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£ million
|Cost 1995-96
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-taxable benefits
Pensioners' Christmas bonus |135
Sickness benefit<1> |348
Maternity allowance |35
War pension |1,247
Attendance allowance |2,089
Severe disability allowance |797
Disability living allowance |3,416
Disability working allowance |23
Industrial disablement benefits |659
Child benefit |6,327
One parent benefit |312
Family credit |1,682
Housing benefit<2> |10,996
Council tax benefit<2> |2,039
Social fund payments |226
Independent living fund |103
Other miscellaneous benefits<3> |8
Total |30,442
Taxable benefits (wholly or partly taxable)
Industrial death benefit |56
Invalid care allowance |609
Invalidity benefit<1> |7,713
Retirement pension |29,833
Widows benefits |1,021
Statutory sick pay |25
Statutory maternity pay |465
Income support |15,964
Unemployment benefit |1,335
Total |57,021
1. Figures given are in £millions and may not sum due to rounding.
<1> All figures given are in respect of 1995-96 planned expenditure (
taken from the 1995 Social Security Departmental Report). The Table
does not therefore show incapacity benefit which has now replaced
Sickness benefit and Invalidity benefit.
<2> Includes additional local authority spending.
<3> Includes Guardians allowance, Child special allowance,
miscellaneous industrial injury benefits, vaccine damage payments and
payments to charitable organisations.
Annual expenditure on non-taxable benefits is estimated to be £30, 446 million in 1995 96. Annual expenditure on taxable benefits, including those taxable in part, is estimated to be £57,021 million in 1995 96. Information is not held on the amount of taxable benefits not subject to tax.
A number of different considerations are taken into account by the Government in deciding on the tax treatment of social security benefits, for example, the purpose of the benefit in question, whether it is short or long-term, whether it is intended as a replacement for income from employment or self-employment, and whether it is subject to a means test.
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Inheritance Tax
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many landowners who receive conditional exemption from inheritance tax as a result of access agreements own land covered by these agreements which is (a) registered and (b) unregistered. [41282]
Mr. Jack: As the inheritance tax conditional exemption provisions make no distinction between registered and unregistered land, the information requested is not available.
Unemployment
Mrs. Bridget Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many unemployed (A) 16 to 19, (B) 20 to 24, (C) 25 to 34, (D) 35 to 44, (E) 45 to 54 and (F) 55 to 65-year-olds in (1) Lewisham, East and (2) each of the London boroughs (a) receive job-related training or (b) are working either full time or part time while in education; and what is their average income; [41658] (2) how many unemployed ethnic minority male (A) 16 to 19, (B) 20 to 24, (C) 25 to 34, (D) 35 to 44, (E) 45 to 54 and (F) 55 to 65-year-olds in (1) Lewisham, East and (2) each of the London boroughs (a) receive job-related training and (b) are working either full time or part time while in education; and what is their average income. [41655]
(3) how many unemployed males in (1) Lewisham, East and (2) each of the London boroughs (a) receive job-related training or (b) are working either full time or part time while in education; and what is their average income; [41651]
(4) how many unemployed male (A) 16 to 19, (B) 20 to 24, (C) 25 to 34, (D) 35 to 44, (E) 45 to 54 and (F) 55 to 64-year-olds in (1) Lewisham, East and (2) each of the London boroughs (a) receive job-related training and (b) and working either full time or part time while in eduction; and what is their average income. [41652]
Mrs. Angela Knight: Information about these groups is available from the labour force survey. However, the standard International Labour Organisation definitions used in that survey include all persons in job- related training, full-time and part-time work as in employment. No one in the groups listed is, therefore, classified as unemployed on the ILO definition.
Earnings
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) females and (b) males working in (i) Great Britain and (ii) Northern Ireland in April 1995 earned less than £58.00 per week. [41585]
Mrs. Angela Knight: Estimated numbers and proportions of all employees on adult rates, whose pay was not affected by absence, are given in the following tables:
Proportion earning less than £58 per week
Per cent.
|Full-time|Part-time|Total
--------------------------------------------------
Male |0.1 |35.7 |2.3
Female |0.2 |29.7 |11.7
Source:
New Earnings Survey 1995.
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Estimated number earning less than £58 per week (
millions)
|Full-time|Part-time|Total
--------------------------------------------------
Male |- |0.3 |0.3
Female |- |1.2 |1.2
April 1995 information for Northern Ireland is
not yet available.
