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Adjudication Rules
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to make changes to the Social Security (Adjudication) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 1994 in response to the suggestion relating to housing costs mentioned by the chief adjudication officer at paragraph 2.7 of his annual report for 1993 94.
Mr. Roger Evans: Amendments to the social security adjudication regulations were laid yesterday which will come into force on 14 November. These will enable the adjudication officer to adjudicate on those claims where they have insufficient information to decide the amount which may be allowed for items of housing costs. In those cases only those items of housing costs, if any, which can be determined immediately will be included in the applicable amount. Once sufficient information is available to enable other housing costs to be determined, the initial decision will be reviewed. The amendment makes similar provision for cases where it appears that
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the severe disability premium may be appropriate, but the AO needs additional information before deciding whether this premium is applicable.Incapacity Assessment Panel
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the panel on assessment of incapacity have refused to have their names published; and on what grounds.
Mr. Hague: All those who participated as panel members were asked for their agreement to have their names published within the report, "The Medical Assessment for Incapacity Benefit".
Ten members responded in the negative.
Panel members had not been asked to give grounds for refusal and none was provided.
War Pensions
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many war pensions are being paid to former service personnel in respect of asbestos-related conditions;
(2) how many war pensions have been awarded to former service personnel since 1964 in respect of asbestos-related conditions; (3) how many service personnel have received war pensions because of deafness since 1964.
Mr. Hague: The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Press Officers
Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of press officers currently employed by his Department who are normally based (a) in the Department in London, (b) in the House and (c) at each other location.
Mr. Roger Evans: The number of press officers currently employed by this Department is set out in the table:
|Number
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Department's headquarters in London |10
Seconded HQ press officer to the charity Motability |1
The Child Support Agency |2
The Contributions Agency |1
The War Pensions Agency |1
|
The Benefits Agency: |
National Press Office |8
Regional Press Office |9
This Department does not have press officers based in the House.
EMPLOYMENT
Departmental Staff
Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are employed by his Department; and what proportion of them are employed in each of the standard regions.
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Miss Widdecombe: The number of staff currently employed by the Employment Department Group is 58,457.5. There are no standard regions in the Department. The Employment Department Group consists of four separate organisations: Health and Safety Executive, Employment Service, Employment Department and Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Each organisation has a separate regional structure. However, the Treasury produces staffing information for standard economic planning regions, and the latest Treasury figures are as follows:
------------------------------------------------- Scotland |5,064 |8.66 Northern |3,155.5 |5.4 Yorks and Humber |7,539 |12.9 North West |8,657 |14.8 East Midlands |3,593 |6.14 West Midlands |4,791.5 |8.19 Wales |2,701 |4.62 East Anglia |1,303 |2.2 London and South East |17,617.5|30.13 South West |4,036 |6.9
Public Opinion Surveys
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list each public opinion survey commissioned by (a) his Department and (b) his agencies since 1 October 1992, showing for each, the subject, objectives, total cost, the period in which it was conducted and the organisation from which it was commissioned.
Mr. Oppenheim: The Employment Department Group does not commission public opinion surveys. Full details of all research commissioned by the group are published in our annual reports on research. I would be happy to provide the hon. Member with reports for the relevant period if he so wished.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are employed by the TECs.
Mr. Paice: Training and enterprise councils are private companies and as such are not required to provide information on the number of staff they employ.
Pregnant Workers Directive
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the deadline for incorporating into United Kingdom law the provisions of the EU's pregnant workers directive.
Miss Widdecombe: The date is 19 October 1994.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to table regulations implementing the health and safety provisions of the pregnant workers directive.
Miss Widdecombe: Draft proposals for regulations to implement the health and safety provisions of the pregnant workers directive were submitted by the Health and Safety Commission on 7 October 1994. I am currently considering these proposals with the aim of tabling regulations as soon as possible.
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Career Development Loans
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for loans under the career development scheme have been made in 1994 95 for each region and for Great Britain as a whole and how many have been rejected; how many women have been awarded loans; how many training for work participants have been awarded loans endorsed by their training and enterprise council or local enterprise company; what have been the successful course completion rates in each region; how much has been awarded in total for each region and how much has been recovered; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Paice: Information by region on the number of loans approved under the career development loan scheme; numbers of applications rejected; number of loans approved for women; the value of loans approved and the successful course completion rate are shown in the following tables. The information given is for the period 1 April 1994 to 30 September 1994.
