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 11 July 1994, Official Report, col. 667-69.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 July, Official Report, column 379, what part of the total outstanding debt
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owed to the Export Credits Guarantee Department and the Overseas Development Administration by developing countries is derived from defence-related contracts.Mr. Kenneth Clarke : None of the outstanding debt owed to the Overseas Development Administration by developing countries relates to defence-related contracts. I regret that the information requested for the Exports Credits Guarantee Department is not readily available and could be collected only at a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what commitments were made by the Government of Japan at the Naples economic summit of 8 to 10 July to achieve the full implementation of the Trinidad terms for indebted developing countries ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Japan and our other G7 colleagues signed the summit communique encouraging
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the Paris Club to offer additional concessions on debt relief for the poorest and most indebted countries facing special difficulties.Pension Contributions
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate total contributions to pensions by (a) employers, (b) self- employed and (c) employees ; and if he will express (a) and (c) as a proportion of total earnings by employees.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The total contributions to pensions in 1992 were as follows :
£ billion
Pension Schemes Life Assurance
|Individual
|premiums for
|life policies
|State<1> |Other
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) by employers |19.5 |19.4 |-
(b) by self
employed |1.0 |n/a<2> |31.9
(c) by employees |13.2 |9.8 |-
<1> The National Insurance Fund plus the State Earnings Related Pension
Scheme (SERPS). National Insurance Fund contributions support
payment by the fund of benefits other than pensions: there are no
figures
for contributions relating to pensions alone. However, a breakdown of
benefits paid from the fund is given in Table 7.5 of the CSO United
Kingdom National Accounts Blue Book, a copy of which is available in
the Library.
<2> Not applicable.
Total earnings in 1992 were £341.0 billion : employers contributions to pensions represented 11.4 per cent. of this. It is not possible to split life assurance figure between self-employed and employee contributions. Therefore, the employees' contributions proportion has not been estimated.
Inland Revenue, Dewsbury
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what attempts have been made to extend the lease on the offices used by the Inland Revenue in Dewsbury ;
(2) what is the estimated cost of the move of the Dewsbury tax district office from Dewsbury to Leeds ;
(3) what is the estimated annual cost of running the Dewsbury tax district office from Leeds.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Further detailed work is required before final estimated figures are reached and before there can be any decision about whether the Dewsbury proposal will go ahead and it will be some months before an announcement can be made.
Water Charges
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library tables showing estimates of the share of household income taken up by water charges, by region and quintile of income, on the income scale for 1988 and 1993.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : A table showing estimates for England and Wales in 1988, based on the 1988 family expenditure survey, will be placed in the Library. Details of water and sewerage expenditure for households in
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Northern Ireland and Scotland are not available from the 1988 FES. Data for 1993 are not available until 5 August 1994.Exchange Rate
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 14, concerning the exchange rate and competitiveness, if he will publish a table showing the periods since 1970 when falls in the nominal exchange rate have been greater than that required to compensate for an increase in the general level of prices ; and what evidence he has that such falls in the real exchange rate have been inflationary.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Tables showing sterling's exchange rate index and United Kingdom inflation can be found in "Financial Statistics" and "Economic Trends" respectively, published by the Central Statistical Office. Historical data can be found in table 5.1 of the annual supplement to "Economic Trends". Together these data can be used to calculate the information requested. The exchange rate is one of the indicators that is monitored in reviewing monetary conditions, but it is only one of a wide range of factors influencing inflation.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 14, concerning the exchange rate and competitiveness, what evidence he has that the continued devaluation of the Italian lira has raised the rate of inflation ; and if he will publish a table showing for the pound and the Italian lira the fall since August 1992 in the nominal and real exchange rates against the Deutschmark, the ecu and the United States dollar.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The exchange rate is only one of a wide range of factors influencing inflation. Monthly average exchange rates and inflation indices for the currencies requested can be found in "Financial Statistics" published by the Central Statistical Office and "Main Economic Indicators" published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development respectively. Together these data can be used to calculate the information requested.
Trade Statistics
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the percentage increase for the United Kingdom and each EC country in imports and exports to non-EEC countries in terms of value in dollar terms for September 1992 to the latest available date.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The trade data are set out in the EUROSTAT publication "Eurostatistics, Data for short-term economic analysis", published monthly.
Money Circulation
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current velocity of circulation of money relative to that in 1978 ; and if he will publish a table showing the annual change in velocity of circulation since 1978 together with the change in (i) gross domestic product, (ii) manufacturing output, (iii) employment and (iv) unemployment.
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Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Between the fourth quarter of 1978 and the first quarter of 1994 the velocity of circulation of M0 increased by 75 per cent., while the velocity of circulation of M4 has decreased by 43 per cent. The annual changes of these velocities are published in "Financial Statistics", table 3.1B. The table sets out the publication details for the other statistics :
Statistic |Source
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross domestic product |Economic Trends (June 1994) Table
|2.1 and Economic Trends Annual
|Supplement (1994) Table 1.1
Manufacturing output |Economic Trends (June 1994) Table
|1.1 and Economic Trends Annual
|Supplement (1994) Table 4.1
Employment/unemployment |Economic Trends (June 1994) Table
|4.2 and Economic Trends Annual
|Supplement (1994) Table 3.2
Central Statistical Office
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Central Statistical Office performed against its key targets for 1993-94.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The Central Statistical Office's performance against its key targets for 1993-94 is described in the agency's annual report and accounts which are being laid before the House and published today. The CSO achieved 27 out of the 33 targets set for the year, including 17 out of 19 targets relating to the quality of key economic statistics.