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many and what proportion of (a) manual, (b) non-manual and (c) full-time employees were earning less than (i) £161.60, (ii) £215.47 and (iii) £228.68 per week excluding overtime payments for (1) men, (2) women and (3) both sexes for (A) each county in England, (B) each county in Wales, (C) each London borough and Greater London as a whole and (D) each regional authority and borough in Scotland in April; [41583]
(2) how many and what proportion of (a) manual, (b) non-manual and (c) part -time employees were earning less than (i) £4.26 per hour, (ii) £5.69 per hour and (iii) £6.03 per hour excluding overtime payments for (1) men, (2) women and (3) both sexes by standard economic region for (A) Great Britain and (B) Northern Ireland and for (iv) each county in England, (v) each county in Wales, (vi) each London borough and Greater London as a whole and (vii) each regional authority and borough in Scotland in April; [41582] (3) how many and what proportion of (a) manual, (b) non-manual and (c) full-time employees were earning less than (i) £161.60, (ii) £215.47 and (iii) £228.68 per week excluding overtime payments for (1) men, (2) women and (3) both sexes by standard economic region for (A) each Great Britain and (B) Northern Ireland in April. [41584]
Mrs. Angela Knight: I am placing the available information from the new earnings survey in the Members' Library. April 1995 information for Northern Ireland is not yet available.
Mortgage Brokers
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the regulatory bodies which oversee the work of mortgage brokers who give advice on mortgages. [41617]
Mrs. Angela Knight: Firms which sell, or offer advice on, mortgages which include an investment element, such as an endowment policy, have to be authorised by one of the Financial Services Act regulators, normally the Personal Investment Authority.
The banking ombudsman and the building societies ombudsman can also consider complaints about malpractice related to the selling of mortgages.
The mortgage lending industry is currently considering the possibility of producing a code of mortgage lending practice.
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the work of regulatory bodies which pursue cases of malpractice by mortgage brokers giving advice to the public. [41616]
Mrs. Knight: The performance of the Personal Investment Authority and other self-regulatory organisations is a matter for the Securities and Investment Board.
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In 1993 94, mortgages accounted for 8.9 per cent. of preliminary complaints to the banking ombudsman, and 10.65 per cent. of the complaints accepted for full investigation. Cases varied from those who claimed that banks had given poor advice, to those who were concerned about mistakes in the calculations of repayments or final redemption figures.In 1994 95, mortgages constituted 56 per cent. of the preliminary complaints received by the building societies ombudsman, and 62 per cent. of the cases which came to the ombudsman for resolution after exhausting the society's own internal complaints procedure.
WALES
NHS Trusts
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the directly managed units in the national health service in Wales and what progress each has made in moving to trust status. [41786]
Mr. Hague [holding answer 6 November 1995]: The three remaining directly managed units in Wales are:
Merthyr/Cynon health unit
Rhymney Valley health unit
Hensol health unit
Applications have been received for each unit to acquire trust status from April 1996. Three months public consultation on the applications commenced on 25 September.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 6 November, Official Report , columns 642 43 if he will list which trusts provide (a) mental health and illness and (b) learning disabilities services for each health authority area in Wales classified as in whole or in part. [42303]
Mr. Hague: The answer is as follows:
Health authority |Trust
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |Wrexham Maelor Hospital NHS trust
|Glan Clwyd District General Hospital NHS trust
|Clwydian Community Care NHS trust<1>
Dyfed |Derwen NHS trust<1>
Gwent |Gwent Community Health NHS trust<1>
Gwynedd |Gwynedd Community Health NHS trust<1>
Mid Glamorgan |Rhondda Health Care NHS trust
|Bridgend and District NHS trust
|Merthyr Cynon Valley health unit (directly
|managed unit)
|Hensol hospital (directly managed unit)<1>
Powys |Powys NHS trust<1>
South Glamorgan |Cardiff Community Health Care trust<1>
|Llandough Hospital and Community NHS trust
West Glamorgan |Glan y Mor trust
<1> Denotes trusts providing learning disabilities services.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to his answer of 6 November, Official Report , columns 642 43 , if he will list any representations he has received from (a) Welsh Association of Health Authorities and Trusts and (b) from other sources in relation to trusts bidding together or separately to take over directly managed
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units, which themselves wish to be formed into a trust; and if he will make a statement. [42295]Mr. Hague: Representations received to date on applications from trusts to merge with directly managed units in Wales are as follows: (a) WAHAT--None;
(b) Others--
Rhodri Morgan Esq. MP
Allan Rogers Esq. MP
South Glamorgan Health Authority
Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS Trust
Ms M. J. Henderson, Non-Executive Director, Mid Glamorgan Family Health Service Authority (independent comment)
South Glamorgan Homeopathic Group
Standing Conference of Voluntary Organisations for People with a Learning Disability in Wales
Rhondda Borough Council
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 6 November, Official Report , columns 642 43 , if he will list the different functions of each of the mixed function trusts and the different geographical areas to which they apply. [42304]
Mr. Hague: The current geographical areas for the different functions of the following NHS trusts are:
Llandough Hospital and Community NHS trust
Acute services mainly for the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan areas with the provision of community services restricted to the Vale of Glamorgan area, excluding Cowbridge and Llantwit Major.