Details of the number of training for work participants and of the amount of money repaid are not available.
Further information on career development loans can be found in the 1993 94 annual report, a copy of which is available in the Library.
|Number of
|Number of |Rejected |loans for
Region |loans approved|applications |women
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North East |171 |46 |49
Merseyside |107 |36 |53
North West |271 |116 |89
Yorks and Humberside |414 |138 |152
West Midlands |314 |112 |117
East Midlands |249 |96 |86
Eastern |358 |129 |130
South East |816 |283 |333
London |1,315 |877 |466
South West |494 |129 |192
Wales |186 |44 |67
Scotland |505 |237 |164
|------- |------- |-------
Great Britain |5,200 |2,243 |1,898
|Course
|completion
|Value of |rate (per
Region |loans (£) |cent.)
----------------------------------------------------------
North East |572,646 |78
Merseyside |399,492 |61
North West |970,014 |80
Yorkshire and Humberside |1,437,740 |74
West Midlands |1,009,404 |71
East Midlands |757,669 |67
Eastern |1,183,131 |72
South East |3,041,895 |82
London |4,915,906 |76
South West |1,802,144 |66
Wales |625,909 |74
Scotland |1,502,811 |86
|------- |-------
Great Britain |18,218,761|75
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people (a) are currently on a course which has been supported by a career development loan, (b) are repaying a career development loan, (c) have had recovery action taken against them because they have defaulted on the loan and (d) have had to defer repayments of their career development loan because of hardship for each region and for Great Britain as a whole; what is the average amount of loan taken out; an if he will make a statement.
Mr. Paice: Information by region on the number of people currently in training supported by a career development loan and the number of people currently repaying a loan is shown in the following table. Details of the number of people who have had recovery action taken against them because they defaulted on the loan are not available. No information is held on the number of trainees who have had to defer repayment on loans due to hardship.
At 30 September 1994, the average loan amount for loans taken out in the current financial year was £3,159.
|Number currently|Number currently
Region |in training |repaying loans
------------------------------------------------------------------------
North East |168 |1,605
Merseyside |96 |838
North West |272 |2,502
Yorks and Humberside |413 |3,304
West Midlands |328 |2,548
East Midlands |273 |2,320
Eastern |365 |3,664
South East |842 |5,184
London |1,309 |8,797
South West |512 |3,689
Wales |187 |1,460
Scotland |545 |3,736
|------- |-------
Great Britain |5,310 |39,647
Woodlee Rehabilitation Centre
Sir John Hannam: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to use the Woodlee rehabilitation centre, Egham, for the vocational rehabilitation of disabled people.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question 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 M. E. G. Fogden to Sir John Hannam, dated 25 October 1994:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the future use of the Woodlee Rehabilitation Centre, Egham for the vocational rehabilitation of disabled people.
In keeping with the policy of delivering rehabilitation services through local providers announced in 1991 by Michael Howard, the then Secretary of State for Employment, the Woodlee Centre closed its rehabilitation services in 1992. The premises have since been used, pending their sale, to accommodate other services.
The premises were placed on the open market in August and a total of eight bids were received. I have authorised acceptance of the highest bid representing the best return to the taxpayer. That bidder is a private educational establishment and will not be using the premises for the rehabilitation of disabled people.
I hope this is helpful.
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Sir John Hannam: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the cost of the redevelopment of the Woodlee rehabilitation centre, Egham.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question 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 M. E. G. Fogden to Sir John Hannam, dated 25 October 1994:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the cost of the redevelopment of Woodlee Rehabilitation Centre, Egham.
The Employment Service has not had any plans to redevelop the Woodlee site since its closure as a rehabilitation centre in 1992. It was recently placed for sale on the open market and on 17 October I agreed acceptance of an offer from a private educational establishment.
I hope this is helpful.
Press Officers
Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of press officers currently employed by his Department who are normally based (a) in the Department in London, (b) in the House and (c) at each other location.
Miss Widdecombe: There are currently 13 press officers employed by the Department based in London, none in the House, and one in Sheffield.
