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Teachers (Early Retirement)
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what studies she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in the last five years to assess the extent of early retirement of teachers in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools from stress arising from their occupation; and what other measures she is taking to assess this problem. [8297]
Mr. Robin Squire: No studies have been commissioned or evaluated in the last five years. My right hon. Friend is currently considering this issue.
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the statistics for the retirement of teachers eligible for retirement pensions from her Departmental scheme for each year since 1985, showing for each year (a) the total number each year and as a percentage of those in the schemes, (b) the total number aged (i) 50 to 55, (ii) 55 to 60 years and (iii) 60 to 65 and (c) the number and percentage retiring through voluntary or other redundancy or ill-health, respectively, indicating separately the figure for head teachers. [8296]
Mr. Squire: This information is not readily available. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Local Education Authorities
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assistance her Department provides to local education authorities to assist them in (a) teacher recruitment and personal welfare, (b) inspection of and assistance to teacher and schools in their areas, (c) supply of equipment and materials for educational purposes, (d) in-service training for teachers and governors, (e) premises and services for special needs and (f) sports grounds and outdoor pursuits centres; and what plans Her Majesty's Government have for strengthening their capabilities and performance in respect of these roles. [8300]
Mr. Robin Squire: The Department provides support for a variety of educational priorities through the grants for education support and training, including in-service training for teachers and governor training. Coverage is reviewing annually. The Department makes capital funding available for maintained special schools through the annual capital guidelines which it issues each year to LEAs; it also assists non-maintained special schools through an annual capital grant programme. The DFEE and its agencies provide a wide range of advisory circulars, leaflets and other information offering guidance to LEAs every year. More details about the specific
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assistance and funding the Department provides to LEAs are shown in the departmental report, a copy of which has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Secondary Schools (Entry Qualifications)
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance or rules Her Majesty's Government will publish and forward to self-governing maintained middle or secondary schools concerning future entry qualifications of pupils other than those of domicile; what will be the minimum age of
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assessment; and by what means they will incorporate tests or estimates of (a) attainment and (b) future testable performance. [8295]
Mrs. Gillan: The governors of grant-maintained schools are responsible for their own admission arrangements. At present, however, those arrangements must be approved by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. She is now consulting on proposals to lift this requirement, so that grant-maintained schools have the same flexibility as that currently available to LEAs and to the governors of voluntary-aided schools.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Housing Benefit
Mr. George Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the numbers and amounts of rent rebate and rent allowance overpayments; and what percentage this was of local authorities' overall housing benefit expenditure for each district and island council in Scotland, in each year from 1991-92. [5054]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The information is in the Library.
National Insurance Numbers
Mr. Churchill: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (a) how many individuals are currently entitled to a national insurance number and (b) how many such numbers have actually been issued and remain currently valid; and what factors underlie the discrepancy between (a) and (b). [5436]
Mr. Heald: There are approximately 65 million records held on the departmental central index database. All these numbers remain valid. Many relate to persons living abroad or to deceased persons whose dependants continue to receive benefits based on the deceased's national insurance contributions records.
Income Support
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will express the value of disregards within income support for earnings and for maintenance in cash and real terms since 1985 and the real terms figures (a) with 1985 as the based and (b) with the figures most recently issued by his Department as the base. [5481]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People on 18 December, Official Report, columns 887-90, to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn).
There is no maintenance disregard in income support.
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 6 December, Official Report, column 248, how many of those estimated to qualify for the mobility component of disability living allowance at the (a) higher rate and (b) lower rate are in the age groups (i) 65 to 69 (ii) 70 to 74, (iii) 75 to 79 and (iv) 80 years or over. [5959]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The available information is in the table.
| Disability living allowance | Higher rate mobility component | Lower rate mobility component |
|---|---|---|
| 69 and under | 150,000 | 10,000 |
| 70 to 74 | 340,000 | 20,000 |
| 75 to 79 | 420,000 | 10,000 |
| 80 and over | 1,090,000 | 20,000 |
| Total | 2,000,000 | 60,000 |
Note:
Estimates are rounded to the nearest 10,000, they are speculative and subject to very substantial margins of error.
Source:
DLA statistics May 1995, OPCS Disability Survey 1985, Government Actuaries Department population projection 1992.
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Funeral Payments
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations funeral directors have been made to him in respect of bad debts since changes in social security rules affecting funerals were implemented. [6060]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: Although funeral directors have expressed the view that the changes to social fund funeral payments will result in debts, no specific examples have been received.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the levels of state assistance available to meet funeral expenses. [6058]
Mr. Mitchell: The social fund funeral payment scheme covers all reasonable costs of burial and cremation disbursements and in addition allows up to £500 for the funeral director's services, up to £75 because of a requirement of the religious faith of the deceased and up to £25 for flowers from the person arranging the funeral. Everyone who is entitled to help with arranging a funeral through the social fund is able to choose either a burial or cremation. Payments can, especially in the case of burials, exceed £1,000.
Local authorities in England and Wales have a duty under section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to arrange for the burial or cremation of the body of any person who has died or been found dead in their area where it appears to the authority that no suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have been made. Similar provision applies in Scotland under section 50 of the National Assistance Act 1948.
Mr. Worthington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the representatives of funeral directors he consulted before changing the amount of assistance given to people of limited means faced with funeral expenses. [6059]
Mr. Mitchell:
Representatives from the Funeral Standards Council, the National Association of Funeral Directors and the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors.
Mr. Worthington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what calculations underlay the sum of £500 as the maximum grant for funerals for relatives without means. [6057]
Mr. Mitchell:
The average amount awarded for funeral directors' fees under the funeral payment scheme prior to June 1995 was £749. The current scheme restricts both the type of coffin and the number of cars which may be provided. Therefore, the amount awarded should also be
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lower. It is reasonable to assume that, with the state meeting the cost of 12 per cent. of all funerals, there will be some price competition in the industry which will tend to exert a downward pressure on prices.
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