Rhondda Healthcare NHS trust
Acute and community services for the Rhondda and Taff Ely area with drug and alcohol services provided to the whole of Mid Glamorgan.
Bridgend and District NHS trust
Acute, community and mental health services mainly for the Ogwr area and community services in the West Vale of Glamorgan.
Glan-y-Mor NHS trust
Acute services in Neath and Port Talbot areas and community and mental health services for West Glamorgan.
Cardiff Community Healthcare NHS trust
Community, mental health and learning disability services to the Greater Cardiff area and mental health services to the lower Rhymney Valley.
Gwent Community Health NHS trust
Community and mental health services to the county of Gwent and mental health services to the Rhymney Valley.
Welsh Language Board
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many schemes to promote the Welsh language have been submitted by public bodies under the Welsh Language Act 1993 and approved by the Welsh Language Board, and if he will make a statement. [42120]
Mr. Hague: The Welsh Language Board issued statutory notices to public bodies of the need to prepare schemes on 13 October 1995. No schemes have yet been submitted.
Mr. Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of running the Welsh Language Board in 1994 95; and if he will make a statement. [42121]
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Mr. Hague: The board's running costs for 1994 95 amounted to £868, 792.
Brecon and Radnor Community Health Council
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from the Brecon and Radnor community health council in relation to patient deregistration in relation to the incentive payments for meeting immunisation targets, and if he will make a statement. [42213]
Mr. Hague: I have received no such representations.
School Funding
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from county councils in Wales concerning funding levels for schools in 1996 97; and if he will make a statement. [42186]
Mr. Hague: I met Welsh local authority representatives at the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance in September to hear their views on local authority expenditure needs, including education, in 1996 97.
Decisions on capital and revenue resources for unitary authorities will be announced in the local authority capital and revenue settlements in December.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received concerning schools funding in Clwyd. [42188]
Mr. Hague: No representations have been received within the last two months concerning schools funding in Clwyd.
Planning Policy Guidance
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had concerning draft planning guidance from local authorities in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [42190]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend has received
representations from the Assembly of Welsh Counties, eight county councils, 28 district councils and seven new county and county borough councils in Wales in response to the public consultation exercise on the draft planning policy guidance in Wales documents. Responses are currently being evaluated to inform the way forward.
Estatecare Division (Sale)
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 6 November, Official Report , column 642 , what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority concerning the advertisement for sale of the authority's Estatecare division in the Official Journal of the European Communities; and what were the dates of the relevant exchange of correspondence with the Official Journal authorities.
Mr. Hague: I have had no discussions on this issue with the chairman. Investigation confirmed that there was no requirement to advertise the sale in the Official Journal . The conduct of the privatisation process is a
Column 920
matter for the chief executive of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority, to whom operational questions should be addressed.OSIRIS
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 6 November, Official Report , columns 641 42 , if he will give the estimated number of staff to be provided with personal computers under the OSIRIS contract. [42274]
Mr. Hague: The advertisement inviting proposals for OSIRIS estimated the number of staff to be provided with personal computers as about 1,900.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to his answer of 6 November, Official Report , columns 641-42 if he will estimate the annualised sum payable for services under the OSIRIS as a percentage of the initial capital cost. [42296]
Mr. Hague: The information requested is commercially confidential.
Further Education Colleges
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received regarding the funding of further education colleges; and if he will make a statement. [42184]
Mr. Hague: None, apart from the annual confidential advice from the Further Education Funding Council for Wales.