Employment Service Agency Agreement
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress the Employment Service has made in meeting the targets outlined in the 1994 95 agency agreement; and if he will list for each quarter (a) the total unemployed job placings and variance from targets, (b) the long-term unemployed job placings and variance from targets, (c) job placings of people with disabilities and variance from target, (d) inner-city job placings and variance from target, (e) the number of claims not pursued following initial contact and variance from target, (f) the number of claimants moved from unemployment benefit to another benefit and variance from target, (g) the number of people who withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators and variance from target, (h) the number of submissions to adjudication where there is an arguable case with supporting information to show that the claimant is not available for, actively seeking or willing to accept work and variance from target; (i) the number of positive outcomes for unemployed claimants invited to a 12 month advisory interview and variance from target and (j) the number of positive outcomes for unemployed claimants invited to a 24-month advisory interview and variance from target.
Miss Widdecombe: The Employment Service is making progress against its target for 1994 95, meeting or exceeding almost all at the mid-year stage. It placed 992,100 unemployed people into jobs in the first two quarters, against an annual target of 1.7 million. This represents 133,100 more placings than at the same stage last year. Performance to date is set out in the following table. There is no target for the number of claimants moved from unemployment benefit to another benefit.
Employment Service Performance Against Target April-September 1994 Annual performance |Quarter 1 |Quarter 2 |Cumulative |Target levels targets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total placings of unemployed people in jobs |482,500 |509,600 |992,100 |1,700,000 Long-term claimants placed into jobs as a percentage of total unemployed placings |29.5 per cent. |28.9 per cent. |29.2 per cent. |29.5 per cent. (c) People with disabilities placed into jobs as a percentage of total unemployed placings |3.5 per cent. |3.6 per cent. |3.6 per cent. |3.3 per cent. (d) Unemployed people in inner cities placed into jobs as a percentage of total unemployed |26.7 per cent. |27.2 per cent. |27 per cent. |26 per cent. (e) Benefit claims not pursued following initial contact with ES (as percentage of initial enquiries |11 per cent. |10 per cent. |10 per cent. |9 per cent. (g) People signing off as a result of action by fraud officer |21,850 |22,800 |44,650 |70,000 (h) Adjudication submissions on availability for, actively seeking or refusal of employment (against profile) |32,900 |49,000 |81,900 |135,000 (i) Positive Outcomes for unemployment claimants invited to a 12 month advisory interview |40 per cent. |54 per cent. |47 per cent. |50 per cent. (j) Positive Outcomes for unemployment claimants invited to a 24 month advisory interview |34 per cent. |44 per cent. |39 per cent. |35 per cent.
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Bus Building Industry
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been employed in the bus building industry in each year since 1979.
Mr. Oppenheim: Estimates for the bus building industry are not available separately. The figures are included in the estimates for "Manufacture of motor vehicles and parts". The available information is given in the following table:
Employees in the manufacture
of motor vehicles
and parts thereof (sic 35):
Great Britain
|Thousands
------------------------------
1979 |464
1980 |434
1981 |361
1982 |315
1983 |296
1984 |278
1985 |271
1986 |263
1987 |257
1988 |268
1989 |262
1990 |246
1991 |222
1992 |226
1993 |202
1994 |197
Figures as at June of each
year.
Sickness Benefit
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the number of claimants who have moved directly from the unemployment register to receipt of sickness benefit in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment
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Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. James Wallace, dated 25 October 1994:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of claimants who have moved directly from the unemployed register to claim sickness benefit in the last 12 months. Unfortunately, the information you have requested is not available. At present the computer system used by the Employment Service to process benefit claims does not record details of the reasons for claim closure.
As from 2 December, enhancement of the system will enable us to provide this information, although not I am afraid retrospectively. I hope this is helpful.
WALES
Tourism
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Dorset, South (Mr. Bruce) of 17 October, column 12, what is the statistical basis for (a) numbers of tourist visits to Wales and (b) the amount of money spent in Wales by tourists; and how the figures distinguish between tourist and business visits and expenditure.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Information on domestic--that is, United Kingdom-- tourists comes from the United Kingdom tourist survey commissioned jointly by the Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland tourist boards. It is based on interviews with United Kingdom residents and measures tourism trips of one night or more for any purpose.