Central Statistical Office's targets have been progressively tightened during recent years in recognition of improvements in performance. There has been a further tightening of a number of targets for 1994-95. These are set out in the "CSO Programme Strategies 1994-95 to 1996-97", which was released on 19 April.
Value Added Tax
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral statement by the Paymaster General of 19 May, Official Report, column 1002, what conclusions he has reached regarding the VAT liability for the teaching of English as a foreign language ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : In the light of the debate and the representations received I have decided that the order as drafted creates an unacceptable distortion in this sector of education and that VAT exemption should be available for all tuition in English as a foreign language. This expanded relief will be available from 1 August, the date the order comes into force, and will be administered by customs as a concession until such time as an amending order can be brought before the House.
Ships (Capital Allowances) Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are being made to publish the draft legislation on capital allowance balancing charges for ships announced on 21 April ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The Inland Revenue is making available today the draft clauses which will implement the
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proposals on capital allowances for ships which I announced on 21 April 1994. These will allow balancing charges arising on the disposal of a ship to be rolled over for a period of up to three years from the date on which it is disposed of. The charge will be set against subsequent expenditure on ships within that period. Broadly speaking, the measure will apply to ships, including fishing vessels, disposed of on or after 21 April 1994 which are of a seagoing kind of 100 gross registered tonnes or more, but excluding those of a kind used for sport or recreational purposes. Ships brought into use by a shipowner on or after today will come within the scope of the measure where, for the first three years of use, they are registered in either the United Kingdom, its dependent territories or Crown dependencies, or another state within the European Union or European Economic Area. No registration requirement will apply to ships which the owners have used prior to today. Further details of the proposed measure are included in a press release issued by the Inland Revenue today. A copy of this together with the draft clauses will be placed in the Library of the House of Commons. Subject to the outcome of discussions with the European Commission we intend to introduce these clauses in next year's Finance Bill.Royal Family (Taxation)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 July at column 565, what are the titles of (a) the nine categories of deductible expenses in paragraph 4 and (b) the four categories of expenses under appendix B in the memorandum of understanding on royal taxation.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : There are no titles to the categories of deductible expenditure, but the categories were themselves published in the report of the Royal Trustees of 5 February 1993, House of Commons paper 464, which included the whole of the memorandum of understanding on royal taxation.
Special Advisers
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many special advisers have (a) joined and (b) left his Department in each of the last five years ;
(2) how many special advisers who left his Department in each of the last five years became (a) management consultants and (b) joined a firm of consultants ;
(3) if he will publish the names of the employers joined by special advisers who left his Department in each of the last five years.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The table shows the number of special advisers who have (a) joined and (b) left my Department in each of the last five years :
|(a) joined|(b) left
--------------------------------------------
1989 |1 |0
1990 |0 |2
1991 |1 |0
1992 |1 |2
1993 |3 |3
1994 |0 |0
Special advisers are not required to provide details of their employers on leaving Government service.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Child Murders
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been murdered by members of their immediate family in each of the last five years in respect of whom a conviction has been obtained within a court.
Mr. Maclean : The table shows the number of offences recorded as homicide, as at 27 August 1993, where the victims were persons under the age of 16 years and the suspect was the parent or other relative and was convicted of homicide :
|Number
---------------------
1988 |62
1989 |40
1990 |38
1991 |42
1992 |22
Figures for 1993 are not yet available.
Young Offenders
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the options available to the courts for those under 21 years who are convicted of (a) theft from shops, (b) theft of a motor vehicle, (c) theft from a motor vehicle, (d) burglary of a dwelling house, (e) burglary of buildings other than dwelling houses, (f) assault and (g) criminal damage.
Mr. Maclean : The following sentencing options are currently available to the courts when a young person is convicted of the following offences--theft ; taking a motor vehicle without authority ; burglary from a dwelling place, burglary other than from a dwelling place ; common assault ; criminal damage :
Where the young person is aged 10 and under 18 years Absolute or conditional discharge
Fine
Compensation Order
Bind over of parent
Supervision Order
Attendance Centre Order
Community Service Order (from age 16)
Probation Order (from age 16)
Combination Order (from age 16)
Detention in a young offender institution (from age 15)
Additionally, in respect of the offence of burglary from a dwelling place, a sentence of long-term detention under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act is available from age 14. Where the young person is aged 18 and under 21 years Absolute or conditional discharge
Fine
Bind over of parent
Compensation Order
Probation Order
Attendance Centre Order
Community Service Order
Combination Order (from age 16)
Detention in a young offender institution.
National Lottery
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the members of the National Lottery Charity Board will be appointed ; what qualifications will
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be taken into account in making appointments ; when the board will first meet ; who will be its chief executive ; what will be its budget ; when it will begin dispensing of lottery funds ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. and learned Friend expects to announce the members of the National Lottery Charities Board within the next few days. The qualities taken into account include managerial skills, experience of grant administration and an understanding of the concerns for the voluntary sector across the United Kingdom. The object is to ensure that a wide range of expertise is available to the board.
It will be for the board, once established, to arrange its meeting, appoint its staff, and decide when to start making grants. Subject to the policy and financial directions which my right hon. and learned Friend will be issuing, the board will also set its own budget for making grants and meeting its administrative expenses.
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