Apprenticeships
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many craft apprenticeships were made available in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [42210]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Information is not collected centrally on the number of apprenticeships made available, nor is any reliable information available on those in employment in craft and related occupations who are undertaking a trade apprenticeship.
The following table shows the information on apprenticeships available from the labour force survey.
Modern apprenticeships were introduced in Wales last year in manufacturing engineering. For 1995 96, training and enterprise councils have been given resources to support 3,400 modern apprenticeships--including up to 1,000 accelerated apprenticeships.
Number of people in employment in Wales who were in the process of completing any recognised trade apprenticeship (at the time of the survey) Year |Number -------------------------- Spring 1991 |19,000 Spring 1992 |14,000 Spring 1993 |14,000 Spring 1994 |10,000 Spring 1995 |10,000
Powys Family Health Services Authority
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Powys family health services authority concerning the deregistration of children from general practitioner patient lists for reasons arising from incentives paid for achieving immunisation rate targets; [42205] (2) what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Powys family health services authority concerning the restoration to general practitioners' lists of families provisionally deregistered because of the financial impact on the practice of the immunisation targets set in the standard general practitioner contract. [42270]
Mr. Hague: I have had no such consultations.
European Regional Development Fund
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Conwy (Sir W. Roberts) of 30 October, Official Report , column 7, on which dates his Department received (a) a detailed letter and (b) reminders from the economic development department of South Glamorgan county council raising concerns about the threat to payments from the European regional development fund arising from the reduced grant in aid from his Department; and if he will make a statement. [42273]
Mr. Hague: South Glamorgan county council raised a number of matters concerning the operation of the structural funds, including WDA participation, in a letter to my Department of 16 November 1994. The council provided further information related to the WDA's corporate plan on 2 February and wrote further on 2 and 17 March and 24 April 1995. There were informal exchanges between officials and the authority on 10 January and 21 February 1995. My predecessor gave an assurance to the House on 20 March 1995 about the propriety of WDA involvement in structural fund programmes, a view which has since been accepted by the European Commission.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit (a) Queensferry fire service station and (b) Buckley fire station in Clwyd; and if he will make a statement. [42191]
Mr. Hague: No; the responsibility for the fire service and its organisation in Wales rests with my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.
Housing
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from district councils in Wales concerning the funding levels for housing in 1996 97; and if he will make a statement. [42187]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend and I met Welsh local authority representatives in the forum of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance in September to hear their views on local
Column 922
authority expenditure needs, including housing, in 1996 97. Subsequently, I met local authority representatives in the Welsh Housing Consultative Committee.Decisions on capital and revenue resources for unitary authorities will be announced in the local authority capital and revenue settlements in December.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses have been sold in (a) 1994 and (b) so far in 1995, giving the cash units realised according to each housing authority. [42209]
Mr. Jones: The available information for 1994 is given in the following table. I will write to the hon. Member when the corresponding information for the first six months of 1995 has been finalised and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Council house sales 1994
|Dwellings sold|Receipts
|Number |£000
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberconwy |36 |638
Alyn and Deeside |72 |1,322
Arfon |52 |1,060
Blaenau Gwent |118 |1,795
Brecknock |42 |682
Cardiff |225 |4,224
Carmarthen |59 |1,010
Ceredigion |68 |1,239
Colwyn |28 |480
Cynon Valley |57 |549
Delyn |32 |492
Dinefwr |41 |658
Dwyfor |22 |501
Glyndwr |50 |846
Islwyn |113 |1,882
Llanelli |98 |1,488
Lliw Valley |52 |802
Meirionnydd |20 |304
Merthyr Tydfil |56 |754
Monmouth |119 |2,264
Montgomeryshire |48 |1,016
Neath |52 |759
Newport |180 |2,961
Ogwr |136 |2,046
Port Talbot |105 |1,496
Preseli Pembrokeshire |107 |1,710
Radnorshire |25 |536
Rhondda |30 |309
Rhuddlan |25 |454
Rhymney Valley |127 |1,510
South Pembrokeshire |25 |419
Swansea |185 |2,418
Taff-Ely |74 |1,171
Torfaen |282 |3,545
Vale of Glamorgan |89 |1,777
Wrexham Maelor |169 |2,683
Ynys Mon |44 |688
Source:
Local authority returns.
Teachers (Costs)
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of how many extra (a) primary school and (b) secondary school teachers could be obtained by additional expenditure of £40 million; and if he will make a statement. [42207]
Mr. Richards: The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
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