Information on overseas visitors comes from an international passenger survey conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on behalf of the Central Statistical Office.
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Survey totals estimated 7.7 million trips by United Kingdom residents to Wales and a spend of £945 million comprising £745 million on holidays, accounting for 70 per cent. of trips, with business spend at £90 million and (9 per cent. of trips)-- the balance being for other purposes. Estimates of 670,000 overseas visitors with a spend of £132 million do not identify business travel.Health Service Pay
Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of chief executives of national health service trusts in each of the last four years have been paid on a
performance-related pay basis.
Mr. Richards: This information is not held centrally. NHS trusts have the freedom to set local terms and conditions of service.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has received from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution on the volumes of low-level radioactive waste to be committed to the Cilgwyn quarry waste disposal site for burial; and what quality control checks exist for nuclear waste disposal in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Only very small amounts of radioactive waste are disposed of at the Cilgwyn site and under individual authorisation from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. No waste from the nuclear industry are involved. Because of his appellate role under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, my right hon. Friend cannot become involved in the specific detail of authorisation.
One of the options explored in the recent Government consultation document "Review of Radioactive Waste Management Policy - Preliminary Conclusions", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House, is that of encouraging waste producers to make greater use of the controlled burial of radioactive waste at suitable landfill sites. No specific sites have been identified. The views of respondents concerning the option will be carefully considered within the consultation process.
Households
Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of households, at the latest available date, was economically inactive in each of the boroughs at district council areas in Wales.
Mr. Redwood: The information requested in respect of district council areas can be obtained from the 1991 census of population data on the Nomis database in the House of Commons Library.
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Sheep and Beef Production
Mr. Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to the European Commission concerning the interpretation of regulations governing the operation and allocation of quotas for sheep and beef production.
Mr. Redwood: My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food normally represents the United Kingdom in negotiations with the European Commission. Several amendments to the regulations have already been negotiated which will bring welcome flexibilities in the way livestock quotas are administered.
Badgers
Mr. Roy Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many licences have been granted by the Countryside Council for Wales for interference with badger setts following the Badger Act 1991, now the Protection of Badgers Act 1992; and for which purposes listed in section 10 of the 1992 Act such licences were issued.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: I am advised by the Countryside Council for Wales that 82 such licences have been issued for the purposes of conservation, development and the investigation of offences.
Baglan Hospital
Mr. John Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money is estimated to be spent on the Baglan hospital in the current financial year; and how much in 1995 96.
Mr. Richards: It is too early in the planning of the proposed hospital to estimate spending profiles.
Mr. John Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when it is now expected that a restart will be made on the work of constructing the Baglan hospital; in what stages; and on what dates it is now expected to go out to tender on the initial contracts.
Mr. Richards: These are matters for the West Glamorgan health authority, which has responsibility for progressing the scheme.
M4 (Traffic Volume)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of traffic volumes of the M4 from (a) New House roundabout to the Coldra, (b) the Coldra to St Julians, (c) Malpas to Tredegar Park and (d) Tredegar Park to Tongurynlais in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information is given in the following table:
Predicted M4 traffic flows
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Section |High |Low |High |Low |High |Low |High |Low |High |Low
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newhouse-Magor |47,000 |7,100 |6,700 |8,000 |7,300 |8,900 |7,850 |9,800 |8,800 |10,700 |9,000
Magor-Coldra |54,050 |63,300 |60,100 |71,500 |65,200 |79,600 |70,150 |87,500 |78,700 |95,600 |80,350
Coldra-Caerleon |72,350 |84,750 |80,450 |95,700 |87,250 |106,550|93,900 |117,100|105,300|128,000|107,550
Malpas-Tredegar
Park |87,300 |100,250|95,150 |113,200|103,200|126,050|111,100|138,500|124,550|151,400
Tredegar Park-
Castleton |80,200 |92,100 |87,400 |104,000|94,800 |115,800|102,000|127,250|114,500|139,100|116,900
Castleton-Coryton |44,300 |50,900 |48,300 |57,450 |52,400 |64,000 |56,400 |70,300 |63,250 |76,850 |64,600
<1> All flows are 24-hour annual average daily flows. Predictions are based on current national road traffic
forecasts.
<2> On the Newhouse to Magor section, predicted flows for years 2000 and beyond reflect the opening of the second
Severn crossing scheme in 1996.
<3> Figures take no account of the proposed M4 relief road between Magor and Castleton.
Column 575
Hill Farms
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of hill farm incomes in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Farm incomes for 1992 93 are contained in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom", published in March 1994. Estimates of hill farm incomes for 1993 94 together with forecast for 1994 95 are due to be published as part of the autumn hill review on 29 November. Final figures for 1993 94 are not yet available but on the basis of data currently analysed incomes are expected to have risen compared to 1992 93.
Sea Wall Works
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Wales region of the National Rivers Authority concerning the funding arrangements and expected start date of work on the raising of the sea wall between Newport and Cardiff.
Mr. Redwood: My Department has been liaising for some time with the Welsh region of the NRA about funding arrangements and a start of work on raising of the sea wall between Newport and Cardiff. Agreement in principle was given on 18 October to proposals recently submitted to the Department for works to this length of sea wall.
Drugs Advice Centres
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of the South, Mid and West Glamorgan health authorities concerning the setting up of street-based drop -in drug prevention advice centre.
Hospital Patients
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has in relation to amending the guidelines to the rights of health authorities and the rights of patients and their spouses or other carers in relation to (a) bed blocking and (b) transfer to private nursing or residential care homes.
Mr. Redwood: The Welsh Office and the Department of Health have consulted widely on guidance which reaffirms health authorities' responsibilities for meeting the continuing health care needs of patients, as set out in the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. The outcome of this consultation will be known shortly.
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Health Service (Complaints)
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to issue the guidelines on new unified complaints procedure for the NHS patients in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: The unified complaints procedure is one of the recommendations of the Wilson report on NHS complaints procedures, "Being Heard", which are being considered by the Government in the light of consultation responses received.
Rail Freight Garage Centre
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with South Glamorgan and Gwent county councils, the relevant city or borough councils and British Rail in relation to the proposed Rail Freight European garage centre for south Wales; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: I am keen to see more freight transported by rail where practicable. The Welsh Development Agency, in conjunction with local authorities and others, is considering the commercial options for a European freight terminal in south Wales. I look forward to receiving proposals soon.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the grant-maintained status schools had (a) deficits, (b) surpluses and (c) neither on the final date of accounts before transferring into grant- maintained status; and if he will list the subsequent transactions between the relevant schools and local authorities with respect to making the appropriate refunding arrangements.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 19 October 1994]: The financial position of the 16 grant-maintained schools in Wales on acquiring grant- maintained status was as follows: (a) Four schools had overspent their local management of schools allocation; (b) Nine schools were in credit; and (c) Three schools had neither a deficit nor a surplus.
Before the Education (Grant-maintained Schools) (Finance) (Wales) Regulations 1994 came into force on 1 April this year, it was left to local education authorities and schools to resolve any differences. Under the regulations, however, any deficit incurred or surplus accrued by a school while under any LEA control can be taken into account in calculating its annual maintenance grant for its first year as a grant-maintained school. This has applied in the case of only one school; the deficit is being repaid.
Column 577
Mr. Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools there were in each local authority in Wales by 1 October; how many in each case had held ballots under section 61 of the Education Act 1988; how many ballots in each case resulted in votes in favour of seeking grant-maintained status; and how many ballots in each case resulted in votes against seeking grant-maintained status.
Mr. Richards: The number of LEA-maintained and grant-maintained primary and secondary schools in Wales as at 1 April 1994, the latest date for which details are available, is as follows:
.
|Primary |Secondary
----------------------------------------------
Clwyd |245 |32
Dyfed |313 |31
Gwent |213 |33
Gwynedd |191 |23
Mid Glamorgan |305 |42
Powys |108 |13
South Glamorgan |159 |26
West Glamorgan |164 |27
Of these, 10 primary and 18 secondary schools have held ballots on whether they should apply for grant-maintained status under section 61 of the Education Reform Act 1988. In six primary and 12 secondary schools, the vote was in favour; in four primary and seven secondary schools the outcome of the ballot was against. one secondary school balloted twice.
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